Southern Indiana Business Report
ENGLISH – The Crawford County Economic Development Corporation is partnering with regional economic development group Radius Indiana to attract new workers to Crawford County.
The partnership aims to boost economic growth by attracting remote workers from outside Indiana to the county through Radius Indiana’s population attraction initiative, Choose Southern Indiana. As a part of the initiative’s Remote Worker program, Crawford County will offer incentives to out-of-state talent to relocate to the community while keeping their current remote jobs. The program is also open to former Crawford County residents who work remotely and wish to return to the county.
“Since the launch of the Choose Southern Indiana program by Radius Indiana, our region has successfully attracted 70 new movers along with their families since the program began in mid-2021,” said Kristal Painter, Choose Southern Indiana program manager. “We are thrilled to have Crawford County join the program as one of our participating communities.”
By encouraging talented individuals to move to the community, the program will stimulate new growth and enhance economic activity for Crawford County. In addition to the economic benefits of attracting remote talent, the program offers numerous advantages, such as an improved quality of life for current residents, a strengthened business ecosystem, and a boost in regional competitiveness. With Crawford County’s growing fiber footprint, the program will continue to position the county favorably for economic growth.
“Population growth is crucial for improving our community, but how we achieve this growth is very important,” said Jesse Belcher, executive director of the Crawford County Economic Development Corporation. “We believe this program fosters growth in the right way by attracting talented individuals with unique skills and abilities from various industries to our community.”
The financial incentive for potential residents is jointly funded by Radius Indiana and Crawford County, with costs offset by revenue from property taxes, income taxes, and license plate fees from new residents. The Crawford County Economic Development Corporation will also have authority to evaluate each applicant and determine their suitability for the county.
“Crawford County is a great place to live, and we believe that if given the opportunity to work remotely from anywhere, many people would happily choose our community,” said Belcher.