South Bend Region

Economic Development

Our Role

We are the Lead Economic Development Organization (LEDO) for St. Joseph County, a role that designates us as the go-to resource for those companies looking to relocate here or others looking to expand. We’re the key convener of regional economic development partners and data, driving economic activity in collaboration with our partners from the state, county, cities, utilities, education, transportation and workforce. We respond to leads, provide supporting data and showcase the sites and properties for businesses to consider when expanding.

Glossary of Terms

St. Joseph County, branded the South Bend Region, is located in North Central Indiana with a population of 272,912, the fifth largest county in the state. The city of South Bend, population 103,453, is the economic and cultural hub of a multi-county, bi-state greater region, population 924,820, with a labor force of 505,574. South Bend also ranks as the fourth largest city in Indiana and is home to the iconic University of Notre Dame. Neighboring Mishawaka has one of the largest concentrations of retail stores in the state, and the entire region boasts affordable housing, over a dozen institutions of higher learning, easy transportation access and convenient commute times that average 21.3 minutes. Target industries include Advanced Manufacturing, Healthcare, IT and Transportation & Logistics.

Economic Profile

Tools We Use

Lightcast

Global leader in labor market analytics for business, government, and education. The platform provides an unparalleled combination of labor market data and economic analysis to facilitate fact-based decision making.

IMPLAN Modeling

Used to construct quantitative models to analyze the economic impact of business decisions. The software combines the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis' Input-Output Benchmarks with other data to provide insight into direct, indirect and induced effects of industry changes.

ZoomProspector

Commercial site selection/GIS planning software. Site selectors and businesses can research, analyze and drill down into our site data with an unparalleled range of analytical tools. Check out our commercial sites here.

Contact Us

When it comes to our economic development program, we offer one-stop shopping for those companies looking to relocate or expand to the South Bend Region. Contact Director of Economic Development Alyson Herzig, 574.400.4048, for help.

Email Alyson