An Ambitious view ahead with a Homegrown Flare

Where Community Meets Growth and Opportunity

Decatur County is a thriving community where small-town charm meets ambitious growth. Nestled between the three major cities of Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Louisville, this county offers the best of rural living and modern opportunities.

Joshua Marsh, Mayor of Greensburg, the county seat, boasts, “We have world class amenities within an hour’s drive, major economic employers and hubs, but here you can have the cost of living, the safety, the schools and the sense of community that you can’t receive in those communities. We will also beat anybody with our Hoosier hospitality.”

Growth and Diversification

Economic development is at the forefront of Decatur County’s vision, as Mayor Marsh highlights, “We have unique restaurants, unique shops. We’re home to one of the only Indonesian restaurants in this part of the country. We are home to six Japanese owned companies and a magnitude of other foreign direct investments, and we are also home to Honda of North America’s newest manufacturing facility. That’s our largest employer.”

Decatur County is also committed to supporting local businesses and fostering a diverse economy. Bryan Robbins, Director of the Economic Development Corporation of Greensburg and Decatur County, shares the county’s strategy of bolstering existing businesses while attracting new investments. “We’re always looking for ways of diversifying while still taking advantage of and taking care of our resources as well,” he notes.

A Thriving Downtown

The community is home to a vibrant downtown district, and revitalization efforts are ongoing. Allison Beck, Executive Director of Main Street Greensburg emphasizes, “We have a lot of historic preservation projects underway, and we’re working really hard to recruit eclectic businesses and really hone into the uniqueness of each of our shops and restaurants.”

The organization offers a façade improvement grant to enhance storefronts and help with beautification efforts. Walkability and connectivity are also priorities, as Beck details, “We just activated an alley in partnership with the Decatur County Tourism Office to honor the Bicentennial from 2022. In activating that alley, we’ve made more accessible parking to our downtown.”

The city is also investing in streetscaping projects that include pedestrian-friendly sidewalks, decorative lighting, and additional green spaces, improving the resident and visitor experience.

Business and Workforce Development

The Greensburg Decatur County Chamber of Commerce plays a major role in supporting local entrepreneurs and businesses, connecting them with resources to help grow and sustain their enterprises. Executive Director, Dawn Lowe outlines the Chamber’s numerous networking events, ribbon cuttings, and educational opportunities that help businesses thrive.

“We also provide large scale events that house upwards of 230 people to allow for more networking, connectivity, and partnerships,” she expands. “We’re really big on asking everyone to be a cheerleader for others and to find those collaborations where they can within our community to help them support one another while supporting themselves at the same time.”

With its welcoming business environment, Decatur County is also putting itself on the map as an appealing destination for new investment. Chamber Marketing Executive, Sarah Schneider, underscores, “Decatur County has that small town feel, while also giving you the opportunity to grow. Through business professional development, Decatur County has plenty to offer to just about anybody and everybody.”

To attract and retain businesses, the city of Greensburg and Decatur County offer various incentives, including tax increment financing (TIF) districts and property tax abatements.

“We  take a pretty aggressive approach in making sure that our collaboration between all of our partners creates a business environment that people want to be a part of if they come to our community,” portrays Mayor Marsh. “We have a very robust, very well developed history of being business friendly, and I believe we’re going to continue to have that mindset for the foreseeable future.”

Infrastructure and Housing Expansion

Infrastructure development is a primary area of focus for Decatur County, and utilities are a priority as the region prepares for growth. Additionally, the city and county are undertaking road expansion projects, opening up areas for future development, from residential and commercial, to large industrial projects.

The county is also working with local providers to expand its broadband reach to residents in outlying areas, recognizing the importance of high speed options for sustaining growth. “We need to make sure that the table is set for any sort of development,” Robbins notes. “For any community to survive, you need to be able to grow. And here in Decatur County, we want smart growth, and the way we can control that is by looking at where we’re extending our infrastructure and use that as an incentive for specific areas to develop.”

Housing development is also top of mind in Decatur County, and for the first time in 15 years, a new subdivision is being constructed, adding 102 market-rate homes to the community. In addition, plans are in place for an 80-unit apartment complex in downtown Greensburg. Mayor Marsh admits, “It is a struggle for rural communities to find large scale developers, so we have taken a more aggressive approach in soliciting, marketing, recruiting.”

Parks, Recreation, and Tourism

With a county-led Parks and Rec Department, the area is home to extensive facilities, including a state-of-the-art sports complex, green spaces, and walking trails. “We have approximately 19 different facilities that we oversee, and with that, we offer recreational activities and park facilities to everyone in the county,” recounts Parks and Recreation Director, Teresa Kovacich.

A source of pride, and a draw to the community is the inclusion park, a beautiful new space spanning 17,000 square feet, and an investment of $800,000. Mayor Marsh touts, “It is the largest universal access in southeastern Indiana, and that is a tourism driver, but also a local amenity we’re very proud of. Most people label it as inclusive for kids in strollers or wheelchairs, but it really can work the other way as well for grandparents that may be in wheelchairs, that they have an opportunity to interact with their grandkids in an environment that is fun for everyone.”

Another new addition to the community is a nine acre soccer complex, which is anticipated to bring large soccer tournaments to Decatur County.

The youth sports complex, complete with all eight ball diamonds currently being overhauled with turf, bringing turf infields to the four main cluster diamonds, and improvements to the remaining four.

“The Turf will allow us to bring a large number of tournaments into the area, back to the complex, and in turn that will help with tourism. It will help with the hotels, the businesses, the restaurants,” remarks Kovacich. “It will bring a lot of revenue across the board, to the entire community. We’re excited to see the life brought back to the complex, and we believe that that’s going to be a long term investment that will serve our community well.”

Kovacich says her department collaborates with Decatur County Tourism to put on events and promote the county. “We have a summer concert series where tourism uses one of our parks, where we have an amphitheater.” she describes. “We also have events out at our fairgrounds that are closely tied to our park area, so people who visit for one event have the opportunity to visit both areas for different kinds of activities.”

One of the county’s most defining features is the iconic courthouse tree, resulting in the tagline, “Home is Where the Tree Is.” Schneider imparts, “It’s one of the things that we are most known for, and one of our most identifiable features.”

A Collaborative Approach for a Successful Future

Robbins emphasizes the value of partnerships such as the Indiana Economic Development Corporation’s READI program, which has helped leverage over $50 million in investment for the region.

“In many rural regions, you find these organizations in silos, but here in Greensburg and Decatur County, not only do we work well together, but we look forward to it. We’re taking the opportunities that those partnerships open up to a larger regional basis, and because of that, we’re able to punch above our weight as far as what we can provide businesses and potential residents.”

As Decatur County looks ahead, its leadership remains focused on smart growth, and  expanding housing availability, strengthening workforce development, and enhancing infrastructure are main priorities. “We’ll continue to have an emphasis on finding quality and quantity of housing availability to help fulfill the demand for the labor force that we currently have,” imparts Mayor Marsh.

“We will also work to recruit and retain worldwide companies and investments in our community that help fuel the quality of life, quality of place that our residents and visitors have come to know and expect.”

With a strong economic foundation, a commitment to community, and a supportive business environment, Decatur County is well-positioned for a bright future.

AT A GLANCE

Who: Decatur County, Indiana
What: A rural county with major growth on the horizon
Where: Centrally located within one hour of Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Louisville
Website: www.decaturcounty.in.gov greensburg.in.gov