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Economic development report highlights record turnout at innovation challenge and outreach for opportunity zone support letters
Summary
Lou Paris reported a record 55 applicants for the Evolution Innovation Challenge and urged municipalities to submit state opportunity zone support letters before the May 1 deadline; he described the winning product, a water-filled tarp bag designed to replace heavy sandbags.
Lou Paris of Bush County Economic Development said the Evolution Innovation Challenge drew a record 55 applicants and nearly 300 attendees at the final competition, with six finalists and first and second place winners. "We had a record number of applicants —5," Paris said.
Paris described the winner as a patented water-based bag intended to replace heavy sandbags used to weigh tarps on roofs after storms. "Insurance companies have a preference not to nail the tarp onto the roof, but to use sandbags ... these are water-based bags," he said, noting the winning entrepreneur received an unsolicited order for 10,000 bags shortly after the competition.
Paris also detailed outreach on state opportunity zones, saying he has canvassed municipalities to identify tracks and to encourage support letters. He reminded the board that the May 1 deadline for submitting support letters applies to local endorsements and that the governor will select a subset of eligible tracks later this year. "We have until May 1st to offer support letters," Paris said.
Board members asked whether the state or federal opportunity zone programs applied; Paris clarified he was referring to both the federal program and the state's solicited allocations and that additional promotional coordination could follow when tracks are finalized.
