KEDCO shifts to retention, unveils countywide jobs feed and four small‑town housing efforts
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Summary
KEDCO told the Kosciusko County Redevelopment Commission it will emphasize business retention in 2026, launch a countywide job feed with Rolly Jobs on the KEDCO website, and advance four housing efforts (Claypool, Pearson, Mentone, South Shore) while avoiding TIF where SB 1 makes it less secure.
KEDCO representatives told the Kosciusko County Redevelopment Commission that 2026 will focus on business retention, workforce support and targeted housing projects rather than aggressive new-company attraction.
"'26 is gonna be a little bit different than '25," KEDCO said, citing recent local acquisitions and a desire to let newly arrived employers settle before pursuing further attraction. The organization highlighted the county's concentration in orthopedics and said it is working to sustain a multi‑generational workforce pipeline.
KEDCO announced a partnership with Rolly Jobs, a South Bend–area startup, to aggregate employer postings on the KEDCO website. "You can find... all of those on the KEDCO website in our career opportunities section," the presenter said, describing an automated feed that updates roughly every 10–14 days and can filter positions by geographic footprint and include remote opportunities tied to Kosciusko County employers.
On housing, KEDCO outlined four active efforts. Claypool has signed a memorandum of understanding and is moving into due diligence and annexation discussions; Pearson is finalizing an MOU expected to be executed in March; Mentone is evaluating alternate sites; and South Shore has a developer identified, with a stakeholder meeting and developer agreement planned.
KEDCO said it aims for workforce housing priced in the mid‑$200,000s to $300,000s, contingent on site readiness and infrastructure costs. Commissioners cautioned that site utilities and road work add significant expenses — one participant cited rough infrastructure estimates near $40,000 per lot — and that those costs affect final sale prices and financing options.
Why it matters: the county's economic strategy is shifting from chasing large projects to preserving recent investments and tackling a regional housing shortage. KEDCO said the approach emphasizes secure funding sources for predevelopment work rather than relying on Tax Increment Financing where SB 1 has reduced predictability.
What’s next: KEDCO will provide a Pearson update at the next meeting after MOU execution and schedule stakeholder meetings for South Shore to advance a developer agreement. The jobs feed will go live on the KEDCO site the week following the presentation.