Grow Wabash County

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Together, We Can: Grow Wabash County

Would the world be a better, more productive place, if investing in your personal economic growth was your county’s priority? Grow Wabash County thinks so. Being an organization that strategically combines the county-wide economic development organization and the Chamber of Commerce, Grow Wabash County is a one-stop-shop for business development efforts.

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Focusing on five main pillars– business development, entrepreneurship, livability, workforce development, and investor services, Grow Wabash County’s mission is to deliver vibrant and sustainable economic development to Wabash towns and cities. By leveraging partnerships with regional assets and local municipalities, Grow Wabash County can provide local incentives and other benefits to businesses seeking to relocate or grow within the area.

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Read on to learn more about Grow Wabash County’s mission, and how its partnership with Veryable is aiding in strengthening its efforts.

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Introducing Flexibility

In the heart of Indiana, manufacturing serves a critical role as the biggest stimulator of the local economy, especially as it applies to wages. Providing essential roles to people from all walks of life, Wabash County is a catalyst for creating the best quality of life by way of manufacturing. Within the various cities and towns residing within the county’s borders, some of the highest wages are paid out through the manufacturing sector. Dedicated to upskilling, Grow Wabash County has continued to educate local students. By partnering with select manufacturers to provide programs where the future manufacturers of America can learn salient skills, students have been able to earn certifications and gain full-time employment.

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Grow Wabash County serves as a missing link between businesses, connecting them to each other whenever a need arises to help achieve goals mutually. In the case of Grow Wabash County’s partnership with Veryable, the organization is happy to connect businesses with a flexible, on-demand labor solution.

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“From a business standpoint, the biggest concern that every business has is workforce, right? It's not trying to sell their product. They're all backed up on sales right now. It's not trying to develop a new market. The markets are there. It's trying to get the people in that can build the products to get it out the door.” said Keith Gillenwater, Grow Wabash County President and CEO. “This is an opportunity for young people. This is an opportunity for retirees as well. [They] can't afford to be there four or five days a week for eight hours a day. [They] can go work a shift on a Tuesday from two to four or from six to midnight, and can earn a little bit of spending money on the side. I think that's great, right? You're trying to meet that workforce where they're at, [which is] the way the gig economy works at this point.”

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Grow Wabash County is leading the charge in the progression of traditional hiring: “We really see the opportunity, obviously, with Veryable for our manufacturing workforce to say, “Let's rethink how we are hiring people, let's rethink how human resources can work and see if we can't meet the workforce of today where they're at.” said Gillenwater.

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With medical equipment used to save lives, to the food on your tables, to every bottle of 5 Hour Energy across the globe, Wabash County can be celebrated as a hallmark of American manufacturing. “It's such a critical part of Wabash County's economy that it should be celebrated. We make things better than anybody else does.” said Gillenwater.