Fishers is luring technology-based businesses to the city, and it’s not happenstance, but part of a strategy hatched years ago.  Indianapolis Business Journal (IBJ) reporter Lindsey Erdody wrote a front page story appearing in the March 21, 2016 edition about that very strategy .

I still recall when Scott Fadness, then Fishers Town Manager, convinced the Town Council to put-up over $300,000 to begin a new venture called Launch Fishers.  The business start-up incubator, which thrives on collaboration, started in the basement of the Fishers Library.

At the time, no one knew what would result from that initial investment by the Town of Fishers (now a city).  Years later, Fadness and Launch founder John Wechsler have seen the endeavor grow so fast, Launch Fishers now has a new home a few blocks away from its old space at the library.

Lindsey Erdody tells the story of how Fishers has been able to create an atmosphere (Fadness likes to call it vibrancy) that nurtured and attracted firms like Bluebridge Digital, Cloud One and Memory Ventures.  The piece provides quotes and perspectives from the business officials about why Fishers provided the infrastructure to bring them into the fold.

One important pending issue is the state designation of development areas as a “certified technology park.”  Fadness told Erdody its his view Fishers already meets, even surpasses, the requirements to gain that designation, but the state has been slow to act on the requested designation.

The certified technology park designation is key to paying for projects like the expanded home for Launch Fishers, since state tax dollars collected from the designated area can be used to finance further economic development and pay for existing projects.

If you have any interest in the economic development strategy of Fishers, Lindsey Erdody’s article will be of interest to you.

You can access the piece at this link. (NOTE: If you are not an IBJ subscriber, your access to this article online could be limited by paywall rules).