Cities Civil and Municipal February 2025

Wayne County, Indiana

February 27, 2025

A Hub of Resilience, Growth, and Opportunity

Transforming seamlessly while embracing its manufacturing roots and economic vitality

In the heart of East Central Indiana, Wayne County is undergoing a vibrant transformation, embracing its manufacturing roots while evolving into a thriving destination for industry, tourism, and community development.

Economic Diversity and Industrial Growth

“Wayne County is a rural community along the Indiana, Ohio border. We have a tremendous asset in that we are situated right along Interstate 70, as well as US 40 and several other state roads that allow for excellent logistics and distribution for our industries,” explains Valerie Shaffer, President of the Economic Development Corporation of Wayne County. She notes that the county has long been a center for manufacturing, but its economy has diversified significantly. Key industries now include human-grade and pet food processing, automotive components, plastics, healthcare, and education.

SugarCreek, a private label protein producer in Cambridge City is one notable success story. “They purchased a 78,000 square foot building that was a food grade manufacturing space, and then added on over 400,000 square feet,” Shaffer details. “They have continued to grow over the last 10 years, and that growth has been substantial for a rather small community in Wayne County, and has impacted other small communities around it, as they draw in a labor force from many miles away.” Liberation Labs is also making a significant investment in Wayne County, with a $115 million state-of-the-art facility under construction in Richmond. “They are producing animal alternative proteins that are used in the food industry,” she explains.

In addition, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, and Purina Animal Nutrition have both been part of Wayne County’s economic landscape for decades, fueling the county’s growth in animal food production. Blue Buffalo’s $200 million expansion and the development of Anchor Ingredients, a leading provider of high-quality ingredients for the pet industry highlights the area’s emergence as a leader in the pet food sector.

Population and Infrastructure

Addressing the challenges of population decline and loss of employment have led to the diverse opportunities the county is showcasing today. “In the 90s, and the early 2000s we lost some large manufacturers, mostly tied to the automotive industry,” recounts Shaffer. “Since then, we have really tried to rebuild our local economy and diversify so that we aren’t so dependent upon any one sector.”

A partnership between the City of Richmond and Wayne County Government has led to the purchase of an additional 335 acres to expand the Midwest Industrial Park, offering two large parcels ready for future development. “We’ve been working on preparing to be shovel ready over the last year and a half, doing all the investigations we need, to be able to present that to an end user, to show that we are ready for them to start building here in Richmond,” states Shaffer.

Although this project does include a substantial sewer upgrade, a large wastewater treatment plant has all the necessary capacity for current and future growth. “Capacity currently exists to serve our immediate needs; this is planning for the future.” she notes. “We are working with the Richmond Sanitary District, who are conducting a preliminary engineering report to fully understand the scope, the timeline and cost of the upgrade so that we can further grow our wastewater capacity in the Midwest Industrial Park.”

The county is also working with the community of Cambridge City, home to the SugarCreek Plant, to address water capacity issues. “We have been collaborating with the town of Cambridge City’s engineers at Wessler Engineering, and we just obtained a $2.8 million grant from the Economic Development Administration to help build a new water tower for that park,” says Shaffer. “Currently, it is served by a 400,000 gallon per day tower, and we’re going to build a second 1 million gallon per day tower so that we can continue to cultivate new industries to that area, specifically food processing.”

Housing and Revitalization

Downtown Richmond is embracing change. At the center of this revitalization is a former Elder Beerman department store site, which will bring new residential options to the community. “We wanted to control the fate of that property in our downtown,” says Shaffer. The building is being demolished to make way for a new 150-unit market-rate apartment complex which will feature higher-end amenities, including a business center, bike storage, a dog washing station, a pool, and grilling areas. “It will diversify housing options in our community by offering a type of rental option that doesn’t currently exist. This will aid in our talent attraction and recruitment efforts,” says Shaffer.

The success of this project has had a ripple effect, helping Earlham College secure a $25 million grant from the Lilly Endowment to further revitalize downtown Richmond, with the Elder Beerman redevelopment serving as a portion of the required match. A private developer is also in the process of acquiring four to five historic buildings downtown. These structures, many of which have been vacant for decades, are slated to provide over 100 new apartment units. Along with these, a local nonprofit is using a portion of the Lilly Endowment grant to revitalize smaller, underutilized buildings in the downtown area. “I think our downtown will look significantly different in about four years, and that will help with talent recruitment and retention, which in turn will help our businesses continue to grow and thrive.

Recognizing that apartment living isn’t for everyone, a subdivision offering single family housing and townhomes is also underway in Richmond. “We’re really trying to hit all levels of the housing market through these developments, to ensure that we have the type of housing that the majority of people desire,” she remarks.

It’s Worth a Visit

Wayne County’s tourism strategy emphasizes its many regional attractions, including a celebrated Wine and Ale Trail, which points out local wineries and breweries, and the delightful Chocolate Trail, a tribute to the region’s chocolatiers. “Wayne County is also really known for being what we call ‘antique alley’,” Shaffer says. “We have lots and lots of antique stores that are scattered throughout main streets across the county.”

Contributing to Wayne County’s reputation as a destination, Richmond is proud of its cultural and recreational amenities that rival those of larger cities, from its professional symphony to history and art museums which draw residents and visitors alike. “Potters come from all over to set up at an event called Pottery Palooza, hosted by the Richmond Art Museum, and hundreds of people come to buy handcrafted pottery and several of the vendors sell out every year. It’s really cool to see.”

Warm Glow Candle Company in Centerville is another county attraction. She shares, “It has a huge candle on the exterior, so it’s a big draw right off of interstate 70. But those candles are locally made and produced in Centerville and then sold in the outlet as well as at retailers across the nation.”

Wayne County also shines with its signature events and festivals. Every January, the Meltdown Winter Ice Festival turns downtown Richmond into a winter wonderland. World-renowned ice carvers create stunning sculptures throughout the area, culminating in the thrilling Ice Fights competition, where the crowd votes for their favorite carver. “That’s a big attraction to the area, and a lot of local businesses get involved and have smaller events that coincide with that. That’s really a unique festival for us,” says Shaffer. Autumn is another lively season in Wayne County, with each community hosting its own fall festival. “People make their way around to all of those,” she conveys.

Community Spirit and Collaboration

Shaffer attributes much of Wayne County’s success to the partnerships between local governments, businesses, and community organizations that have enabled the county to achieve significant milestones in industrial development, downtown revitalization, and quality-of-life improvements. “We’ve really demonstrated that we can come together and pool resources to accomplish big goals. I’m really proud of that level of collaboration that we have,” she states. “We have a lot going on right now, and I don’t think any of that would be possible without the true collaboration that’s occurred in recent years.”