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FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Jurisdictions participating in Northeast Indiana's Permitting Excellence Coalition (PEC) were honored at a permitting recognition reception Wednesday, April 18, hosted by the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership and the HPG Network.

Streamlined business permitting is a top priority in the region's business attraction efforts through the Vision 2030 initiative, spearheaded by the Regional Partnership. The HPG Network, a non-profit organization dedicated to cultivating thriving communities, manages the PEC on behalf of the Regional Partnership. The collaborative effort aims to increase Northeast Indiana’s business-friendly environment by making it easier and faster for companies to obtain appropriate permits to build and expand in the region, encouraging economic growth.

The 12 participating jurisdictions in the Permitting Excellence Coalition include:

• Allen County / City of Fort Wayne
• City of Angola
• City of Decatur
• DeKalb County
• Huntington County
• City of Huntington
• City of New Haven
• Rome City
• Steuben County
• City of Wabash
• Wells County
• Whitley County / Columbia City

PEC representatives met throughout 2017 to focus on process and communication improvements that align with the core customer values of consistency, transparency and easy access.

Major accomplishments last year included:

• Tracking and reporting of performance metrics, including the number of permits issued, total permit value and fees collected;
• Development of printed and digital marketing materials; and
• Continued surveying of permitting customers with assistance from Andy Downs of the Mike Downs Center for Indiana Politics in the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW)

Michael Lautzenheiser Jr., executive director of the Wells County Area Plan Commission, said Northeast Indiana is experiencing tremendous growth, and that means increased demand for permits. “By streamlining our permitting process, we can meet these increased demands with efficient, affordable and transparent processes to support our strong business climate,” he said.

After more than four years of collaboration, the Permitting Excellence Coalition has a strong foundation to continue work on its three core values of consistency, transparency and easy access. The group’s efforts in 2018 will allow it to better measure and communicate the effectiveness of the permitting process in order to meet customer needs.

“In Northeast Indiana, we are growing our region's population from 790,000 residents to one million. Planning and building departments are essential local infrastructure that support the development of businesses and homes critical to our region’s population growth,” said John Sampson, president and CEO of the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership. “Thanks to the work of the PEC, Northeast Indiana has a competitive advantage in attracting and supporting new businesses and talent.”

To learn more, visit the website at www.neindiana.com/permitting.

About the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership
The Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership’s mission is to build, market and sell Northeast Indiana to increase business investment. Founded in 2006, the public-private partnership strives to build a globally competitive region. The Partnership’s Vision 2030 framework supports collaborative regional efforts to increase per capita income, population growth and educational attainment by focusing on business attraction, talent attraction and talent development. The Partnership represents 11 member counties: Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells and Whitley counties. For more information, visitwww.neindiana.com.
 

MEDIA CONTACT:
Kate Virag
Vice President of Marketing & Strategic Communications
Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership
260.414.2431
kate@NEIndiana.com