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CEDC reviews readiness-focused strategic plan and site priorities for Carthage economy
Summary
Jeff Meredith of the Carthage Economic Development Corporation briefed the council on the AD Advantage strategic plan’s readiness strategies, including site inventory, an economic development park near the hospital, talent outreach, and a forthcoming housing study and childcare assistance work.
Jeff Meredith, with the Carthage Economic Development Corporation, presented an update to the Carthage City Council on the agency’s strategic plan and “readiness” priorities at the Jan. 28 meeting in Council Chambers.
Meredith said the plan — developed between June 2021 and January 2022 and commonly called the AD Advantage Plan — lays out three core pillars: alignment and regionalism, readiness (product, talent, community, innovation) and marketing differentiation. "It's commonly known as the AD Advantage Plan," Meredith said, describing the document as a framework for long-term economic development and the memorandum of understanding among the city, Carthage Water and Electric Plant, and the CEDC.
The presentation focused on product readiness: inventorying and prioritizing sites and buildings for different uses; developing a product pipeline to match business needs to properties; and identifying key assets for target industries. Meredith identified an economic development park near the hospital as a priority asset for attracting larger employers and said the Olsen study was updated to reflect roughly 250 acres under current consideration versus the original 700-acre analysis.
Meredith said Carthage’s downtown will be better suited to locally owned businesses while national or regional chains typically look to locations near Interstate 49 because of traffic and higher land and building costs. He noted that some prospective businesses prefer existing retail space rather than constructing new buildings; he cited typical construction cost ranges for new starts as a barrier for some prospects.
On talent readiness, Meredith described outreach to area school districts and plans to participate in the CTC career fair to educate students and counselors about local job opportunities. He said the city and county will seek to retain Jasper County’s Work Ready Community certification because that status is a qualifying question in some state funding applications.
On community readiness, Meredith mentioned a mayor-appointed committee studying a possible aquatic center and said he will collaborate with that effort. He also noted an upcoming housing study expected in early February; when complete, he said he will use the study to work with developers to address gaps in housing supply and price points.
Meredith said the CEDC helped obtain a grant for a childcare facility and is working with a local church and a childcare consultant to explore conversion to a licensed child care site. On innovation, he pointed to the Small Business Development Center at Missouri Southern as a resource and said cultivating angel investor activity remains a future goal.
The presentation closed with Meredith inviting council members and staff to request the full strategic plan and offering to follow up on site inventories and developer outreach.
The council offered no formal action on the presentation; the item served as an informational update.
