ERC, HCUED launch Venture Works collaboration
FOR RELEASE: Thursday, September 8, 2005
Huntington, Ind. "Secretary of Commerce and Chief Executive Officer of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation Patricia Miller will be on hand to help launch the Venture Works collaboration between the Huntington University Enterprise Resource Center (ERC) and the Huntington County United Economic Development Corporation (HCUED). A special presentation will be made in the upper lobby of Habecker Dining Commons on Thursday, September 15, 2005, at 5:45 p.m. The Huntington University Annual Foundation Dinner, in which Miller is the featured guest speaker, will immediately follow the presentation. Venture Works was created to provide assistance for new business ventures in the Huntington County area. In addition to offering guidance on business plan development and market analysis, Venture Works will also provide limited business incubation help such as low-cost office space and shared services.
In an earlier statement, Carol Pugh, executive director of HCUED, said, Huntington County has a rich history of local entrepreneurs building businesses that have enhanced the economy of our community. One of HCUED's goals is to develop a system that will utilize local and regional resources to help foster a new generation of local entrepreneurs.
HCUED, which secured a $100,000 grant from the Indiana Rural Development Council and partial matching funds from the Huntington County Commissioners, has partnered with the University's ERC to launch Venture Works. In addition, the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center, a business incubator and accelerator headquartered in Fort Wayne, and the Northeast Indiana Small Business Development Center at IPFW will provide entrepreneurial development expertise.
