Jasper County - Demottedemottechamber.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/2017-Guide...5,495) is the county seat. Other incorporated communities include the Town of DeMotte (pop. 3,944),

Jasper County Indiana

2017 GUIDE FOR INVESTMENT

LEADING IN AGRIBUSINESS

AND INDUSTRY

2 2017 GUIDE FOR INVESTMENT

JASPER COUNTY INDIANA

Committed to recruiting new businesses and residents, and to supporting the success of existing inves-

tors and stakeholders, Jasper County is one of Indiana’s most strategically located counties with prox-imity to major Midwestern markets including Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland, Columbus, Cin-cinnati, Louisville, St. Louis, and Indianapolis.

Originally inhabited as long ago as 500 B.C., and opened for settlement in 1832, Jasper County has evolved to become the leading agricultural producing county in the state. Today this thriving community of 33,448 people offers numerous com-petitive advantages, including a:

Strong economy with significant agricultural, industrial, institutional, retail and service components;

Transportation network with five interchanges along I-65, Class 1 Railroad service, and local airport;

Highly productive and educated work force;

Reliable, inexpensive and plentiful supply of energy;

Business friendly and stable tax and regulatory environment;

Supply of available buildings, business parks, construction ready sites, and large greenfield parcels.

Jasper County is the third largest county in Indiana at 560 square miles and was named to honor Revolutionary War hero Sergeant William Jasper. The City of Rensselaer (pop. 5,495) is the county seat. Other incorporated communities include the Town of DeMotte (pop. 3,944), the Town of Remington (pop. 1,165) and the Town of Wheatfield (pop. 990). Population growth countywide is projected to grow to 38,595 by the year 2030.

Each of the four municipalities in Jasper County offers its own unique attributes - from a feeling of exur-bia in the DeMotte area, to a traditional farming community in Remington, to a county seat environ-ment in Rensselaer, to a neighborhood village in Wheatfield.

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The Jasper County Economic Development Organization, Inc. (JCEDO) is the county-wide economic development entity established in 1986 to help businesses and individuals evaluate opportunities in Jasper County. JCEDO offers a comprehensive array of professional economic development services and also compiled the information contained in this publication. For ad-ditional information and assistance, please contact:

Jasper County Economic Development Organization, Inc. 223 W. Kellner Boulevard Rensselaer, IN 47978 219.866.3080 [email protected] www.jaspercountyin.com

Table of Contents

Executive Summary — 2

Demographics — 3

Economic Base — 4

Educational Excellence — 5

Human Talent — 6

Living The Dream — 7

Logistics & Energy Resources — 8

Welcoming Environment — 9

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY



The population of Jasper County supports and benefits from a strong and diversified local and regional

economy. Significant growth has occurred since 1990 when 24,823 people lived in the county and the population is expected to increase by 15.4 percent to 38,595 by 2030. The statistical information listed below provides an overview of the charac-teristics of those that call Jasper County home.

People

Total — 33,448 Females — 16,857 Males — 16,591 Median Age — 38.8 Under 20 Years — 9,228 (27.6%) 20-34 Years — 5,998 (17.9%) 35-54 Years — 8,750 (26.2%) 55-74 Years — 7,351 (22.0%) 75 Years & Up — 2,121 (6.3%) White — 32,330 (96.7%) Mixed Race — 488 (1.5%) African American — 247 (.7%) Other — 227 (.7%) Native American — 83 (.2%) Asian — 73 (.2%) Non-Hispanics — 31,512 (94.2%) Hispanics — 1,936 (5.8%) Married — 15,206 (57.3%) Never Married — 6,945 (26.2%) Divorced — 2,824 (10.6%) Widowed — 1,575 (5.9%)

DEMOGRAPHICS

Educational Achievement

Population 25 Years and Up — 22,029 Less Than 9th Grade — 635 (2.9%) 9th to 12th Grade — 2,025 (9.2%) High School Graduate — 9,424 (42.8%) Some College — 4,920 (22.3%) Associate Degree — 1,646 (7.5%) Bachelor’s Degree — 2,138 (9.7%) Graduate/Professional Degree — 1,241 (5.6%) High School Graduate/Higher — 19,369 (87.9%) Bachelor’s Degree/Higher — 3,379 (15.3%)

Housing and Income

Total Housing Units — 13,302 Occupied/Households — 11,996 (90.2%) Vacant — 1,306 (9.8%) Owner Occupied — 9,306 (77.6%) Renter Occupied — 2,690 (22.4%) Homeowner Vacancy Rate — 4.0% Rental Vacancy Rate — 7.5% Median Owner-Occupied Value — $148,300 Median Rent — $733 Family Households — 8,921 (74.4%) Non-Family Households — 3,075 (25.6%) Average Household Size — 2.71 Average Family Size — 3.15 Mean Household Income (HI) — $65,639 Median HI — $55,374 HI To $24,999 — 2,090 (17.4%) HI $25,000-$34,999 — 1,351 (11.3%) HI $35,000-$49,999 — 1,855 (15.5%) HI $50,000-$74,999 — 2,670 (22.2%) HI $75,000-$99,999 — 1,969 (16.4%) HI $100,000-$149,999 — 1,411 (11.8%) HI $150,000 and Up — 650 (5.4%) Per Capita Income — $24,614

Employment Commuting Patterns



A diversified group of manufacturing,

distribution, institutional, commer-cial, retail and service employers have invested and are growing in Jas-per County. In addition, the agricul-tural economy is the largest in Indi-ana and comprised primarily of corn, soybeans, dairy and pork, and is nearly equally divided between crops and livestock production.

Largest Non-Retail Employers

Advance Auto Parts — 450 (Parts Distribution - Remington) Kankakee Valley Schools — 435 (Education - Wheatfield) Franciscan Health Rensselaer — 415 (Hospital - Rensselaer) NIPSCO Schahfer Station — 320 (Electric Power - Wheatfield) Rensselaer Central Schools — 255 (Education - Rensselaer) Saint Joseph’s College — 250 (Education - Rensselaer) ConAgra Foods — 230 (Popcorn Packaging - Rensselaer) Donaldson — 200 (Filtration Products - Rensselaer) Bos Dairy Group — 188 (Raw Milk Production - DeMotte) Jasper County — 180 (Government - Rensselaer) Smith Transport — 180 (Trucking/Warehousing - Remington) Talbert Manufacturing — 155 (Truck Trailers - Rensselaer) Rensselaer Care Center — 150 (Skilled Nursing - Rensselaer) Impact Forge Group — 140 (Auto Parts - Remington) Belstra Milling/Farms — 134 (Feed/Hog Farms - DeMotte) FBi Buildings — 130 (Post Frame Buildings - Remington) Leggett & Platt — 125 (Bed Springs - Rensselaer) Oak Grove Village — 120 (Nursing/Assisted Living - DeMotte) Chief Buildings — 108 (Metal Buildings - Rensselaer) The Hamstra Group — 106 (Construction - Wheatfield) Genova/Rensselaer Plastics — 102 (PVC Piping - Rensselaer) White’s Services — 102 (Treatment/Education - Wheatfield) Georgia-Pacific — 100 (Gypsum Wallboard - Wheatfield) City of Rensselaer — 83 (Government - Rensselaer) DuPont — 66 (Soy Protein/Lecithin - Remington) Stark Truss — 65 (Wood Trusses/Walls - Rensselaer) Schilli Transportation — 60 (Trucking - Remington) Monsanto — 56 (Seed Corn - Remington) Wilson Industrial — 56 (Chemical Transport - Rensselaer) Industrial Pallet — 53 (Wood Pallets - Remington) Remington Seeds — 51 (Seed Corn - Remington) American Melt Blown & Filtration — 45 (Filters - Rensselaer) Titan Construction — 45 (Contractor/Engineer - Rensselaer) CDC Resources — 43 (Contract Manufacturer - Rensselaer) National Gypsum — 42 (Joint Compound/Tape - Rensselaer) Cooperative School Services — 40 (Counseling - Rensselaer) White Castle Systems — 40 (Bakery - Rensselaer) Jasper County Public Library — 39 (Libraries - Rensselaer) de Jong Family Farms — 38 (Raw Milk Production) Iroquois Bio-Energy — 38 (Ethanol - Rensselaer) Ceres Solutions — 37 (Ag Commodities - Multiple Locations) Tri-County Schools — 35 (Education - Remington)

Establishments by Sector

Total Establishments — 811 Accommodation/Food — 64 Administration/Waste — 28 Agriculture Related — 43 Art/Entertainment — 10 Construction — 100 Educational Services — 5 Finance/Insurance — 40 Government — 47 Healthcare/Social Services — 46 Information — 13 Management — 4 Manufacturing — 35 Mining — 3 Other Services — 60 Professional/Technical — 52 Real Estate — 25 Retail Trade — 120 Transportation/Warehouse — 71 Utilities — 2 Wholesale Trade — 43

ECONOMIC BASE

Businesses by Size

Total Businesses — 736 0-9 Employees — 563 10-49 Employees — 138 50-99 Employees — 16 100 Employees and up — 19



Jasper County and its residents, workforce and businesses benefit from an outstanding array of educa-

tional options. Higher education and adult training needs are met by a combination of local, regional and world class colleges and universities. Four public school systems as well as private institutions sup-ply elementary and secondary education. The educational providers include:

Saint Joseph’s College: Is a true jewel and named a “Character-Building College” by the Templeton Foundation and a “Best Midwestern College” by Princeton Review. This private, Catholic liberal arts institution in Rensselaer offers 75 major, minor and pre-professional areas of study on a beautiful 180-acre park-like campus. Founded in 1889, it serves nearly 1,200 students enjoying a unique educational experience.

Purdue University: Was founded in 1869 and serves 40,451 students with over 200 undergraduate majors and over 70 master's/doctoral programs. It is located in West Lafayette, IN with Purdue University Northwest campuses in Ham-mond, IN and Westville, IN.

Indiana University Northwest: Was founded in 1963 and serves nearly 6,000 students with over 70 undergraduate and graduate degrees programs. The campus is located in Gary, IN.

Valparaiso University: Was founded in 1859 and serves 4,544 students with over 110 academic pro-grams. The campus is located in Valparaiso, IN.

Ivy Tech Community College: Is Indiana’s largest institution of higher learning serving over 170,000 students statewide with nearby campuses in Lafayette, IN and Valparaiso, IN.

Kankakee Valley School Corporation: Supplies K-12 edu-cation in north Jasper County with 2 Elementary, 1 Intermedi-ate and 1 Middle School, and Kankakee Valley High School.

Rensselaer Central School Corporation: Supplies K-12 education in central Jasper County with 2 Elementary and 1 Middle School, and Rensselaer Central High School.

Tri-County School Corporation: Supplies K-12 education in southern Jasper County with 1 Primary and 1 Intermediate School, and Tri-County Middle - Senior High School.

West Central School Corporation: Serves K-12 students from Gillam Township through schools in Pulaski County.

DeMotte Christian Schools: Serves K-12 students with 2 facilities including Covenant Christian High School.

St. Augustine Catholic School: Offers pre-school-5th grade in Rensselaer.

EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE

Kankakee Valley Schools

Student Enrollment — 3,452 Graduation Rate — 89.8% Graduates Pursuing College — 78.7% SAT Average Score — 964.4 Expenditure Per Pupil — $9,886

Rensselaer Central Schools

Student Enrollment — 1,668 Graduation Rate — 90.8% Graduates Pursuing College — 80.2% SAT Average Score — 916.1 Expenditure Per Pupil — $10,942

Tri-County Schools

Student Enrollment — 752 Graduation Rate — 92.6% Graduates Pursuing College — 84.3% SAT Average Score — 996.8 Expenditure Per Pupil — $15,708



Thousands of intelligent, educated, hardworking people live and work in Jasper County. They possess

the skills, availability, reliability and productivity that successfully supports a variety of large and small employers. The regional labor force has the same attractive qualities.

The size of the Jasper County Labor Force resid-ing within the county is estimated at 16,227. The Regional Jasper County Labor Force of 522,939 includes the neighboring counties of Benton, Lake, LaPorte, Newton, Porter, Pulaski, Starke, Tippecanoe and White. The Jasper County Unemployment Rate in No-vember 2016 was 4.3% compared with the Indi-ana Unemployment Rate of 3.9% and the U.S. Rate of 4.4%. The tables provide a summary of the industries were people are employed and average compensation levels.

Mean Hourly Earnings by Occupation

All Workers — $20.64 Architecture/Engineering — $30.81 Arts/Design/Entertainment/Media — $15.54 Building/Grounds/Maintenance — $13.34 Business/Financial Operations — $27.23 Community/Social Services — $22.81 Computer/Mathematical — $25.40 Construction/Extraction — $31.89 Education/Training/Library — $13.41 Food Preparation/Serving Related — $9.22 Healthcare Practitioner/Technical — $25.91 Healthcare Support — $11.77 Installation/Maintenance/Repair — $23.12 Legal — $41.82 Life/Physical/Social Science — $23.21 Management — $44.11 Office/Administrative Support — $16.18 Personal Care/Service — $10.32 Production — $18.60 Protective Service — $20.37 Sales/Related — $16.58 Transportation/Material Moving — $19.46

Employment by Industry

Employed Population — 15,197 Education/Health/Social Services — 3,058 (20.1%) Manufacturing — 2,709 (17.8%) Retail Trade — 2,010 (13.2%) Construction — 1,786 (11.8%) Art/Entertainment/Lodging/Food — 1,086 (7.2%) Transportation/Warehouse/Utility — 924 (6.1%) Agriculture/Mining Related — 841 (5.5%) Professional/Management Services — 834 (5.5%) Finance/Insurance/Real Estate — 542 (3.6%) Other Services— 535 (3.5%) Public Administration — 478 (3.1%) Wholesale Trade — 247 (1.6%) Information — 147 (1.0%)

Mean Annual Earnings by Industry

All Industries — $36,456 Accommodation/Food — $11,218 Administrative/Waste Services — $26,012 Agriculture — $52,822 Arts/Entertainment — $13,617 Construction — $49,243 Education — $35,844 Finance/Insurance — $38,035 Government — $31,837 Healthcare/Social Services — $26,975 Information — $40,682 Management — $68,598 Manufacturing — $46,902 Other Services — $19,317 Professional/Technical — $36,059 Real Estate — $26,374 Retail Trade — $23,250 Transportation/Warehousing — $38,111 Wholesale Trade — $52,223

HUMAN TALENT



A variety of housing and lifestyle choices are available to people who live and work in Jasper County.

The local housing market is vibrant with 364 homes sold in through November 2016, a 22.1 percent in-crease compared with 298 residences sold during the same period last year. The median sales price of $148,500 was a 9 percent in-crease over the $135,250 median sales price during the comparable period in 2015. The county’s diverse housing supply is located within an easy commute to local and regional employment centers.

For people that prefer the amenities available from major metropolitan area living, Downtown Chicago is only 66 miles from the county’s northern border and its northwestern Indiana suburbs are only minutes away. For those that enjoy a more mid-sized community with a world-class university oriented

culture, the Lafayette-West Lafayette metro area is only 25 minutes from the county’s southern border. Living the dream in Jasper County truly offers the best of all worlds.

Exciting attractions like Fair Oaks Farms and the Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area benefit residents and visi-tors alike. Two outstanding golf ven-ues, Curtis Creek Country Club and Sandy Pines Golf Club, and a fun mix of dining and entertainment choices, serve the county as does Carpenter Creek Cellars winery. Visitors’ lodging needs are met by 346 hotel, motel and bed & breakfast rooms and three campgrounds.

A quality network of health care providers exists in Jasper County led by Franciscan Health Rensselaer, private practice physicians, clinics, pharma-

cies, and physical and mental health services. This network is supplemented by nearby world class medical institutions located in Chicago, northwest Indiana, the Lafayette area, and Indianapolis.

Major public sector capital projects are enhancing the county’s attractiveness and livability. They include new and modernized schools in the DeMotte and Rensselaer areas, a new water util-

ity in DeMotte, a renovated water treatment plant and line extensions in Rensselaer, a new water plant under con-struction in Remington, ex-panded wastewater systems in Remington, Rensselaer and

Wheatfield, streetscape improvements in DeMotte, Remington and Rensselaer, a new fire station in Rensselaer, parks and rec-reation improvements in all four municipalities, and extensive road upgrades and maintenance throughout Jasper County.

Mean Precipitation

January — 1.97” February — 1.65” March — 3.11” April — 3.50” May — 4.25” June — 4.33” July — 3.86” August — 3.46” September — 3.27” October — 2.99” November — 3.23” December — 2.76”

Mean High/Low Temperature

January — 30°/14° February — 36°/19° March — 47°/29° April — 60°/39° May — 72°/50° June — 81°/60° July — 85°/64° August — 83°/61° September — 76°/53° October — 64°/41° November — 49°/32° December — 36°/21°

LIVING THE DREAM



A strategic position in the heart of the Midwest with excellent proximity to markets and vendors across

the supply chain are competitive advantages experienced by entities operating in Jasper County. In ad-dition to an optimum geographic location, outstanding transportation infrastructure exists in the coun-ty and region to facilitate the delivery of services and movement of goods and people.

Highways: Interstate 65 is the principal corridor with exits at miles 201, 205, 215, 220, and 230. U.S. Highways 24 and 231 also serve the Jasper County as do State Roads 10, 14, 16, 49, 110 and 114.

Class 1 Railroads: The CSX and the Norfolk Southern operate in Jasper County. The Toledo, Peoria and Western (TPW) Railway runs a short line including an inter-model facility at the county’s south-eastern border. In addition, Amtrak provides daily passenger rail service via its Cardinal and Hoosier State Trains.

Airports: Jasper County Airport has 4000’ & 1450’ runways and fixed based operator service from Excel-Air Services. Major com-mercial airports include Indianapolis International, GaryChicago In-ternational, Chicago Midway and Chicago O’Hare.

Port Access: The Port of Indiana - Burns Harbor facility is located approximately 35 miles north of Jasper County on Lake Michigan.

Time Zones: The majority of Jasper County is in the Central Time Zone with the Remington area in the Eastern Time Zone.

Reliable and cost-competitive energy resources supply the needs of businesses and residents in Jasper

County. Below are the respective utilities serving each community.

DeMotte Area: Electricity is supplied by Jasper County REMC and NIPSCO, natural gas by NIPSCO, wa-ter by the Northern Jasper Regional Water District, wastewater by the Town of DeMotte, and telecom-munications by Comcast and NITCO.

Remington Area: Electricity is supplied by Carroll White REMC, Jasper County REMC, and NIPSCO, nat-ural gas by NIPSCO, water and wastewater by the Town of Remington, and telecommunications by Cen-turyLink and Comcast.

Rensselaer Area: The City of Rensselaer is one of three munici-palities in Indiana that own and operate their own electric, natu-ral gas, water, and wastewater utilities. Telecommunications is provided by CenturyLink and TV Cable of Rensselaer.

Wheatfield Area: Electricity is supplied by Jasper County REMC and NIPSCO, natural gas by NIPSCO, water by private wells, wastewater by the Town of Wheatfield, and telecommunications by CenturyLink and Mediacom.

LOGISTICS & ENERGY RESOURCES



Jasper County and the State of Indiana understand the importance of cultivating a business climate that

ensures success and have consistently demonstrated their partnership with the private sector. Their commitment to a stable and favorable tax and regulatory environment is designed to stimulate growth and investment and compares favorably with neighboring states. Here’s what others are saying:

CNBC ranks Indiana 1st in America’s Top States for Business 2016 - Cost of Doing Business;

The Tax Foundation ranks Indiana the Top State in the Midwest and 8th Best Nationally in the 2017

State Business Tax Climate Index;

Study by the Pacific Research Institute ranks Indiana as the Best Regulatory Environment By State;

Chief Executive Magazine ranks Indiana 5th in the 2016 Best & Worst States for Business Survey.

Selected Indiana and Jasper County Benefits, Incentives and Taxes

Corporate Income Tax: 6.25% using Single-Sales Factor and decreasing to 4.9% by 2021

Corporate Inventory Tax: None

Credit Rating: Indiana is AAA according to Fitch, Moody’s, and Standard & Poor’s

Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) Tax Credit: Negotiated and refundable for new job creation for up to 10 years

Gross Receipts Tax: None

Hoosier Business Investment (HBI) Tax Credit: Up to 10% of investment in new buildings, improve-ments and equipment and may be carried forward 9 years

Personal Income Tax: 3.23% plus a Local Option Income Tax for Jasper County Residents of 2.864%

Property Tax Abatement: Up to 100% for up to 10 years on Real Property and 20 on Personal Property

Property Taxes: Real and Personal Property assessed at 100% of market value with Tax Caps based on Assessed Value - Homeowners 1%, Apartments/Agricultural Land 2%, Business Properties 3%

Property Tax Rate: Average 2016 rate of $1.209 per $100 of Assessed Valuation in Jasper County

Right-to-Work: Yes

Sales and Use Tax: 7% with exemptions for new R&D Equipment, Manufacturing (raw materials/equipment/utilities), and Wholesale (items used directly in production/sales in interstate commerce)

Skills Enhancement Fund: Reimbursement of up to 50% of training expenses over a 2-year period

Targeted Infrastructure Assistance: Improvements to infrastructure to support new investment

Tax Increment Financing: Property taxes from new investment used to support the investment

Unemployment Insurance: New Employer Rate is 2.5% on a Taxable Wage Base of $9,500 and paid for 36 months after which an experience/merit rate is calculated

WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT

Documents

Jasper County - Demottedemottechamber.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/2017-Guide...5,495) is the county seat. Other incorporated communities include the Town of DeMotte (pop. 3,944),