City leaders consistently look for ways to attract jobs to their towns. While each town would like to serve as the home for a new major employer, the truth is that industrial recruitment goes much farther than city borders.

For instance, there are people who live in Jackson but work in Cape Girardeau, and vice versa. Bottom line: jobs in one city benefit the region.

With this in mind, leaders from several Southeast Missouri communities are joining forces to take a more regional approach to industrial recruitment. The coalition, referred to as the I-55 Corridor Group, includes representatives from Sikeston, Scott City, Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Perryville and Perry, Cape Girardeau and Scott counties.

The plan is that by joining forces, there will be better communication and an effort made to better allocate resources designated for industrial recruitment.

With one meeting under its belt, the group plans to meet quarterly going forward. Mayor Harry Rediger of Cape Girardeau said the next meeting is scheduled for January.

We commend these leaders for their willingness to work together. Their efforts can lead to big developments that benefit our region as a whole.