WNIT's Economic Outlook

2021 was a record year for the RV industry and 2022 is on pace to be the second or third best year on record for RV Shipments. We’re taking a deep dive into the RV industry and talking about why it’s such a critical driver for the local economy, coming up on Economic Outlook.

Power companies are looking to decommission dirty, less-efficient coal-fired plants. In their place, state-of-the-art natural gas-powered facilities are being built to provide more reliable, affordable and cleaner solutions to support our growing energy needs. We’ll take a look at one of those projects, the new Indeck Niles Energy Center and talk about what it means for the community, coming up on...

A chip is a small piece of silicon that contains circuitry that allows it to perform a specific function. Chips are used in everything from phones and computers to cars and medical devices. But growing demand and a worldwide chip shortage in 2022 have slowed growth in many industries. We’ll take a closer look at the Chip shortage, how it impacts you, and what is being done to stop it, coming up on...

After five years, four phases, numerous fund raisers and a supporting cast of, well, hundreds, the REES Theatre has reopened in downtown Plymouth to rave reviews. We’ll tell you how the community got to this important day and why it was such a critical project for the area, and we’ll give you a look inside the renovated space, coming up on Economic Outlook.

Once threatened by the wrecking ball and now the cornerstone of a vibrant arts and entertainment district, the Morris Performing Art Center in South Bend, now in its 100th year, is getting a bit of a facelift with some $30 million of improvements planned for the facility. We’ll dive deeper into what those plans look like and tell you more about what you can expect when you next go to see a show, c...

The South Bend – Elkhart Regional Development Authority recently awarded $40 million in READI grant funds to 19 Quality of Place projects in the region that will be leveraged to infuse $465 million of total investment. We’ll dive deeper into how that program will impact our communities, coming up on Economic Outlook.

This week we’re kicking off our new season with a familiar face, Economic Outlook Co-Host George Lepeniotis. George and I will sit down for a look ahead at the coming season and look back at some key stories we’ve brought you before, coming up on Economic Outlook.

Pickleball is an up-and-coming sport that is on its way to becoming one of America’s favorite racquet (paddle) sports. It’s considered to be one of the fastest-growing sports in America in the last decades. We’re going to take a look at why and dive deeper into the economic impact of the sport, coming up on Economic Outlook.

Communities across the country are in a battle grow, retain, and attract new population. It’s often a key factor in assessing the health of a community or area. We’re taking a deep dive into population growth, including a historical perspective and a look at what the numbers are telling us, coming up on Economic Outlook.

The State of Michigan legalized marijuana in 2018 and in the years that have followed we have communities in our region have seen significant growth in that industry. We’re talking about the Marijuana industry and its impact on the regional economy, coming up on Economic Outlook.

We continue our conversation on Indoor Farming/Agriculture.

Indiana has long been known as an Agriculture state. But a new $178 million indoor growing facility proposed for South Bend’s south side has brought a lot of attention to a different way to farm, indoor farming. This presents a number of economic opportunities for our region. We’re talking agriculture, and in particular indoor farming, coming up on Economic Outlook.

Small Modular Reactors, or SMR’s, are the next evolution of nuclear energy. They are a type of nuclear reactor used for power generation. While they’ve existed for more than 50 years, interest in the use of the technology is now growing in the industry and around the world. We’ll dive deeper into SMR’s and look at the pros and cons of their use, coming up on Economic Outlook.

We continue our conversation on Truck Driver Shortage/Long Haul Issues.

Major supply chain issues are impacting nearly every industry, with driver shortages being largely to blame. The American Trucking Association estimates the shortage at 80,000 workers and growing to 160,000 by 2030. We’ll take a closer look at those challenges and what is being done to help solve the problem, coming up on Economic Outlook.

Workforce shortages have companies seeking to automate more of their practices to make up for the lack of labor force. But it is also creating new job opportunities in our region. We’ll take a closer look at automation and how its transforming local companies, and where workers might find the training they need to work in this new environment, coming up on Economic Outlook.

Major changes are happening in the automotive industry, with all the large automakers announcing major shifts to electric vehicles in the coming years. We’ll take a deeper dive into that trend, talk about commercial applications for that shift, and look at what’s happening locally and nationally coming up on Economic Outlook. On this episode: · Bernard Swiecki, Director of Automotive Communities P...

The pandemic saw a boom in new black owned businesses, the largest surge in the last quarter century. This week will sit down with some black business leaders/entrepreneurs to talk more about why that is and some of the resources available to those considering starting a business, coming up on Economic Outlook. On this episode:  · Brandon Campbell, Director, Women’s Business Center, Cornersto...

The skyline is changing in St. Joseph County as the new Fourwinds Hotel and Conference center are taking shape. We take a closer look at one of our regions largest employers and the work they are doing to grow the regional economy, coming up on Economic Outlook.

The trip to Indianapolis has gotten much quicker thanks to major improvements in the US 31 corridor over the past 20 years. But there still is work to be done, and we’ll hear more about what’s next for the corridor, coming up on Economic Outlook.

A conversation with Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch.

A decade ago he purchased the South Bend Cubs and since has worked to transform the team, stadium, and minor league baseball in our region. We’re sitting down with Andrew Berlin, the owner of the South Bend Cubs, coming up on Economic Outlook.

She leads the team at IUSB’s Center for a Sustainable Future, where they work to discover and disseminate practices and strategies that are ecologically friendly, economically sound, and socially responsible. We’re sitting down with Krista Bailey, from the Center for a Sustainable Future, coming up on Economic Outlook.

Amazon recently announced a $200 million investment in Elkhart that will generate 1,000 new jobs; and the RV sector continues its post pandemic recovery; We’re focusing on economic development in Elkhart County, coming up on Economic Outlook.

The pandemic has had a major impact on the US and Global economies. But now we’re on the bumpy road to recovery, and I’ll sit down with PNC Global Economist Bill Adams for a closer look at that recovery, coming up on Economic Outlook.