Portage Economic Development Corporation (EDC) is officially open for business once again to help grow the city.
“The Portage EDC is all about helping businesses that either want to move to Portage to expand or grow in Portage,” said Cindy Admave, secretary of the executive committee for Portage EDC. “It’s about helping them with finding an available site for their business, providing workforce information and recruiting or training employees. Portage EDC also helps with incentives and tax information.”
Working with the city to provide incentives and tax information is an important focus of the Portage EDC when trying to support local businesses. Admave credits Mayor Austin Bonta and the entire board for giving assistance to these businesses.
“We’re lucky to be able to work with him,” Admave said. “He has a vision for the future and continuously works to bring new businesses to Portage. We always want to maximize the long-term growth in the city. The incentives and tax information with each company are different depending on their situation and what the city can offer them.”
Admave, who also serves as the Economic Development Manager for NIPSCO, appreciates the work the company has done with the Portage EDC board to create growth in the city. She notes that another way the board focuses on growing the area is in its commitment to helping high school kids find a career through multiple programs it runs.
“There are the Healthcare 360 and Manufacturing 360 programs,” Admave said. “These programs help introduce high school kids to the healthcare field and trades by seeing local businesses. It helps open up opportunities to get to experience some of those fields that they may want to go into.”
With the Portage EDC being open for business, the organization is zoned in on creating a better overall experience for the current and future businesses that are run in the city.
“We have some very unique opportunities in Portage,” said Bill Rathjen, Portage EDC board vice president. “With the Portage EDC being open for business, we are encouraging people from all over the country to take a look at what Portage has to offer. We want these businesses that want to move into our city to see how they can thrive and use the resources that we have here. The Portage EDC’s responsibility is not only to expand in that area, but also to help the businesses that are already here to retain and expand their people locally.”
For people who are looking at Portage as a potential spot to grow their business, some of the city’s features can make it a desirable place to do so.
“It helps being on the lakefront with Route 6 on the southern border and two major interstates running right through it,” Rathjen said. “We have the Ports Of Indiana, which is designed to be in the heavy industrial type sectors that a lot of cities don’t have. We have large open areas for retail and Route 6 on the south end. The city is laid out perfectly.”
Rathjen describes the importance of building connections when it comes to the Portage EDC’s partnerships or support of local businesses. One of the top partners for the organization is Ivy Tech Community College.
“We work heavily with them in training employees directly to users' needs,” Rathjen said. “When an industry comes in, they define what they need in the worker as well as the education needed. Ivy Tech has been able to tailor a program directly for those individuals to educate the workers and increase productivity. The partners that we have in the Region, such as Ivy Tech and the Portage Township School System help provide educational opportunities in the area.”
Portage EDC has been working on some major projects to help elevate the city to another level.
“The Double Track has been a major expansion all across Northwest Indiana,” Rathjen said. “We’re also looking at new projects coming into the north side to expand on that area and create more attraction up there.”
Ultimately, Portage EDC being open for business will spark many opportunities for local businesses and other residents in the city. Admave can’t wait to see how impressive Portage will look in years to come.
“I’m really looking forward to the long-term growth in Portage,” Admave said. “Portage EDC really wants to make sure to find the right businesses to locate in the city; businesses that invest in Portage and create jobs here just make it a better place to live and work. I’m really proud to be able to support the board.”
For more information on the Portage EDC, you can visit its website.
