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Region's Target Industry Study Completed
Fort Leonard Wood, MO – June 9, 2005 ---- The monthly meeting of Missouri’s Fort Leonard Wood Region (MFLWR) was held at the University of Missouri Technology Park at Fort Leonard Wood. Bob Kreuter, chairman of the MFLWR, welcomed all to the meeting. Special guests included Corry Field, Regions Bank and Board Member, Rolla Regional Economic Commission; and Gerald Dowdy and Lori Laughlin, St. Johns Medical Center. This was a combined meeting of the board and the MFLWR’s Regional Marketing Committee, headed by Steve Jenkins, America's Heartland Economic Partnership.
Ron Selfors, the executive director of the MFLWR, summarized some of the regional events that he participated in since the last meeting. On May 11, Lucia Demaio, Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, visited the Tech Park. She is part of a team developing a report on the economic effectiveness of the Tech Park. They are also updating the Fort Leonard Wood economic impact report.
On May 19, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held for the opening of the second building in the Tech Park. Officiating at the ceremony were President Elson Floyd, University of Missouri; Major General Randy Castro, Army Maneuver Support Center and Fort Leonard Wood; Randa Hayes, Missouri Department of Economic Development; State Senator Frank Barnitz; and State Representative David Day. This second building is already 75% filled. We expect the whole park will be full in the next 60 days. The university has the next set of buildings under design.
On June 5, Larry Sexton, MFLWR board member; Elizabeth Bax, former executive director of the Fort Leonard Wood Regional Commerce and Growth Association (now with the Missouri Department of Economic Development); and Selfors participated in a panel presentation in Denver at the annual conference of the National Association of Installation Developers. They joined Mike Davis, Office of Economic Development, on a panel addressing lessons learned for BRAC gaining installations. They shared the experiences we had in the Fort Leonard Wood Region during Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) 95. The presentation was well attended with a lot of interest by installations and communities gaining missions during this BRAC round.
Looking ahead, the Region will brief Colonel Todd Simonite, the new Assistant Commandant of the Engineer School on June 9. It will host Ken McClure, Governor Blunt’s Chief of Staff on June 14. The Leonard Wood Institute board will meet in the Tech Park on June 17, and the Missouri Technology Corporation will hold its board meeting at the Tech Park on June 24.
Sue Halter, Deputy Garrison Commander of Fort Leonard Wood, provided the FLW update. She said that all the major construction projects on post continue to be on-track. The instrument landing system should be completed by July 13 and the certification process will begin at that time. Senator Bond will be here on June 28, at 2pm to help dedicate the new Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Responder Facility.
Steve Jenkins led a final discussion on the Rules of Engagement and Code of Ethics for the handling of prospect leads resulting from the regional marketing program. The board approved the rules. The Board and Marketing Committee members then signed the Code of Ethics.
The rest of the meeting was devoted to hearing the final briefing by the Prager Company for the Target Industry Study. This briefing was in three parts.
The first part addressed the relative competitiveness of the region compared to other regions across the country. Prager found the region above average or exceptional in the following areas: Labor cost and research and development skills; university education and vocational training opportunities; interstate access; electric power cost; construction costs; property, sales, corporate and personal taxes; cost of living and cost of housing; public education; and white collar and R&D presence. These are strong suits of which the region needs to take advantage. He also said that the region “has no fatal flaws.”
The second part of the briefing addressed the site selection process and what the region needs to do if it is serious about attracting high value companies. The importance of marketing as a region and not just as a city was stressed. As a region we all have a nationally ranked engineering and research university, a major
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military installation, a regional airport, and advanced manufacturing. Our chances of surviving the initial elimination cuts are much higher.
Adam Prager briefs the study
The third part was the actual identification of industry sectors that match regional capabilities and the initial identification of companies that should be among our first recruitment targets. Prager provided not only the company list, but documented the process so we could generate our own lists in the future.
Steve Jenkins said that Prager had done an outstanding job – “the best I have seen in my thirty years in this business.” There was a consensus that the region and the state had gotten their money’s worth. A follow-up to this meeting will be held on June 15, 1:30pm at the Tech Park. During the next meeting, the board will further discuss the report and begin development of an action plan.
Missouri’s Fort Leonard Wood Region is a not-for-profit association which promotes economic and community development in the Fort Leonard Wood Region. The region extends along the I-44 Technology Corridor from Lebanon to Rolla/St. James. It includes the three counties of Laclede, Pulaski and Phelps. Its membership includes cities, school districts, utility companies, businesses and other associations. Fort Leonard Wood, University of Missouri Rolla, United States Geological Survey, the regional planning councils and the Missouri Department of Economic Development also participate.
Fort Leonard Wood Region meetings are normally held on the second Tuesday of the month, and the public is always invited. The next regular meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 12, 1:30PM at the Technology Park at Fort Leonard Wood. Call 573-329-8522 to confirm time and place.
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