Friday, May 20, 2011
Sazerac revives Glenmore name for Owensboro plant
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Public and Private Investment in Economic Development Paying Dividends for Owensboro
Every dollar spent in support of the EDC translates to nearly $50 spent in the community. In terms of public money, every public tax dollar used to support the EDC translates to an $83 return on investment in private business investment.
Visit EDC Annual Report on the web.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Centre for Business and Research: Six month progress report
In the six months since the facility opened, three tenants have moved into the Centre. Additionally, the biotechnology lab used by industries and the Western Kentucky University biotech research program is opened. EDC Executive Vice President Madison Silvert is currently finalizing leases with three additional companies. He projects that the Centre will have 8 to 10 companies occupying space by the end of 2011.
"At the current rate of growth the Centre will be near capacity by the end of 2012, a full three years ahead of schedule," said Silvert. By the end of 2012 the Centre will generate a dollar in lease revenue for every dollar invested by the City for the project. If occupational taxes of the new jobs, with an average salary of $95,000, in the building and net profit taxes for the new companies that locate there are factored in, the City will generate a positive return on their annual investment of $300,000 in very short order.
"Few investments in economic development provide as rapid a return on such a small investment," said EDC President/CEO Nick Brake. "This project was originally proposed as a long-term endeavor. We are very pleased with the initial results, but it is important to be patient and stay the course for the entire commitment of ten years," he said.
"While such a positive return in such a short time is nice, the ultimate goal of the project is to help form scalable companies that can grow and eventually locate in the region and employ several hundred people," said Silvert.
Friday, May 13, 2011
OwensboroU site makes debut
By Joy Campbell, Messenger-Inquirer
OwensboroU.com is now live.
This new website — touted as an economic development marketing tool — brands Owensboro as an exciting and safe college town and puts a lot of information about its four partner colleges in one place, officials said Tuesday.
Representatives of Western Kentucky University-Owensboro, Kentucky Wesleyan College, Owensboro Community & Technical College and Brescia University joined Nick Brake, the president and CEO of the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corp., in officially launching their partnership at a news conference in the Commerce Center.
A small crowd of educators, business and community leaders and public officials attended the launch.
“Economic development has long been based on the location decisions of companies,” Brake said. “The overall goal of our partnership is to focus on the location decisions made by college students and their parents.”
The EDC is continuing to pursue a strategy that educational attainment drives the new economy. The goal of this partnership is to boost the community’s college enrollment to 10,000 from its current number of nearly 8,000, he said.
The idea is for the community to be able to continue to retain at least two out of three graduates to live and work in the community.
The web portal is the primary marketing tool the partners will use to “Enroll, Engage and Employ” students who choose Owensboro.
The site lets the institutions sell themselves and lets parents see what the colleges and the community have to offer.
Links to the colleges as well as to social media and other sites also are plugged into OwensboroU.
“Our hope is that this initiative will help us work together as a region and recognize the role that higher education and a baccalaureate degree play in economic development,” Brake said.
As the partnership continues, other organizations will be engaged to tie the college population together, he said.
The new website and partnership provides a way to demonstrate the collaborations the four colleges already have and an opportunity to continue those relationships, said Gene Tice, Western’s Owensboro campus director.
The four leaders have been meeting regularly for a number of years.
“Parents are very interested in the community where their students will live,” said Cheryl King, KWC’s president. “This gives us a chance to showcase our community for its safety and amenities such as our emerging downtown which is exciting to students and to show that we are a community that will care about them.”
The partnership shows that more may be achieved through collaboration, even though each college is different, King said.
Jim Klauber, president of Owensboro Community & Technical College, likes the idea of each institution sharing the message that it’s an exciting time to be a college student and to come to Owensboro. That message rings true for OCTC as it is creating niche programs to help students pursue their careers, he said.
Bringing together both the message of quality education with quality of place in Owensboro is important to Brescia, said its president, Rev. Larry Hostetter.
“Our students who come here do tend to stay,” he said
Brake said city and county officials support the idea that “education is about preparing for work, but it also is about making your life better.”
Lyn Cooper, president and CEO of First Security Inc., said the partnership and website is a unique collaboration among the colleges and EDC.
“It promotes knowledge of what we have in Owensboro,” Cooper said. “And we especially like it because on one site, students and families can compare the institutions. I applaud the EDC, and I think this is a great move in the right direction.”
Students, including existing college students, will find information links about internships, activities and housing.
Parents have their own sections with separate links to a number of data points including crime statistics, arts, jobs, housing and night life.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Monday, May 9, 2011
EDC AND LOCAL COLLEGES ANNOUNCE LAUNCHING OF OWENSBOROU.COM
The Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corporation (GO-EDC) along with Brescia University, Kentucky Wesleyan College, Owensboro Community and Technical College, and Western Kentucky University - Owensboro will announce a partnership at a news conference tomorrow to focus on quality of place and amenities to make Owensboro a destination for college students. We will be officially launching OwensboroU.com – a web portal to market Owensboro to current and prospective students and their parents to help create the best college community experience possible.
WHEN: Tuesday, May 10, at 10:00 a.m.
WHERE: Commerce Center
200 East Third Street, 3rd Floor Training Room
Owensboro, KY
Friday, May 6, 2011
Tri-state economic leaders visit Washington to support I-69 and energy policy
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| Regional Chamber and EDC delegation with Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar |
Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce President Jody Wassmer and EDC President Nick Brake joined Henderson-Henderson County Chamber of Commerce President Brad Schneider, Chamber of Commerce of Southwestern Indiana President & CEO Matt Meadors, Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana Board Chairman Jeff Deig and Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana President Greg Wathen to make the trip.
On Tuesday, May 3 the group was briefed on the status of energy, workforce and transportation legislation by U.S. Chamber of Commerce policy experts , then attended meetings with Kentucky congressmen Ed Whitfield and Brett Guthrie, Indiana Congressman Larry Bucshon, Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell and Indiana Senator Richard Lugar. On Wednesday, May 4 the delegation met with Indiana Senator Dan Coats and also got a briefing on transportation issues from staff members of the Coalition for America's Gateways and Trade Corridors.
"I-69 and energy are two of the most significant large-scale economic issues the communities of the Tri-State share in common," Henderson Chamber's Brad Schneider said. "So it's important that we take a regional approach to advocacy efforts on those subjects. The lawmakers we visited appreciated that and encouraged us to continue to work together."
"I-69 and energy are two of the most significant large-scale economic issues the communities of the Tri-State share in common," Henderson Chamber's Brad Schneider said. "So it's important that we take a regional approach to advocacy efforts on those subjects. The lawmakers we visited appreciated that and encouraged us to continue to work together."
Brake said the feedback from lawmakers was similar in each meeting. "We delivered a powerful message about how our region works together," he said.
"They all support the construction of I-69 in Indiana and Kentucky, and they all understand the importance of a new bridge to link the two states," said Wassmer. "Funding is the problem, especially with the debate about the budget deficit now under way in Washington and the reauthorization of the federal highways bill still in limbo. But we hope our lawmakers can help get the I-69 bridge in the bill in some form or fashion, and in our meetings we discussed some ways that could happen."
"As for energy, all the legislators we met with are dedicated to reign in unreasonable EPA regulations that threaten not only coal and power producers in our region but all the manufacturers and other businesses that rely on our relatively low energy prices. We told them we wholeheartedly support them."
This is the second straight year area chamber and EDC officials have travelled together to Washington to tout I-69, energy policy, and responsible fiscal policy.
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