Civil Municipal Magazine - Nov 2023

55 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 11 ELKHART, INDIANA “We have a wonderful city,” declares Mayor Roberson, his voice filled with pride. “When you look at Northern Indiana and going from the largest transportation route, which is 8090 from Ohio to Indiana, we are one of the largest cities along that route.” This isn’t just a recent development; Elkhart’s prominence has historical roots. “Elkhart was built around its railroads,” he recalls, “Norfolk Southern now has one of the largest train switching yards in the country that sits right here in Elkhart.” But railroads were just the beginning for Elkhart. With time, the city’s innovative spirit led to the blossoming of various industries. “Historically, when I go back 100 years, we had pharmaceuticals like Miles Laboratories, now Bayer,” he reminisces. Many might be familiar with the company’s products. They created Alka-Seltzer, chalk, and one-a-day vitamins. From pharmaceuticals, Elkhart transitioned to becoming the undisputed leader in recreational vehicles. “Now, it’s the number one recreational vehicle manufacturer in the POWERING THE NEXT COMMUNITY INITIATIVE AEP Foundation + Indiana Michigan Power $ 2.85M + in charitable giving and economic development We are proudly committed to supporting initiatives and organizations that elevate quality of life and improve local economies in the communities we serve. In 2022, Indiana Michigan Power provided more than $750,000 in support of charitable nonprofits and economic development initiatives. And, the AEP Foundation awarded more than $2.1 million in grants to support nonprofit agencies in our communities. Learn more at IndianaMichiganPower.com/community.