The quiet hills of southern Indiana in Daviess County have the potential to become a high-tech hotbed in the coming years due to the proximity of a military base, says a report from Ball State University.

Technology skills of workers at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, located at Crane, provide ample resources for the creation of new technology-based businesses as well as other related companies, said Jeff Hornsby, an entrepreneurship professor leading a student research team.

The city of Washington and the Daviess County Commissioners are funding the economic development project designed to create a better atmosphere for entrepreneurial development.

"Crane has one of the largest concentrations of technology workers in the state and has recently opened a technology park to focus on this," said Hornsby, the George and Frances Ball Distinguished Professor of Management. "As part of our research, we wanted to come up with ways for the communities in Daviess County, as well as the surrounding area, to tap into that potential for developing spin-off businesses as well as foster creation of new businesses."

Crane, which has about 3,400 workers, comprises 62,465 acres, covering about one-third of Martin County, and small portions of Greene, Lawrence and Daviess counties. Of this, some 48,563 acres are timberland, part of the Hoosier National Forest.

One of the U.S. military's leading weapons and munitions facilities, Crane is currently providing extensive support to U.S. military operations in Afghanistan and the Middle East. Originally limited to support of the Navy, Crane now provides a variety of weapons development, testing and manufacturing for the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps as well as the Navy.

"The community is certainly motivated because of the close call they had when the federal government decided not to close Crane as part of a national reduction in military bases," Hornsby said. "They know that Crane could be closed in the future and want to diversify the economy by building upon the skill sets already there.

"We think it has great potential if there is the right funding and assistance," he said. "At the same time, Daviess County will benefit when I-69 is extended from Indianapolis to Evansville. The road will open up the potential for more business to come through the area, which is extremely beautiful."

Ball State faculty and students have been working in Daviess County since May as part of the Entrepreneurial Community Assessment Program (ECAP), which focuses on identifying and empowering local people who want to start or expand operations as well as create new companies.

ECAP is part of Ball State's Building Better Communities (BBC) initiative, designed to spur economic development and quality-of-life advancement in Indiana by applying Ball State's strengths in applied research and hands-on learning to projects across the state. BBC works to match the university's expertise and resources to the varied needs of Indiana communities.

During the last several months, students and faculty have been training community leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs to build new firms through assessment, market research, product development and feasibility planning. ECAP team members will unveil their strategic plan in mid-November during a public meeting.

"We are telling them that it doesn't always have to be a technology-based company that creates hundreds of new jobs," Hornsby said. "There could be lifestyle businesses and other non-technology companies. These types of firms pay well and have the potential to create lots of jobs."

Washington Mayor Dave Abel said the efforts of the ECAP team are increasing community pride.  

"We are looking to encourage people to become entrepreneurs and create something for not only themselves, but for their neighbors," he said. "When people see their neighbors investing in the community, it encourages them to do so. This has an economic impact by creating new jobs but also has a positive impact on the attitudes of people who live here.

"We look forward to hearing Ball State's report next month. I think it will encourage more people to strike out on their own."

 

(Note to Editors:For more information, contactHornsby at jhornsby@bsu.edu or (765) 285-5306. Abel may be reached at (812) 254-5575.)