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May 6, 2008 For more information, contact: Pulaski County Economic Development Committee Hears Results Of Economic Diversification Strategy PULASKI COUNTY—To succeed and diversify economically, Pulaski County needs sizable, fully serviced, properly zoned acreage, a professional economic development organization, data to market itself and a formalized incentive package, Adam Prager of Prager Company told the Pulaski County Economic Development Committee on April 30. Prager Company of Evanston, IL, was hired to develop a target market study and an economic diversification strategy for Pulaski County and its five cities. “Pulaski County, unlike some rural communities, has many advantages to build upon,” Prager told the group. “There’s not one barrier (listed) that can’t be addressed. “The cork that is plugging the funnel is the lack of viable and available land,” he told the group. Prager defined viable as 100-acres plus. Prager listed the lack of a professional organization as the second largest barrier, behind available land. Prager’s report provides strategies on business climate improvement, research and information, business attraction and business retention, expansion and entrepreneurship. “Although Pulaski County has much to offer, it cannot hope to accomplish appreciable economic development success or compete effectively with other locations without a formal, properly supported economic development organization,” Prager writes in the report. “The creation of such an organization is an absolute necessity.” Part of the April 30 meeting was devoted to discussing how such an organization could be formed and how it could be financed. Local businessman Steve Lynch, president of the Waynesville-St. Robert Chamber of Commerce, urged the group to move forward. “If we don’t have an uncompromising commitment to this plan, we will fail,” he stressed. “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. This is our best chance. We must put down our feet strong and move forward,” he concluded. Waynesville School Superintendent Dr. Judene Blackburn encouraged the group to read the report and come back together and be prepared to begin the organizing process. Acting on her recommendation, the group set a tentative meeting date of May 21 at the Pulaski County Courthouse. “I’m firmly committed,” said Pulaski County Presiding Commissioner Bill Randsdall. The group also discussed additional data and information that could be helpful to its effort, including a funders’ workshop, an incentives workshop as well a retail demand analysis and a labor underemployment study that would help identify the skills offered by Fort Leonard Wood spouses and retirees. “The biggest challenge is ‘What are you going to do next?” said Mike Davis of the Department of Defense’s Economic Adjustment Office, the funder of the study. Davis, of Washington, D.C., attended the April 30 meeting at the St. Robert City Hall. While Fort Leonard Wood is a tremendous asset for Pulaski County, its downsizing or closure would deal a serious blow to the local economy. The top two employers are the Department of Defense with 3,970 jobs and the Federal Civil Service with 3,400 jobs. Working on behalf of Pulaski County and its five cities, Meramec Regional Planning Commission secured a grant from the Department of Defense Office of Economic Adjustment for $175,000 to hire a consultant to develop a target market study specific to Pulaski County and to provide a strategy for diversifying the county’s economy. Local governments and committee members are providing match to the project through in-kind service and cash. The Pulaski County Economic Development Committee was formed about one and a half years ago to discuss the need for diversification and to assist with the grant application and then focused its efforts on hiring a consultant, once the grant was approved on May 11, 2007. With direction from the committee, MRPC developed requests for proposals and solicited nationally known economic development consultants. Prager Company was selected. Cost for both studies will be $155,000 plus expenses. Prager Company was the consulting firm that developed the 2005 target market study for Regional Commerce and Growth Association (RCGA). In addition to Adam Prager, his team includes Don Iannone of DTIA, Bob Ady of Ady International, Dr. James Robey of Team Northeast Ohio and Michael Kirchhoff of DPI Group. Kirchhoff was also at the April 30 meeting. |