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Waynesboro economic development director outlines strategy, targets manufacturing and downtown revitalization
Summary
City economic development director Greg Hitchen presented a revenue-focused strategy to the Waynesboro Planning Commission, emphasizing support for existing businesses, downtown building rehabilitation, entrepreneurship programs and readiness of industrial sites for manufacturing investment.
Greg Hitchen, Waynesboro’s director of economic development and tourism, told the Planning Commission on Jan. 21 that the city’s economic-development work is intentionally revenue-driven and focused on three linked goals: attract outside investment, help existing businesses grow and strengthen entrepreneurship.
Hitchen said statewide data show strong returns on investment for economic development programs, and he stressed Waynesboro’s emphasis on expanding existing firms rather than chasing headline-grabbing relocations. “Our goal is revenue generating,” he said, describing a state analysis that averages about $7,700,000 in tax revenue to a locality per project over a roughly 10-year window.
The presentation laid out a four-part strategic “stool”: attract new investment, grow existing businesses, deliver entrepreneurship guidance and manage real-estate opportunities. Hitchen highlighted downtown building vacancies as the single biggest local concern raised in a recent strategy survey, saying a small number of large…
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