The BEDC is the lead business retention, development and attraction entity for Bloomington and Monroe County, Indiana; the lead intermediary between local businesses and state and federal economic development assistance programs and the host for the Bloomington Life Sciences Partnership (BLSP) and the Bloomington Technology Partnership.

Through its strategic plan, special projects and extensive relationships and partnerships, the BEDC helps create programs to fill gaps in the local economic development system. Because of this, the BEDC has evolved from an organization originally formed to undertake business attraction to one that focuses on business retention and expansion, new business development and partnerships with Indiana University and Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington.

Mission

The BEDC is the catalyst for retention, development and attraction of quality jobs in Monroe County.

The BEDC will carry out its mission through the following strategic initiatives:

  • Providing leadership on issues that affect business growth, challenges to job creation and the long-term competitiveness of our economy.
  • Facilitating retention and expansion of primary employers and key industries.
  • Driving development and attraction of targeted businesses to our greater community.

Vision 2017

  • Monroe County is ranked as one of the top five communities for quality job growth and prosperity among our national peers.
  • The BEDC is recognized locally and regionally as the leading and most innovative economic development organization.

Metrics

The BEDC will utilize available data and other information to provide comparable metrics of our community’s prosperity and economic health. The metrics will be focused on Monroe County’s relative standing compared to U.S. peers in:

  • Industry Diversity
  • Concentration of Targeted Industries
  • Job Growth
    • In Higher Wage Jobs
    • In Targeted Sectors
  • Average Wages
    • Rate of Growth
  • Per Capita Personal Income
    • Rate of Growth
  • Educational Attainment
  • Cost of Living and Affordability Indices

Priorities

The BEDC will work on these program areas to complete our Strategic Initiatives:

  • Retention & Expansion
  • Strengthening the area life sciences cluster
  • NSA Crane
  • Strengthening the area technology business cluster
  • Education & Training
  • Data and Information
  • Product & Policy
  • Working with regional partners