How Hendricks County Used JobsEQ to Create a Targeted Economic Development Plan

Does your county have a plan for economic development?

Hendricks County does.

Hendricks County has become widely recognized as one of Indiana’s strongest economic and logistics engines. Located immediately west of Indianapolis, the county offers companies access to a transportation network that puts them within a day of most of the U.S. population.[1] About 20% of employment in Hendricks County is in the transportation and warehousing industry.[2]

“We want to make a name for our county as a great spot for small to medium size manufacturers to come in and test their new technology,” said Lora Steele, Marketing and Communications Manager at Hendricks County Economic Development Partnership (EDP).

The problem is that it isn’t easy to distinguish your county from others and make a name for yourself. And no one’s marketing budget is unlimited. Steele and her colleagues had to figure out how to attract the right businesses to their region--without breaking the bank. They needed a targeted economic development plan. “We are the second-fasted growing county in Indiana. Before getting JobsEQ and Employer Database, we were unable to identify local companies. Plus, we didn’t know which opportunities we were missing,” says Steele.

The Solution

Chmura’s JobsEQ software gives Steele the labor market data she needs to develop a targeted economic development plan for Hendricks County. The Employer Database analytic within JobsEQ gives her a list of employers, their phone numbers and other contact information, number of employees, and sales volume. Employer Database helps Steele put her economic development plan into action.

“Employer Database is a great way to spend our marketing dollars in a targeted way,” says Steele. “We cross-reference Employer Database with other analytics in JobsEQ to come up with a targeted economic development plan for our region.”

JobsEQ: Building Confidence and a Plan

Before Hendricks County EDP subscribed to JobsEQ, they struggled to identify opportunities for their region to grow. Even if they knew which industries they wanted to attract, they did not have the contact information of local employers or ideal business partners in neighboring states.

JobsEQ helped Hendricks County create a targeted economic development plan. JobsEQ’s Industry Snapshot analytic helped them identify the industries in which they have a competitive advantage, and the Supply Gap analytic identified where Hendricks County has an excess supply of goods and services that can be made readily available to relocating industries. Then, they used Employer Database to create a target list of business that match Hendricks competitive advantages and supply surplus, so that these businesses saw Hendricks as uniquely qualified to meet their needs.

“JobsEQ and the Employer Database analytic are great for proactive planning,” says Lora Steele. “Once we get past our stage of reacting to COVID-19, we can go back to planning our region’s future.”

Putting the Power in Your Hands

Chmura works hard to ensure that JobsEQ data is accurate, timely, and easy to use. It should not take a Ph.D. in economics to understand and use even the most sophisticated labor market data. JobsEQ contains numerous different data visualizations and maps that make it easy to understand your region’s unique mix of industries, occupations, and skills.

Best of all, JobsEQ’s user interface is instinctive, which allows each user to become their own researcher and learn the story behind the numbers.

“I’m not a data-minded person,” Steele said. “In fact, I used to get annoyed with data—until I got JobsEQ. Then I found out that I could get creative, compare different analytics, and figure out how to make the different data sets talk to each other and tell one story. After getting JobsEQ, I thought ‘Oh, I might actually like data!’”

Powering Hendricks’ Growth

By using JobsEQ, Hendricks County EDP has developed an economic development plan that plays to their region’s strengths. The addition of Employer Database allows Lora and her colleagues to take the next step and put that plan into action.

COVID-19 is a challenge no economic developer could have foreseen. But with the help of JobsEQ, Hendricks County has created a proactive, focused, and practical plan to lead their region forward and make a name for their county.  

The Chmura team is proud to support Hendricks County Economic Development Partnership. Schedule a call with us today to see how JobsEQ by Chmura can bring success to your region.

[1] Pulled from Hendricks County website

[2] JobsEQ