EDC LAUNCHES MARKETING EFFORT WITH NEW COMMUNITY VIDEO

EDC recognizing Owensboro Existing Businesses at February Chamber Breakfast

The Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corporation will recognize the role that existing businesses play in the overall vitality of the region as a sponsor of the February Chamber Rooster Booster breakfast. Healthy communities have strong, healthy businesses. The creation of an on-going existing business program is a key strategy to creating wealth and opportunity for the region.

Support for existing businesses is a top priority, since a majority of the new jobs in any given region are created by existing companies. EDC partners with local businesses and industries to remain engaged in our community, assist them with expansion projects, and increase their competitiveness in the wider marketplace. Since 2009 the EDC have worked 26 projects bringing over $100 million in new investment to the region creating 1,110 new jobs. This volume more than doubled our share of projects statewide compared to previous years.

The GO-EDC Industry Advantage Program involves partnerships among public and private organizations including the following:

State and Local Incentives- programs exist to help firms grow and retain jobs as well as providing workforce training for new or existing employees, for more information please contact Becky McCubbins at the EDC.

Workforce Solutions- Demographic experts tell us that meeting employers' future workforce needs is the number one challenge for businesses across the economic spectrum. Collaboration is critical among workforce partners to successfully address the full scope of workforce challenges within a community. The EDC has taken workforce development strategy to the next level through a community-wide partnerships with groups such as the Green River Workforce Investment Board, the Department of Employment Services, and the Owensboro Community and Technical College. These partners work to analyze and revitalize existing workforce strategies, identify and address workforce gaps, and work together to seamlessly provide the strongest workforce solutions for companies that choose to make the Greater Owensboro area their home.

OwensboroWorks.com-- is a web-based regional talent pool of more than 5,500 potential employees organized in an interactive, user-friendly database. Employers can search for potential candidates based on specific criteria, and job seekers post their experiences all free of charge.

GO-iNTERN is an additional resource provided to local businesses. Employers can post internship opportunities at intern.owensboro.com free of charge. For more information on any of these programs, please contact GO-EDC at 270-926-4339.

Last Chance to Sign Up for EDC's Economic Development Academy, Sessions Begin Thursday, January 27

This is the last chance to sign up for the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corporation's inaugural Economic Development Citizen Academy. The Academy will kick off on Thursday, January 27, 2011 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Commerce Center. Topics for the first session include an overview of the Owensboro economy and new business attraction strategies employed by the EDC to attract new business into the region.

The Academy is an effort to continue to encourage public involvement and understanding of economic development. EDC President/CEO Nick Brake said over 30 citizens have already signed up for the program, but spaces remain.

The Academy will meet on February 17 and March 17. For more information or to sign up visit http://edc.owensboro.com/about/Citizen_Academy or call 926-4339.

WKU- EDC Announce Owensboro-Based Applied Research Programs

The Centre for Business and Research

Western Kentucky University President Dr. Gary Ransdell and Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corporation President/CEO Nice Brake today announced an economic development partnership creating Owensboro-based applied research programs in plant biotechnology and food science with lab space at the Centre for Business and Research where full-time WKU-Owensboro faculty can successfully interface with existing companies and to help foster new startup companies in the region.

Ransdell said the partnership is part of the Memorandum of Agreement between WKU, the Daviess County Fiscal Court, and GO-EDC committed to exploring opportunities for applied research programs that fit the Owensboro economy and can positively impact economic development. “Our priority at WKU is for our faculty to work to identify and solve problems that help drive economic development and improve quality of life in the communities we serve,” Ransdell said. “This partnership matches our faculty’s strengths with Owensboro’s needs, and I’m pleased for WKU to be a partner with GO-EDC in the Centre for Business and Research.”

GO-EDC President/CEO Nick Brake said the Owensboro Centre for Business and Research is a business accelerator modeled, in part, on the successful program at WKU through their innovation center program at an old shopping mall. “A hallmark of the success in Bowling Green is the connections with WKU applied research programs also located in that incubator,” said Brake. “We hope to replicate some of that success here focusing on the unique strengths in the Owensboro economy.”

The Centre for Business and Research is a 38,000 square-foot business incubation and research center located in a newly renovated 100-year-old tobacco warehouse converted into office and research space supporting high tech development in food science, plant biotechnology, and life science companies. The Centre currently has two tenants. Economic development officials are negotiating leases with three other companies. The Centre will officially open in March, when science wet lab space is completed.

EDC optimistic about projects that await in 2011

Happy New Year from the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corporation!


We are enthusiastic about the projects that await us in 2011, hopefully the volume of activity will rival the past two years.


Since 2009 EDC have worked 26 projects bringing over $100 million in new investment to the region creating 1,110 new jobs. This volume more than doubled our share of projects statwide compared to previous years.


The following are projects that we are working on as we start 2011:

• It will be a big year for the Centre for Business and Research, our business incubation facility will officially open this spring. We have already surpassed our goal of having three tenants the first year of operation. We fully expect to have at least five by the end of 2011.
• The EDC will continue to work on lead generation activities locally and through our partnership with Kentucky United at the state level. We are currently in the middle of a lead generation campaign focusing on logistics and distribution centers. We will also focus on food manufacturing and back office operations this year.
• We will continue to make our work with existing businesses a high priority. The EDC is currently working on several existing business expansion and retention projects that should be announced in 2011.
• The EDC will be launching a couple of campaigns in 2011 focusing on talent attraction. The first campaign, which will feature a new community video, is part of a partnership between the EDC and local colleges to attract new college students to the region.
• This month the EDC is launching the first ever "Economic Development Citizen's Academy," an effort to encourage public involvement and understanding of the economic development process. The Academy begins on January 27. For more information visit the Citizen Academy page of the EDC website.

We hope you have a prosperous 2011!

Owensboro's Unifirst Featured on CBS Celebrity Boss

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/undercover_boss/video/?pid=2R8lJzQ8rmzwqjQM8JVAIRFXpshKfdCc

January 6, 2011 State of the City Presentation