ELKHART— Navigating the COVID-19 pandemic has been an ongoing endeavor, but for the holiday season, small retailers are launching a new service to make local shopping more accessible.

ELKHART — RV manufacturers had their best month of the year in October, with an increase in shipments of 21.4 percent compared to the same month in 2019.

ELKHART — The unemployment rate in Elkhart County fell to 4.2 percent in October, according to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.

Indiana Farm Bureau announces new agents

ELKHART — Indiana’s unemployment rate fell to 5 percent in October, moving closer to figures that could be considered normal.

Interra promotes Graber

Ellsworth promoted at Lake City Bank

MERRILLVILLE — Centier Bank has been recognized as the top-ranked “Best Bank to Work For” in Indiana by American Banker.

GOSHEN — Viewrail, a family-owned-and-operated manufacturer of custom floating stairs, glass railing systems and stair components, announced plans to install solar power systems on six of its seven buildings in Goshen.

NAPPANEE — Newmar Corp. recently surprised Ramco Engineering as winner of the Virgil Miller Award of Excellence for 2020. The award was presented to Ramco employees at their Elkhart plant Oct. 16 and included a surprise lunch from Ricky’s Taco Truck.

Interra promotes Goss

ELKHART — J. Thad Naquin, dealer and president of Tom Naquin Chevrolet Nissan Cadillac in Elkhart, has been nominated for the 2021 TIME Dealer of the Year award.

GOSHEN — Interra Credit Union held its first staff volunteer day on Oct. 12.

RESTON, Va. — The RV Industry Association on Monday released its September 2020 survey of manufacturers showing that total RV shipments ended the month with 41,509 units, an increase of 31.2 percent from the 31,639 units shipped in September 2019.

GOSHEN — Chris Ott was recently recognized for his 25 years of service at DJ Construction.

ELKHART — A rare and exceptionally large collection of luxury and antique automobiles went on the auction block Friday in a liquidation of assets ordered by a bankruptcy judge.

ELKHART — Tepe Sanitary Supply Inc. celebrated an expansion of its business this week with a groundbreaking ceremony.

ELKHART — The organizing committee for the RV Industry Power Breakfast has decided to cancel this year’s annual breakfast, which had been scheduled for Dec. 3 at the RV/MH Hall of Fame/Northern Indiana Event Center.

Lake City Bank welcomes Bright

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana's manufacturers have generally weathered the coronavirus pandemic better than other industries, even as some plants have been battered by changes in consumer spending amid the public health crisis, according to some business leaders.

ELKHART — Kim Bachtel of Elkhart has been named the next director of transportation for Concord Community Schools following a unanimous vote by the Concord School Board on Monday.

ELKHART — Networking has been a challenge for many local businesses amid the coronavirus pandemic, but on Tuesday they were finally able to rejoice.

ELKHART — Dallas Bergl, president/CEO of INOVA Federal Credit Union in Elkhart, has been selected for the induction into the Indiana Credit Union Hall of Fame.

Soybean cyst nematodes (SCN) are a big problem for local growers. They are capable of reducing bean yields by 50 percent, and are reportedly in more than two-thirds of our local fields.

ELKHART — WorkOne will host a free drive-thru job fair from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday at Center Six One Five, 2707 C.R. 15.

ELKHART — Jon Hunsberger, director of destination development at the Elkhart County Convention & Visitors Bureau since 2018, has been promoted to executive director and will be transitioning into the agency’s lead role at the end of 2020.

ELKHART — New River District construction adding retail and office space could begin as soon as Monday.

GOSHEN — The City of Goshen is working with the Michiana Area Council of Governments to expand public transit service within the community – and is inviting all Goshen residents to take a survey to help gather community input.

ELKHART — Unemployment in Elkhart County improved to 6.1 percent in August, slightly lower than the state average of 6.5 percent; the newest rate compares with 8.1 percent estimated in July. 

ELKHART — A new forecast for RV wholesale shipments projects that 2020 will surpass 2019 despite the coronavirus shutdown, while 2021 is projected to become the best year on record.

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana’s unemployment rate fell to 6.4 percent in August as the labor market continued to recover from a spring plunge caused by the coronavirus shutdown.

WVPE announces new hires

ELKHART — The city government has a puzzle to solve. Should it allow an eager business owner to invest in his River District store now or stay true to the vision for a revitalized River District?

ELKHART — Construction is under way on the new Ivy Tech iFlex Lab, a facility that will help transform Elkhart County and make the area a national leader in advanced manufacturing.

New director at sleep center

ELKHART — Ivy Tech Community College South Bend-Elkhart will host a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday on a 10,000 square-foot iFlex lab for Advanced Manufacturing and Automation.

ELKHART — Developers of Hotel Elkhart announced plans to join the Hilton family of hotels as a member of the upscale Tapestry Collection, submitting dazzling photos of the interior of the project to make their point.

ELKHART — Thor Industries Inc., the world’s largest recreational vehicle manufacturer, is paving the way to a net-zero future by signing the UN Global Compact Business Ambition for 1.5°C Commitment.

ELKHART — Tube fabricator Marson International announced plans Tuesday to expand its Elkhart operations by creating up to 25 jobs by the end of 2023.

ELKHART — What retail should Elkhart’s River District and Main Street offer in the future? That is the question being asked in a study over the next three months, as local residents and business owners have a chance to weigh in.

ELKHART — Patrick Industries Inc. on Friday announced it has completed the acquisition of Goshen-based Synergy RV Transport, a transportation and logistics service provider primarily for original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”) and dealers in the recreational vehicle market.

ELKHART — Recreational and commercial vehicle maker Forest River announced plans Wednesday to expand its operations in Indiana, increasing the company’s manufacturing footprint in DeKalb and LaGrange counties.

ELKHART — The RV industry had 53.5 percent more wholesale shipments in July 2020 than July 2019, outperforming itself over the same period the previous year for a second straight month and a fourth time this year, despite the coronavirus pandemic’s effect on the economy.

ELKHART — Construction of high-end condominiums on the former Alick’s lot on Jackson Boulevard will begin next month, developers have announced.