You never know who is looking (06/01/06)

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this spring’s ethanol plant flurry of activity is the fact that one of the outfits — The Broin Companies of South Dakota — has been looking at a possible plant in Portland for five years.

That’s right. Five years.

Think about it: Five years of interest before the initial contact with local development officials.

Jay County prides itself on doing a good job when it comes to economic development. We operate as a single community of 20,000-plus people. We pool our resources. We market ourselves well.

But success requires more than that.

It requires always being our best, always striving for the best possible climate for growth and new opportunities, never settling for mediocre when excellence is within reach.

Other things factor in as well, of course. Location and luck play their role.

But those are largely beyond anyone’s control.

It’s not enough to make a show of hospitality when company’s coming; hospitality has to be a habit even when you think no one’s watching.

It’s not enough to promise infrastructure; it needs to be in-place and well-maintained.

It’s not enough to boast about the local work ethic; it needs to be a fact of life.

No sell job in the world will be good enough if your product — in this case, our community — doesn’t measure up.

Does it?

We think so, but we know it takes a constant effort. And after this spring, we’ll always keep in mind that you never know who’s out there giving the place a look. — J.R.[[In-content Ad]]