There is an old saying that rust never sleeps. And the same can be said of data, as it is always changing and if you’re in the business of facts, like we are, that data always needs to be reviewed, updated and modified in some manner to be as relevant and factual as possible.
In our world of economic development, some of the things that we use on a regular basis to explain such area as what our employment opportunities are, and who the wealth generating companies are.
We constantly update and revise our Manufacturer’s Skills Poster, which we sent to the 30 some K-12 schools in the area. That poster helps our instructors understand what is being made here and what types of skills are needed to obtain a job in those companies.
To help those who want to have a better understanding of what drives a lot of the area’s economy, along with how they might provide a benefit to some of our businesses in this area, by providing their own supportive services and or supply chain efforts, we provide what we call a Pottawatomie County Manufacturers Directory.
As you can imagine there is always a change taking place among the businesses in the area as people retire, are promoted, move away and switch places of employment.
For those who need help with their employment search activities we offer what we call a Quick Reference Guide. That document helps a job seeker know what is available in the region to help them in more ways than they ever imagined. This document lists of what kinds of workforce agencies or resources are available in this area.
On the business side of attracting more businesses, we provide to those who are interested in our area several different forms of information that includes a property tech sheet, which provides the information on utility sizes, capacities, locations, costs and rates for each of those services and even who to contact about those services.
We also supply aerials of the properties we market that show the site, the surrounding area and the proximity to I-40. These are tools that we are constantly refining so we can polish the image of what we have to offer to those who may wish to make an investment in our community.
It is also important to make sure we have current, up to date property flyers on our Shell Building and Industrial properties that we constantly use to market those sites. Not to be overlooked in the business of supplying business information is the constant improvement of the list of Top Twenty Employers in our area.
For our own sanity and at times to helps others understand what is in front of us, or that should be worked on, is our “To Do” list that is a ever evolving document.
Last but not least are the various economic development reports that we develop, which highlight the ongoing work, activities and noteworthy projects in our area.
In this business we always need to be preparing for the unknown, that we know will come.