ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS IN REGION FOCUS ON PARTNERSHIPS

Efforts to recruit new industry in the area focus heavily on partnerships between various agencies and reliance on a two-year-old organization known as the Cape Girardeau Area Industrial Recruitment Association.

The association was formed after nearly a year of meetings. It was designed to find a way to better coordinate the effort to attract industry to this area.

Organizers of the group recognized that it did not make a lot of difference whether a new industry came to industrial sites in Cape, Jackson, the out county or somewhere nearby.

When new industry and jobs come in, the entire area benefits.

The recruitment association has a $140,000 annual budget, with funds contributed by the cities of Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Scott City, the Cape County Commission and the Cape Chamber of Commerce.

"There are a lot of partners in our efforts," said Mitch Robinson, executive director of the association.

Those partners include area chambers and industrial development boards, real estate agents and developers, Union Electric, the airport manager, city and county officials, and representatives of the Missouri Department of Economic Development.

"We have a site to match just about anybody's needs. We feel like we can provide something for just about any type of industry," said Robinson.

Cape Chamber President John Mehner being part of the association enables the chamber to focus its attention on existing business and industry, leaving Robinson to be the its primary industrial recruiter.

"I think we are just getting into our plan that focuses on existing businesses, and making more contacts and assessment with them of what they are doing and how we can help them," said Mehner.

The Cape Chamber of Commerce contributes $15,000 a year to the association and spends another $4,000-$5,000 annually on recruiting new industry.

The Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority offers industrial sites that Robinson can show to prospects. The port and recruitment association work closely together, but the port continues to put a lot of its resources on industrial recruitment.

Port Executive Director Dan Overbey said he focuses both on industries that might need to locate around the slackwater harbor, and those that might want to locate in the area to have access to the river.

Currently, the port has about 100 acres around the harbor available for lease.

Overbey pointed out that the port does a lot of targeted direct-mail marketing at industries that need access to river transportation. The port's ability to access three railroads and having the Texas Eastern pipeline one mile away are all assets.

The river also provides process water that some industries need.

Overbey said about one-fourth of the port's $160,000 operating budget is used on direct marketing to new industries. Overbey spends a portion of his time on marketing, and Laura Hulcy, a market analyst, spends more than half her time on recruiting.

One of the often overlooked partners in economic development is Union Electric.

Robinson explained that UE has industrial rates and an economic development rider which are part of an incentive package for businesses that will use a certain amount of electricity and make an economic impact on the area.

Robinson recently made a trip to Los Angeles through the Missouri Industrial Development Council, making calls on businesses that might be interested in locating in Missouri.

"Opportunities are out there and it is easier to follow up on them face-to-face," he said.

Robinson said his office is actively working with about 20 prospects right now and is talking with several others about locating in this area.

"This is definitely an information game," said Robinson. "People are trying to narrow down their search area and we try to provide information up front to help them do that."

The Cape Area Industrial Recruitment Association is now helping D&K Wholesale Drug Co. of Cairo find a location in the area. The company has announced plans to move.

The association also helped Cape Central Printing relocate, worked with Texberry Container on its relocation to Nash Road, and worked to help Lee-Rowan stay in Jackson and expand operations.

This is the final year of the agreement for the association. After 21 months on the job, Robinson is optimistic that the agreement will be renewed because of the positive results.

"You can never really have enough, but we feel pretty good about what's happening," said Robinson.

The seven-member board of directors is in the process of drafting a new agreement.