Indianapolis, Indiana – Governor Mike Braun has closed out his seventh annual journey across all 92 Indiana counties, finishing another year of face-to-face conversations that brought him into factories, small businesses, farms, redevelopment sites, and community meeting rooms in every corner of the state. The tour, which has become one of the defining traditions of his administration, once again centered on understanding the everyday concerns of Hoosiers and highlighting major economic and workforce developments unfolding throughout Indiana.
The final stop of the year happened in Pulaski County at Fratco, a fourth-generation family company known nationwide for its corrugated drainage piping. Nearly a century old yet still innovating, Fratco served as a symbolic closing point for a statewide tour that emphasized both Indiana’s long-standing manufacturing roots and its push toward continued growth. Standing among workers and company leaders, the Governor stressed why this annual circuit matters so much to him.
“My annual 92 County Tour is all about hearing from Hoosiers about the kitchen table issues that matter most to them, and talking about the results my administration is getting on priorities like increasing jobs and wages and lowering energy prices. I am committed to ensuring our efforts benefit all corners of Indiana, and we’re showing up everywhere to demonstrate that commitment.” — Governor Mike Braun
The tour is known for its mix of small-town visits and major economic announcements, and this year’s version continued that pattern. Governor Braun spent the year spotlighting local strengths that tie directly into statewide goals: stronger job pipelines, modernized manufacturing, healthier communities, and fresh momentum in regional development.
One of the first major moments of the 2024 tour occurred on March 18 in Daviess County, where the Governor joined local and state leaders for the groundbreaking of a new Kratos Defense advanced manufacturing facility. The $50 million project represented a significant boost to Indiana’s growing defense sector, reinforcing the state’s role in national security while expanding opportunities for high-skill technical jobs. For many Hoosiers in the region, the announcement symbolized the kind of long-term investment communities hope to see more of.
As spring moved into summer, the tour shifted toward agricultural priorities and rural nutrition. On July 10, Governor Braun visited Fulton County and met with the owners of White Oak Bison Farm, a fifth-generation family operation producing locally sourced bison meat. The stop played a direct role in promoting his Make Indiana Healthy Again initiative, which emphasizes giving residents access to fresher, homegrown food options.
“This is what Make Indiana Healthy Again is all about: Strengthening our local food systems and giving Hoosiers healthier choices.” — Governor Mike Braun.
By fall, the tour returned to northern Indiana for one of its most high-profile economic announcements. On October 8 in Allen County, Governor Braun revealed that Bombardier had selected Fort Wayne as the location for its new service center. For a state with deep aviation history, the company’s decision was seen as a major win. Community leaders welcomed the news as an opportunity to create highly skilled aircraft technician positions while reinforcing Indiana’s fast-rising reputation in aerospace innovation.
Shortly after the Bombardier announcement, the Governor turned his focus back to workforce development, a topic that has become one of the administration’s most consistent statewide priorities. On October 21, he visited Caterpillar in Tippecanoe County to highlight the company’s plan to invest up to $5 million to train and upskill its Indiana workers. With 4,100 Hoosiers employed across a dozen facilities, the investment signaled a substantial commitment to strengthening the state’s manufacturing workforce for years to come.
“Caterpillar employs 4,100 Hoosiers across 12 facilities in Indiana, making this a huge win for the Hoosier workforce and our entire state.” — Governor Mike Braun
As the tour neared its end in November, the Governor stopped in Clark County to discuss one of the most ambitious redevelopment efforts currently underway in southern Indiana. On November 3, he met with regional leaders at the historic Jeffboat shipyard—once a major force in riverboat manufacturing—to highlight plans for its transformation into a $150 million mixed-use riverfront district. Supported through READI 2.0 funding, the project is expected to generate 1,750 new jobs while adding housing, retail, and public green space along the Ohio River. Local officials view the redevelopment as a key turning point for a region looking to blend its industrial past with a more diverse economic future.
While the tour’s major headlines often centered on multimillion-dollar developments, the Governor also used his time in each county to talk with small business owners, regional organizers, and local workers about broader statewide efforts. Among the initiatives he highlighted were the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which supports new and growing Indiana businesses, and the Power Up Indiana program, which helps Hoosiers access training and upskilling opportunities. He also emphasized the importance of responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, noting that incentivized jobs committed to the state now carry an average hourly wage of $41.
Throughout the tour, the Governor consistently tied these efforts back to the central goal of ensuring that Indiana’s economic momentum reaches families everywhere—from densely populated counties to areas that rarely make statewide news. His visits included conversations about energy costs, job availability, workforce readiness, community development, agricultural sustainability, and regional quality of life. Many local residents said they appreciated the chance to voice concerns directly and see state leaders engaging with issues in person rather than from afar.
With all 92 counties officially visited once again, Governor Braun has signaled that this tradition will continue as part of his administration’s approach to statewide governance. For Hoosiers who want a closer look at the stops made throughout the year, photos from this latest tour can be found on Governor Braun’s official Flickr page.
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