ELKHART — Dawn Bergl’s life since 1997 can be divided into two periods — Granger and Elkhart.
There’s really no comparison, though. After 14 years in the nearby St. Joseph County community, moving here in 2011 was a watershed moment.
“We wish we’d done it sooner. We really, really like it here,” said Bergl, seated with husband Dallas Bergl in the living room of their East Jackson Boulevard home, which looks out onto the St. Joseph River. “I don’t know what more we’d want.”
It’s not just the river view that stirs her and her equally enthusiastic husband. They cite the vibrant spirit in their neighborhood, the cultural offerings at the downtown Lerner Theatre, their proximity to the restaurants here. For Dallas Bergl, the shorter commute to his job as president of INOVA Federal Credit Union here figures big — about 5 minutes now, a 20 minute improvement.
“You start to realize you’re spending more time in the car than with family and in the community,” he said.
As Elkhart County boosters look to the future and how to diversify the economy beyond the recreational vehicle sector, touting the attributes of life here and luring new residents like the Bergls may be part of the solution. The inflow of workers to Elkhart County each day from neighboring communities — more than 26,000 people, according to Indiana Department of Revenue data — suggests there’s opportunity.
And if economic development’s the aim, Ball State University economist Michael Hicks thinks there may be more potential for success via a strategy of augmenting the population base here. The traditional approach to economic development, trying to attract new industry, “didn’t work 30 years ago. It’s puzzling why we’re still embracing it,” said Hicks, head of Ball State’s Center for Business and Economic Research.