Greenfield, IN

Investing in a Sustainable Future

Growth Grounded in Community

Greenfield, Indiana is in the midst of a new chapter. Development is happening, investment is arriving, and long planned visions are beginning to take shape. Yet throughout this period of change, the focus remains on preserving the qualities that residents value most.

Mayor Guy Titus describes Greenfield as “a wonderful place to live, work and play,” pointing to the quality of life amenities that continue to anchor the city, even as it evolves. “We have great schools. We have a safe community, a good fire department. We own all of our own utilities, electric, water, sewer, and storm water. We have our local hospital here. We have good partnerships with our outside utilities like NineStar, and we work well with the county and the HEDC,” he conveys.

Those partnerships have become increasingly important as Greenfield experiences steady residential and commercial growth. “We’re the second largest growing county in the state,” the mayor acknowledges. “Growth is going to come our way, and we want to provide positive opportunities for people that would want to move here and start a business.”

Welcoming Crecera Brands

One dynamic new addition to Greenfield is a Crecera Brands distribution center, home to Sportsman’s Guide and other direct to consumer catalog brands. COO, Scott Eichstadt expands,  “We’ve consolidated three distribution centers into this one new building in Greenfield. We have state of the art automation with our Hai Robotics, pick engine, pick system that we’re excited about bringing into the community. We started the journey early in the year, and by the end of July, we were able to move all the products from the existing distribution centers into this one.”

Eichstadt notes that the company began with zero employees at the site and had to build its workforce entirely from the ground up. “We partnered with a local Workforce Agency, and we were able to get team members through there, and we’re growing,” he says. “It’s been a large undertaking, but we’re getting there. We are very excited to be in Greenfield and build that partnership within the community.”

What made Greenfield stand out was not just location or infrastructure, but the city itself. “Community was a big aspect of why we moved here,” he continues. “We looked at that growth as a very positive aspect as we grow here, to get a workforce and talented and skilled team members to be able to come in and work here and hit the ground running.”

When it comes to workplace design, Crecera Brands has taken an unconventional approach, creating what they term a family and community distribution center. “If you were to take a look at our campus here, it’s a very unique setting,” describes Eichstadt. “That was really one of the appealing aspects of this lot here in Greenfield. I could create this family environment, which is probably very unique to a warehouse, the amenities we have on the outside.”

These amenities include a beautiful pavilion with a fire pit, grill area, pickleball courts, a quarter mile walking track, a basketball hoop, a putting green, a soccer area, and Lake Independence, which is stocked for fishing. “If you work here at Crecera brands as a full time team member, you and your family friends can utilize all of our amenities,” he relays. “If you want to have a birthday party, family reunion, you just want to come and play pickleball at any given time, seven days a week, 24/7, use our green grass to have a picnic for your family or friends, that’s the campus setting that we created here.”

Crecera Brands is also engaging with the broader community. “It was very important to me and the organization that we could find a community that we could partner with,” he recounts. “Every third Thursday of every month, I take hourly team members, and we volunteer.”

Building a Workforce

Workforce development is a priority in Greenfield, and Crecera Brands is working closely with local school districts to provide opportunities for students. “We want to create an internship program here at Crecera brands. On the engineering side, each high school has a robotics team, and we want to open that up for an internship in our automation side, the engineering aspect of it, the software, the coding, all that goes with that,” Eichstadt shares. “We also want to do an internship for maintenance on our conveyor system, conveyor tech, and also our forklift equipment.”

Amplify Hancock, a 100,000 square foot career and technical education center is a valued resource  for  Greenfield and beyond. Mitchell Kirk, Communications Director Hancock Economic Development Council, outlines, “All four school districts have been heavily involved in it, and we in economic development have been involved, along with the city, and Ivy Tech college. We need to make sure that we remain robust.”

Downtown Revitalization Takes Shape

While industrial and residential growth continues throughout the city, downtown Greenfield is undergoing its own transformation. Plans include a mixed use project that will see the introduction of 177 high end apartments with retail and restaurant space on the main level. “This is the first project that’s happened in 40 years in our downtown,” says Mayor Titus. “Citizens said it’s time to revitalize our downtown, and that’s what I plan on doing. We have a lot to offer out here, while still having the small town feel of a community.”

This revitalization will also complement existing features, like Depot Park, which hosts free outdoor concerts that draw thousands of visitors. “We have anywhere from 2000 to 4000 visitors on the weekend, just for those concerts, and it’s been amazing,” the mayor highlights. The recent completion of the Riley Arts Trail is another source of pride and speaks to Greenfield’s commitment to culture and connectivity. “It starts on our literary trail and goes all through town. It visits James Whitcomb Riley’s old home,” Mayor Titus says. “It’s got markings along the way, where you can read about the history of Greenfield.”

Building for the Future

Four new housing developments are currently underway in Greenfield, offering a range of options to suit the needs of the community. “There’s different sizes from ranch homes to two story homes,” reports Mayor Titus. “It’s going to be a mixture anywhere from a $250,000 house to a $600,000 house. So it’s going to fit different income levels. And we will have that available here soon.” He points out that developers continue to commit to Greenfield, a confidence that reflects the city’s vibrancy. “We’re going to keep the steam rolling and try to keep things going here as best we can,” he stresses.

Future priorities include expanding infrastructure to support growth and exploring new economic sectors. “There are companies that want to bring their businesses and their Agri-science and things like that here,” Mayor Titus elaborates. “So that is our next big hope for the future, because we still have that to offer. We still have farm fields, farmers, and animals out here. There’s a real interest from this group that’s looking at Greenfield and Northern Hancock County to grow their future.”

With this in mind, infrastructure investment is already underway. “We just built a new wastewater treatment plant. We’re getting ready to start a new water plant,” he details. “Water is one of those things, you can produce more electricity, but you can’t produce more water. So, we’re looking into that so that we can provide all these services as this growth happens.”

Greenfield’s story is one of intentional growth shaped by collaboration, thoughtful planning, and a strong sense of community. “I feel like the citizens feel positive about it in general,” concludes Mayor Titus. “I go to church here, I go to the school events, I go to the restaurants, the grocery stores, and I hear more positive than negative.” As new investment arrives and long standing plans come together, the city continues to show how progress and small town character can go hand in hand.

AT A GLANCE

Who: Greenfield, Indiana

What: Hancock County, Indiana

Where: A community preserving small town character while planning for a vibrant future.

Website: www.greenfieldin.gov