Press Release
By Dan Mauk, Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce
One of the key questions we ask a prospective new member of the Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce is “where do your customers work?”
The question is obvious in that, generally, without a job and good income their customers can’t buy their good and services. The question is relevant in that, historically, the chamber has had a key role in bringing most of the highest-paid job to Norfolk.
Building a stronger regional economy is the mission of the chamber. From the chamber’s first successes like Roehr Products (now Tyco-Kendall Healthcare) to recent wins, such as Sterling Computers and Nucor Detailing Center, the results benefit all area business. Norfolk is truly the hub of a regional economy.
Over the years, these economic development efforts have changed. In the 1960s and ‘70s, U.S. manufacturing was still growing, but relatively few communities had organized economic development efforts. Now more than 28,000 communities have well-funded efforts. Complicating these efforts is the fact that manufacturing began a slow decline in 1985. Those 28,000 communities now compete for a yearly average of 1,200 projects of 200 employees or more—pretty tough odds.
The chamber’s strategy has changed, too. We helped build a regional partnership culminating in our area’s primary economic development partner, the Elkhorn Valley Economic Development Council. That partnership and its capital campaign increased available funding for the four county area by 400 percent, leveraging all area resources to a common end, which is to grow a stronger economy.
For 2007, and looking forward, we must address our primary weakness—public funding.
Primary economic development funding in Norfolk has almost always been a problem. Norfolk has been outspent (in primary economic development efforts, excluding infrastructure) by almost all our in-state competitors, big and small. Norfolk voters have twice rejected LB840 economic development plans. We will work with our elected officials, business and citizen groups and make 2007 the year for change.
Another threat, this to all Nebraska economic development efforts is the nearly broken means by which we fund out highway system. The current expressway system is more than a decade behind schedule and most remaining sections don’t even have a scheduled completion planned. A recent survey of some of Norfolk’s largest truck fleets indicates that ht completion of Highway 275 east is their most urgent goal. The chamber will partner with others and work with the Legislature to find a more sensible and sustainable method for highway funding.
We also face a pending labor shortage at almost every level of skill sets. This is a nation trend, and promises to be the biggest “deal breaker” for growth in any community. When our economic development team gets a lead from a new company, one of the first questions asked is, “Can you prove you have the qualified workers available?”
The chamber is embarking on a new effort working with the state departments of Labor, Education and Economic Development to increase career awareness in K-12 education, to bring business knowledge and resources into the classrooms and work with others to ensure young Nebraskans know there are opportunities at home.
This same trend, that of the Baby Boomer’s retirements, will also bring opportunity as thousands of Nebraska small businesses end their career with a “For Sale” sign. Many smart, young entrepreneurs will have a chance to buy “going concerns” often with financial assistance from the seller.
When that new member joins the chamber, these and many other of our services will work together to bring the value of better jobs and a stronger community.
- Story Courtesy of the Norfolk Daily News
