Collaboration Fuels Job Growth in Northwest Indiana

Northwest Indiana is important to the state economy because of its industrial base

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INDIANAPOLIS — Some communities in Northwest Indiana are making progress in creating jobs and revitalizing neglected properties. Gerry Dick from Inside Indiana Business says local leaders are finally starting to collaborate on these efforts.

“It’s been a challenge in Northwest Indiana,” Dick told WIBC’s Tony Katz. “Everybody wanted their own piece of the pie, so to speak. I’m not sure of the exact number, but around 50 or 60 municipalities make up Northwest Indiana, and for many years it was just not a region that worked together.”

Northwest Indiana is important to the state economy because of its industrial base, strategic transportation networks, skilled workforce, ongoing economic diversification, and tourism potential, all driving job creation and economic growth.

Dick says the double tracking of the South Shore Rail Line is a prime example of how leaders are working together to benefit the community.

“That’s a $650 million project that has been discussed for a long time,” Dick said. “It reduces the commute from Northwest Indiana to downtown Chicago by about an hour. As that comes to fruition, another extension of the South Shore will also be completed next spring.

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