Southwest Indiana Development Council

What Southwest Indiana Development Council does

Southwest Indiana Development Council (SWIDC) is a non-profit regional economic development organization founded in 1987 and headquartered in Tell City, Indiana, serving a ten-county region in Southwest Indiana: Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Harrison, Knox, Martin, Orange, Perry, Pike, and Spencer Counties. SWIDC coordinates economic development activity across the region by partnering with county-level economic development corporations, local governments, and private sector members, and by channeling state and federal funding (IEDC READI, Regional Opportunity Initiatives, INDOT LPA program, USEDA, IEDC LEI Blight Program) into infrastructure, housing, quality-of-place, and business attraction initiatives.

SWIDC does not develop or sell technology products; its core "offerings" are services including regional marketing, site selection facilitation, grant application support, workforce development coordination, and quality-of-place programming. The organization maintains a WordPress website with demographic data, site spotlights, and news content, and uses digital video, PBS documentary exposure, and social channels for regional branding. It is not a SaaS or platform company and has no API, no proprietary software, and no AI/ML capabilities.

The revenue model is membership and grant-driven: recurring contributions from county EDCs and private sector members, supplemented by state and federal grants, and program-specific funding from partners such as Duke Energy. The organization's GTM is event-driven and partnership-led, relying on site selector conferences (Powering Champions, Site Selectors Guild), TBIC international investor network access, site selector firm partnerships (Ginovus), and direct regional outreach to target industries including manufacturing, defense, agribusiness, energy, mining, and warehouse/distribution. Ashley Willis serves as President.

Name

Southwest Indiana Development Council

Legal name

Southwest Indiana Development Council

Website

https://swidc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Southwest Indiana Development Council is a non-profit regional economic development organization coordinating economic activity across ten Southwest Indiana counties through county partnerships, state/federal grant administration, site selection support, and regional marketing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Economic Development Services

NAICS

Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (925120)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

State/Provincial Housing, Urban/Regional Planning & Community Development (BPAIABAM), Urban & Regional Planning (Land Use, Zoning, Master Planning) (BPAIANAD)

Keywords

• Regional economic development
• Site selection services
• Business attraction
• Workforce development
• Community development

Headquarters

HQ city

Tell City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership and Partnership Contributions: SWIDC operates as a membership-based organization supported by county economic development corporations, local governments, and private sector partners across the 10-county region.
2. Government and Grant Funding: Funding from Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI), Indiana Economic Development Corporation READI program, and other state/federal economic development programs to support regional quality of place and business development initiatives.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Southwest Indiana Development Council is a non-profit regional economic development organization that coordinates economic development activity across 10 counties in Southwest Indiana. It provides site selection assistance, business attraction marketing, workforce development coordination, grant funding support, and quality of place initiatives to county economic development corporations, local governments, and prospective businesses considering relocation or expansion in the region.

Product overview

Southwest Indiana Development Council (SWIDC) is an economic development organization, not a technology product company. It does not offer a unified software platform, SaaS product, or technology modules. Rather, SWIDC provides economic development services across ten Indiana counties (Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Harrison, Knox, Martin, Orange, Perry, Pike, and Spencer), including site selection assistance, business attraction, workforce development initiatives, and regional marketing. The organization connects businesses with development sites, coordinates with county-level economic development corporations, and facilitates investment in infrastructure, housing, and quality-of-place projects. SWIDC has no named software products, applications, or digital platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Site Selection Assistance Regional coordination service connecting prospective businesses with shovel-ready sites, infrastructure data, workforce information, and county EDC contacts across the 10-county Southwest Indiana region.
• Business Attraction and Regional Marketing Regional marketing and business attraction service targeting manufacturing, defense, agribusiness, energy, mining, and distribution companies through the Discover Southern Indiana brand, site selector conferences, and direct outreach.
• Workforce Development Coordination Regional coordination of workforce development programs connecting students, employers, and training institutions across the 10-county region.
• Grant Application Support Support service assisting county EDCs and municipalities in pursuing federal (USEDA), state (IEDC READI, LEI Blight Program), and private grant funding for regional infrastructure and development projects.
• Quality of Place and Community Development Initiatives

Quantifiable outcome

• 3.4+ million economic impact from 18+ relocated households generating $140K+ new annual tax revenue
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IncCodescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 13 March 2026Nationally recognized zoning and land use consulting firm partnering with Dubois Strong to conduct comprehensive zoning code review and modernization across Dubois County. Three-phase approach includes zoning audit, stress testing codes, and model code rewrite to support missing middle housing and reduce regulatory barriers.
• Transatlantic Business and Investment Council (TBIC)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerTBIC is a membership organization for U.S. EDOs to market to potential European investors through an extensive network and events designed to connect EDOs with investors and multipliers from Europe. SWIDC uses TBIC membership for stronger exposure in Europe, access to project information through FDI mailing list, connections to site selection consultants, and participation in TBIC events including the Annual Transatlantic Business & Investment Conference.
• GinovuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSite selection firm partnership includes deep dive into regional marketing, learning best practices when working with site selectors, implementing strategies for business attraction projects, and perfecting the regional workforce story. Ginovus advises companies from Fortune 100 to startups through site identification, incentive negotiation, and compliance management.
• Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLPA program partner providing 80/20 federal funding for local infrastructure projects including the River Road Project connecting Tell City Riverport to State Road 66.
• Region 15 Planning CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional planning partner assisting Pike County EDC and Town of Winslow with USEDA grant application for water infrastructure.
• French Lick ResortminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner with OCEDP on Klondike Workforce Housing Development - homes built by resort and sold at cost to employees of Orange County businesses.
• The Pantheon (Vincennes)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNationally recognized coworking and innovation hub in Vincennes supporting startups, remote workers, small businesses. Home to Ag Tech Initiative that helped TerraForce and AgroRenew launch. Provides 6 months free co-working for MakeMyMove participants.
• Indiana University Rural Placemaking StudiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with IU faculty and students to design and fabricate signage for Shoals Main Street businesses, creating cohesive aesthetic reflecting regional identity.
• Indiana Small Business Development Center (ISBDC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner providing business resources and technical assistance to entrepreneurs in Knox County and throughout SWIDC region.
• Vincennes UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education partner offering training and educational programs that support entrepreneurship and workforce development in Knox County region.
• City of HuntingburgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity owns and maintains historic League Stadium where Dubois County Bombers play home games. Supports collegiate summer baseball organization.
• Viewpoint with Dennis QuaidminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDocumentary film company producing PBS segments featuring Crawford County as great place to live and work, providing national media exposure.
• RJL SolutionsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerInterim Local Economic Development Organization (LEDO) for Harrison County following Darrell Voelker's retirement, assisting with executive director hiring and strategic planning.
• Indiana Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (OE&I)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState office launched by Governor Mike Braun's administration to make Indiana the best state to start and grow a business. Programs include Indiana Innovation Voucher offering up to $50,000 for rural founders.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership: Multi-county regional economic development organization covering northeast Indiana. Directly comparable to SWIDC in mission (regional business attraction, site marketing, workforce development) and in serving a defined multi-county territory within the same state.
• Indy Chamber: Combined chamber and economic development organization serving the Indianapolis metro. Comparable as an integrated regional business attraction and policy advocacy body, though it operates in a much larger and more urban market than SWIDC's rural service area.
• Northwest Indiana Forum: Regional economic development partnership serving Northwest Indiana counties. Comparable in structure, multi-county coordination model, and focus on business attraction and regional marketing within the same state.
• Greater Fort Wayne Inc. County/regional economic development and chamber organization in northeast Indiana. Comparable as an integrated EDC+chamber model that combines site selection, business advocacy, and workforce development for a multi-municipality region.
• The Greater Des Moines Partnership: Multi-county regional economic development and chamber organization serving the Des Moines metro. Comparable as a regional partnership model that combines business attraction, site marketing, and policy advocacy across a defined multi-county region, though in a larger Midwestern market.

Broad incumbents

• Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC): State-level public-private economic development agency for Indiana. Comparable in mission and overlapping with SWIDC through READI/LEI funding programs, but operates at the state level and does not specialize in the SW Indiana region.
• Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI): Regional development organization focused on the 11-county Indiana Uplands region. Overlaps with SWIDC's footprint in quality-of-place, housing, and rural development work, and is a major funding partner, making it a closely adjacent peer with overlapping but broader geographic scope.

Emerging players

• Conexus Indiana: Indiana-focused industry development organization promoting advanced manufacturing and logistics. Comparable in its focus on workforce and industry attraction within Indiana, but sector-specialized rather than geographic like SWIDC.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/swidc11
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southwest-indiana-development-council-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Southwest Indiana Development Council