Clinton County Chamber of Commerce CEO and Economic Development Director Shan Sheridan and Frankfort Main Street Director Kim Stevens joined WILO’s Party Line program this week, discussing everything from economic development strategy and small business education to the aftermath of the Hot Dog Festival and upcoming fall community events.
Economic Development and Community Growth
Sheridan, sitting in the interviewee’s seat for once, opened up about how the Clinton County Chamber balances confidentiality with transparency when courting new businesses to the area. “The key is understanding and recognizing what is transparency versus what is confidentiality,” Sheridan said, adding that most prospective projects “normally goes through the filter of city and county government, it normally goes through the filter of zoning.”
Sheridan pointed to a local natural gas station as an example of persistence paying off, noting the project required “11 different variances that they had to jump through” before breaking ground, driven largely by a customer relationship with Frito-Lay’s shift away from diesel trucking.
Sheridan also emphasized Frankfort’s central location as a competitive advantage for small businesses. “We’re within forty miles of everything,” he said, noting residents can reach Indianapolis International Airport “in about 55 minutes, under an hour.” He argued that competition from nearby cities like Lafayette, Kokomo and Indianapolis forces local businesses to sharpen their game: “If you can make it in Frankfort, Indiana, you can make it anywhere in business.”
Supporting Small Businesses
Sheridan highlighted the chamber’s Bold Business Collective, a monthly lunch-and-learn series held the third Wednesday of each month at the Iron Block Conference Room. Past sessions have covered marketing and search engine visibility with consultant Krista Stilwell, along with financial guidance from local bankers on securing business loans. The next session will focus on the design platform Canva. “It’s another AI tool, another internet tool that is used to basically help you with marketing, create better pictures, create better videos,” Sheridan explained.
Looking ahead, Sheridan previewed the chamber’s next Discover Clinton County Guide, due out next year, which will blend a historical retrospective with present-day business profiles. “We’re putting a little history in that, we’re putting the present, and we’re putting the future,” he said, crediting the late Leroy Good’s historic city directories, some dating to 1911 and 1913, as inspiration for the format.
Sheridan closed his segment by reminding listeners about the chamber’s Casino Night fundraiser, set for October 24 at the Diamond Event Center on South Jackson Street. Tickets are $40 for chamber members and $50 for non-members, with doors opening around 6 p.m.
Hot Dog Festival Wrap-Up and Fall Events
Frankfort Main Street Director Kim Stevens reported a strong showing at this year’s Hot Dog Festival despite it wrapping up a month ago. “We had record crowds, the weather was perfect, we had no incidents,” Stevens said. Next year’s festival is already scheduled for July 30-31, always held the last full weekend of July.
In some ways, the Hot Dog Festival could be considered a Mary Poppins year for the event… “Practically Perfect in Every Way.”
Stevens credited close coordination with local first responders for the event’s safety record. “We coordinate and work with and train with the Frankfort Police Department. We work very closely with the Sheriff’s Department, Fire Department… EMA, EMO,” she said, noting the community’s safety planning is often showcased to other Indiana festivals at the state’s annual Main Street convention.
Stevens also detailed the Shop Local loyalty card program, now priced at $10 for consumers and $100 annually for participating businesses, with proceeds funding downtown flower beds and window-painting grants. A new option lets nonprofits and churches partner on card sales as a fundraiser, she said: “We give each organization for however many cards they sell, we give them so much money back.”
Looking toward Halloween, Stevens confirmed Frankfort’s Halloween Town event will run October 31 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. downtown, with an application process for businesses and organizations wanting to hand out candy.
The program also reminded listeners of the Alzheimer’s Dine to Donate fundraiser at Bruno’s Pizzeria, running this evening, August 25th from 4 to 9 p.m.
