Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
BEDFORD – For the first time in Choose Southern Indiana’s three-year existence, all eight Radius Indiana counties attracted a new resident through the talent attraction program in 2024.
A total of 28 movers received incentives to move to the region last year. When including spouses and family members, a total of 72 people came to the region. The average salary of those relocating was $123,233.
2024 also saw three Radius counties – Martin, Crawford and Washington – receive their first movers.
“Martin County was excited to welcome a new family to the County this year. We had a family move from Alabama to the City of Loogootee,” said Jessica Potts, executive director of Martin County Alliance for Economic Growth. “Attracting talent to Martin County is crucial for our continued economic growth, and tools like Choose Southern Indiana program are key to making this happen. By leveraging these resources, we can offer out-of-state workers a seamless transition to our community, showcasing the incredible opportunities for career advancement, quality of life, and affordable living that Martin County provides. This initiative helps us tap into a broader workforce pool, ensuring we have the skills and talent needed to support our businesses and drive the local economy forward.”
Two additional counties in the Regional Opportunity Initiatives’ Indiana Uplands region received movers who were awarded a defense sector incentive.
Movers relocated from 15 US states and Guatemala.
Kristal Painter, program manager of Choose Southern Indiana, said the 28 movers is a significant increase from 2023 when 16 movers received relocation incentives.
“Movers spanned a diverse workforce,” Painter said. “We had engineers, teachers, a doctor, brew master, pastor, researchers, and executive level administrators move to the region.”
CSI offers a $5,000 relocation incentive. The financial incentive for potential residents is jointly funded by Radius Indiana and participating counties, with costs offset by revenue from property taxes, income taxes, and license plate fees from new residents.
Prospective movers must reside outside of Indiana to apply.
Choose Southern Indiana offers the following programs:
- Remote worker
- Employer incentive
- Defense sector
In 2025, Choose will offer a new program to attract workers in the healthcare and teaching fields.
“In this program we will work to retain recent graduates of Indiana colleges and universities and recruit experienced workers from out of state,” Painter said.
Community engagement is an important part of the Choose Southern Indiana program. Painter organized outings in 2024 to acquaint the new residents with activities in the region.
In 2024, mover events included:
- A hike of Hindostan Falls and lunch at the Overlook in Leavenworth.
- Kayak trip at Cave Country Canoes in Milltown and barbecue lunch followed by ice cream at Out of the Blue.
- Bombers game at League Stadium in Huntingburg.
- Amish lunch and bread making demonstration at Gasthof Amish Village in Montgomery.