News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

4100 Charlestown Rd.
New Albany, IN  47150
812.945.0266
www.1si.org  

 

New Albany, Ind. (March 29, 2017) – One Southern Indiana (1si), the chamber of commerce and lead economic development organization for Clark and Floyd counties, recently collaborated with Duke Energy Indiana, the Port of Indiana – Jeffersonville, and the River Ridge Commerce Center in hosting site selectors from the Site Consultants Advisory Group (SCAgroup.) The purpose of the event was to discover ways to improve coordinated economic development strategies for Southern Indiana.

The SCAgroup is a collaborative effort developed between a select group of leading site selection consultants and Area Development Magazine. It consists of a network of active site consultants whose current project assignments and corporate advisory services include a broad spectrum of industries. By participating in an on-site visit, representatives of the SCAgroup offer their insights and expertise to select economic development teams whose locations offer a strong value proposition for corporate site selection.

“Duke Energy is implementing new strategies and tools to help the communities we serve as they compete to attract companies and jobs to their areas,” said Erin Schneider, Duke Energy Indiana director of economic development.

After meetings with local government and economic development officials, the SCAgroup identified several positive factors the two-county region can leverage to attract more business and industry to the area, including: 

• Central location
• Strong existing industry clusters and major corporate presence
• Stable and diversified economy with capacity for additional growth

 “While Clark and Floyd counties have had great success in recent years with economic development, it behooves us not to rest on our laurels, but to strive towards continuous improvement in our presentation of the assets Southern Indiana can offer a potential new business,” said 1si President and CEO Wendy Dant Chesser. “We feel the insight we have gained will translate into a more powerful economic development message with better results and we thank Duke Energy Indiana for arranging this learning experience.”

One Southern Indiana expects in-depth recommendations from the SCAgroup in the next 30 to 45 days which will be used to further improve regional marketing with regards to site selection companies.

About Duke Energy Indiana:
Duke Energy Indiana’s operations provide about 6,800 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 820,000 customers in a 23,000-square-mile service area, making it the state’s largest electric supplier.

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is one of the largest energy holding companies in the United States. Its Electric Utilities and Infrastructure business unit serves approximately 7.5 million customers located in six states in the Southeast and Midwest. The company’s Gas Utilities and Infrastructure business unit distributes natural gas to approximately 1.6 million customers in the Carolinas, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. Its Commercial Renewables business unit operates a growing renewable energy portfolio across the United States.

Duke Energy is a Fortune 125 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com.

The Duke Energy News Center serves as a multimedia resource for journalists and features news releases, helpful links, photos and videos. Hosted by Duke Energy, illumination is an online destination for stories about people, innovations, and community and environmental topics. It also offers glimpses into the past and insights into the future of energy.

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About One Southern Indiana:
One Southern Indiana (1si) was formed in July of 2006 as the Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development organization serving Clark and Floyd Counties. 1si’s mission is to provide the connections, resources and services that help businesses innovate and thrive in the southern Indiana/Louisville metro area.

Since its inception, the organization has evolved to include a three-prong approach to serve its members and investors. Business Resources, as the chamber side of the organization, encompasses membership, signature events and programs which support and encourage business growth; Economic Development works to grow the regional economy through the attraction of new commerce and assists with retention and expansion of existing businesses; Advocacy supports businesses at the government level by engaging in initiatives to preserve, protect and promote a business friendly environment free of obstacles to growth and development of commerce. For more information, please visit: http://www.1si.org/.

Media Contacts:
Lew Middleton
Duke Energy Indiana
Direct: 317.838.1505
Email: Lew.Middleton@duke-energy.com  

Suzanne Ruark
One Southern Indiana
Direct: 812.206.9050
Email: suzanner@1si.org