Business View Magazine | October 2020

279 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2020 WELLS COUNTY , INDI ANA Hospital, one of our larger employers, is part of the Lutheran Health Network and has a big presence in the city.” Three excellent school corporations within the County ensure quality education for residents. Northern Wells Community Schools and Bluffton Harrison districts teach students that live within the city limits of Bluffton. And Southern Wells Community Schools is basically the southern third of the County. As Kline recounts, “Those schools produce nearly 100 percent graduation rates and have very strong vocational programs. Students receive nationally recognized certifications when they exit those programs. We have a welding program and CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) programs at Bluffton; Southern Wells has a building trades programs and recently started an HVAC program; Northern Wells has technology programs, as well as auto programs. So there is a real focus on CTE (Career & Technical Education) to be sure they’re meeting the workforce needs of our local companies to get them the job training they need.” On the commercial front, Downtown Bluffton is undergoing an impressive makeover. An enthusiastic group called “BlufftonNOW! – New Old & Wonderful” raised funds to demolish a former JC Penney building and turn it into the courthouse plaza project. The project coincided with the renovation of the courthouse entrance, so the plaza and the entrance to the courthouse is one big picture, blending together with new landscaping and an outdoor stage. “We also moved our Farmers Market downtown into the new Parlor City Plaza,” says Kline, “so we’re seeing a significant increase in participation at the market, where we struggled before. We even had to request permission from the city to use additional parking spaces on the street for the overflow. As for building improvements, the City of Bluffton has invested over half a million dollars over the past five years that’s resulted in over a million dollars worth of investment by the building owners, themselves.” Bluffton has a 50-50 matching fund for façade and building improvements and is currently investigating a streetscape project and other enhancements to the downtown core. Whicker acknowledges, “BlufftonNOW! have worked hard with seed money from the city to do matching grants for improvements to downtown business buildings. They’ve been a driving force to revitalize our downtown for which we are very appreciative. We just had a ribbon cutting in June to open a new nano-brewery. Things are happening in downtown Bluffton and we want to keep that momentum going.” Meanwhile, the Town of Ossian has also made considerable improvements to its downtown and is seeing occupancy grow, with very few vacant downtown buildings. More than 70 percent of businesses in Wells County are members of the Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development. As Kline relates, “When we attract an industry, they become a part of our community. We appreciate