WARSAW — Alan Tio has a new job.

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WARSAW — The Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation (KEDCo) board of directors recently announced interim co-directors for the organization.

The board announced in early December that Alan Tio would conclude his role as CEO for the organization to pursue other professional opportunities.

The board has confirmed that Greg Fitzloff and Suzie Light will serve as interim co-directors for KEDCo during the search process.

Fitzloff and Light have both served in other roles for KEDCo. Fitzloff supported the organization for several years as a business development partner, and Light has supported and led specific community-development projects such as the development of the Critical Corridor Connections agenda for downtown Warsaw. Light also provided community outreach support during most of 2021 when Tio was mobilized to active duty overseas with the United States Navy.

"Greg and Suzie bring extensive backgrounds in business, economic development, and nonprofit management experience to the organization, both have already served KEDCo in key capacities, and they’re well-connected in the community," said KEDCo Board Chairman Blaine Conley. "We have a talented team in place at KEDCo, and we’re confident this will allow for a seamless transition as we continue the search process."

A search committee is in place to fulfill the chief executive officer role for the organization.

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WARSAW — Alan Tio, the CEO of Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation, is stepping down.

The Board of Directors of KEDCo on Thursday announced that Tio will conclude his five-year term effective at the end of the year in order to pursue other professional opportunities.

The change in leadership comes after a successful year in which KEDCo helped attract two international companies to the Warsaw Technology Park and announced that two smaller firms with an eye on expansion would occupy part of KEDCo's new downtown space.

Less than three weeks ago, KEDCo celebrated a pop-up shop that operates on the first floor of KEDCo's new office space on South Buffalo Street that opened earlier this year.

"On behalf of the Board of Directors, we commend Alan for his leadership of our local economic development efforts and applaud the accomplishments we have made together during that time," said Chair Jan Orban, in a news release issued Thursday.

"We are well-positioned in the community, region, and state to see ongoing advances in the years ahead thanks to the bridges that have been built by KEDCo."

During Tio’s leadership, KEDCo has completed a strategic relaunch of the organization in 2019 and a complete rebranding in 2020, established initiatives focused on entrepreneurship, housing, and talent recruitment with a staff of five full-time employees, greatly expanded the number of local communities KEDCo serves, and opened the KEDCO Downtown Business Studio earlier this year.

KEDCo’s housing initiative and a related focus on community development have supported the reopening of the Stonehenge Golf course and development of adjacent Raccoon Run housing subdivision, development of the Eastfield housing subdivision in Milford, and emerging projects with redevelopment of the Gatke and Owens sites in Warsaw, all working alongside community partners.

KEDCo has always maintained its focus on supporting existing industry with ongoing outreach to local employers, leading to a current pipeline of 15 active job creation and investment projects, and by working with economic development partners to help companies such as recently announced Mentor Media and PeekMed choose to expand into Kosciusko County.

These accomplishments came while the organization operating remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21 and while Tio was mobilized to active duty status in the United States Navy for nearly one-year. Tio was also recognized during his tenure at KEDCO as one of the Top 50 Economic Developers in North America by Consultant Connect.

"It has been an honor to work with the board of directors, our full-time and consultant partner team, and our economic development partners to serve companies and communities in K-County," said Tio, "The future is bright for our community and with the board leadership and the top-notch team that are in place, KEDCo is poised to keep doing great things in the years ahead."

KEDCO recently worked with local partners to complete the Critical Corridor Connections agenda for downtown Warsaw and the Winona Avenue corridor. The organization is now supporting efforts to establish a countywide entrepreneur support organization, to study establishing a countywide water and wastewater district, and to create plans for transformative investments in multiple corridors.

Orban and incoming Chair Blaine Conley will lead a transition process with support from the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors and the KEDCo staff to ensure that operations continue without interruption going into 2024.

Additional details about the timing and process for selecting a new KEDCo leader will be shared as they become available.

"Alan has brought a level of creativity, energy, and tenacity that we will ensure KEDCo continues to be known for going forward," said Conley,

"KEDCo has taken on a number of complex assignments that provide opportunities for us to expand our partnerships with local, regional, and statewide organizations to maximize what we can accomplish together."

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WARSAW – KEDCo continues to expand its presence in Warsaw and that was even more evident Monday with the opening of a new pop-up shop.

The economic development group for Kosciusko County has expanded significantly in its past five years to include a staff of five full- and seven part-time staff and now has a multi-faceted presence in the three-floor building at 207 S. Buffalo St. where the organization moved a few months ago. 

While KEDCo is firmly rooted in economic development, it's relying on connectiveness and networking to make much of that happen. CEO Alan Tio said once the property was available, the plan to collaborate was intentional.

KEDCo’s office can be found on the third floor and additional co-working space was set aside on the second floor. 

On Monday, KEDCo and the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce celebrated the opening of a market — a 3,000 square feet area on the first floor known as The Market at the KEDCO Downtown Business Studio.

The market is being managed by Laura Sanders and Melanie Woodruff, and opened last week.

The first vendors to occupy that space include Creighton's Crazy Egg Cafe and Coffee Bar, which is selling a selection of coffees, plus a handful of other vendors that blend seamlessly and offer a variety of pottery, art and other knick-knacks.

The market is being cast as a place for community, a space for collaboration and a outlet for small ventures.

"For us, it helps to get more downtown retail, it helps us to work with people who are starting or growing retail operations — and when they're successful we'll help them find their own locations in downtown Warsaw or other downtowns in the county," said Tio.

According to information provided by The Market at the KEDCO Downtown Business Studio, the new downtown space is a way for newly established business owners who aren’t ready to invest in a storefront to experience the presence of the downtown. 

Rent space for all vendors is $100 per month. Vendors can receive four months of space per contract period, with a chance for renewal. The process involves an application process.

Hours for the market are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce used a pop-up space years ago before Elysian Co. – a women’s boutique – took root, but Chamber President and CEO Rob Parker said KEDCo’s new effort is different.

"That's totally different," Parker said. "I don't think we've done anything with a share spaced with a formulized model at all."

In recent moths, the downtown has seen a new coffee shop, Maggie's Coffee & Treats, open on East Center Street, and another, the Courthouse Coffee, recently reopened after extensive renovations and shifting under a combined ownership and a new name, Courthouse B&B Market, on North Buffalo Street.

Parker said he doesn’t think KEDCo’s pop-up coffee shop presents a problem in terms of competition.

I really don't see it as competition, truly," Parker said. "There's enough business to go around."

[gallery columns="1" size="full" ids="86015,86013,86011,86012,86017"]

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WARSAW -- Winona Avenue -- from Detroit Street in Warsaw to the town of Winona Lake -- is one of four Warsaw corridors being eyed for major redevelopment projects.

Warsaw is one of three cities participating in a pilot program launched by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation which is providing support from the Brookings Institute and another group, the Local Initiatives Support Council, to local leaders to develop proposals that would be used to significantly improve four existing corridors -- Winona Avenue, Argonne Road, Market Street and Buffalo Street.

The state initiative involving the cities of Warsaw, Michigan City and Seymor is a year-long exercise in which each city is investigating ways to improve the corridors, which should lead to specific proposals to the state later this year.

The endeavor is being led locally by Kosciusko Economic Development Corp., with support from the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce, the Kosciusko County Community Foundation, and the city plan office.

Winona Avenue appears to be a top priority, according to several community leaders.

The 1.5-mile stretch of roadway is an intense retail district that is heavily traveled and looks tired from decades of neglect. Much of the road lacks curbs or sidewalks or good lighting.

The road is home to at least eight eateries, two strip malls and is dominated by small businesses. It's also home to an agency that serves the disabled, a homeless shelter, a foundry and numerous empty storefronts and buildings.

Officials said they think it deserves much more attention than just a new streetscape.

KEDCo Executive Director Alan Tio referenced the need to improve Winona Avenue last month when officials unveiled plans to redevelop the old Gatke property on McKinley Street just north of Winona Avenue into a multi-use apartment complex.

Tio said that development could tie in directly with improvements on Winona Avenue.

Locally, a large group representing various interests in the city has been meeting for about four months, according to Suzie Light, one of the leaders of a large advisory committee.

Light agrees Winona Avenue needs a lot of work -- especially in terms of walkability -- and said the new initiative is a chance to dream big.

She tossed out a few hypothetical ideas.

“Let’s Just imagine what that would look like if that was the international market corridor. What if that were an extension of how the vibe of the Village at Winona comes through Winona Avenue into downtown Warsaw?" Light said.

After completion of the local “labs” from the three cities, Brookings and LISC will synthesize the learnings from Indiana into a playbook for a national audience, that highlights how rural and small cuties can work with regional leaders and state agencies “to foster greater equity and prosperity,” according to paperwork provided by KEDCo.

Light said they want specific proposals ready ahead of the next round of READI grants operated by the state.

“We’re hoping to get three to five big transformative projects that could be eligible for READI funding when it's announced,” Light said. “Along with that, there are going to be smaller projects that local funding could address.”

City Planner Justin Taylor says the enhancements will be a long-term project that will take years to finish and will likely be complicated by lots of right-of-way issues.

“I wish we could just snap our fingers and go in there tomorrow and make it this great pedestrian corridor and have the streets redone and everything, but it’s a process and we have to take our time and do it right,” Taylor said.

He said they'll also work to be sensitive to the interests of property owners.

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By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw

WARSAW — Warsaw officials expressed elation on Monday about plans to transform one of the few longtime blighted industrial properties — that Gatke property — into a multi-use development that will include 75 apartments.

The city took the first major step Monday to secure plans for an $18.3 million mixed-use housing project at the old Gatke site on McKinley Street.

The dilapidated property that includes a rusting steel shell of a large warehouse and numerous smaller brick buildings near the railroad tracks has been an eyesore for decades. 

Rebar Development has proposed renovating part of the existing warehouse into a mixed-use building that would include commercial and office space. Further to the south will be a four-story apartment building with 75 units intended for “workforce housing” — a term often used for market rate.

The announcement was made Monday afternoon at the city redevelopment meeting.

Rebar President Shelby Bowen said financial details could be sewed up by July and the construction is expected to begin by late summer.

He said he hopes the project will be complete by March 2025.

Rebar will invest more than $11 million into the project with the city and the state covering the remaining portion, officials announced. The state will provide $4 million in tax credits while the city will provide $3.3 million.

While the city has successfully pursued three apartment developments aimed at serving low-income families, rental rates will be market value. Bowen said monthly rental rates will be between $1,000 to $1,200 for a one-bedroom and upward of $1,500 for two-bedroom units.

He said the company has enjoyed great success with similar projects in Lafayette, Plainfield and Noblesville.

“There’s always the risk that we don’t think it’s as great of a project as when we first set out, but we haven’t had that issue yet. I think we have a very compelling place where people want to live. We’ve seen all our projects fill up very quickly because they’re unique, they’re high quality, they’re  in good locations and the rent is reasonable for the area.” Bowen said.

City officials sounded ecstatic on Monday.

"It's happening," said Jeremy Skinner, the city's community economic development director. "It's a very long time coming. Since I've been here since 2004, it's been, 'What are we doing with Gatke?' "

The move marks another effort to provide more housing in the city -- a top priority for Mayor Joe Thallemer in recent years.

"We’ve been entertaining what to do with this property since (councilman) Jeff (Grose) and I started on council 23 years ago,”  said Thallemer who noted that he fully supports the plan.

City Councilman Michael Klondaris, who sits on the redevelopment commission described the plan as "fantastic" and likes the financial arrangement.

“It’s important that the city has some skin in the game too. He’s putting in his money, obviously believing in the project and we have to believe in it too,” Klondaris said.

Thallemer also addressed the finances.

“The costs are such that you can’t build it and create market-rate rents that are useable. You’ve got to have investment from the city and the state and that’s what we’re asking here,” Thallemer said.

The proposal would also lend itself toward linking bike trails between Warsaw and Winona Lake. The connection will come in the form of a raised walkway across Winona Avenue where it connects with McKinley Street.

The development will be highlighted with a public plaza in front of the mixed-use building that will be partially covered and intended to serve bicyclists passing between the two communities.

Thallemer credited Kosciusko Economic Development Corp., for helping secure tax credits from the state.

KEDCo CEO Alan Tio said the overall project has involved plenty of work and more will be needed to get the project done.

But in the end, Tio said, the proposed development will be the type of transformative development that will be a highlight for the city -- the kind people talk about.

[caption id="attachment_78077" align="aligncenter" width="696"] A car passes along McKinley Street in front of the old Gatke property in Warsaw. The city announced plans to rehabilitate the blighted property on Monday. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

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WARSAW -- Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital on Tuesday broke ground on a $30 million capital investment project that will be highlighted by expanded surgical services.

Community leaders gathered for a ceremony Tuesday in front of the entrance, which will be one of the areas that will be renovated.

The project entails 25,000 square feet of new construction and renovations.

Construction around the entrance has already began. After exterior changes are complete, work will focus on interior changes, much of which will involve expanded surgical units.

Construction is expected to continue for a year.

“Lutheran Health Network is committed to the residents of Kosciusko County and the surrounding area,” said Lynn Mergen, CEO.

“I couldn't be prouder of our physicians, our talented local leadership team as well as the members of our board. I know they will make sure Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital continues to bring value to this community through the excellent care we provide.”

Changes in the surgical area will provide increased patient privacy as well as more room for family members; renovations to operating rooms will help better accommodate surgeons, and an expanded sterile processing area featuring new technology will allow for faster equipment sterilization, according to information provided by LKH.

Among the speakers were Mayor Joe Thallemer and Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce CEO Rob Parker.

“The commitment to grow and add medical services over the years has broadened local access to care that keeps families close when the time is of great importance,” said   Thallemer.

“When the need for hospital care becomes a necessity, newer modern facilities more confidently welcome patients. That investment in facilities is what we celebrate today.”

Parker pointed out the growth the community is seeing.

"This expansion is another great example of the dedication and commitment to Warsaw and all of Kosciusko County," Parker said.

Alan Tio, CEO of Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation, said health care can be an economic driver.

“Quality healthcare is a key factor in determining where business leaders consider where to
grow and start their businesses as well as where individuals choose to live,” said Tio. “This hospital has long been focused on providing specialized services right on this campus, which directly contributes to the brand promise we have when we say you can find your way in Kosciusko County.”

LKH is part of the Lutheran Health Network.

Construction has already begun and the projects’ progress will be periodically updated at lutherankosciuskohospital.com.

[caption id="attachment_77700" align="aligncenter" width="696"] A rendering of the future lobby at LKH. Artwork provided.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_77646" align="aligncenter" width="696"] Pictured from left at the groundbreaking is Alan Tio, CEO of Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation; Dr. Patrick Ilada, medical staff president; Joe Thallemer, mayor of Warsaw; Alan Alderfer, Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital board chair; Lynn Mergen, CEO of Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital, Dr. John Teevan, representing Grace College, and Rob Parker, CEO of Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

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WARSAW -- For the second time in a year, Warsaw has landed an overseas company intent on inserting itself into the United States medical device market.

Representatives from the city and Kosciusko County welcomed its newest orthopedic-related company with a groundbreaking ceremony in the Warsaw Technology Park along U.S. 30 Wednesday morning.

Mentor Media, a Singapore-based company that specializes in – among other things –  sterile packaging, will soon occupy part of the future 100,000-square-foot shell building currently under construction in the tech park.

Mentor Media plans to use 30,000 square feet of the building initially and hopes to be operational by September, according to Kok Khoon Lim, president and chief executive officer.

The company said they will begin with about 50 employees in the first three years.

Juergen Kline, who oversees Mentor's Global Medical Device Business, said they are positioned for strong growth.

The company has advanced its sterile packaging standards to meet future medical device regulations that have been embraced by the European Union, which has, in turn, forced the global market to adjust.

As a result, Mentor Media now offers sterile packaging with a 10-year shelf life for its products, which the company said is double what is currently available in the United States.

The company hopes to capitalize on that advantage.

“This is a huge goal. Nobody has ten-year shelf life already and we offer it,” Kline said. “I think it will be very successful. We see a lot of employment (in) the next years,”

Mentor Media is part of Elanders Group, which started out chiefly as a printing business but then began to diversify. In 2014, it acquired Mentor Media.

Overall, Mentor Media is known for providing comprehensive supply chain services customized to meet each client’s needs, according to its website.

Just a few years ago, the company branched into the healthcare sector and sterile packaging.

“We were then kind of looking at orthopedics as one of the focuses, and this is the orthopedic capital of the world," Lim said excitedly. "I cannot be wrong choosing this location to start – right?”

“The majority of the companies we wish to do business with are all right here,” he said.

The company already has a presence in California, but the venture into sterile packaging in Warsaw marks the first in the United States.

The company’s arrival is another big victory for city officials who have now attracted three companies that specialize in orthopedics to its tech park in the past seven years.

Banner Medical arrived in 2016 and Medartis, a Swiss-based company, acquired Nextremity Solutions last year – just months after Nextremity had moved into its headquarters in the tech park.

The city has worked with the developer, West Hill Development, to set the stage for growth in the park by constructing several shell buildings and expanding utilities.

Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer said the city has seen six companies move into the park since 2013 and three of those firms have since expanded.

Thallemer said Mentor Media’s choice of Warsaw gives them an opportunity to grow their business a lot quicker than if they had located somewhere else.

Growth of the park coincides with the continuing evolution in orthopedics, he said.

“All these companies need support industry. It just begets that type of growth in this community. It’s all very symbiotic -- if you will," Thallemer said. "They need each other.” 

Alan Tio, executive director of Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation, said KEDCo identified the need for sterile packing as a third-party service in Warsaw and has been working to attract a company that specializes in it for several years.

Tio said they’ve spent time building contacts and introducing prospective clients to some of the existing companies. 

In return, Mentor Media became confident in what the community could offer, Tio said.

Sterile packaging, he said, had become “an important capability that’s been missing.”

According to a news release from KEDCo, Mentor Media will offer "a full suite of supply chain services including sourcing and procurement, operations management, customer service, warehousing, and global distribution services."

A representative of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) also attended the groundbreaking ceremony.

Based on the company’s job creation plans, the IEDC committed an investment in Mentor Supply Chain USA Inc. of up to $750,000 in the form of incentive-based tax credits and up to $75,000 in training grants.

The tax credits are performance-based, meaning the company is eligible to claim incentives once Hoosiers are hired.

[caption id="attachment_76228" align="aligncenter" width="696"] From left, are Mayor Joe Thallemer, Tim Meyer, Redevelopment Commission President, Victoria Herring, IEDC, Lim Kok Khoon, Mentor Media President & CEO, Yap Rueh Herng, Mentor Media Vice President, Senior Operations, & CTO, Juergen Klein, Mentor Media Global Medical Device Business, Alan Tio, KEDCO CEO, Cary Groninger, West Hill Development, Dan Robinson, Robinson Construction. Photo provided.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_76216" align="aligncenter" width="700"] A sign alluding to the company's future facility sits in front of the shell building it will occupy later this year. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_76239" align="aligncenter" width="696"] Above is a screen grab of an image that appeared at the top of Mentor Media's website on Wednesday.[/caption]

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WARSAW – Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation on Tuesday announced it is seeking proposals to develop a housing project at the old Owen's supermarket property near downtown Warsaw.

The group is seeking a request for proposals (RFP) to redevelop the two-acre site located at 302 W. Market Street in downtown Warsaw and is hoping to attract some proposals by early January.

The location was formerly home to Owen’s Supermarket and pre-development activities have been completed to deliver a build-ready site, according to a news release from KEDCo.

“The issuance of this RFP is an important milestone in our partnership with the City of Warsaw and our largest employer, Zimmer Biomet, to encourage the development of workforce housing in proximity to anchor employers in Kosciusko County,” said KEDCo CEO Alan Tio

KEDCo and the City of Warsaw are seeking proposals from qualified developers to maximize the reuse of the site as "a transformative, mixed-use development" that includes some combination of multi-family residential, parking and some kind of office, retail or restaurant space.

“With a location in the heart of downtown, this development will be an important asset in complementing our existing downtown businesses, and supporting our local workforce,” said Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer.

This property is the catalyst site for the Workforce Housing Anchor Employer Demonstration Program award from the Indiana Housing & Community Development Association (IHCDA) to a local coalition led by Zimmer Biomet.

The award coincided with the completion of a countywide housing market potential study that identified a potential market for up to 225 residential units in downtown Warsaw.

KEDCO is leading a countywide housing initiative focused on adding up to 1,920 units of workforce housing.

For purposes of this development, workforce housing is defined as 60%-100% Area Median Income (AMI) for rental units and 60%-120% AMI for buyers. The 2022 AMI for Kosciusko County is defined by the Federal Housing Finance Authority as being $80,100.

To view the RFP and related site documents visit: bit.ly/kedcoRFP. Interested parties should submit their “Intent to Respond” to KEDCO Project Director Terry Sweeney at tsweeney@kosciuskoedc.com by Jan. 5.

Respondents will be invited to participate in a pre-submittal conference scheduled for January 10, 2023.

Stay connected with KEDCO via Facebook, Linkedin and Instagram @kosciuskoedc or by visiting www.kosciuskoedc.com.

[caption id="attachment_72869" align="aligncenter" width="696"] Pictured above is artwork from KEDCo's proposal for the old Owen's property in Warsaw.[/caption]

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