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Sept. 11, 2008 For more information, contact: Meeting Planned to Discuss Results of Pulaski County Economic Diversification Strategy PULASKI COUNTY— The public is invited to a meeting at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 22 at the Community Building in Richland to hear the results of the Pulaski County Economic Diversification Strategy. Representatives of Meramec Regional Planning Commission, St. James, will detail the findings of the target market study and economic diversification strategy that covered the county and its five cities. Prager Company of Evanston, Ill., completed the project. Prager found, in his research, that Pulaski County needs sizable, fully serviced, properly zoned acreage, a professional economic development organization, data to market itself and a formalized incentive package. Prager said the hurdles could be overcome, and that Pulaski County had the resources to succeed economically. Prager delivered his findings April 30 to the economic development committee, formed to work with his team. Since then, MRPC has been working with local leaders to present study information in each of Pulaski County’s cities. A similar meeting was held in Crocker and the Waynesville-St. Robert Chamber hosted a community forum on the topic. “We want to share the information with local leaders and interested citizens, gather input on the results and look for ways to move forward to accomplish the strategies identified,” said Richard Cavender, executive director of MRPC. 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 nearly two 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. In addition to Adam Prager, his team included Don Iannone of DTIA, Bob Ady of Ady International, Dr. James Robey of Team Northeast Ohio and Michael Kirchhoff of DPI Group in Kansas City, Mo. |