The Owen County Chamber of Commerce & Economic Development Corporation is a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization. All gifts are tax deductible. We have lots of worthy causes.
Investment Opportunities
HomeTown Competitiveness is a program designed to enhance and sustain community and economic development throughout Owen County. The process focuses upon four primary areas: 1) Youth Engagement, 2) Leadership, 3) Entrepreneurship and 4) Community Assets / Wealth Retention. There are a number of project currently being developed to capitalize upon the unique opportunities Owen County has to offer. Projects to be launch in the fall of 2010 are:
■ Young Adult Mentorship Program – in partnership with Owen Valley High School) – focuses upon bridging the gap often found in transitioning from high school to becoming a productive citizen.
■ Youth Leadership Academy (in partnership with Owen Valley High School) – focuses upon preparing young citizens for leadership in the community and beyond.
■ Adult Leadership Academy – a program designed to mobilize local leaders and build community civic capacity.
■ Entrepreneurial Education – in partnership with West Central Indiana Small Business Development – a series of FREE Small Business Seminars to help launch new businesses in the community.
Economic Development is always, through a variety of means, working to bring and sustain economic stability to the community. Current projects for 2010 are:
■ The statewide distribution of the new Owen County Visitor’s Guide (see Tourism)
■ A project to develop and updated a detailed economic development plan for the community. The county and the Town of Spencer completed a comprehensive strategic land use plan in 2009. The next step is to work out the details of how that plan will be implemented.
■ Economic Development education – by means of offering ED 101 to community leaders and our regional partners, covering a five county area.
■ The establishment of a revolving loan fund. The grant is currently being written, but we hope to have the program up and running in 2011. Donations are currently being received to provide the grant match we are in need of.
Community Service outreaches cover a broad range:
■ Scholarship Fund – we have an annual scholarship that is awarded to a graduating senior from the county. Special consideration is given to students who are interested in serving the local business community in some capacity upon graduation from college.
■ Community Organizations Active in Disaster (aka Owen County COAD) – we actively support the development of this organization as the partnership is vital to our business community in the event of a catastrophic event.
■ Courthouse Christmas Lights – for many years it has been the responsibility of the OCCC/EDC to maintain these lights for the community. This is an ongoing project that has stood the test of time. We are always happy to receive donations toward this effort in order to have funds available when repairs or upgrades are needed. Most recently, we were able to install new LED lights which are visible for miles around during the holidays.