This month, the NEI Business Development team, in collaboration with our regional partners at the South Bend–Elkhart Regional Partnership and the Northwest Indiana Forum, proudly hosted the third annual “Indiana on Top” Familiarization (FAM) Tour. This multi-day event brought a select group of site consultants to Northern Indiana to showcase the region’s economic strengths, diverse communities, and quality of life.
FAM Tours provide an opportunity for site consultants who are key decision influencers in corporate location selection to get an in-depth, on-the-ground experience of the region. These immersive visits go beyond data and presentations, offering authentic connections, local insights, and valuable face time between consultants and community leaders.
This year, the tour started in Michigan City and moved eastward, beginning with a dinner reception along Lake Michigan, touring the AWS Data Center project in New Carlisle, attending a Notre Dame Football game in South Bend, then spending time in LaGrange and Steuben County of Northeast Indiana before the consultants departed from Fort Wayne Airport.
This year, we were joined by six site consultants:
Joao Pedro Goldstein – Dennis Group, Atlanta
Matt Niehoff – Cushman & Wakefield, Indianapolis
Michael Panasko – Quest Site Solutions, Greenville
Tom Powers – Powers Advisory, Atlanta
Joe Pilewski – Pilewski & Associates, Chicago
Mike Rapp – Mohr Partners, Atlanta
“I found the event Friday evening and the tailgate a great time to have more in-depth conversations in a more relaxed, less rushed atmosphere as compared to a speed dating approach,” Mike Panasko said.
After a very long day, when the football game suffered a 2-hour weather delay, the group was able to make the short trip to Shipshewana for the night to relax. Then, we took a morning boat ride on Lake James with some local community partners and discussed some of the specific happenings taking place in Northeast Indiana.
“I can honestly say this is the best familiarization tour that I have attended, and it was the perfect combination of education/learning, first-hand experience within the region, and networking. The region and the event exceeded my expectations in that I was unaware of the degree of economic activity and diversity within the region,” Tom Powers said.
This year’s FAM Tour was made possible thanks to the generous support of our sponsors. We extend our sincere thanks to AEP, Duke Energy, and NIPSCO for their continued commitment to advancing economic development across Northern Indiana.
“It was great being able to learn about the region and its capabilities as well as connect on a personal level,” Mike Rapp said.
As we reflect on another successful “Indiana on Top” tour, we’re energized by the feedback we received and the connections we helped foster. We look forward to continuing to tell the story of Northeast Indiana, and we’re already planning how to make next year’s tour even more impactful.
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