Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Engage outlines industrial-site study; Board places quarterly report on file
Summary
Rachel Krackemeyer, Engage executive director, told the board Engage has contracted Olson to study up to eight potential industrial sites and is running a target industry analysis with public-power partners; the board voted 7-0 to place the quarterly report on file.
Rachel Krackemeyer, executive director of Engage (the county economic-development organization), presented the organization’s quarterly report for January–March and described two parallel efforts to boost industrial recruitment: a contracted industrial-site study with Olson to identify up to eight potential sites, and a target-industry analysis in coordination with local public-power utilities.
Krackemeyer said the two studies are meant to be used together: the site study will identify candidate parcels across the county (including near Cortland, Adams, the Hickory industrial site, the corporate limits of Beatrice and southern pockets like Wymore and Blue Springs) while a target-industry analysis will indicate which industries those sites should seek. She described the county’s target for "supply-chain" and value-added agricultural employers that typically bring 20–150 jobs and emphasized workforce-development efforts to match employer needs.
She also summarized marketing work: Engage has advertised in Site Selection magazine and an international FDI Alliance publication and has been conducting business retention and expansion (BR&E) visits to gather local company needs. Krackemeyer said those site visits and ongoing outreach are driving leads and that Engage has participated in multiple physical site tours with prospective international companies.
The Board moved to place the quarterly Engage report on file. Motion by Lytle, second by Dorn; vote 7 in favor.
