Impacts
Transforming Lives Through Stackable Incentives
Public-private partnerships are rewriting the story of America’s underserved communities. By stacking federal, state, and local dollars, we derisk and amplify the impact of every tax dollar invested, turning calculated risks into lasting rewards. Together with banks and visionary companies, we unlock investments that might otherwise not happen—revitalizing urban centers and rural landscapes alike. Our mission? Put workers first, creating high-value jobs that lift families out of poverty and spark a ripple effect of prosperity.
Helping to reinvest in Indiana
The Power of Stackable Incentives
At the heart of this transformation is the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC), a financial catalyst driving economic renewal since it was first implemented in 2003. By channeling capital into communities long starved of investment—places marked by high poverty, low wages and high unemployment—NMTC turns potential into progress. In the Midwest, where a manufacturing and tech renaissance is taking root, these incentives are helping communities with proud legacies reclaim their future. Despite losing companies over decades, these areas remain resilient and their workforce is ready for quality high-paying jobs. That’s where we step in.
NMTC: Transforming Communities Through Stackable Incentives
The New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) drives transformative change in underserved communities by leveraging public-private partnerships to deliver high-impact economic and social benefits.
Since 2003, NMTC has revitalized urban and rural areas, creating opportunities for families and fostering equitable growth.
Since 2000, National Community Impact Results
Why It Matters
By targeting areas with 20%+ poverty or high unemployment, NMTC ensures investments reach those who need them most.
The Economic Ripple Effect
NMTC’s magic lies in its multiplier: $8 of private investment for every $1 of federal funding. That’s efficient, impactful, and worker-focused.
Strategus has secured $420 million in NMTC allocations that sparked $551 million in total project investments in the Indiana economy.
Our Commitment to Workers
We target Indiana’s communities hit hardest—census tracts with +30% poverty, unemployment at least 1.5 times the national average, or incomes below 70% of the median. Every job we create offers financial security and dignity: targeting 150% of the living wage, plus benefits like childcare support, health insurance, 401k match and career training. This isn’t just development—it’s a lifeline. It’s a future!
A. Rural Revitalization: new beginnings
In rural America, NMTC funds bedrock infrastructure like manufacturing plants. These aren’t fly-by-night operations—many are legacy companies ready for bold expansions, delivering stability and jobs that pay above the livable wage with solid benefits.
Hello Nature Bio Stimulant a $31 million biobased fertilizer plant in Wabash, Indiana, project of advances sustainable farming in Indiana, creating high-wage jobs. Strategus secured $26 million in NMTC credits, the NMTC reduced the costs of the project to help drive this green bio stimulant fertilizer. The project created 150 permanent jobs, 180 construction jobs, boosts eco-friendly agriculture in the community. Learn more about the project, explore more at NMTC, see the Strategus Case Study.
The Winterfield Paper Plant in Marion, Indiana, ignited a manufacturing revival with a $2.4 million NMTC-fueled expansion, transforming a dormant industrial site into a sustainable paper production hub. The $6.5 million project sparked 65 high-wage jobs with benefits like health insurance, uplifting a community that was scarred by industrial decline. The area was faced with unemployment at least 1.5 times the national average, this allowed for 85% of new hires to come from Marion giving it the city a needed boost.. Backed by NMTC and local TIF bonds, Winterfield’s eco-friendly facility drives Marion’s economic resurgence, empowering workers for innovative roles. Explore more at NMTC Coalition and Grow Wabash County.
Marshall Country Life Center
In Plymouth, Indiana, the Marshall County Life Center—a transformative $12.6 million community health and recreation facility, empowered by a $9.9 million NMTC allocation and $2.0 million in incentives—unites the Susan Bardwell Aquatic Center and Growing Kids Learning Center into a beacon of rural revitalization. Addressing stark challenges like 41.7% child poverty (double the state average) and 13.9% low-income unemployment, this 45,000-square-foot hub provides the county's first licensed, voucher-eligible daycare for 110 children from infancy to school age. Through Growing Kids' tailored programs—sensory play for infants, literacy-building for toddlers, STEM-focused preschool, and after-school camps emphasizing social-emotional growth—it combats intergenerational poverty by enabling low-income parents to access Child Care Development Fund vouchers, secure full-time employment, and lift families out of hardship, as research shows quality early care dramatically reduces long-term poverty risks.
The 33,000-square-foot wellness center, featuring the eight-lane Susan Bardwell Aquatic Center—the area's only indoor pool—offers kid-friendly swimming programs that boost physical health, reduce asthma symptoms, alleviate stress, and promote family recreation, attracting events and tourists while spurring a new hotel. Overall impacts include 34 permanent jobs, 92 construction roles, annual training for 1,000 individuals, and expanded services reaching 10,674 low-income residents, including enhanced transportation for seniors and workforce access. Strategus's innovative NMTC strategy bridged funding gaps, turning local momentum into sustainable economic growth and community vitality. Read about this project in the news and the NMTC case study. For more: Visit the Growing Kids and Plymouth Aquatic Center.
B. Urban Revitalization: Community Impact
NMTC breathes new life into urban neighborhoods, turning forgotten corners into vibrant hubs.
Madam Walker Legacy Center
In Indianapolis, Indiana, a $15 million renovation project, fueled by a $10 million NMTC allocation, revitalized the historic Madam Walker Legacy Center—a National Historic Landmark honoring Madam C.J. Walker's pioneering legacy. This 40,000-square-foot transformation preserved the former manufacturing company's character while modernizing mechanical systems, lighting, theatre, classrooms, conference spaces, and community areas to meet contemporary standards.
Once outdated, the center now hosts over 28,000 visitors annually, offering programs in cultural education, entrepreneurship, social justice, and civic leadership. It empowers youth, serves as IUPUI's administrative hub, and boosts urban renewal in a vibrant neighborhood. Impacts include 25 permanent jobs, 74 construction roles, and expanded capacity for community events like performances and seminars. It’s more than a building—it’s a beacon of urban renewal. Learn More about the Madam Walker project and Details of the NMTC.
Avondale Community Center
In Indianapolis, Indiana, the Avondale Meadows YMCA and Community Health Center—a transformative $20 million nonprofit project—harnessed an $18 million NMTC allocation to create a 70,000-square-foot multi-use hub in a severely distressed urban neighborhood. Featuring a 32,000-square-foot YMCA for wellness, education, childcare, and recreational programs, plus an 18,000-square-foot Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) by HealthNet offering medical, dental, and behavioral health services, it serves thousands annually, fostering health access.
With state-of-the-art green design, community rooms, gymnasium, and wellness facilities, it anchors redevelopment around a 5.7-acre park, uplifting residents through cultural opportunities and workforce development. Impacts include 24 full-time jobs with benefits, 175 construction roles, and $7.02 million in net benefits. In the news Learn more at NMTC See more about Avondale YMCA.
Ivy Tech Community College
In Indianapolis, Indiana, the Ivy Tech Culinary and Conference Center—a $41 million project powered by a $34 million NMTC allocation—revitalized the historic former Stouffer Hotel into a premier educational hub for workforce development, culinary arts, and distance learning. Serving nearly 100,000 students across 40+ locations as Indiana’s workforce engine, Ivy Tech offers affordable tuition (~$4,637/year) and 70+ programs, equipping learners for tomorrow’s jobs in high-demand fields like food service through hands-on, culinary-inspired training and a student-run restaurant.
Creating 35 full-time jobs and 152 construction roles, it enhances community access to education in a distressed census tract while preserving architectural heritage. In the news Learn More at NMTC coalition.
Perfecto Tool & Engineering
In Anderson, Indiana, a 70-year manufacturing cornerstone—utilized a $17 million NMTC allocation to fuel a $20 million expansion, building a 90,000-square-foot facility on a remediated former GM EPA Brownfield site. Amid 20.45% poverty, 51% median family income ratio, and 12.8% unemployment (2.37x state average), this project creates 50 new jobs (total 89) at $30.38 average hourly wage, with full benefits including health insurance, 401k match, up to $2,500 childcare assistance, and training.
A $3 million equipment investment and $4 million TIF bond support precision tooling, automated assembly, and reshoring efforts. Partnerships with Purdue Polytechnic Institute and Ivy Tech offer acclaimed apprenticeships, preparing high school graduates for innovative roles. Revitalizing a community scarred by GM's exit and population loss, it forges economic resilience. See more in the news and the Strategus case study.
In Indianapolis, Indiana, Volumod's innovative volumetric modular housing plant—a $12.4 million project powered by an $11.05 million NMTC allocation—tackles the state's housing crisis through advanced off-site construction. Founded in 2021, Volumod specializes in producing affordable single- and multi-family housing units, building complete 3D modules in a climate-controlled 245,000-square-foot renovated factory on the distressed Far Eastside. This enables 30-50% faster completion than traditional methods, with guaranteed pricing, no overruns, consistent quality, minimal disruptions, and sustainable designs.
Targeting developers and municipalities (minimum 10-floor orders), they deliver within a 350-mile radius, focusing on multifamily apartments and new neighborhoods while incubating social enterprises for services like transportation, excavation, plumbing, and landscaping. As a social impact-driven firm, Volumod creates over 100 permanent jobs (20% via re-entry programs for formerly incarcerated individuals), plus employee homeownership support and training, producing 500+ units annually. Strategus's expert NMTC structuring in the news study.
Studebaker Innovation Center
In South Bend, Indiana, the award-winning Studebaker Building 84 renovation—2016 Real Estate QLICI of the Year—transformed the $22.9 million Renaissance District project with an $8 million NMTC allocation (total QLICI $18.6 million). Reviving two vacant factory buildings from the historic Studebaker plant, shuttered since 1966 after employing 21,000 at its peak, this 250,000-square-foot adaptive reuse created a cutting-edge tech campus for advanced manufacturing, education, incubation, offices, and a data center, including sustainable energy capture.
In a former Brownfields site, it generates over 440 high-wage jobs with benefits, serves low-income communities via South Bend Code School (121 students, 50% low-income) and EnFocus fellowships, and boosts regional talent retention. The largest lead/asbestos cleanup in Indiana catalyzed residential infill and economic revitalization. Innovative financing turned urban blight into opportunity. Read more about this award winning project and at NMTC coalition website. Photo source: Renaissance District.
Join our Mission
Want to see NMTC in action? Explore the Case Study Database, dive into State Profiles, or read impact reports from the Brookings Institute and Tax Policy Center.
Data sourced from the New Markets Tax Credit Coalition.