Jeff Rea: Hi, I am Jeff Rhea, your host Jeff Rea: for Economic Outlook.

Jeff Rea: We're back for a new season Jeff Rea: of the show.

Thank you for Jeff Rea: joining us again.

Jeff Rea: We believe we have a great Jeff Rea: season ahead of us and we Jeff Rea: hope you'll make plans to Jeff Rea: join us each week on Jeff Rea: WNIT, WNIT2 Jeff Rea: online at WNIT.org Jeff Rea: or listen to our podcast of Jeff Rea: the show on most major Jeff Rea: podcast platforms.

Jeff Rea: We plan to give you an inside Jeff Rea: look each week into the Jeff Rea: regional economy and some of Jeff Rea: the key projects helping our Jeff Rea: region grow.

Jeff Rea: We'll invite key guests to Jeff Rea: join me and we'll also go Jeff Rea: visit some of those projects Jeff Rea: to give you a closer look.

Jeff Rea: Joining me this week to kick Jeff Rea: off our season is a familiar Jeff Rea: face.

George Lepeniotis, my Jeff Rea: co-host here, and it coming Jeff Rea: up on Economic Outlook.

Jeff Rea: Whether you're on the shores Jeff Rea: of Lake Michigan or the lakes Jeff Rea: of Kosciusko County or Jeff Rea: anywhere in between, you're Jeff Rea: seeing signs of economic Jeff Rea: growth that is changing and Jeff Rea: improving the community that Jeff Rea: you live in.

Jeff Rea: Each week, we do take a deep Jeff Rea: dove into those projects and Jeff Rea: stories and we bring him Jeff Rea: right into your home.

Jeff Rea: My partner in crime for this Jeff Rea: effort has been George Lepeniotis, Jeff Rea: an attorney here regionally Jeff Rea: with Krieg Devault and my Jeff Rea: co-host on WNIT's Economic Jeff Rea: Outlook.

Please join me in Jeff Rea: welcoming George to our show Jeff Rea: today for our look ahead Jeff Rea: at the new season.

Jeff Rea: George, welcome.

George Lepeniotis: Thank you, Jeff.

George Lepeniotis: Thank you for having me back George Lepeniotis: to the studio.

George Lepeniotis: Always a nice place to be.

Jeff Rea: Yeah, it's great to see you.

Jeff Rea: We've had a kind of a strange Jeff Rea: year last year.

Jeff Rea: Obviously, the pandemic Jeff Rea: put a kink in our plans Jeff Rea: to--to get out and around, Jeff Rea: but we still brought to Jeff Rea: a show with a lot of Jeff Rea: great economy Jeff Rea: stories.

We weren't able to Jeff Rea: plug you in quite as much Jeff Rea: because of social distancing.

Jeff Rea: So I want to say welcome Jeff Rea: back.

We're glad to have you Jeff Rea: back in the studio today.

Jeff Rea: George, let me start with so Jeff Rea: people who don't know this Jeff Rea: isn't your day job, Jeff Rea: what do you do on a normal Jeff Rea: day to day basis?

George Lepeniotis: Yeah, no.

George Lepeniotis: Daily, I'm an attorney with George Lepeniotis: Krieg Devault.

George Lepeniotis: My practice is focused on George Lepeniotis: corporate mergers, George Lepeniotis: acquisitions, as well as some George Lepeniotis: real estate matters.

George Lepeniotis: We are an Indiana law George Lepeniotis: firm first and foremost, George Lepeniotis: and I am proud to serve George Lepeniotis: in our Mishawaka office.

George Lepeniotis: Yeah, that's my day job.

George Lepeniotis: .

Jeff Rea: Great.

So--so, George, a couple Jeff Rea: of years ago, we had the Jeff Rea: chance to get teamed up here Jeff Rea: on Economic Outlook and spend Jeff Rea: a really fun time to have Jeff Rea: this partnership here.

Jeff Rea: So talk a little bit about Jeff Rea: WNIT and becoming Jeff Rea: involved here and why--why Jeff Rea: this is important to you.

Jeff Rea: You're a busy guy, but you've Jeff Rea: made this a priority.

George Lepeniotis: Yeah, I'm very busy and it's George Lepeniotis: something that I George Lepeniotis: make time for simply George Lepeniotis: because I believe in George Lepeniotis: the power of George Lepeniotis: positive media.

George Lepeniotis: And I think that WNIT George Lepeniotis: does for our community and George Lepeniotis: what other PBS stations George Lepeniotis: across the country do for George Lepeniotis: their communities is focus George Lepeniotis: on those stores, especially George Lepeniotis: with local productions.

George Lepeniotis: If they're privileged enough George Lepeniotis: to have a local production George Lepeniotis: like what we have and we George Lepeniotis: actually have a number of George Lepeniotis: them, you're able George Lepeniotis: to focus George Lepeniotis: efforts and George Lepeniotis: a spotlight on George Lepeniotis: the stories that shape your George Lepeniotis: communities.

George Lepeniotis: It's easy to watch national George Lepeniotis: media and to focus on stories George Lepeniotis: that may or may not have as George Lepeniotis: big of an impact on our George Lepeniotis: communities as we--we're George Lepeniotis: told they do.

George Lepeniotis: I think the content that you George Lepeniotis: and I and other--our other George Lepeniotis: sister shows here at the George Lepeniotis: station bring to George Lepeniotis: Michiana really George Lepeniotis: do hit home.

George Lepeniotis: These are people, places, George Lepeniotis: companies that hire George Lepeniotis: our coworkers.

George Lepeniotis: They hire our neighbors.

George Lepeniotis: They hire our friends and George Lepeniotis: family.

George Lepeniotis: It's where we see success George Lepeniotis: in our community George Lepeniotis: and where we're seeing our George Lepeniotis: communities grow.

George Lepeniotis: So I don't know of a George Lepeniotis: more worthwhile cause than George Lepeniotis: that.

Jeff Rea: That's great.

And George, you Jeff Rea: hit on several--you know, Jeff Rea: Politically Speaking, Jeff Rea: Education Counts, Jeff Rea: Dinner and a Book, just a Jeff Rea: wide variety of great Jeff Rea: programing here.

Jeff Rea: And I think this station does Jeff Rea: it as good as any Jeff Rea: of them.

And some great Jeff Rea: specials this summer, for Jeff Rea: example, the special on Jeff Rea: the St. Joe River for--and so Jeff Rea: think about how that ties Jeff Rea: our communities together and Jeff Rea: the important piece that has Jeff Rea: played in commerce.

Jeff Rea: So to have the--have the Jeff Rea: station help us Jeff Rea: better understand the story Jeff Rea: and the history, I think is, Jeff Rea: as you mentioned, like a Jeff Rea: really neat asset for our Jeff Rea: community to really see those Jeff Rea: stories.

George Lepeniotis: Yeah, without a station George Lepeniotis: like this, those stories George Lepeniotis: may not get told.

George Lepeniotis: And I know our--our local George Lepeniotis: franchise news stations, George Lepeniotis: WSBT and George Lepeniotis: WNDU and the like are all George Lepeniotis: very professional outfits and George Lepeniotis: they do a nice job of telling George Lepeniotis: the news.

George Lepeniotis: But sometimes they don't have George Lepeniotis: the time or George Lepeniotis: the inclination to tell some George Lepeniotis: of these different stories George Lepeniotis: that we're able to focus on.

George Lepeniotis: And I also like that we George Lepeniotis: really do keep it positive.

George Lepeniotis: I tell people before I take George Lepeniotis: them down that interview path George Lepeniotis: that we're not George Lepeniotis: here to hit, we're here to George Lepeniotis: promote, we're here to help George Lepeniotis: highlight the positive things George Lepeniotis: that you're doing.

Jeff Rea: Maybe we should change it up Jeff Rea: this year.

What do you think?

You want Jeff Rea: to be hard hitting go after Jeff Rea: this year?

George Lepeniotis: No, I think we're OK I think there's enough George Lepeniotis: of that out there.

Jeff Rea: OK, no, I think you're right.

Jeff Rea: And I think I think it has Jeff Rea: been fun for us is the--is Jeff Rea: the chance to tell the Jeff Rea: stories of the economy.

Jeff Rea: And--and Jeff Rea: I love the geography a little Jeff Rea: bit to think about, you know, Jeff Rea: how tied together sometimes, Jeff Rea: but how uniquely different at Jeff Rea: the same time is it when you Jeff Rea: go all the way up to Lake Jeff Rea: Michigan and the St. Joe, Jeff Rea: Benton Harbor and New Buffalo Jeff Rea: and stretch all the way down Jeff Rea: to Kosciusko County and we've Jeff Rea: been to Elkhart and Culver Jeff Rea: and Plymouth and--and really Jeff Rea: tried to hit every town Jeff Rea: a little bit.

There's some great Jeff Rea: stories in each of them.

Jeff Rea: And--and--and my hope, Jeff Rea: I guess, is this year we get Jeff Rea: a chance to uncover more Jeff Rea: of those and go back.

Jeff Rea: So I want to--I want to put Jeff Rea: you in the Wayback Machine Jeff Rea: here for a minute and ask you Jeff Rea: to go back in time though, Jeff Rea: too.

So you've had a chance Jeff Rea: during our time together Jeff Rea: to go out and visit Jeff Rea: some great projects.

Jeff Rea: And so what sticks Jeff Rea: out to you is some of those Jeff Rea: memorable great projects, Jeff Rea: those that come Jeff Rea: to the top of your mind in Jeff Rea: terms of the regional Jeff Rea: economy.

George Lepeniotis: Yeah, we've George Lepeniotis: told so many great stories, George Lepeniotis: and I've been to so many George Lepeniotis: great places to visit George Lepeniotis: businesses or projects George Lepeniotis: that have such a meaningful George Lepeniotis: impact from the Indiana George Lepeniotis: toll road to George Lepeniotis: the redevelopment of some George Lepeniotis: communities up in Michigan, George Lepeniotis: downtown Benton Harbor, the George Lepeniotis: arts district, Harbor Shores, George Lepeniotis: all of those are very George Lepeniotis: important to our regional George Lepeniotis: economy.

But I got to tell George Lepeniotis: you, there's probably a George Lepeniotis: couple that--that are near George Lepeniotis: and dear to my heart that I George Lepeniotis: had a lot of fun with.

George Lepeniotis: The first, and George Lepeniotis: this will probably stay my George Lepeniotis: favorite episode, is going George Lepeniotis: to Claey's Candy before George Lepeniotis: Christmas.

George Lepeniotis: Claey's Candy, as you well George Lepeniotis: know, is a local long George Lepeniotis: time candy George Lepeniotis: manufacturer George Lepeniotis: making it right here in South George Lepeniotis: Bend.

And we've all had George Lepeniotis: Chocolate Charlie.

George Lepeniotis: We've all had those yellow George Lepeniotis: boxes during the holidays.

George Lepeniotis: And it was really a George Lepeniotis: heartwarming story, George Lepeniotis: a family business George Lepeniotis: following that same recipe George Lepeniotis: and the same philosophy George Lepeniotis: that they did one hundred George Lepeniotis: years ago.

George Lepeniotis: Matter of fact, I hope to see George Lepeniotis: them again.

I see George Lepeniotis: they're--they're increasing George Lepeniotis: their presence and they're George Lepeniotis: building a new facility George Lepeniotis: on the outskirts of South George Lepeniotis: Bend that gives them a little George Lepeniotis: bit more room to grow, which George Lepeniotis: was one of the challenges George Lepeniotis: they had when I went to visit George Lepeniotis: their factory.

Jeff Rea: Yeah.

First, I want to say Jeff Rea: thanks for bringing all those Jeff Rea: treats back to us.

Jeff Rea: Oh wait, I don't remember Jeff Rea: seeing those, but I'm sure--.

George Lepeniotis: They didn't make it.

They didn't make it.

They George Lepeniotis: were--they spoiled it by car.

Jeff Rea: But--but you mentioned Jeff Rea: though, what a great chance Jeff Rea: for us to tell the Claey's Jeff Rea: story.

For example, one Jeff Rea: hundred years, very Jeff Rea: few businesses survive Jeff Rea: that.

Many generations Jeff Rea: survived that many years.

Jeff Rea: Claey's has done it and been Jeff Rea: prominent.

And now, as Jeff Rea: you mentioned, under Jeff Rea: construction on Nîmtz Parkway Jeff Rea: with a new Jeff Rea: state of the art facility, Jeff Rea: which will prepare them Jeff Rea: really hopefully for the next Jeff Rea: one hundred years.

Jeff Rea: And so--so--so Jeff Rea: for us to have had a chance Jeff Rea: to see inside kind Jeff Rea: of how it all worked before, Jeff Rea: Chocolate Charlie's been a Jeff Rea: staple favorite for everybody Jeff Rea: here.

And but most people Jeff Rea: hadn't had a chance to see Jeff Rea: how it was made until Jeff Rea: you took us inside the Jeff Rea: factory to try to do that.

Jeff Rea: So, appreciate it.

George Lepeniotis: Making marshmallows by hand.

It's just very cool Jeff Rea: Yeah.

So as soon as it gets Jeff Rea: cold and snowy, we'll send Jeff Rea: you out to the site to do Jeff Rea: that to cover--.

George Lepeniotis: I always appreciate the George Lepeniotis: elements.

Jeff Rea: The new construction.

Jeff Rea: Yeah.

I mean I take that from Jeff Rea: regular TV, right?

Jeff Rea: Send the--send the guy Jeff Rea: out in the field out to--on Jeff Rea: those cold days and stuff, so Jeff Rea: we'll send you out that way.

Jeff Rea: So-- George Lepeniotis: I think for those of us that don't George Lepeniotis: know, or some of our viewers George Lepeniotis: who don't know us well, we George Lepeniotis: are friends offset.

George Lepeniotis: We are very close.

George Lepeniotis: And we--we tend to--we George Lepeniotis: tend to banter, don't we?

George Lepeniotis: We do, yeah.

Jeff Rea: And so you do take pride Jeff Rea: in the fact that Jeff Rea: you find the muddiest, Jeff Rea: wettest spots to send Jeff Rea: me on some of these shoots.

Jeff Rea: So thank you for that.

Jeff Rea: Good.

I'm--I've got a whole Jeff Rea: new list for this year that Jeff Rea: we're working on.

So any Jeff Rea: others in particular that, Jeff Rea: you know, because I think Jeff Rea: what's been neat about you Jeff Rea: being out on the field is Jeff Rea: you've got--you've been able Jeff Rea: to show us the front end Jeff Rea: of some of these projects Jeff Rea: maybe before construction Jeff Rea: or you've talked a little bit Jeff Rea: with with developers or Jeff Rea: others about what's Jeff Rea: happening.

So--so Jeff Rea: as time has gone Jeff Rea: on and some of those near Jeff Rea: completion, where are some of Jeff Rea: the spots that you'd--you'd Jeff Rea: like to go back to--to visit Jeff Rea: as we're thinking about this Jeff Rea: year and where we Jeff Rea: go?

George Lepeniotis: Yeah, I'll tell George Lepeniotis: you, one of the projects that George Lepeniotis: I thought was really George Lepeniotis: interesting and I don't know George Lepeniotis: that they're going to be ready George Lepeniotis: this year, but there George Lepeniotis: was the redevelopment of the George Lepeniotis: theater in downtown Plymouth, George Lepeniotis: and that theater was, again, George Lepeniotis: another hundred year George Lepeniotis: old structure that George Lepeniotis: has undergone significant George Lepeniotis: modernization while George Lepeniotis: keeping the George Lepeniotis: original feel George Lepeniotis: and historical George Lepeniotis: element of the place.

George Lepeniotis: It's one of the reasons that George Lepeniotis: I'm always proud to be from George Lepeniotis: this area.

George Lepeniotis: I think that we really are George Lepeniotis: traditionalists.

George Lepeniotis: We believe in our history George Lepeniotis: and we believe in who we are George Lepeniotis: fundamentally in George Lepeniotis: seeing a community George Lepeniotis: come together and George Lepeniotis: revitalize a George Lepeniotis: historic monument George Lepeniotis: like the downtown movie George Lepeniotis: theater while installing George Lepeniotis: solar panels and alternative George Lepeniotis: energy sources and George Lepeniotis: modern installation George Lepeniotis: techniques.

George Lepeniotis: I mean, it's just such a George Lepeniotis: dichotomy of--of--of George Lepeniotis: thoughts and ideas George Lepeniotis: and belief and couldn't George Lepeniotis: get any better than that.

George Lepeniotis: So that's one of the ones I'm George Lepeniotis: excited to go back and see.

George Lepeniotis: I don't know if it's going to George Lepeniotis: be this season.

George Lepeniotis: I don't know how far along George Lepeniotis: they've come.

George Lepeniotis: I'm also excited to see some George Lepeniotis: redevelopment in downtown George Lepeniotis: Benton Harbor.

George Lepeniotis: There is a residential George Lepeniotis: structure being invested George Lepeniotis: in by--by an ownership group George Lepeniotis: out of--out of South Bend George Lepeniotis: here and making a George Lepeniotis: positive impact in that George Lepeniotis: community along with our George Lepeniotis: friends up in at George Lepeniotis: what I call Cornerstone George Lepeniotis: Alliance.

But I think they've George Lepeniotis: changed their name, George Lepeniotis: but really, George Lepeniotis: really excited to see that.

George Lepeniotis: And I think we'll we'll have George Lepeniotis: an opportunity to see some of George Lepeniotis: those high end residential George Lepeniotis: units in downtown Benton George Lepeniotis: Harbor.

Jeff Rea: Yeah, that's great.

Jeff Rea: Before the show airs Jeff Rea: the--before this show Jeff Rea: airs, sorry.

Jeff Rea: Elkhart will celebrate the Jeff Rea: opening of the Elkhart Hotel, Jeff Rea: another place that you had a Jeff Rea: chance to go visit.

Jeff Rea: You know, and it's Jeff Rea: interesting because all of Jeff Rea: these make me think a little Jeff Rea: bit about downtown and kind Jeff Rea: of what's happening.

Jeff Rea: So--so--so, you Jeff Rea: know, over the years.

Jeff Rea: As you've been out in the Jeff Rea: field and we've talked and Jeff Rea: done the show, you know, Jeff Rea: any--any Jeff Rea: consistent themes or things Jeff Rea: that have come together, like Jeff Rea: I think of the downtowns as Jeff Rea: being a really critical focus Jeff Rea: for us.

Jeff Rea: And--and you've got a chance Jeff Rea: to really see what's Jeff Rea: happening at the mill in Jeff Rea: downtown Mishawaka, in Jeff Rea: downtown Elkhart, at places Jeff Rea: like the Elkhart Hotel or in Jeff Rea: the river district there, Jeff Rea: La Porte's got some major Jeff Rea: downtown.

South Bend's Jeff Rea: got--you know, so talk a Jeff Rea: little bit about just sort of Jeff Rea: your trips to the downtowns Jeff Rea: and why that downtown Jeff Rea: investment is so important.

George Lepeniotis: Well, yeah, I think that's George Lepeniotis: right.

You know, we as George Lepeniotis: a region, we don't have a George Lepeniotis: metropolis.

George Lepeniotis: You know, we don't have--South George Lepeniotis: Bend is as large of a city as George Lepeniotis: you're going to find in.

George Lepeniotis: And it even is not one George Lepeniotis: city.

It truly is a George Lepeniotis: conglomeration of South Bend, George Lepeniotis: Mishawaka, Granger George Lepeniotis: and the outlying communities George Lepeniotis: that make it what it is, a George Lepeniotis: super regional area.

George Lepeniotis: I often say I grew up in George Lepeniotis: Michigan, but a lot George Lepeniotis: of what we did was here George Lepeniotis: in South Bend.

George Lepeniotis: Shopping, dining, education, George Lepeniotis: medical facilities, those George Lepeniotis: sorts of things.

And I think George Lepeniotis: that really stands true to George Lepeniotis: our community.

George Lepeniotis: The downtowns are definitely George Lepeniotis: seeing their day in the sun, George Lepeniotis: long--long neglected George Lepeniotis: downtowns after George Lepeniotis: that shift away from George Lepeniotis: that fran- that--that--that George Lepeniotis: pattern of of of George Lepeniotis: commercialization of those George Lepeniotis: areas.

George Lepeniotis: I think they have a ways to George Lepeniotis: go.

George Lepeniotis: But we are definitely George Lepeniotis: seeing positive upticks.

George Lepeniotis: And I think that's great for George Lepeniotis: our communities and really George Lepeniotis: does define who we are as a George Lepeniotis: region, doesn't it?

George Lepeniotis: Mean we are really a rural George Lepeniotis: region and those small George Lepeniotis: downtowns George Lepeniotis: are places that we enjoy George Lepeniotis: being.

Jeff Rea: Yeah, when you think about Jeff Rea: the seven hundred and fifty Jeff Rea: plus thousand people here Jeff Rea: that are in our region or Jeff Rea: in our media area Jeff Rea: that we're reaching out to, Jeff Rea: there are so many great Jeff Rea: stories and great places to Jeff Rea: visit and--and--and Jeff Rea: the station does a great job, Jeff Rea: I think, in their different Jeff Rea: platforms of trying to help Jeff Rea: draw attention to those areas Jeff Rea: so that folks can--can go Jeff Rea: enjoy it.

Jeff Rea: So--so overall, Jeff Rea: I think Jeff Rea: generally the activity has Jeff Rea: been pretty positive there.

Jeff Rea: How are you feeling about the Jeff Rea: the overall economy, if Jeff Rea: you will?

Jeff Rea: You know, obviously we pay Jeff Rea: a lot of attention to that.

Jeff Rea: I think most people would say Jeff Rea: we went through a period of Jeff Rea: time in the 2000s Jeff Rea: where things weren't so well, Jeff Rea: I think the recession in Jeff Rea: 2008.

Jeff Rea: But I think generally, as Jeff Rea: we've been out and around, Jeff Rea: I've been feeling Jeff Rea: pretty positive.

Jeff Rea: Give us your George The Jeff Rea: Economist Jeff Rea: take on sort of the economy Jeff Rea: here.

George Lepeniotis: Well, it's funny.

George Lepeniotis: I'm not--I know you've had George Lepeniotis: some very outstanding George Lepeniotis: economists sitting here at George Lepeniotis: this chair.

That's not me.

George Lepeniotis: But I will tell you that George Lepeniotis: from my perspective, George Lepeniotis: my clients are George Lepeniotis: actively pursuing George Lepeniotis: deals.

George Lepeniotis: They are merging, they are George Lepeniotis: acquiring, they George Lepeniotis: are developing.

George Lepeniotis: There is general enthusiasm George Lepeniotis: about our economy.

George Lepeniotis: And I would say that Michiana George Lepeniotis: as a whole, across its George Lepeniotis: regions, across its George Lepeniotis: political George Lepeniotis: pockets, George Lepeniotis: is fiscally conservative.

George Lepeniotis: I've not been to a community George Lepeniotis: that I believe is George Lepeniotis: fiscally irresponsible.

George Lepeniotis: And so when they are moving, George Lepeniotis: when they are making George Lepeniotis: investments, you feel good George Lepeniotis: about it because you feel you George Lepeniotis: really do feel confident that George Lepeniotis: the leaders of those George Lepeniotis: communities or the business George Lepeniotis: leaders in those communities George Lepeniotis: are not making foolish fiscal George Lepeniotis: decisions.

George Lepeniotis: So I think George Lepeniotis: despite George Lepeniotis: challenging times, George Lepeniotis: we are full steam ahead George Lepeniotis: on the--on the economic George Lepeniotis: front, which is what this George Lepeniotis: show is about.

George Lepeniotis: There's not enough shows.

George Lepeniotis: You mentioned last year, I George Lepeniotis: was not able to go out into George Lepeniotis: the field because of some of George Lepeniotis: our covid restrictions.

George Lepeniotis: But, you know, there's just George Lepeniotis: so many stories to tell George Lepeniotis: and it's great to be George Lepeniotis: that way.

It's great to feel George Lepeniotis: that that vibrancy.

Jeff Rea: I think it's going to be an Jeff Rea: interesting year just Jeff Rea: to--just across the region.

Jeff Rea: A couple of things with Jeff Rea: just some investment Jeff Rea: opportunities.

You mentioned Jeff Rea: we're sort of seeing investment Jeff Rea: happen, a lot of different Jeff Rea: places.

The federal Jeff Rea: government has infused Jeff Rea: a fair amount of dollars Jeff Rea: into our marketplace to Jeff Rea: help local communities move Jeff Rea: forward on projects we think Jeff Rea: an infrastructure bill could Jeff Rea: follow, which means some Jeff Rea: more dollars to knock Jeff Rea: off key infrastructure Jeff Rea: projects our region is Jeff Rea: working on.

Ready.

Jeff Rea: I'm sure we'll talk a little Jeff Rea: bit about that this year.

Jeff Rea: The state put a program Jeff Rea: together that maybe Jeff Rea: makes us eligible for up to Jeff Rea: fifty million dollars of Jeff Rea: state funding that would Jeff Rea: match local Jeff Rea: funding.

So when you think Jeff Rea: about regional cities and we Jeff Rea: talked a lot previously about Jeff Rea: regional cities on the show, Jeff Rea: we were able to leverage Jeff Rea: forty two million dollars of Jeff Rea: state investment in regional Jeff Rea: cities and get about four Jeff Rea: hundred million dollars of Jeff Rea: investment in our community Jeff Rea: overall.

Jeff Rea: So some of the places you Jeff Rea: took us to the mill, Jeff Rea: to Howard Park, to--to--to Jeff Rea: the Elkhart riverfront, all Jeff Rea: the way to the aquatic Jeff Rea: center, all of those places Jeff Rea: really benefited by Jeff Rea: kind of the public-private Jeff Rea: partnerships that--that Jeff Rea: helped make them go.

Jeff Rea: And I think Ready is shaping Jeff Rea: up for Jeff Rea: a new opportunity that Jeff Rea: our application goes in Jeff Rea: at the end of October and Jeff Rea: I'm sorry, near the Jeff Rea: near the beginning of Jeff Rea: October.

Jeff Rea: And then we're hoping by Jeff Rea: Christmas we would know--know Jeff Rea: how much money is available Jeff Rea: there and you could Jeff Rea: potentially see some other Jeff Rea: key projects going forward.

George Lepeniotis: And Jeff, for those of our George Lepeniotis: viewers that maybe aren't George Lepeniotis: ready with the acronyms, I George Lepeniotis: mean, regional cities was a George Lepeniotis: state level Indiana George Lepeniotis: economic development program.

George Lepeniotis: And like you said, those George Lepeniotis: funds that the state made George Lepeniotis: available to its regional George Lepeniotis: cities were George Lepeniotis: specifically designed to George Lepeniotis: address George Lepeniotis: the needs of some George Lepeniotis: deteriorating downtowns, George Lepeniotis: focused on what we call George Lepeniotis: quality of place George Lepeniotis: to attract residents, to George Lepeniotis: attract younger--younger George Lepeniotis: graduates and young George Lepeniotis: professionals, to come back George Lepeniotis: to this region or to come George Lepeniotis: fresh to this region.

George Lepeniotis: To help sustain and grow George Lepeniotis: our economic industries that George Lepeniotis: really did need that and George Lepeniotis: still do, we're still seeing George Lepeniotis: a massive shortage in the George Lepeniotis: workplace.

George Lepeniotis: And I think that the more George Lepeniotis: investment that we can George Lepeniotis: partner both with the federal George Lepeniotis: and state government George Lepeniotis: to bring dollars right George Lepeniotis: here, these are not dollars George Lepeniotis: that go anywhere but these George Lepeniotis: communities that really do George Lepeniotis: affect all of us.

George Lepeniotis: There couldn't be anything George Lepeniotis: better.

George Lepeniotis: I know Michigan doesn't have George Lepeniotis: something quite so aggressive George Lepeniotis: as what the state of Indiana George Lepeniotis: does.

And--and for a number George Lepeniotis: of reasons that-- that I George Lepeniotis: think would take a whole show George Lepeniotis: to try to understand.

George Lepeniotis: But I think you just look at George Lepeniotis: the impact that it's had on George Lepeniotis: Elkhart, Mishawaka, South George Lepeniotis: Bend.

George Lepeniotis: And you can--you can't--you George Lepeniotis: can't argue with the results.

Jeff Rea: So, George, last Jeff Rea: year we talked about it Jeff Rea: was a complicated year.

Jeff Rea: Covid put a kink Jeff Rea: in a lot of things.

Jeff Rea: So I've asked you for to Jeff Rea: wear your attorney hat, Jeff Rea: then your economist hat.

Jeff Rea: Maybe I'll put your medical Jeff Rea: hat on now for a second.

Jeff Rea: No, I'm kidding.

Jeff Rea: But so--so Jeff Rea: we did a lot of shows last Jeff Rea: year.

You're talking about Jeff Rea: covid, covid's impact Jeff Rea: on business, on the economy Jeff Rea: and such.

Jeff Rea: As you're working with folks Jeff Rea: or you're out--you know, Jeff Rea: what's the what's the Jeff Rea: feel about covid Jeff Rea: these days out in the Jeff Rea: community?

George Lepeniotis: Well, it depends George Lepeniotis: on who I'm talking to, right?

George Lepeniotis: I will generally say that we George Lepeniotis: have pandemic fatigue.

George Lepeniotis: When--when we last George Lepeniotis: talked about this, I think, George Lepeniotis: and I believe you still are George Lepeniotis: the St. Joe County covid George Lepeniotis: czar.

George Lepeniotis: You are in charge of the George Lepeniotis: county's efforts and had George Lepeniotis: helping to lead those.

George Lepeniotis: And you probably feel that George Lepeniotis: fatigue that our business George Lepeniotis: community, our residents are George Lepeniotis: feeling.

George Lepeniotis: There's large debate over George Lepeniotis: where we stand.

George Lepeniotis: There are some who do not George Lepeniotis: embrace the science, George Lepeniotis: some that do not trust George Lepeniotis: the solutions.

George Lepeniotis: I'm not sure George Lepeniotis: that there's an answer for George Lepeniotis: those questions, but I do George Lepeniotis: think that as a community, George Lepeniotis: I still believe George Lepeniotis: that we can come together George Lepeniotis: and show mutual respect and George Lepeniotis: find solutions that make George Lepeniotis: sense.

Jeff Rea: And I think you mentioned it Jeff Rea: earlier just to reemphasize Jeff Rea: that what Jeff Rea: we're seeing on the economic Jeff Rea: activity piece Jeff Rea: is encouraging.

Jeff Rea: And so we're seeing deals Jeff Rea: get done.

Jeff Rea: We're seeing projects getting Jeff Rea: talked about.

You know, it's Jeff Rea: interesting when I think Jeff Rea: about the what's on the Jeff Rea: horizon or what's under Jeff Rea: construction, there's been Jeff Rea: some great news here lately Jeff Rea: about the new power plant up Jeff Rea: in Niles, for example.

Jeff Rea: It's a one point one billion Jeff Rea: dollar investment, a natural Jeff Rea: gas generating power plant.

Jeff Rea: Never if we had a billion Jeff Rea: dollar investment Jeff Rea: here in our area.

Jeff Rea: This sort of mirrors what Jeff Rea: happened in New Carlisle a Jeff Rea: few years ago with the power Jeff Rea: plant out there and stuff.

Jeff Rea: So we're feeding the power Jeff Rea: grid for 10 states Jeff Rea: in the Midwest.

Jeff Rea: And so that's been a Jeff Rea: pretty important project Jeff Rea: underway.

Last week, I was Jeff Rea: out at a plant Jeff Rea: that is revolutionizing Jeff Rea: battery technology.

Jeff Rea: We could be the Center for Jeff Rea: Battery Technology and think Jeff Rea: how many different things Jeff Rea: have a battery in it, right?

Jeff Rea: My cell phone, my watch, Jeff Rea: my my tooth Jeff Rea: brush, my computer, my Jeff Rea: iPhone, my car at some point.

Jeff Rea: And so to think that that we Jeff Rea: have innovative companies Jeff Rea: here trying to revolutionize Jeff Rea: that.

Jeff Rea: This just recently Jeff Rea: announced the former Hummer Jeff Rea: plant, The Electric Last Jeff Rea: Miles, is is Jeff Rea: producing an electric vehicle Jeff Rea: out of that plant that Jeff Rea: they've just got their first Jeff Rea: order for a thousand of Jeff Rea: those.

And trucks Jeff Rea: will begin rolling off the Jeff Rea: production line here Jeff Rea: relatively soon.

Jeff Rea: We've seen solar Jeff Rea: projects.

Jeff Rea: Several companies are Jeff Rea: benefiting from from the Jeff Rea: solar piece.

Jeff Rea: We saw the RV industry Jeff Rea: do really well Jeff Rea: with--with Jeff Rea: covid in particular.

Jeff Rea: RV sales were--were Jeff Rea: pretty significant.

Jeff Rea: Unemployment's down about two Jeff Rea: percent in Elkhart Jeff Rea: County.

Jeff Rea: In the meantime--.

George Lepeniotis: It's quite the way to fight a pandemic, George Lepeniotis: I mean, if you look at George Lepeniotis: previous George Lepeniotis: large scale events that George Lepeniotis: have affected our society, George Lepeniotis: the economy has not George Lepeniotis: thrived the way it is George Lepeniotis: currently.

George Lepeniotis: And I just I think that's a George Lepeniotis: testament to the strength George Lepeniotis: of our nation, the strength George Lepeniotis: of our community, the George Lepeniotis: strength of our institutions George Lepeniotis: that have been built in George Lepeniotis: oftentime there.

George Lepeniotis: You know, lately they're George Lepeniotis: getting abuse, they're George Lepeniotis: getting attacked.

George Lepeniotis: But the reality is that George Lepeniotis: for what we're living George Lepeniotis: through, we have really George Lepeniotis: not suffered as badly George Lepeniotis: as some previous generations George Lepeniotis: have.

And I specifically George Lepeniotis: think of World War Two George Lepeniotis: where, you know, women George Lepeniotis: couldn't find silk to get George Lepeniotis: married in and there were George Lepeniotis: rationing and shortages.

George Lepeniotis: And we've seen very George Lepeniotis: minor impact on our George Lepeniotis: day to day lives, which is a George Lepeniotis: testament to who we are.

Jeff Rea: Right.

It's interesting to Jeff Rea: think about Elkhart in Jeff Rea: particular with an Jeff Rea: unemployment rate close to Jeff Rea: two percent, major project Jeff Rea: called Project Winnie Jeff Rea: moving through eighteen Jeff Rea: hundred jobs associated with Jeff Rea: that project.

And that'll be Jeff Rea: the news story of the fall.

Jeff Rea: Potentially Elkhart reports Jeff Rea: are down to one, two, maybe a Jeff Rea: couple of finalists for that Jeff Rea: site rumored to be Amazon but Jeff Rea: unknown Jeff Rea: there and--.

George Lepeniotis: A five story distribution George Lepeniotis: center.

Jeff Rea: Yeah, but you think about Jeff Rea: just the--the--those Jeff Rea: opportunities that Jeff Rea: and I suppose employers Jeff Rea: are watching and sort of a Jeff Rea: little nervous about, you Jeff Rea: know, where do I find people?

Jeff Rea: But there is a lot of focus Jeff Rea: on--on helping people Jeff Rea: better understand those Jeff Rea: opportunities and what they Jeff Rea: look like.

George Lepeniotis: Yeah, let's keep our fingers George Lepeniotis: crossed.

I mean, you know, George Lepeniotis: we've we've went to visit George Lepeniotis: some of our what I'll George Lepeniotis: call our workforce George Lepeniotis: development institutions, George Lepeniotis: IUSB and George Lepeniotis: the Excel Center, for George Lepeniotis: instance, that goodwill George Lepeniotis: has really made George Lepeniotis: such a positive impact with George Lepeniotis: we definitely have all of the George Lepeniotis: tools to George Lepeniotis: overcome the challenges.

George Lepeniotis: And I think the bigger George Lepeniotis: component now is George Lepeniotis: just really George Lepeniotis: figuring out some of the George Lepeniotis: uncertainties that the George Lepeniotis: pandemic has created.

Jeff Rea: So I'm going to shift in our Jeff Rea: last couple of minutes and Jeff Rea: talk transportation a little Jeff Rea: bit because we've not Jeff Rea: only had you sitting on the Jeff Rea: side of the road, we've had Jeff Rea: you up on the--on the train Jeff Rea: and we've had you up at US Jeff Rea: Thirty-One as those Jeff Rea: improvements are happening, Jeff Rea: the federal government's Jeff Rea: talking about major dollars Jeff Rea: to continue the boost Jeff Rea: of infrastructure.

Jeff Rea: You've been--spent a lot of Jeff Rea: time at South Bend Airport.

Jeff Rea: Just give us a maybe Jeff Rea: a quick transportation Jeff Rea: summary.

Your observations, I Jeff Rea: think, from being out at some Jeff Rea: of those different locations.

George Lepeniotis: Yeah, I know.

And that's that George Lepeniotis: was probably my second.

George Lepeniotis: We never got back to it after George Lepeniotis: we got stuck on candy, which George Lepeniotis: is easy to do.

George Lepeniotis: But we, George Lepeniotis: you know, my second has been George Lepeniotis: was--was always taking a ride George Lepeniotis: on the South Shore.

George Lepeniotis: So, you know, we are George Lepeniotis: blessed to be at George Lepeniotis: the crossroads of America and George Lepeniotis: between the toll road George Lepeniotis: that I mentioned already, the George Lepeniotis: interstate highways, that George Lepeniotis: expansion of US Thirty-One, George Lepeniotis: I actually was driving up George Lepeniotis: north and construction George Lepeniotis: is in full, George Lepeniotis: full swing.

George Lepeniotis: And they are working George Lepeniotis: really hard to reinvent George Lepeniotis: that connection and to George Lepeniotis: connect what we call the George Lepeniotis: Thirty-One bypass around George Lepeniotis: South Bend.

George Lepeniotis: It becomes Twenty east George Lepeniotis: of us as it heads towards George Lepeniotis: Elkhart and Thirty One back George Lepeniotis: down to Indianapolis.

George Lepeniotis: That will connect with I George Lepeniotis: Ninety Four and interstate George Lepeniotis: Ninety Six up north.

George Lepeniotis: And really I think just George Lepeniotis: further drive George Lepeniotis: our George Lepeniotis: reputation as being George Lepeniotis: transportation centric.

George Lepeniotis: The airport, the South Bend George Lepeniotis: Regional International George Lepeniotis: Airport.

I'm sorry, George Lepeniotis: if Mike Daigle watching.

George Lepeniotis: He's going to be upset that I George Lepeniotis: said region.

George Lepeniotis: It's an international George Lepeniotis: airport.

I think it's traffic George Lepeniotis: is up.

George Lepeniotis: I know they've made some George Lepeniotis: exciting developments George Lepeniotis: in getting some commercial George Lepeniotis: flights and routes to commit George Lepeniotis: to SBN.

George Lepeniotis: You know, we just and George Lepeniotis: of course, the South Shore George Lepeniotis: and that the two track George Lepeniotis: project is underway George Lepeniotis: as well as George Lepeniotis: maybe reinventing that George Lepeniotis: that ride from South Bend.

George Lepeniotis: I don't know that we've we've George Lepeniotis: gotten that far yet, but George Lepeniotis: hopefully we'll put it on our George Lepeniotis: 2021-22 agenda, George Lepeniotis: get out there and see what's George Lepeniotis: going on and see where we George Lepeniotis: stand with these projects George Lepeniotis: because they're all very George Lepeniotis: exciting.

Jeff Rea: It looks and sounds like we have a Jeff Rea: busy year ahead of us.

George Lepeniotis: I think so.

And I guess I George Lepeniotis: should ask you, you George Lepeniotis: are plugged in, right?

George Lepeniotis: Your day job focuses on George Lepeniotis: developing our economy.

George Lepeniotis: You're the president of the George Lepeniotis: Chamber of Commerce.

George Lepeniotis: Doesn't get any more plugged George Lepeniotis: in than that.

Jeff Rea: It is.

And I think that's Jeff Rea: what makes this partnership Jeff Rea: work so well.

I'm grateful Jeff Rea: for the chance to work with Jeff Rea: you this this coming year.

Jeff Rea: And--and as always, Jeff Rea: these--this time goes by Jeff Rea: very fast.

Jeff Rea: And so--so Jeff Rea: we'll look forward to you Jeff Rea: telling some great stories.

Jeff Rea: That's overall, what we want Jeff Rea: to do is make sure our Jeff Rea: viewers understand the great Jeff Rea: stories that exist Jeff Rea: here in the community.

Jeff Rea: We appreciate what you do for Jeff Rea: not only the show, but for Jeff Rea: WNIT and for the community.

Jeff Rea: So we look forward to working Jeff Rea: with you for another great Jeff Rea: year.

George Lepeniotis: Same here.

Thanks, Jeff.

Jeff Rea: That's it for our show today.

Jeff Rea: Thank you for watching on it Jeff Rea: or listening to our podcast.

Jeff Rea: To watch this episode again Jeff Rea: or any of our past episodes, Jeff Rea: you can find Economic Outlook Jeff Rea: at WNIT.org Jeff Rea: or find our podcast on most Jeff Rea: major podcast platforms.

Jeff Rea: We also encourage you to like Jeff Rea: us on Facebook or follow Jeff Rea: us on Twitter.

Jeff Rea: I'm Jeff Rea.

Jeff Rea: I'll see you next week.

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Speaker: Thank you.