A future filled with opportunity
New Alliance CEO Lori Dukes seeks to give people reasons to choose Howard County for their businesses and careers
Lori Dukes has a vision for the community. In it, young people embrace career paths and thrive without having to leave. They jump-start their careers while still in high school. Small businesses expand with the assistance of the Alliance’s many resources. And large businesses select Kokomo and Howard County for investment.
The groundwork for these things has been laid. It is now Dukes’ responsibility to help make it happen. She joined the Alliance in October 2021 as the economic development manager, and just a year later was elevated to CEO, succeeding long-time CEO Charlie Sparks in the role. Moving quickly and earning positive results is a hallmark of her career.
“The majority of my career has been focused on business development, retention, and growth,” said Dukes. “When I joined the Alliance, one of the things I told them is this position is just another aspect of what I have done all along -- working to retain businesses in the community and expanding their opportunities.
“I have started a lot of new ventures within companies. I’ve worked on launches of new businesses and expansions. This is the first time I have done it from the perspective of the community as a whole. It is really fun and exciting for me.”
Dukes sees Inventrek as the lynchpin of the Alliance’s efforts. She knows what an invaluable asset the facility has become, and she wants more businesses to participate in its programs and services.
“I am so passionate about Inventrek,”: said Dukes. “I have been responsible for it since I joined the Alliance. What is amazing to me is the number of features we have in this facility.
“We can really grow and enhance the programs here, and I think we have done so over the past year. It’s amazing to have a great partner in Purdue Polytechnic. They are considered Ivy League in science, technology, and engineering circles. So, how do we best take advantage of those resources and the connection to the experts here and around the state?”
The answer to that question is making connections. Whether a new or existing venture connects through services like the Small Business Development Center or participates in programs such as Drive, the Alliance strives to create relationships with the business community
“It’s about raising awareness of what Inventrek is, what it offers, and how it can contribute to the community,” said Dukes. “We want to expand our capability to grow economic development in the area. Inventrek is a touchstone for small business. Obviously, we have a lot going on with larger businesses, but what I love about the Alliance is that we have this central resource that is a one-stop shop for small business retention and expansion.”
The Drive competition is just one example of how those connections are made. Launched in 2022, this “Shark Tank” styled program works to develop fledgling businesses and then allows them to compete for a $10,000 grant. The first iteration was such a success that Dukes wants to get a head start on the 2023 competition.
“We are looking to announce the competition even earlier this year so we can have expanded involvement and opportunity with the businesses,” said Dukes. “It’s an opportunity for anyone starting or expanding a business in Howard County to succeed.
“Once we review the applications and select the candidates for the competition, we add mentoring. Of the three candidates we selected for the competition in 2022, what I enjoyed was bringing them in to meet our team and fine tuning their business plans and expansion opportunities. We had great work sessions with them leading up to the event.”
Lucky Lemon Bakery was the winner of the first competition. Dukes explained that the time spent with Alliance specialists and the $10,000 prize have enabled the bakery to expand so effectively that it now must relocate to space that better accommodates its growth.
“We held the competition in September, which was a great time to do it, but this year we will announce it in January,” said Dukes. “That gives us more time to build relationships with the applicants leading up to the September competition.
“We can have time to mentor and help with business plans. It gives the candidates the best opportunity to have a well-prepared presentation for the final event. We want to give them as much time to prepare as possible.”
Inventrek has been a major component of economic development in Howard County for nearly two decades. It has spawned a significant number of technology-based businesses, and it serves as a home for new business ventures that desire the fostering environment the facility creates. But, when Dukes arrived in 2021, the facility was at capacity.
“While that is a great thing, my vision was to ensure we had some openings for the next wave of technology-based businesses,” said Dukes. “So, we crafted a new business model. We have amenity partners, but we also have a focus on technology. We also have a graduate program for existing businesses to expand into Howard County.
“We looked at the tenant structure and saw that we had some businesses that were ready to graduate. We do have openings currently, and we have refined the application process to come into Inventrek. We will be ready to be a part of the next small business success.”
The Alliance is much more than small business development. It is a major player in the effort to attract major employers to the community as well. There has been a lot of success in this area recently, with the $2.5 billion electronic vehicle battery plant in development. Dukes explained that the future of Kokomo and Howard County now moves in tandem with the EV industry. It will be her task to help shape that future.
Fortunately, she has a lot of resources at her disposal.
“We received a grant from General Motors to help our community understand its need for the deployment of EV infrastructure,” said Dukes. “We partnered with GM and Purdue Polytechnic to study our current infrastructure opportunities and how we can expand that. We are looking at EV vehicles and what that industry is projected to be in the future.
“We know that future is significant. We are even completing installation of an EV charger in our west parking lot at Inventrek. We’re so excited to get it complete. Most of it is installed. We just have some training coming up before we officially open it, but the community has already seen it. We had to put cones out to prevent people from using it.”
The Alliance is helping to secure new locations for industrial expansion. The county’s new industrial park was filled by the battery plant almost as soon as it was created. A second phase of that park is currently in development, and even it is attracting investment before it is complete. There is more work to be done.
“The opportunities that will come from such a large investment still remain to be seen,” said Dukes. “We are working diligently with the city and county to identify opportunities for additional land for industrial park use, but also the different companies that are looking at this community for expansion tied to the battery plant.
“The thing that is really exciting is that through this, we have the opportunity to continue to diversify what types of businesses we have. It makes us that much more prepared for anything that comes down the pike.”
Why are these businesses choosing Howard County? Dukes credits the educational opportunities present in the community and the strong workforce. They make it much easier for economic development specialists to sell industry on locating here.
“We stand out because of our workforce and our commitment to doing the best job,” said Dukes. “And we also have so many educational partners at our doorstep. We have Indiana Wesleyan, Purdue Polytechnic, Indiana University Kokomo, and Ivy Tech. There are so many certificate and trade skill programs. They help create and shape our workforce. It is one of the most important things we have.
“But we have an at-risk workforce, just like every place across the country. We see the challenges that have developed since COVID. There is a cultural change taking place, and we have to adapt to it. Using our educational partners to develop programming to meet students where they are is our priority.”
Dukes credited Ivy Tech Community College and its development of an Industry 4.0 lab at the Kokomo campus. The lab allows industry to communicate its workforce needs directly, which translates into a curriculum that produces exactly the type of workers needed.
With all of the assets available to her and the opportunities at hand, Dukes will be busy as CEO. She is greatly focused on today. But what will her legacy be? When she has done all she can as the leader of the Alliance, how will she be remembered?
“I care so greatly about this community, and I enjoy what I do so much,” said Dukes. “I see the heart our staff has for the community, and I see how hard they work. It has been a motivator for me. But it’s not about me. It’s about what we all can contribute. My dream is to help in some small way to create opportunities so attractive that our children won’t want to leave the community.
“I want them to want to be here. Part of it is selfish – I come from a big family. I think this is an amazing place, and I want the entire community to see that. I hope that when I am done here, I leave it better than I found it, and I want the same for whoever follows me.”