What Grow Wabash County does

Grow Wabash County is a combined county-wide economic development organization and Chamber of Commerce headquartered in Wabash, Indiana, serving Wabash County and the town of North Manchester. Formed in 2017 through the merger of the Wabash County Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Group, the organization is structured around five service pillars: business development, entrepreneurship, livability, workforce development, and investor services. It provides free site-selection support, navigation of local/state/federal incentives, workforce training connections, and business attraction/retention services to the 1,232 businesses operating in the county, as well as to prospective firms evaluating relocation or expansion.

The organization operates a portal-based platform that aggregates property listings, industrial-park inventory (four parks with shovel-ready sites), infrastructure/transportation data (US 24, I-65, I-69, Norfolk Southern rail, Wabash Municipal Airport), incentive information, county and community profiles, and a Data Center publishing wage/benefit surveys and community fact sheets. Direct services and products include a Revolving Loan Fund ($10,000–$75,000, USDA Rural Development–seeded), a Micro Loan Program ($500–$5,000), two co-working/small-business facilities (Market Street Square in Wabash and The Coop in North Manchester), a Gift Checks local commerce program, an 8-month Leadership Development Wabash County cohort, and an Ambassador Program. Target industries span agribusiness, automotive, e-commerce, food and beverage, industrial machinery and automation, lightweight metals and reclamation, and medical devices.

Grow Wabash County's revenue model centers on an annual Investor Membership Program (subscription-recurring dues, pricing tiers not publicly disclosed) that grants participating businesses event access, marketing exposure, advocacy representation, and networking benefits, supplemented by likely public-sector appropriations and program-specific grants. Go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven: the organization combines direct outreach to enterprise prospects and existing businesses with annual signature events (Annual Dinner, Honor Student Celebration, Salute to Agriculture, State of Our Communities, WACCY Golf Outing) and a multi-channel digital presence (LinkedIn, Facebook, website, Investor Center portal). Distribution is amplified by a partner network that includes the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, Indiana SBDC, Northeast Indiana Innovation Center, Northeast Indiana Works, Elevate Ventures, multiple community banks, and utility/infrastructure providers.

Name

Grow Wabash County

Legal name

Grow Wabash County

Website

https://growwabashcounty.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Grow Wabash County is a combined county-wide economic development organization and Chamber of Commerce, formed in 2017, that provides free site selection, incentive navigation, and business development services to existing and prospective businesses in Wabash County and North Manchester, Indiana, funded primarily through an annual investor membership program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Services

NAICS

Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (81399), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Workforce Development Programs (WIOA/One-Stop Career Centers) (EDAAAOAA), Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education (EDAAAFAK), Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization (CDBG, Place-Based Initiatives) (BPAIANAE)

Keywords

• Economic development services
• Site selection support
• Chamber of commerce
• Workforce development
• Business incentives

Headquarters

HQ city

Wabash

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, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Investor Membership Program: Grow Wabash County generates revenue through an investor membership program where businesses pay annual dues to become investors. Investors receive benefits including participation in events, programs, advocacy initiatives, networking opportunities, and access to business development resources.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Grow Wabash County is a combined economic development organization and Chamber of Commerce serving Wabash County, Indiana. It provides free site selection support, business incentive navigation, workforce development resources, entrepreneurship support, Revolving Loan Fund and Micro Loan Program financing, co-working spaces, leadership development, and investor membership services to attract, retain, and grow local businesses.

Product overview

Grow Wabash County operates as a combined economic development organization and Chamber of Commerce, functioning as a one-stop-shop for business development in Wabash County, Indiana. The organization offers a portal platform supporting five core service pillars: business development, entrepreneurship, livability, workforce development, and investor services. Key offerings include a Revolving Loan Fund and Micro Loan Program for business financing, the Gift Checks Program for local commerce circulation, co-working spaces (Market Street Square and The Coop), and the Leadership Development Wabash County program. The organization also facilitates site selection, provides access to local and state incentives, and connects businesses with workforce training resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grow Wabash County Portal A comprehensive economic development portal providing business development, entrepreneurship support, workforce development, investor services, and livability resources for Wabash County, Indiana.
• Grow Wabash County Gift Checks Program
• Grow Wabash County Revolving Loan Fund
• Micro Loan Program
• Market Street Square
• The Coop by Manchester Alive
• Leadership Development Wabash County (LDWC)
• Ambassador Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Local startups drive over half of job growth in Wabash County
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level economic development organization providing information on state incentives, resources for business development, and transparency on past incentive agreements awarded to Wabash County projects
• Indiana Small Business Development Center (Indiana SBDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides no-cost business advising, training, referrals, and resources to businesses from startup through sale or retirement. Wes Shie provides office hours at Grow Wabash County office.
• Northeast Indiana Innovation Center (NIIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit focused on providing entrepreneurs with knowledge and resources. Provides entrepreneur coach Angela Harrison offering free personalized support to Wabash County entrepreneurs multiple times monthly.
• Northeast Indiana WorkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional workforce development organization supporting employment and training initiatives in Northeast Indiana
• Duke EnergycoreOthersElectric utility provider serving Wabash County businesses with reliable power infrastructure
• NIPSCOcoreOthersNatural gas provider for northeast region of Indiana including Wabash County
• Norfolk SoutherncoreOthersRail provider with lines bisecting downtown Wabash, connecting businesses to eastern third of U.S. and Canada
• Indiana Department of Workforce DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState workforce development agency providing training programs and workforce services
• Elevate VenturescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndiana-based organization supporting entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem development
• City of WabashcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary municipality collaborating on economic development, incentives, and business attraction
• Wabash County CommissionerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty government partners providing economic development support and resources
• Town of North ManchestercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecondary municipality collaborating on economic development initiatives
• Manchester Alive: Main Street Chamber AlliancemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChamber alliance for North Manchester area providing business support and networking
• Visit Wabash CountymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTourism organization promoting Wabash County attractions and quality of life
• MetronetcoreOthersFiber internet provider supporting high-speed connectivity for Wabash County businesses
• Heartland REMCcoreOthersFiber and electric utility provider offering high-speed internet and power services
• Wabash Valley Power AlliancecoreOthersPower alliance providing electric services through Heartland REMC
• Indiana American WatercoreOthersWater utility provider for City of Wabash area
• International Economic Development Council (IEDC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional association providing resources and best practices for economic development
• Indiana Economic Development AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState association connecting economic development professionals in Indiana
• Regional Chamber of Northeast IndianamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional chamber supporting economic development across Northeast Indiana
• Wabash Municipal AirportcoreOthersLocal airport providing aviation access for business travel and commerce

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Greater Fort Wayne Inc. Combined chamber of commerce and economic development organization serving Northeast Indiana, structurally analogous to Grow Wabash County's merged Chamber + EDO model and competing for the same regional investor and prospect base.
• Greater Lafayette Commerce: Indiana county-level Chamber + EDO hybrid providing investor programming, site selection support, and small business services very similar to those offered by Grow Wabash County.
• Indy Chamber: Indianapolis region's combined chamber and economic development organization offering the same investor membership, business attraction, and workforce programming stack, scaled up within a much larger metropolitan footprint.
• Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership: Regional economic development partnership covering the same Northeast Indiana geography where Grow Wabash County is anchored, marketing workforce and logistics assets to inbound prospects and operating at an overlapping layer of the funnel.
• Economic Development Corporation of Johnson County: Indiana county-level economic development organization focused on business attraction, retention, and workforce development for a single county, mirroring Grow Wabash County's service structure and target customer base.
• Bloomington Economic Development Corporation: Indiana-based local economic development corporation delivering site selection, incentives navigation, and small business support to a single county, directly comparable in mission and operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Indiana Chamber of Commerce: Statewide chamber and business advocacy organization providing policy, programming, and benchmarking support that complements local chambers like Grow Wabash County and competes for some statewide investor mindshare.
• Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC): State-level public-private economic development agency that partners with Grow Wabash County and sets the broader incentive framework the organization sells to prospective businesses.

Others

• International Economic Development Council (IEDC): Professional association for the economic development profession that Grow Wabash County engages as a member, shaping industry standards, training, and best practices that the organization applies locally.
• Golden Shovel Agency: Economic development marketing agency and platform provider that builds and powers the Grow Wabash County website, supplying the technology backbone that peer EDOs use to run their prospect-facing funnels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/growwabashcounty
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grow-wabash-county

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Grow Wabash County