Grant County Economic Growth Council

09/02/2026

Last call for Impact X in City of Marion, IN. We just added the final 5 seats, bringing the class to 25 total.

Impact X is a free community class that helps you take a business idea from dream to reality. More than 15 businesses and nonprofits have launched out of the Muncie classes, and now it is Grant County's turn.

📅 Wednesday, Sept. 9
🕡 6:30 to 8 p.m.
📍 511 W. Third St., Marion

Know someone who has been sitting on an idea? Tag them or send this their way. Everyone is welcome, and it is 100 percent free.

Register at the link:

Impact X is a free class designed to help you take your idea from dream to reality! We have helped launch dozens of businesses here in ECI.

09/01/2026

Grant County employers, here is a morning worth putting on the calendar. Northeast Indiana Works | WorkOne Northeast are hosting their 2026 Employer Seminar on Thursday, Oct. 1 at Sweetwater in Fort Wayne, and there is no cost to attend.

The seminar runs from 8:30 a.m. to noon and takes on challenges many local employers are working through right now, including professional burnout, HR law and FLSA compliance, the Tri-Share Plus Child Care Program, managing multiple generations in the workplace, and the 2027 economic outlook. It is also a good chance to connect with other employers and trade ideas on shared challenges.

Registration is open, and RSVPs are due by Friday, Sept. 25. The link is in the comments.

08/31/2026

Did you know Grant County once had its own commercial airline service? ✈️

Starting in 1956, Lake Central Airlines flew Douglas DC-3s out of Marion Municipal Airport, connecting our community to cities across the Midwest. After Lake Central merged into Allegheny Airlines in 1968, scheduled service continued until 1970.

Picture it: passengers boarding a DC-3 right here in Grant County, decades before I-69 linked us to Indianapolis and Fort Wayne. Today the airport remains a vital asset for business travel and economic growth across our region, and for ice cream!

Learn more: Air Marion Inc

What's your favorite piece of Grant County history? Tell us in the comments.

08/26/2026

On Aug. 10 we spent a day on three Grant County factory floors: Huhtamaki, American Woodmark and Cafe Valley Bakery. Three companies, three products with almost nothing in common, roughly 1,450 workers between them. We walked in expecting to talk about equipment and freight. We spent the entire day talking about people.

None of the three is short on orders. None is short on equipment. Every one of them is held back by the same thing: finding people willing to show up, stay and take on more. And each has built a different answer to it, from Huhtamaki inventing new roles to keep people moving, to American Woodmark's homegrown leadership course, to Cafe Valley rebuilding a new hire's first 90 days.

We also left each plant with a list of mostly free state, college, and university resources they had not been using. We wrote every one of them down, because if three of the county's most sophisticated manufacturers did not know about them, others may not either.

08/25/2026

An idea is only the starting point. Turning it into a business takes structure, guidance, and people willing to build alongside you.

That is what Impact X and the City of Marion, IN - Local Government offers. Beginning September 9, this free 12-week community class helps Grant County residents move an idea from concept to a working business or community venture. Sessions run Wednesday evenings, 6:30 to 8:00 PM, at 511 W. 3rd St. in Marion, led by entrepreneur Mike Martin.

Impact X is one of several pathways we point aspiring entrepreneurs toward as we strengthen entrepreneurial support across Grant County. The class is free, but registration is required in advance and space is limited.

Impact X is a free class designed to help you take your idea from dream to reality! We have helped launch dozens of businesses here in ECI.

08/21/2026

The Community Foundation of Grant County, Indiana, Inc. awarded GCEGC a $200,000 Partners Grant to help establish our organization as Grant County's Entrepreneurial Support Organization (ESO).

This is the largest single investment in Grant County's entrepreneurial infrastructure in our organization's 40-year history. We are deeply grateful for the Foundation's confidence in this work.

What is an ESO? It is a permanent, credentialed institution that will connect aspiring and existing business owners with training, expert coaching, mentorship, business showcase events, and pathways to capital. Programming serves entrepreneurs at every stage: from the earliest idea through business launch, growth, and succession.

For decades, Grant County residents with the drive to build something have had to navigate that journey largely alone, without a coordinated place to go for guidance, connection, or support. This grant changes that, and the work begins now.

Thank you to Dawn Brown and the entire Community Foundation team, and to every partner, supporter, and believer who helped make this possible. Contact us if you would like to learn more.

08/19/2026

Three Grant County communities have Indiana Main Street organizations: Fairmount (Main Street Fairmount, Indiana), Gas City (Main Street Gas City, Indiana), and Marion (Historic Marion).

Our newest Growing Grant County post looks at what the Main Street model through the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs measures and why the least photogenic part of the work is the part that decides whether a program is still running in five years.

Before you read the post, can you name the city/town where each of the seven photos were taken?

Blog post link in the comments.

Photos from Glen E. Devitt and Main Street Fairmount, Indiana

08/18/2026

Registration closes tomorrow night!
Marketing Your Business, from the East Central Indiana Small Business Development Center. Thursday, Aug. 20, 11 a.m. to noon. Branding, target market, setting goals, testing what works and the online tools worth your time. No fee.

We wrote up why we think the hour is worth it, including the part where we admit marketing's critics have a fair point. Both links in the comments.

Deadline is Wednesday, Aug. 19 at 11:59 p.m.

08/14/2026

The people who built Grant County's economy left more than a paper trail. Many of them rest at Marion IOOF Cemetery. On Saturday, Aug. 29, the Grant County Historical Society invites you to walk among their stories.

The Legacy of Labor Walking Tour traces the workers, tradespeople and builders who shaped our community. Timed entry runs 10 a.m. to noon, and the $15 admission supports the cemetery's preservation.

Wear sturdy shoes, the terrain is uneven, and plan to come rain or shine. To reserve your spot, call 765-293-9590.

08/13/2026

Ivy Tech Marion is hiring for multiple full-time and part-time roles: academic advising, nursing faculty, student accounts, enrollment, and instructional positions among them. Openings like these keep skilled talent working in Grant County. Full list and applications below.

💡NOW HIRING at Ivy Tech Marion!

Looking for your next opportunity? Ivy Tech Community College – Marion Campus is hiring for multiple full-time and part-time positions! 🎓💼

Ready to join the Ivy Tech Marion team? Explore open positions, learn about our benefits, and apply today!

🔗 Visit careers.ivytech.edu or scan the QR code on the graphic to get started.