The merger will create a group called Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana that will cover 39 counties ranging from north-central Indiana to the Ohio River.
Indianapolis-based Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana plans to merge with Clarksville-based Goodwill of Southern Indiana, the not-for-profit organizations announced.
The merger will create a group called Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana that will cover 39 counties ranging from north-central Indiana to the Ohio River. The central Indiana organization currently covers 28 counties.
If approved by the board of di- rectors of Goodwill Industries Inter- national in October, the merger would become effective Jan. 1.
Plans call for Kent Kramer, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana, to hold the same titles at the merged organization.
Kramer joined the local Goodwill office in 2002 as vice president of retail operations, and was senior vice president and chief operating officer from 2012 until April before taking over the top spot from Jim McClelland, who retired after 41 years of leading the group.
Goodwill of Southern Indiana CEO Candy Barksdale intends to retire at the end of the year, but will remain as a consultant to the merged organization until June 30, 2017. Barksdale became CEO in 2008.
Officials said the merger was proposed after Kramer and Barksdale began talking about ways to better collaborate on programs and services.
“Kent and I quickly realized we would be stronger if we joined forces than if we continued as separate organizations and territories,” Barksdale said in a written statement.
There are more than 160 independent Goodwill organizations in North America, with service territories defined by Rockville, Maryland-based Goodwill Industries International.
“Opportunities for Goodwill territories to combine are rare, so this is a significant day in the history of both our organizations,” Kramer said.
Scott Enright, board chairman for Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana, will retain that role with the new group. Enright is general counsel to Indianapolis-based Emmis Communications Corp. The new board will include representation from both regions.
Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana, founded in 1930, provides employment, training and other services to individuals with disabilities, criminal backgrounds and educational deficiencies.
The local group has 3,200-plus employees, about 60 stores, 10 commercial-services sites and 10 charter high schools.
In Columbus, its stores are located at 980 Creekview Drive on the east side, and 55 Carr Hill Road on the west side, which opened in early September of last year.
It was the area’s 15th largest not-for-profit organization in 2014 based on revenue of $127.1 million, according to the most recently available fiscal information.
Goodwill of Southern Indiana operates 11 stores in nine counties, a Children’s Learning Center and a Job Connection Center. The group listed revenue of $13.6 million and expenses of $9.9 million in the 2014-15 fiscal year.
The merged group will cover the following counties: Bartholomew, Blackford, Boone, Brown, Carroll, Clark, Clinton, Crawford, Decatur, Delaware, Fayette, Floyd, Grant, Hamilton, Hancock, Harrison, Hendricks, Henry, Howard, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Johnson, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Orange, Randolph, Rush, Scott, Shelby, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Washington, Wayne and White.
