Sharp focus is key for Vision boss

Marshall County, Ind., was in a dry spell, struggling to attract new companies when Jerry Chavez became president and CEO of its economic development group.

From 2014-20, the now president and CEO of Valley Vision worked in a county with a population of about 50,000 that is flanked on one side by St. Joseph County, the home of Notre Dame University.

To the northeast is Elkhart County, the self-proclaimed recreational vehicle capital of the world, with plants for brands such as Winnebago, Jayco and Keystone. To the east is Kosciusko County, a hub for manufacturing orthopedic devices.

Figuring out how to shine in an area surrounded by such formidable rivals was a challenge that had eluded three of his predecessors who had cycled through his position in about five years, said Chavez, 65, who started at Valley Vision on Monday.

Most recently, he was development director for Delta Strong, a branding effort for 19 Mississippi counties in the northwestern part of that state.

He brings more than 25 years of economic development experience to the position, mostly in communities roughly the same size as the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley.

One of his career accomplishments was helping Marshall County climb out of its slump, something he credits to a cooperative effort that involved numerous partners.

“In the sixth year of execution, we were noted as having attracted the most businesses and created the largest capital investment out of a five-county region,” Chavez said.

Businesses made more than $165 million in capital investments in Marshall County that year. Of that, $77 million was an expansion of a company with a staff of about 200 that manufactures peanut butter-filled pretzels.

It had opened its operations in Marshall County a few years earlier after a fire had destroyed a production facility in Pennsylvania, he said.

A $2.8 million shell building constructed as an incentive to attract more employers helped the company get up and going quickly at a time when demand for a new product was accelerating, Chavez said.

Another significant portion of the investment came from Sequel Wire & Cable, a maker of insulated extruded copper used in items such as extension cords and electrical wiring.

With 135 employees and wages of $30 per hour and more, not counting benefits, “they were the highest paying company in Marshall County when I left,” he said.

How much of what was successful in north central Indiana will be applicable in his new position is something Chavez will determine in coming weeks as part of a community assessment he will conduct.

Valley Vision receives public and private money to support existing employers and attract new ones, generally focusing on ventures that receive more than 50% of their revenue from outside the area.

States like California could be key, Chavez said.

“There’s probably some dissatisfaction from business owners on taxes and the government’s reach into daily business activities,” he said. “So that’s going to be important to try to navigate and understand and then pinpoint how we’re going to direct our activities.”

Chavez is joining Valley Vision at a time when it’s facing an elevated level of scrutiny. Lewiston’s city council voted in September to keep an annual contribution of $40,000 to the group in a contingency fund partly because of the vagueness in the agreement with the organization.

What will happen to the money is not clear. The council could still assign it to Valley Vision or allocate it elsewhere. Valley Vision had an annual budget of about $220,000 before the money was withheld.

Chavez declined to comment about what impact that has on Valley Vision because it happened before he arrived.

His goal is to build on what the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley already has, including being a safe and welcoming community, Chavez said.

“I’m just happy that I can come here and maybe bring some of my talents and hopefully have the same impact I’ve had in other locations,” he said.

Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.