A sort of whisper campaign has been underway for several months around Southwest Michigan and Northwest Indiana with the code name Project Propel. Organizers of that project are hopeful that the whisper becomes a roar in the near future following a public roll-out at the Greater Elkhart Chamber of Commerce this morning.
Project Propel is a regional infrastructure project designed to swiftly enhance the economies of 47 cities and towns across the region in Northern Indiana and Southwest Michigan. This morning’s press conference in Elkhart signals the end to the quiet phase and the launch of the full out public effort.
Early supporters of the Project Propel initiative, which promises to expand direct flights to and from the region out of the South Bend International Airport (SBN), were shared with the media.
Project consultant Lou Pierce says, “This is about protecting the economic assets we already enjoy in our region and eliminating transportation bottlenecks that slow or impede our growth.” He adds, “Dozens of companies and organizations from across the region already support Project Propel as a swift and simple way to boost our regional economy and improve our competitive posture.”
Levon Johnson, President and CEO of the Greater Elkhart Chamber of Commerce, pointed out that leaders from Berrien County, Michigan, and Marshall and St. Joseph counties in Indiana were in the room to show their mutual support. He said, “Project Propel is about building infrastructure for all of us—vital infrastructure that will keep us competitive with other regions across the country and around the world.”
The success of Project Propel is driven by organizations adopting voluntary policies that encourage business travelers to consider South Bend International as a first choice for air travel. Currently, SBN captures 40-percent of the business travel emanating from our region. An additional 60-percent leaks out to other airports like O’Hare and Midway in Chicago.
Pierce told supporters today, “There’s an illusion that you save money by going to O’Hare or Midway.” He added, “We’ve put an online calculator on the Project Propel website that considers all the costs of traveling out of Chicago, including tolls, mileage, parking and lost productivity. Even with a ticket price difference of $300, you’re usually saving money as a business traveler by going through SBN.”
Mike Daigle is Executive Director of SBN. He contends that, “By re-directing 10-to-20-percent of that leaking business travel back to our own airport, the national carriers will invest in new direct routes, higher frequency of service and larger aircraft for our region.” In fact, he adds, “The implications for getting business travelers in and out of our 47 cities and towns more efficiently are major.”
When the Grand Rapids region promoted their own version of Project Propel, the economic impact on their region was $100 million in the first year alone. Supporters say, that’s precisely what our region should expect.
Chris Murphy, who is Chairman & CEO at 1st Source Bank and an advocate for Project Propel says, “We have businesses in our region that export products and import people and money.” He adds, “Those businesses need a vibrant airport. And it doesn’t matter where it’s located in our region. There just needs to be a strong airport that connects us with the world.”
Amish Shah, who is CEO of Kem Krest in Elkhart says, “Project Propel just makes sense,” adding, “There isn’t a thriving region in the world that doesn’t have a great airport.”
The list of companies and organizations who are promoting the merits of Project Propel and have signed on during the quiet phase of the project include:
- 1st Source Bank
- Beacon Health System
- Cornerstone Alliance
- Cornerstone Chamber of Commerce
- Hoosier Racing Tire
- Inova Federal Credit Union
- Kem Krest
- Lippert Components
- Moody on the Market (Pat Moody)
- Saint Joseph Health System
- South Bend Medical Foundation
- South Bend–Elkhart Regional Partnership
- Springwise
- Teacher’s Credit Union
- The Community Foundation of Elkhart County
- The Elkhart Convention and Visitors Bureau
- The Elkhart County Economic Development Corporation
- The Greater Elkhart Chamber of Commerce
- The Marshall County Economic Development Corporation
- The Renaissance District
- The South Bend Regional Chamber of Commerce
- The St. Joseph County Convention and Visitors Bureau
- The University of Notre Dame
Regina Emberton who is President & CEO of the South Bend-Elkhart Regional Partnership says, “One of the key pillars of our regional economic plan is infrastructure.” She adds, “We’ve done a great job with our digital infrastructure, but we cannot ignore the vital role that our air transportation system plays. Project Propel addresses that role in a swift and powerful way.”
Murphy concurs, saying, “We can’t rely on somebody else to make our airport grow,” concluding, “We’ve got to do it ourselves.”
There is already traction underway. In January of this year, SBN announced it will begin direct flights to and from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) on American Airlines.
As more and more people and companies agree that Project Propel makes great common and economic development sense for the entire region, the list of arrivals and departures at SBN can continue to grow.
In the photo accompanying this story on Moody on the Market.com is 1st Source Chairman & CEO Chris Murphy at this morning’s press conference in Elkhart.
