Davies County makes plans: industry, tourism, Amish and some high-tech.

• Author: Mayer, Kathy
• Position: REGIONAL REPORT SOUTHWEST

A MIX OF PLANNING, cooperation, funding and natural resources is bringing promise to the 30,200 residents of Daviess County. And with Interstate 69 set to run right through the 431-square-mile county, "the door is now open to things we wouldn't have even been able to look at before," says Ron Arnold, executive director of Daviess County Economic Development Corp.

Charles Selby, executive director of Daviess County Chamber of Commerce and Davies County Visitors Bureau, tallies tourism and retail dollars. Those revenues come from visitors to the county's nearly 10,000 acres of recreational areas and dozens of shops in its Amish countryside.

Together, Arnold and Selby cite the county's commitment of $1 million a year the last several years for economic development, planning the community has done. "Our leaders aren't just looking at next year, they're looking five to 10 years down the road," Arnold says.

That bodes well for the resident labor force of 15,000 and the county's seven towns: Washington, the county seat, and Alfordsville, Cannelburg, Elnora, Montgomery, Odon and Plainville.

Canadian-based Olon Industries is now moving into its new, 110,000-square-foot U.S. headquarters in Washington. Its workforce of 35 will quickly grow to 60 as it more than doubles production of drawers for national furniture companies, Arnold says.

This summer, EG&G Technical Services, a subsidiary of government contractor URS Corp., is moving its 60 employees into a new 25,000-square-foot building in WestGate @ Crane Technology Park in the northwest part of the county. EG&G provides contracted technical, applied research and problem-serving services to the Naval Surface Warfare Center at Crane.

Combined, the two new facilities represent a $6.5 million investment.

Also growing: Grain Processing Corp., a wet mill now processing about 80,000 bushels of corn a day It's in the midst of a five-year, $50 million expansion, Arnold says. The expansion will allow the company to boost processing to 120,000 bushels a day and increase today's employment of 135 by several. The company makes food-grade alcohol and maltodextrin.

A $2 million rail car repair center is also on the drawing board; 45 acres have been purchased for the facility. And long-time employer NASCO Industries Inc., with a workforce of 130 in Washington, continues shipping its arc-proof clothing and protective gear all over the world.

"We also have truss and post-frame manufacturers, metal industries and 70...