By Heather Lusk

Boone County had a solid 2015 in terms of economic development, but it already has marked a much stronger 2016 according to the Boone County Economic Development Commission, which held its annual meeting Aug. 30 at Golf Club of Indiana.

Up to 410 new jobs have been brought to the county so far in 2016 from businesses who have chosen to expand or relocate here, investing more than $151.8 million into the local economy. In 2015 roughly 380 new jobs were created with $38.3 million invested locally from six companies, including Festool and DK Pierce.

“We just came off of a very good week,” said Molly Whitehead, executive director of the Boone County EDC, of Daimler Trucks North America and Ken’s Foods recently announcing expansions in the county. “It should hopefully not come as a surprise that 2016 has been a much bigger and better year successfully for Boone EDC and for Boone County as a whole.”

Whitehead acknowledged the microloan and Grow programs in place to help encourage the success of small businesses, which comprise 90 percent of the county’s economy.

With a staff of three, the Boone County EDC, a non-profit organization, considers itself a public-private group.

“We work to create new opportunities for our residents,” Whitehead said, “but also to increase assessed value of properties here.”

Keynote speaker Gerry Dick, creator and host of Inside INdiana Business, said that the county’s unemployment rate is 4.5 percent and cited distribution, technology and life sciences as being areas of growth.

He emphasized the importance of everyone involved being engaged in the process and working together, from business owners to town and county officials.

“Everybody participating is engaged in the process,” he said. “I think as we get into regional collaboration that’s going to be one of the keys going forward.”

The Boone County EDC has focused on marketing and communication efforts in recent years and created the tagline #betterinboone to promote community announcements and events.