Hi, I'm Jeff Rea, your host for Economic Outlook.

Welcome to our show.

We hope you make plans each week to join us as we discuss the region's most important economic development initiatives.

This season.

We've taken you to every corner of the region, giving you an inside look at the major projects driving economic growth here in our region.

This week, we're looking back at some of those shows and giving you some updates on those projects.

Coming up on economic outlook.

This season, we've met some great people, visited some exciting projects and tried to give you all the information you need about what's driving economic growth across southwest Michigan and northern Indiana.

Today, we're looking back at some of those shows.

And joining me for that conversation is a familiar face.

My co-host, George Lepeniotis George, welcome.

Thanks, Jeff.

I'm glad to be here.

George, you and I don't get to be together very often.

So we're always I'm always happy to have you in the studio.

We are wrapping our season, so we typically for our viewers out there, we start in September.

We tape through about the 1st of June, we take a little bit of a summer hiatus.

And so so George, before we do this, I like to remind folks, TV is not your real job.

You have some other responsibilities.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Remind us why I like.

I would agree with you.

TV's not our real job.

I do I do enjoy it very much, though.

But my my day job is I'm an attorney with Kreig Devault.

We are an Indiana law firm, our offices here in Mishawaka.

We serve clients both regionally and statewide.

And on national issues, I enjoy the practice.

I'm largely a transactional attorney, so I'm oftentimes working on business deals, whether they be real estate, corporate work, mergers and acquisitions, but deals that largely affect our community.

Great.

Now, George, we appreciate you and you do a great job on the TV side.

Is a real honor to be your partner.

And I'm grateful for the chance to work together.

So, George, let's talk let's start high level, if you will.

So we'll and we'll get into a couple of the specific shows.

But but but generally, nationally, lots of conversation about the economy, what's happening, suggestions on recession.

Even just a week or two ago, the Dollar General didn't make their quarterly sales figures and everybody was sure that was a true indicator of the economy.

As you've been out and around meeting with people, talking to people, what's your feel about how things are going in the on the economy here locally?

Yeah, well, I definitely think trepidation is a good word to use.

I think there is some concern that the economic indicators that our economy, economists, leaders use to gauge where we're at financially and where are where the machine is going are not as stable and solid as they may have been in years past recent years past.

But I also don't feel that level of I'm we talked about it before we went on air.

Yesterday was my birthday.

So you and I are both old enough to have lived through the Great Recession.

And I don't feel that level of panic in my day to day life or in the work we do here at the station.

The stories we've told this year are largely stories of hope, positive developments and a growth in the economy.

As a matter of fact, I would say that Michiana St Joe County, Elkhart County and Berrien County predominantly, but also Marshall County and Laporte Counties are still in a growth mode and we're seeing significant positive developments happening in and around our community.

Yeah, I think, you know, and I think a little bit of just what's happening, you know, things like AM General, for example, got a huge contract from the Army to build a JOTV to a huge investment in our year and $8 billion contract that's going to solidify manufacturing there in South Bend.

We just had Verbio announce they're buying the former ethanol plant.

They're going to invest $230 million.

They're doing some expansion, add some new jobs.

If you're downtown.

South Bend Memorial Hospital's under construction with their tower project, 200 plus million dollars on their new tower down there.

If you went to downtown Elkhart and you watched the continued development of the river area and in the core of downtown or watch Goshen or this, you know, in the recent weeks, we've seen redevelopment plans for Concord Mall or Orchard Mall up in Benton Harbor.

You know, as we get to Niles and Bridgman and and Saint Joe and Benton Harbor, there are a lot of pretty exciting things happening around.

And I think that's what I enjoy about the show a lot is is the chance to get to see some of those and talk about all the pieces that help help kind of drive that economic growth.

Yeah, I mean, not to toot our own horn, but I think that this show with your leadership and everybody that works on the show really is focused on these local stories.

We often the news we see, people ask me why I do it, and largely I do it because it's it's refreshing to tell local stories that are positive and that show just how powerful an economic engine our little area of the world has.

Yeah, let me get personal here for a second.

So just talk about where you're from.

So I grew up in Bridgman, Michigan.

Right on the lake was an idyllic growing up, you know, growing up in small town Berrien County, small town, Saint Joe County, small town Laporte County has its advantages.

So, yeah, that was where I went to school, where I went to high school and my early years.

I went to Andrews University in Berrien Springs and then I got my law degree in Chicago.

So I've always been kind of a regional Midwestern guy.

I enjoy, although as I get older, maybe I don't quite enjoy winter as much as I used to, but I do enjoy the Four Seasons and my practice is here based in in Mishawaka.

But I do serve clients throughout our region.

Yeah, and I think what I love especially is, is as we seek to connect with the entire region, right?

So we want to be in Saint Joe, Benton Harbor and Warsaw and Plymouth and Elkhart and Goshen and Mishawaka and South Bend.

And so we show throughout the course of year we try to get to some of those places.

So look, let's let's dive a little bit into it because we joke a little bit, George, you're the guy that we send out to stand on the side of the road during the blizzard.

Say it's snowing outside, but we sent you.

You get kind of a unique inside look sometimes at what's going on.

So talk to you know, as you think back to this last year, what are some highlights for you?

What what what was a place you got to see or a story you got to experience that there were that you're thinking about today?

Well, it's funny because I think that this last year we did two if not three shows on local theaters.

And I'm going to toot my own horn because and one of them, the Morris Theater, I was actually in that chair subbing batting sub for you.

And I enjoyed it here.

I won't lie to you.

It's very comfortable and I've been worried about this.

These guys after my job.

No, I'm just kidding.

We were.

But honestly, then I also went out to the theater in Plymouth and did a field shoot on that theater.

And both of those projects are really anchors for their communities.

But also reasons for people from other communities to experience and visit.

And that what I call that local tourism.

It isn't uncommon for someone from South Bend to go up to Saint Joe, Michigan for dinner, maybe a round of golf or an event.

It isn't uncommon for someone from bridge me to take his family and go down to Plymouth to the REES and watch a movie.

And it's these small projects or large projects that really draw the connections.

I think this year we went out and saw the new bypass connection or the US 31 connection to the interstate system.

That is just another impetus for these lines that expand our local economy and our local region.

Those are always the best shows for me, the ones that really show how large, what small of a community we are and how, you know, I've heard in the past, I believe on one of our episodes, one of one of your guests talked about the U.P.

Mall being a super regional mall in that there is so much distance between it and the next large scale modern mall.

And I don't want to take away anything from Orchard Mall or Concord Mall, but U.P.

really has has a leg up and that's largely because people are coming from all over our region to shop there.

And I think that's indicative of of Michiana George One of the things as I think about this and you mentioned like REES and Morris and many of the projects we visit this year takes a lot of time and let our hard work any pull any lessons from some of those stories that you've told from the from what it takes to move a project like a REES from start to finish or a Morris as or any of these.

They don't happen overnight.

They do not.

And I think you know when we look at that let's take the REES the REES was a real partnership amongst local leaders, community members.

The idea was sparked by a high school contest where local leaders realized that they had an immigration problem of their youth and that they were looking for ways to retain their their citizens coming home after college and such, and finding Plymouth a good place to work and live.

And one of the things that the young people told them was we want more community places that we can visit and live and enjoy.

And the REES was brought up often.

So what they did is they came up with a great broad partnership of public and private donations, dollars investments, efforts.

The gentleman who showed us around this year was the project manager.

He was a retired construction manager who donated his time over the past two or three years to make sure that the money would go to a good use and that the construction was done correctly and the place is spectacular.

So I think if this show has taught me anything, it's in the power of our partnerships.

We see that we were just talking before we went on air about regional cities, money and some of the some of the projects like the mill in Mishawaka that that helped get over the hump.

It is, I think in years past, economists thought that private was private and that there was really no room for public investment in private projects.

I think we're realizing the error in that philosophy and just how important public help to these private projects can be to a community.

Right.

Georges, I think about and I can go through some of them that we've done over the last couple of years.

The the RV industry in particular.

So I think a little bit of the of what an important driver that is, how that's kind of such an important indicator.

We had what I thought was a terrific visit with some folks from the RV industry that kind of talked about where we're at in there.

But but just speak to a little bit of the maybe that industry or and what an important driver it is for our local economy.

Yeah.

Yeah.

You know, the RV industry has long been a mainstay of our economy.

It is also one of the one of the many national industries that we that Michiana can call home to.

Right.

I mean, between Whirlpool Corporation up in Berrien County, being a national a global leader in the home appliance market Elkhart Indiana is similar in that it is a global leader in the RV industry.

I read a statistic recently that over 90% of American RVs are built in Elkhart, Indiana, northwest Indiana, and that is expanded beyond Elkhart.

But you know that industry is not only a driver of our economy, it can be an indicator of our national economy.

If you recall.

I think I think there's a statistic that two or three presidents in a row visited Elkhart, Indiana, is some of their first calls of duty.

And I think that's largely because it is such an American industry, a uniquely American industry.

We did an episode with a national transportation expert this year and spoke with him about what makes Elkhart and the RV industry such a vibrant part of our national economy.

And he said he truly believed it was about it being a slice of Americana.

Yeah, no, that's great.

So, George, think a little bit.

You mentioned the mill, for example, downtown.

And so we've had a chance to to go downtown visit kind of the transformations happening, whether that was Elkhart or South Bend or Mishawaka.

And in terms words, have they just speak a little bit to getting that sneak peek at those key projects and then being able to share that those stories with our viewers.

Yeah, a couple of years ago, a couple of seasons, I recall, I called it our pool season because at the same time the Elkhart Aquatic Center was being built, the Marshall County Aquatic Center was being built.

And so I stood in spaces that were under construction that someday were going to be a pool.

And it struck me that these were projects that were decades in the making.

They didn't just happen overnight.

But I think there's a renewed focus on the value and unique character of our downtown experiences, whether it be Mishawaka, which is your your home and the place that you're so intricately involved with.

I spoke with Mayor Wood, who said that, you know, gave you and Mayor Bueter credit for starting that process.

You know, it was it and it's been.

When did you leave office?

12.

13, 13.

Yeah.

So think about the timing it took and that was probably on your radar already redeveloping that Uniroyal site.

Mayor Wood said I'll never forget his quote.

He said, It's where people used to come make their living.

Now we hope it becomes a place that our Mishawaka families can come enjoy their living.

And I thought that was a great quote about the value of our downtowns.

They may never be what they were in the seventies or eighties, where they were our economic powerhouses.

But largely development has changed.

It's easier to develop in a place like the west side of South Bend, where there's lots of land and there aren't constraints and the stakeholders are a little bit less than it might be to plop or plop a Uniroyal plant downtown Mishawaka.

And I think we're seeing the value of the redevelopment and the vibrancy that these communities can bring.

Right.

George In the last couple of years and even this year, we we talked not only about projects, but I would I would call some of the projects that help drive economic growth.

So we've had a little bit of a planes, trains and automobiles, you know, kind of reference we sent you out.

So you mentioned like the the 31 connection north.

We've talked a lot about 31 going south.

We've looked at South Shore.

We've been out to the airport.

Talk a little bit about the the transportation pieces and how critical those are to helping drive economic growth here.

Yeah, that's wow, That's such a great story here locally, isn't it?

And so much activity happening that I saw from my visits.

I mean, like you said, planes, trains and automobiles.

And those are really the major modes of transportation.

And I can't recall if we did a show on on the Harbors in Michigan, but throw in boats.

And our region is really a transportation hub, isn't it?

And we're seeing some of the benefit of that.

Let's take the roads.

Right.

The development that we visited this year over on the west side of South Bend, near the bypass and Cleveland Road, where all of our viewers have seen that it's hard to miss these massive warehouse storage distribution facilities being built over there.

That's largely due to its connection points and its proximity to the interstate system, the toll road system, U.S. highways and byways makes it a great place for that type of development.

We talked about the South shore and the importance of that rail system in a country where rail maybe isn't the primary mode of transportation.

I think the South Shore is a true gem of our community and one that many communities don't have, especially communities are sized to have a commuter rail system that connects such diverse communities ultimately to a major metropolis is a big deal.

You know, where is it going to end up on the, you know, where's that final station in South Bend going to be?

I think we're all waiting.

We're all holding our breath.

Maybe you know something more than I do, but I do think they're going to get it right.

They will.

You know, it's interesting, as we talked about, until these others, these projects take a really long time sometimes.

So So I think of South Shore, for example, in 1991 was the year I graduated college just a few years ago, just to date myself.

Yeah, but, but, but the South Shore location was moved to the east side of the airport for a temporary fee, for a temporary stay that now has become, what, 30, if my math is right, 30 plus years later, still at the temporary location.

And so and so I do think, though, it's partly why I love the the timeliness of a little bit of what we're doing.

So we're right in the middle of this debate now about what happens next.

And so South Shore is looking at options on the west side of the airport.

Can we take it into the west side rather than the east side, which eliminates a number of crossings along the way?

As for Mike Noland from the South Shore to really speak to what the federal outlook is for transportation and what benefit would be there, not only speed but safety in some of those.

As you eliminate some of those crossings, there's a renewed interest from some folks about bringing it downtown.

And so what's the downtown versus airport and how do you you know, how does one work?

Do they both work some of that?

So so it's been it's been great to have the experts on and in kind of a timely manner.

Talking about that.

I want to go back to the road real quick, too, because like I like I do think this interview on your 31 might have been one of my favorite ones that you did, but partly because we waited for a long time for this and now, if you like, I drove it last week and it feels like it's been there forever.

But speak remind us a little bit about the history there and again, what it took to sort of move that important transportation priority forward.

Well, as I told you, I grew up in Bridgman and I like to tell people I grew up in southwest Michigan, but northwest Indiana, predominantly South Bend, but also Michigan City and some of the other communities were a big part of our world.

That's where we would go shop.

And I remember when the bypass was expanded beyond its Niles' boundaries, I remember when the bypass was extended south over to become the extension of US 20.

I mean, it used to end just on the south side of South Bend and to see that change starting in the South Bend, the connection to 31 going down to Indianapolis and then heading north.

If our viewers, many of our Michigan viewers will remember, but I'm sure all of our viewers will remember that it was the butterflies that stopped the complete construction.

And at that time, the plan was to take it, if my understanding is correct, further north towards the I96 interchange, I went and visited the spur.

The as nature often does, she took care of herself and the butterflies moved on their own.

And so the bypass was able to be built.

It was constructed in a slightly different way, I believe, than originally planned.

And now not only connects you to the interstate system through I-94 to I-96, but then also takes you into downtown Benton Harbor rather easily, right.

Which, you know, going back to our connections of transportation that oftentimes we don't think of that I do, because I'm put into this position.

I'm blessed to have the ability to go talk to these people.

You know, South Bend International Airport is one of our growing transportation hubs.

And Mike Diego from from the airport will tell you that his goal is not only to serve northwest Indiana, but really to serve southwest Michigan and even beyond that.

And that bypass makes a huge difference.

If you can leave Kalamazoo, you know, North Berrien County, up into Cass County and these other counties and come to SBN because there's a flight that's convenient for you, that bypass makes it a big deal.

So they did finally connected.

I agree with you.

I drove it immediately right after the episode.

And that was that was one of the episodes where our producers were making fun of me because I was seem to be standing next to a guy on the side of the road while you're here comfortably.

But it was spectacularly done.

It was well done.

It's well thought out.

It is still there.

It is subject to federal funding because they maintain certain lanes and certain passages on the US 31 connection to the interstate system.

We're seeing some of that.

It is now further construction for those of our viewers who could drive it maybe routinely.

There's massive construction both on the Michigan and Indiana side of of of the border.

So it is a big deal.

It is a huge deal.

And the connections are big, a big part of that community.

Yeah, It's interesting.

US 31, such a vital link really north and south.

It's just recently construction started going south again down in Plymouth.

So we'll we'll have you down near the near the railroad here in this next year.

It's a two year project.

But but, but again, you know, as we think about going south the original goal, get us around Kokomo but but also get rid of stoplights and railroad crossings and stuff.

So some of that is really to move.

We're we're going to run out of time here before we know it.

But so in our last 4 minutes or so, talk a little bit about maybe a couple others we talked a chuckle.

Dino World uou went out to Cultivate Food Rescue.

We've talked semiconductors, all kinds of stuff.

I mentioned just a couple others as we're going through.

Oh, gosh.

Well, I'll tell you, there's probably the ones that stick out the most in my mind.

I always enjoy going to visit our friends over at the South Bend.

Cubs, Four Winds Field is an excellent place to be.

I was reminded of the value of such an organization looking back historically at minor league baseball in South Bend and how much Mr. Berlin and his team have done to bring it.

None.

It isn't even good.

It's state of the art.

I went there on game day this year and it shocked me.

The army of people preparing for a game.

Each one of those were employed people that were making a wage.

You know, the park is an economic driver just beyond not in and of itself, let alone the people that come here to watch a game from outside of our region.

So that was a that was a good one.

That's a fun one, too.

A very timely one, too.

Where where major expansion plans are on the horizon.

We introduced our viewers to those plans that should start at the end of the 24 season.

Also got to where the hardware, too, just to brag a little bit.

Yeah.

So so again, a few more minutes.

Talk about a couple of other highlights you had a chance to be with Governor Holcomb, Mark Tarner, talking about Choco Dino World I don't think that's the official name Gator World.

Right.

So I was that was quite the afternoon and quite the presentation goes back to that public private partnership and all the state did to help make South Bend Chocolate's New Home a reality.

And for you know, the construction is is moving along rapidly.

We were at the airport just because it was kind of sloppy on on the job site.

But, you know, that's just another example of some of the great things that those partnerships are doing.

Also probably will tell you that I you know, I always enjoy my time looking around the community and seeing the stuff that that we don't necessarily pay attention to.

You know, some of our solar projects that sit on rooftops that we don't see some of the unique ways that our our folks in the area, our business people are coming up with to make a living is just great.

It's just great.

I think my one regret this year, I didn't get to go out to Claeys Candy, but I understand they have a new facility, so maybe next season we can get out there and get some Chocolate Charlie, for you, we were counting on you bringing some back here.

I don't know what happened with the with with our schedule sort of in our last minute or so.

George, talk a little bit about, you know, looking ahead again, we have a little bit of a hiatus in the summer.

We hope the station will think about bringing us back in the fall.

Give us some final thoughts just on on what's on the horizon or things that our viewers maybe should be paying attention to from across the region.

Yeah, well, I your project, the Battery project, I think that's such a big deal.

And hopefully someday we'll get to see some of that and bring that story to viewers in its totality.

I know our viewers know a lot about it and it's been well publicized, but I would love to see it in person.

I think that, as I mentioned, seeing some of the expansion Claeys Candy, or other businesses, local businesses that have that are growing in the region would be a great story.

George, thank you.

Pleasure to catch up.

It's been a fun season.

I've enjoyed doing it with you.

We look forward to hoping we get to work together again next year.

Thanks, Jeff.

That's it for our show today.

On behalf of the entire team here at WNIT thank you for watching or listening to our podcast to watch this episode.

again or any of our past episodes you can find economic outlook at WNIT.org or find our podcast on most major podcast platforms.

So encourage you to like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

I'm Jeff Rea.

I'll see you next time This WNIT local production has been made possible in part by viewers like you.

Thank you.