Boone County Weathered Economic COVID Storm Thanks To Diversification

LEBANON, Ind. — Despite the economic downturn from the coronavirus pandemic between March and December of 2020, Boone County was able to weather the storm fairly well, according to economic development experts in the county.

Molly Whitehead with the Boone County Economic Development Corp. says it was thanks to the county’s diversification over the last few years that they were able to see growth in 2020.

“It’s not been without its challenges for all of us,” she said to Inside Indiana Business. “For the businesses here, certainly, things are different. We have to do business differently than we did, but overall, we have quite a bit to be thankful for.”

She said the county has heavily invested in food companies as well as manufacturing and logistics, which she said are industries that are “recession-proof.” Whitehead added their geography has had a lot to do with it as well.

“Just by that sense it’s nothing that we’ve done, it’s just the fact that we are here,” she said. “We are able to draw in workers from the Indianapolis metropolitan statistical area as well as the Lafayette region. So that is a unique opportunity we have to bring in additional workforce.”

At the end of 2020, the number of available jobs in Boone County with various companies grew by over 500, with companies investing more than $230 million in facilities in the county.

Looking ahead to the new year, Whitehead says her team will focus on continuing to help small businesses who face the uncertainty still associated with the pandemic.