Economic Development Corp. of Wayne County (EDC) recognized five companies for their investments and two community partnerships as part of its annual meeting.
The five businesses are collectively investing a total of $420M in Wayne County and plan to create 184 new full-time jobs.
The companies, their investments and job creation projections are:
- Liberation Labs: $115 million, 45 jobs
- Anchor Ingredients: $39 million, 30 jobs
- Blue Buffalo: $200 million, 50 to 60 jobs
- Menasha Packaging Company: $66 million, retention of 321 existing jobs
- Supply Source Enterprises: $726,000, 49 jobs
About 130 people gathered for EDC’s May 6 gathering at Reid Health’s Lingle Auditorium.
Anchor Ingredients Investment Award. Left to right: Seth Novak, CEO & Co-Founder, Anchor Ingredients; Valerie Shaffer, EDC President; Sarah Mitchell, EDC Economic Development Manager. Supplied photo 
Blue Buffalo Investment Award. Left to right: Theresa Lindsey, EDC Manager of Business and Workforce Development; Paul Bryant, Platform Lead, Blue Buffalo; Sarah Roddy, Human Resources Business Associate, Blue Buffalo; Elizabeth Huskisson, Finance Site Lead, General Mils/Blue Buffalo; Chris Campbell, HR/HSE Manager, Blue Buffalo; Valerie Shaffer, EDC President; and Michael Alexander, Platform Lead, Blue Buffalo. Supplied photo 
Earlham Economic Development Partnership Award. Left to right: Kristen Lainsbury, Vice President for Marketing and Communications Earlham College; Kimberly Tanner, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Earlham College; Anne Houtman, President, Earlham College; Peter Zaleski, Chair of EDC Board of Directors; Valerie Shaffer, EDC President; Dakota Collins, Director of Community Relations, Earlham College; Sara Paule, Director of Grants and Sponsored Research, Earlham College; Meredith Edwards, Associate Director of Grants and Sponsored Research, Earlham College. Supplied photo 
Liberation Labs Investment Award. Left to right: Valerie Shaffer, EDC President; Mark Warner, CEO and Co-Founder, Liberation Labs; Sarah Mitchell, EDC Economic Development Manager. Supplied photo 
Menasha Investment Award. Left to right: Theresa Lindsey, EDC Manager of Business & Workforce Development Manager; Jamille Bacon, Senior Human Resource Business Partner, Menasha; Valerie Shaffer, EDC President. Supplied photo 
Past Chair Award. Left to right: Valerie Shaffer, EDC President; Sherrilyn Johnson, 2023 Chair of the EDC Board of Directors. Supplied photo 
Supply Source Investment Award. Left to right: Theresa Lindsey, EDC Business & Workforce Development Manager; Linda Kirk, Human Resources, Supply Source; Valerie Shaffer, EDC President. Supplied photo 
Wayne County & Towns Economic Development Partnership Award. Left to right: Jim McLane, Cambridge City Town Council; Jeff Plasterer, Wayne County Commissioner; Beth Fields, Wayne County HELP Coordinator; Steve Mills, East Germantown Town Council; Shirley Williams, Economy Town Council; Amy Smith, Milton Town Council; Zane Carrell, Spring Grove Town Council; Beth Fields, Director of Strategic Initiatives, City of Richmond; Valerie Shaffer, EDC President. Supplied photo
Partnerships
EDC also presented two Economic Development Partnership Awards for collaborations that resulted in several million dollars of grants and private investment for quality of place initiatives.
- Earlham College collaborated with several organizations to secure a $25 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.’s College and Community Collaboration initiative. The resulting Revitalize Richmond plan is supported by $83 million more in committed downtown investments.
- Wayne County government and Cambridge City, Dublin, East Germantown, Economy, Milton, Richmond and Spring Grove were recognized for collaborating to develop a Strategic Investment Plan for each community and a county plan. Residents shared their ideas for each community.
Towns contributed some of their American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds toward projects in their communities. Wayne County Government committed $5.89 million of ARPA money to assist the towns in undertaking what could eventually become an overall investment of $25.4M. This level of collaboration allowed officials to leverage ARPA funding and a $1 million grant from Indiana’s Office of Community and Rural Affairs to accomplish more together.
Collaboration
EDC President Valerie Shaffer also noted the momentum of collaboration the county is experiencing.
In 2022, East Central Indiana received $15 million from Indiana’s Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) 1.0 through the state’s EDC.
Wayne County received $2.95 million of that award to invest in redevelopment of the former Elder-Beerman property in downtown Richmond. That project was leveraged and allowed Earlham to apply for the full $25 million grant from Lilly Endowment for Revitalize Richmond.
The strategic plan that Wayne County developed for Indiana’s Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program built upon the spirit of collaboration and led the community right into READI 2.0.
East Central Indiana again competed for additional resources to invest in quality of place projects and received $35 million earlier this year.
In a news release, EDC staff say the plans developed and coming investments have resulted from hard work, dedication, and collaborative spirit by Wayne County citizens and its leadership.
“The EDC is thankful to have so many partners in economic and community development that are committed to investing in our future.”
Chair honored
EDC also recognized Sherrilyn Johnson for serving as EDC’s 2023 board chair. Wayne County commissioners appointed her. Johnson just began her second three-year term.
Annual report
More information about Economic Development Corp. of Wayne County’s award recipients and upcoming projects is available in EDC’s 2023 annual report under “About Us” at whywaynecounty.com.
A version of this article appeared in the May 22 2024 print edition of the Western Wayne News.