February 5, 2020
Shared-use kitchen potential centerpiece of Perry County Entrepreneurial Center
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Plans to bring a shared-use kitchen in the Perry County Entrepreneurial Center lends promise to the food service and agricultural industries. The shared-use kitchen will include an advanced training facility for healthy home food preparation, benefitting the retail food industry and food entrepreneurship, with workspace for food business start-ups.
Shared-use kitchens provide a working environment for food-based businesses, where users learn best practices in food handling and preparation, said Alvin Evans, Perry County Development Corporation (PCDC) project manager.
"The Perry County Development Corporation has recognized the need to provide an environment for the development of entrepreneurial activity both here, and in Southwest Indiana,” Evans said.
This effort is the result of PCDC’s work in identifying needs of the local food industry and farm production, who worked in cooperation with the local economic development organizations within Southwest Indiana Development Council, and the regional economic development organizations, Evans said.
“This shared development and usage in the county and region will enhance entrepreneurial growth in the foodservice and agricultural industries, and boost small business development,” he added.
The facility will be located in the historic Ninth Street district of the former Tell City Furniture, previously the Swiss Plywood, manufacturing facility. Conceptual plans are underway for the location of the kitchen facility, adjoining work spaces, and non-profit offices – part of the initial development of the Main Street/Gutenberg Corner.
Michael Wilcox, assistant director and program leader for Purdue Extension’s community development program said nearly three years of planning helped solidify the preliminary findings. Wilcox will oversee the feasibility study of the kitchen.
“We are eager to get started, and our survey of potential shared-use kitchen users (and focus group meetings) will examine the current status of value-added operations, explore their future plans, and gauge the overall interest of potential users,” Wilcox said.
“The results of the survey and focus group meetings will be critical for the feasibility determination. We are encouraging participation from everyone that is interested in using, or benefiting, from these proposed services,” he added.
Once feasibility is determined, the information will be analyzed at Purdue University and a kitchen design will be finalized. An operational plan also will be developed, to help ensure its long-term viability. This information will be provided to the United States Department of Commerce's Economic Development Agency, who has given preliminary approval of the initial application submission. Interested persons are encouraged to participate in the survey, by visiting https://bit.ly/PerrySharedKitchen.
This project includes multiple collaborators, who shared a common vision of building a foundation for an inclusive and robust entrepreneurial development effort. Partners in the effort include Perry County Business and Industrial Development Corporation, Perry County Port Authority, Perry County Extension Service, Tell City-Troy Township School Corporation, Indiana 15 Regional Planning Agency, Purdue University Rural Development, and the Southwest Indiana Development Council.
Media Contact: Michael Wilcox, wilcox16@purdue.edu, 765-496-0566
Agricultural Communications: 765-494-8415;
Maureen Manier, Department Head, mmanier@purdue.edu
