Great news for Jay Co. (10/17/2008)

Anyone involved in economic development will tell you, the best jobs are the jobs you hold onto.

It's a cliché. But it's a cliché because it's true.

Job retention - easily overlooked amid the glamour of ground-breakings and ribbon-cuttings - is what matters most.

That's why the health of longtime Jay County industries matters. That's why the staying power of companies that have been here 10 or 20 or more than 50 years matters.

And that's why this week's news that Saint-Gobain Containers is planning a $27 million new investment in its Dunkirk operation is something to celebrate.

It's a reaffirmation of the company's faith in its local employees and the community. And it's a reaffirmation of its confidence in the future.

Will it result in new jobs? Probably not.

But the 390 or so jobs that already exist at Saint-Gobain are much more secure because of it.

Today the plant, which has long been known in the industry for setting the standard for quality, produces long-neck beer bottles by the millions every day for Anheuser-Busch. And with the latest investment, which will stretch into 2012, millions more can be expected.

Ground-breakings are great. Ribbon-cuttings are fine. Everyone wants to see the local industrial base expanding and new jobs being created.

But it's always worth remembering that the best jobs are the jobs you hold onto. - J.R.[[In-content Ad]]