VINCENNES, Ind. (WTHI) — Vincennes city leaders recently traveled to Japan to strengthen business ties with companies that support Knox County’s economy.
Last month, Vincennes Mayor Joe Yochum and Economic Development Head Chris Pfaff attended a conference in Japan to discuss potential business ventures and economic development opportunities.
The annual conference alternates between the United States and Japan. Yochum emphasized the importance of these visits.
Vincennes city leaders recently traveled to Japan to strengthen business ties with companies that support Knox County’s economy.
“Us going there and even meeting with other companies, it shows them that we’re interested,” Yochum said. “It takes building a relationship to get there.”
Two major Japanese companies, Futaba and Excel, have manufacturing plants in Knox County. Yochum noted that these companies consistently express concerns about housing and workforce availability.
“Every time we meet with them they’re concerned about housing and workforce,” Yochum said. “We’re working on housing, we’ve got a lot of housing projects going.”
Yochum added that advancing housing projects in the area will help attract more workforce, which could keep these businesses in Knox County. This, in turn, would generate income and property tax revenue for Vincennes.
Yochum mentioned that potential changes could be on the horizon for Vincennes, but the outcome depends largely on the discussions with Japanese companies.
AloJapan.com