May 14, 2021 at 5:25 p.m.
JCDC is key for economic growth
Letter to the editor
JCDC is key for economic growth
To the editor:
The International Economic Development Council has declared May 9 through 16 as “Economic Development Week.” Many who know me recognize that I am not often one to publicly celebrate, but it occurred to me that this is a good opportunity to share information about Jay County Development Corporation (JCDC).
Let’s dig in.
Our story reaches back to a global recession in the late 1970s and early ’80s that left many communities in the Midwest suffering from a loss of manufacturing jobs. Locally, the closure of Sheller-Globe cost approximately 1,000 jobs. In response, JCDC was formed to lead the effort to attract new companies and jobs. The organization was, and continues to be, funded primarily through revenue from the economic development income tax (EDIT), a tax authorized by the state specifically to fund organizations like ours and other economic development projects. In the early days, the organization’s focus was centered on creating industrial parks and attracting new industries. These efforts helped lead to the opening of several new-to-us industries like Jaytec (FCC) and JCI (MSSL Wiring Systems). The intent was to encourage industrial investment and create jobs to drive up local tax revenues and provide residents with the means to support themselves.
As time passed, it became apparent that there was a reciprocal relationship between industrial recruitment and many other pressing community needs. So, in 2000, the community development position was created with the goal of helping to build community resources and bring state and federal funds into our community through grant work. The roles of economic and community development go hand-in-hand with each serving the other. To put it directly — companies want to locate where they can find a workforce and people want to live where they can enjoy life and find reliable work.
This is where JCDC comes in. Our mission is “to enhance the quality of life in Jay County by assisting in the creation, retention and reinvestment of wealth and increasing the number and quality of employment opportunities.” In short, we are here to facilitate investment and job creation. We do this through several activities including industrial retention and recruitment; applying for and managing grants; assisting with the execution of EDIT spending; supporting long-term community planning; connecting businesses with resources ranging from incentives and loans to training opportunities and business advisors; and advising local elected officials on a variety of topics. To sum it up, we do whatever is necessary to facilitate investment, job creation and long-term community viability. Each of these activities merit their own explanation, but space constraints will force those discussions to another day.
To coordinate our efforts, we are following our five-year strategic plan. This plan was created in coordination with Purdue University using input from our community stakeholders and my personal favorite, data analysis. The plan contains four main goals. The following are examples of our work for each of the four goals:
1. Economic development — This is evidenced by the continued growth of our local industries. You often learn of this growth through the approval of tax abatements for large investments. I would be remiss not to point out that in rural communities roughly 90% of the growth comes from existing industries. This truly is important.
2. Housing — We created a housing task force, had a housing study performed, located areas for potential development and have had lots of positive dialogue with potential developers. Expect to hear more in the coming months.
3. Infrastructure — The Community Crossings grant program has paved many miles of streets and roads in the county that could not have otherwise been funded.
4. Workforce — We host HoosierOpportunity.com, a job-matching website for Jay, Randolph and Wayne Counties that currently has over 200 jobs posted. Also, the addition of Signing Day this year is connecting local companies with our graduating seniors and providing interview experience for the students. What a win-win.
In summary, JCDC’s work is integral to the long-term success of Jay County. We appreciate the cooperation we get from across the county and intend to continue serving for many years to come.
Happy Economic Development Week.
Sincerely,
Travis Richards
Executive director
Jay County Development Corporation
The International Economic Development Council has declared May 9 through 16 as “Economic Development Week.” Many who know me recognize that I am not often one to publicly celebrate, but it occurred to me that this is a good opportunity to share information about Jay County Development Corporation (JCDC).
Let’s dig in.
Our story reaches back to a global recession in the late 1970s and early ’80s that left many communities in the Midwest suffering from a loss of manufacturing jobs. Locally, the closure of Sheller-Globe cost approximately 1,000 jobs. In response, JCDC was formed to lead the effort to attract new companies and jobs. The organization was, and continues to be, funded primarily through revenue from the economic development income tax (EDIT), a tax authorized by the state specifically to fund organizations like ours and other economic development projects. In the early days, the organization’s focus was centered on creating industrial parks and attracting new industries. These efforts helped lead to the opening of several new-to-us industries like Jaytec (FCC) and JCI (MSSL Wiring Systems). The intent was to encourage industrial investment and create jobs to drive up local tax revenues and provide residents with the means to support themselves.
As time passed, it became apparent that there was a reciprocal relationship between industrial recruitment and many other pressing community needs. So, in 2000, the community development position was created with the goal of helping to build community resources and bring state and federal funds into our community through grant work. The roles of economic and community development go hand-in-hand with each serving the other. To put it directly — companies want to locate where they can find a workforce and people want to live where they can enjoy life and find reliable work.
This is where JCDC comes in. Our mission is “to enhance the quality of life in Jay County by assisting in the creation, retention and reinvestment of wealth and increasing the number and quality of employment opportunities.” In short, we are here to facilitate investment and job creation. We do this through several activities including industrial retention and recruitment; applying for and managing grants; assisting with the execution of EDIT spending; supporting long-term community planning; connecting businesses with resources ranging from incentives and loans to training opportunities and business advisors; and advising local elected officials on a variety of topics. To sum it up, we do whatever is necessary to facilitate investment, job creation and long-term community viability. Each of these activities merit their own explanation, but space constraints will force those discussions to another day.
To coordinate our efforts, we are following our five-year strategic plan. This plan was created in coordination with Purdue University using input from our community stakeholders and my personal favorite, data analysis. The plan contains four main goals. The following are examples of our work for each of the four goals:
1. Economic development — This is evidenced by the continued growth of our local industries. You often learn of this growth through the approval of tax abatements for large investments. I would be remiss not to point out that in rural communities roughly 90% of the growth comes from existing industries. This truly is important.
2. Housing — We created a housing task force, had a housing study performed, located areas for potential development and have had lots of positive dialogue with potential developers. Expect to hear more in the coming months.
3. Infrastructure — The Community Crossings grant program has paved many miles of streets and roads in the county that could not have otherwise been funded.
4. Workforce — We host HoosierOpportunity.com, a job-matching website for Jay, Randolph and Wayne Counties that currently has over 200 jobs posted. Also, the addition of Signing Day this year is connecting local companies with our graduating seniors and providing interview experience for the students. What a win-win.
In summary, JCDC’s work is integral to the long-term success of Jay County. We appreciate the cooperation we get from across the county and intend to continue serving for many years to come.
Happy Economic Development Week.
Sincerely,
Travis Richards
Executive director
Jay County Development Corporation
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