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Economic development leaders tell commissioners local strategy produced jobs, acreage and property valuation gains
Summary
Finney County economic development staff reviewed the Fruth plan and told commissioners that local recruitment and industrial projects have increased real property valuations and created thousands of jobs since 2005, while recommending continued investments in industrial-ready acreage and workforce development.
Finney County economic development officials presented a broad update on the county’s Fruth economic-development plan, historical context and how metrics track against the plan’s two-decade targets.
Lana Duvall, president and CEO of the Finney County economic development organization, revisited the 2005 Fruth plan and argued that the county’s active recruitment and site-preparation efforts have been a central driver of local growth. Shannon, the county’s analytics director, ran through specific metrics: the county’s civilian labor force grew from about 17,790 in 2005 to 21,666 in 2025; job openings reported in June were 3,011; and when combined with in-place employment growth the presenters said the county had created roughly 6,933 jobs since 2005 — exceeding the plan’s 3,700 primary-job target.
Shannon said real property valuation rose from about $246 million in 2011 to $534 million in 2025 and attributed roughly 69% of valuation growth to local economic-development activity; that translated into an estimated $9.5 million additional yearly property tax collections attributable to local efforts. Presented examples included industrial projects (TP&L, Empirical Foods, DFA) and tens to hundreds of acres of supply-ready industrial land; presenters noted the county currently has more than the plan’s 500-acre target of industrial-ready acreage.
Commissioners thanked staff and linked the presentation to earlier utility discussions, noting that decisions about large loads, water and industrial growth are intertwined with the county’s long-term fiscal picture.
What’s next: staff recommended continuing work on site readiness, workforce training partnerships with Garden City Community College, and outreach to prospective employers while monitoring infrastructure constraints (notably water).
