“It was really in response to the needs of low-to-moderate income households across the county at the time, and our work has really evolved over those 50 years,” explains Executive Director, Julie Siegert, of the CDA’s origins. “We have expanded from just our housing work to include economic development, homeownership initiatives, redevelopment activities, and more.”

To celebrate its 50^th anniversary, the CDA moved from its previous facility into a new building at 100 5^th Avenue East in Shakopee, Minnesota. Used for the administration of housing programs and community services, the structure also provides 60 affordable housing units for seniors. Addressing housing needs across Scott County, Siegert says the CDA’s current mission is to invest in possibilities to live and work in the county. “It’s really reflective of the work we do in housing as well as the work we do with businesses.”

Challenges, meet opportunities
Like many other communities across America, Scott County continues to face affordable housing challenges for people at all stages of life. This includes younger persons looking for their first apartment, growing families needing a single-family home, older adults looking to downsize, and older persons. The CDA actively seeks to provide life-cycle housing opportunities for all stages.

The CDA’s website features an abundance of valuable information on everything from available housing units to waiting lists, affordable rental homes, landlord information, the Center for Entrepreneurship, community development, and more. The downloadable Scott County CDA 2026 Resource Packet provides details on everything from housing and financial resources to homeownership resources and important events, like first-time homebuyer workshops.

Serving a combined population of 159,100, the CDA works with eight cities and 10 townships on a wide range of housing solutions. Back in the early 2000s, Scott was Minneapolis’ fastest-growing county, and although this was positive and added almost 5,000 jobs, the growth—which includes some migration from Minneapolis and Saint Paul—has presented some challenges in terms of rental prices and housing availability.

According to the CDA, the goal is to have enough jobs for 50 percent of the workforce to live and work nearby. The combined 18 municipalities/local government units differ in size and type; some are less populated, in more rural settings like Credit River and Elko New Market, while larger urban communities include Savage and county seat Shakopee, home to about 24,000 residents. This diversity has called for the CDA to explore different types of housing options in both urban and rural areas, the latter of which are often underrepresented. Brentwood Court is one example; created through a collaboration to create 50 market-rate senior community apartments, Brentwood Court’s units range from studios to three bedroom units. The project also saw the development of spaces for a much-needed clinic, pharmacy, and library.

“We are trying to provide housing choice across the county,” says Siegert. “Our role as the CDA is, we may be coming in with a more affordable product, but there’s certainly a lot of housing across the county to build on the amenities we have. We have a lot of beautiful lakes here, so if you’re a CEO looking to live in our county and establish your business here, or if you’re in the workforce and you need a more attainable home, what we’re trying to provide is housing across that continuum.”

Open for business
In terms of access to infrastructure, Scott County and its communities truly deliver on all fronts. U.S. Highway 169 goes through the county seat of Shakopee and connects to the Twin Cities metro area, a popular manufacturing corridor. The east side also boasts Interstate 35 and a new industrial park. “Transportation proximity to the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) is an asset, as well as access to the labor pool in the Twin Cities metropolitan area,” says Jo Foust, Business and Community Development Director.

Shakopee is also home to the St. Francis Regional Medical Center, which ranks nationwide in the top 10 percent of hospitals for care and quality and serves Scott County and surrounding communities. The entire area is also home to many new and long-time businesses and industries, including Rahr Malting, which supplies breweries across America. The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community of Minnesota (SMSC) operates a casino, hotel, and restaurants employing about 4,200 individuals, while Amazon has a large fulfillment center and distribution operations with about 2,500 workers.

Other larger employers include Emerson Electric, active in industrial automation and flow controls, the Valleyfair amusement park, Imagine print solutions, computer giant Seagate Technology, cybersecurity expert Entrust Corporation, cryogenics company Chart Industries, and many others. 500 employee-strong GN Group, renowned for audio and hearing technologies, recently moved to Shakopee.

Another incentive for companies interested in establishing roots in Scott County is its business parks. The first, River Valley Business Park, is readily accessible to Highway 169 in Shakopee and a short drive to MSP. Completed in late 2023, the industrial park features two buildings encompassing 449,893 square feet and is plug-and-play for new tenants.

Another new development is Park I-35. Ideal for warehousing, logistics, and manufacturing, the site offers immediate access to Interstate I-35 and is linked to major markets such as Des Moines, Kansas City, and even Dallas and San Antonio. With 118 acres, Park I-35 can accommodate up to 1.5 million square feet of industrial space. One of the park’s key tenants is family-owned Niagara Bottling, which bottles water for major retailers like Sam’s Club, Costco, and Walmart. “That’s been a really good partnership here with the CDA,” says Michael Werneke, Business Development Manager. “We helped make that development come to fruition by partnering with the city, and they have a capacity for about one million square feet in that industrial park.”

Working with Minnesota commercial real estate brokers, Scott County proactively attracts new businesses to the area, and one of the CDA’s tools includes a broker’s day event, which sees representatives from cities and utilities provide information on available sites. Additionally, the CDA works in collaboration through Scott County area leaders on identifying key corridors, and has an economic development assistance program which provides funding to communities to ensure site readiness. Recently, the CDA has been working with Prior Lake City Council on adopting an Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUR). The study of the City of Prior Lake and Spring Lake Township aims to open up over 2,700 acres for commercial, industrial, and residential use to be developed over the next 20 years. And in the City of Jordan, the CDA is working on the study of a rural industrial park. The city has a historic downtown, and the CDA paid for the demolition of an old building to prepare the site for redevelopment.

Tourism hub
All communities within Scott County, large and small, offer wonderful attractions for visitors. These include Valleyfair, a 90-acre amusement park in Shakopee, and the Canterbury Park horse racing track. Running from late August to October, the Minnesota Renaissance Festival remains a top three Renaissance festival in the country in terms of size and attendance.

Alongside Mystic Lake—one of the larger casinos in the Midwest—this year saw the opening of the new Mystic Lake Amphitheater on the Canterbury Park development site. “It is one of the larger amphitheaters in the Midwest, with a 19,000-seat capacity,” says Tim Zunker, President at the Shakopee Chamber & Visitors Bureau. This year saw about 40 shows booked in a shorter time frame, from June to September, including national and regional acts. “So we have a large presence within the hospitality/tourism sector in Shakopee,” Zunker says.

Working toward the future
Today, the Scott County Community Development Agency is building on housing and business initiatives to position itself for the years to come. Although the county doesn’t have a community technical college yet, the CDA is active in workforce training programs in partnership with regional community and technical colleges like Dakota County Technical College (DCTC) and Inver Hills Community College. These relationships, and others with businesses in the area, are helping Scott County thrive.

“Over the past few years, we’ve worked with these partners to bring in grants and other funding mechanisms to train and retain workforce inside the county in areas like manufacturing, health care, hospitality, and different sectors where there is a need for those training programs,” says Foust. A grant program with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development saw almost 170 individuals trained, and others are currently being trained under another grant.

“We’ll probably end up training close to 200 individuals on that free training program inside the county,” shares Werneke. “We work with individuals who are in most need from a job standpoint and we connect to our business partners to help find them jobs, apprenticeships, or other opportunities with that employer.”

To be sure, one of the unique aspects of Scott County and the CDA remains collaboration, and approach that includes the CDA itself, businesses, elected officials, townships, schools, and others. “When you have that foundation with governments operating together, it really makes it a lot easier for things to get accomplished,” says Siegert. “That’s really one of the benefits of scale and the partnerships that we’ve been able to form across jurisdictions, which allows us to work more efficiently together.”

For the Scott County Community Development Agency, the work of community development is ultimately about creating the conditions for people and businesses to put down roots and thrive. From expanding housing choices and supporting new development to preparing workers for in-demand careers and strengthening connections between municipalities, businesses, schools, and other partners, the CDA continues to take a broad, collaborative approach to the county’s growth. As Scott County looks to the future, that spirit of cooperation will remain one of its greatest assets, helping to ensure that growth is not simply measured in new homes, jobs, businesses, and investment, but in the opportunities and quality of life those elements create for the people who call the county home.

The post The Power of Partnerships<p class="company">Scott County Community Development Agency</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

Located only a short distance from Lake Country, Prince Albert is a centre for infrastructure, health services, education, and retail, while also serving the mining, forestry, and agricultural resource sectors in northern Saskatchewan. Part of Treaty 6 territory and home to First Nations including the Dakota and Métis Nations, the Woodland Cree, Plains Cree, Swampy Cree, and Dene, Prince Albert has one of the largest percentages of Indigenous people in Canada, embracing a variety of cultures and welcoming to all.

Exciting plans for the city include a downtown revitalization project, along with addressing the water and sewer infrastructure challenges that come with a city more than 100 years old.

“Our downtown already has unique stores and great restaurants, as well as a lot of heritage architecture,” says Ellen Pearson, Economic Development Planner. “We’re looking at taking this opportunity to not only upgrade the infrastructure but also enhance streetscaping and improve accessibility to bring more people downtown.”

Additionally, after 60 years of the downtown being a one-way street, Prince Albert will return to two-way traffic. “We really want to create that vibrant and economically diverse downtown where pedestrians, drivers, and anyone taking transit can find their way very easily,” Pearson says, adding that the tender for that project has been awarded and design work is underway. “We’re excited about taking the next step to make the downtown revitalization project a real thing.”

There are plenty of reasons to venture downtown, whether to experience an array of restaurants, local businesses, museums, galleries, and arts and culture events, or visit post-secondary institutions including the University of Saskatchewan, First Nations University of Canada, and the Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies & Applied Research.

“Our combination of educational resources and economic strength makes our region very attractive for new development and investment,” adds Michael Nelson, Planning and Development Manager. “Our city does feel that it’s a really valuable area, and that’s where our council has also implemented a construction incentive for renovations and projects in the downtown as well.”

These include development incentives for new commercial construction and renovation across the entire city, as well as additional incentives specific to developments in the Downtown Business Improvement District. Further incentives to support housing are currently being developed.

One of the most exciting economic development opportunities in Prince Albert is the sale of the former pulp mill site to the BMI Group, a Canadian company with a proven track record of redeveloping legacy industrial properties into thriving multi-user industrial hubs. BMI has indicated the site will be repurposed as a multi-tenant industrial and logistics campus, leveraging existing industrial infrastructure. There is rail access, connectivity, and significant power capacity on site, as well as a large amount of water.

“They have their own water treatment plant on site as well,” says Nelson. “This represents a transformation opportunity not only in Prince Albert but for northern Saskatchewan. Rather than relying on a single industrial operator, the vision is to attract a diverse mix of businesses.”

Boasting more than 2,000 acres, the site has direct rail access and up to 130 megawatts of available power to make it one of the most significant industrial redevelopment opportunities in Western Canada, aligning well with Prince Albert’s long-term growth and economic diversification.

This ongoing project is currently looking for a variety of tenants and groups in an effort to bring in a diverse hub in the future. “We want to see continued investment in the property that generates stable, quality jobs,” says Pearson. “We want to encourage the development of industries that provide long-term economic benefits for the community.”

Another exciting local venture is the Prince Albert Victoria Hospital expansion, which is scheduled for completion in 2028 and continues to be one of the most significant public infrastructure projects in Saskatchewan. With construction now surpassing the 50 percent completion mark, the project remains on schedule and is delivering a modern healthcare facility that will serve Prince Albert and the entire north half of the province.

The new acute care tower will increase capacity by about 40 percent, growing inpatient beds from 174 to 242 and adding larger emergency and operating rooms, dedicated pediatric and maternity spaces, a new mental health unit, expanded intensive care services, a rooftop heliport, and the region’s first MRI. Beyond healthcare, the project is creating economic benefits through construction, employment, local procurement opportunities, and improved capacity to attract and retain healthcare professionals.

“It’s going to help strengthen Prince Albert’s role as a healthcare hub for northern Saskatchewan and support long-term community growth,” says Nelson. “It’s just such a huge project for our community. Completing that and knowing we’re continuing to be the centre for the entire North in providing healthcare and services is a really big accomplishment.”

All of these unique projects are highly anticipated within the community and are set to benefit not only Prince Albert but the province as a whole. But, with development comes the challenge to create adequate, affordable housing.

“Given that we’ve got the hospital project and the redevelopment of the pulp mill site underway, we completed a housing needs assessment in 2025, just to see where we were sitting with housing needs in the community,” says Pearson. “Housing supply is a challenge in communities across Canada, but this housing needs assessment gave us the data to understand what that means for Prince Albert. It showed that we don’t have enough affordable housing to begin with, and with the expansion of the hospital and redevelopment of the mill site, in the next 10 years, the demand for housing is going to continue to grow. We need to make sure we’re building enough housing to support that growth.”

The housing strategy also identified the importance of working with local partners to help meet the city’s housing needs. Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation is starting construction on the Eagle Ridge housing development on their urban reserve, a five-storey building with 54 residential units and underground parking, with a blend of market and affordable housing opportunities. “Many of our Indigenous partners have purchased property in Prince Albert, and we’re looking forward to seeing new construction projects being pursued in the coming years,” says Nelson.

The housing strategy and action plan also gave the city a roadmap for how to address gaps and discrepancies to make housing easier to build in the community. “In the next few years, things will hopefully be moving on the housing front,” adds Pearson.

All of these community initiatives were undertaken with the input and approval of the city’s residents, who have a personal understanding and appreciation of what the area has to offer. “There were community meetings, so we heard at that time what people wanted for the downtown,” says Pearson. “A lot of that was taken into consideration when the recommendation was put to council to switch to two-way traffic and increase sidewalk spaces for more outdoor patio space, walkability, more accessibility, and to make our downtown easier to visit. That feedback from the community, businesses, and residents was factored into the decision,” she says.

With the University of Saskatchewan’s Prince Albert campus now located downtown, being mindful of the influx of students and staff at that facility is also an important consideration.

“Prince Albert offers a unique combination of urban amenities, economic opportunity, natural beauty, and northern accessibility,” says Nelson. Located at the gateway to northern Saskatchewan, the city serves as a regional centre for healthcare, education, services, retail, and businesses. Residents and visitors enjoy access to world-class outdoor recreation, including Prince Albert National Park and the 1,200-acre Little Red River Park within the city limits itself. The city also hosts vibrant cultural and family-oriented community events throughout the year, including the annual Pine Needle Mountain Bike Festival, various music festivals, and the Downtown Street Fair that takes place each summer.

Another project of note is the completion of the Lake Country Co-op Leisure Centre, which opened in 2025 and is the largest recreational infrastructure project in Prince Albert’s history. The aquatic centre features a 25-meter competitive pool, diving boards, wave pool and lazy river, water slides, and a hot tub. Not only can it host regional and provincial swim competitions, but it has also expanded access to aquatic programming with the largest selection of swimming lessons and certification courses ever offered.

The other half of the Leisure Centre includes the twin arenas—two NHL-sized rinks, increased seating, and expanded dressing room facilities to accommodate tournaments of all sizes. “It’s a huge asset to the community,” Pearson says. “Since opening, it has not only brought so many more tournaments and team events to our city but also expanded the capacity of things like swimming lessons in our community and allowed more people to take advantage of those programs.”

Nelson also wants to stress that Prince Albert is always open to welcoming innovative and diverse industries and business opportunities. “If anyone’s interested in learning more about our city or about investing, please contact us,” he says. “We have new and different construction incentives. We have renovation incentives. We have downtown incentives, and we’re working on more housing incentives in the next few coming months as well.”

In short, the city offers myriad opportunities for those looking to invest.

“For businesses, Prince Albert offers strategic access to northern markets, strong transportation connections, and a young workforce,” says Nelson. “These strengths continue to make Prince Albert an attractive place to live, work, and invest and build a future.”

The post Live, Work, Invest: Building a Home in the Heart of North Central Saskatchewan<p class="company">City of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

Rocky Mountain Supply traces its history back to two predecessor cooperatives, Gallatin Farmers Company in Belgrade, Montana, founded in 1931, and Coop Supply of Dillon, established in 1938. Both companies emerged from the Great Depression era, when farmers and ranchers across Montana banded together to gain better buying power, particularly for the gasoline and diesel their operations depended on.

“A lot of coops were formed coming out of the Great Depression era,” says Brad Gjermo, Chief Executive Officer. “They were looking for ways to enhance their buying power and to purchase things more competitively, and it did generally start surrounding the petroleum industry.”

Over the decades, the two coops merged to form Rocky Mountain Supply, expanding well beyond fuel to serve the full range of needs facing modern producers. What began as a way to secure better prices on petroleum has grown into a company with a presence across nearly every corner of rural life.

The agricultural landscape Rocky Mountain Supply serves today looks markedly different than it did 90 years ago. According to Jason Rorabaugh, Chief Operating Officer, agriculture is far less labor intensive than it once was, and the number of individual farms and ranches has fallen dramatically as the industry has consolidated. Total farmed acreage has held relatively steady and livestock numbers remain comparable to where they stood in the 1930s, but the operations working that land today are much larger than their predecessors.

Gjermo points to two forces behind that shift: consolidation and technology. Some acreage has been lost to urban development over the decades, he says, but the producers who remain are operating at a scale that would have been unrecognizable to the coop’s founders. Machinery and equipment have advanced accordingly, and Rocky Mountain Supply has had to keep pace, adapting its own facilities and equipment to serve fewer, larger operations rather than a high volume of small ones.

“We like to look at ourselves as kind of a business partner,” Gjermo says. “We’re here to help them succeed in what they’re doing, and we try to play our role in providing them what they need to be successful.”

Rocky Mountain Supply operates as the only cooperative in its trade territory, a distinction that shapes its entire business model. The company is owned by its members, and its mission centers on serving them rather than external shareholders.

“The customer is the company,” Rorabaugh says. “It doesn’t really benefit Brad or me per se; we’re just employees of the company, but the members are the owners. So, when Rocky Mountain Supply is successful, we return dividends and patronage back to the members.”

Each year, the coop distributes its earnings back to members in a combination of cash and equity. Retaining a portion as equity allows the company to reinvest in its own operations without relying entirely on outside borrowing.

“That equity portion that we retain helps finance the company and reinvest back in it, replacing and adding assets,” Gjermo explains. “Instead of us distributing everything that we make back to the membership in cash, we retain part of it, so we’re not having to borrow to reinvest back in the company.”

Governance follows the same member-first model. Gjermo reports to a seven-member board of directors elected by the coop’s voting membership, all of whom are working farmers or ranchers. As a producer cooperative, only agricultural producers may serve on the board or vote on governance matters such as director elections and mergers. Membership itself remains open to anyone, and all members share in the company’s profits regardless of voting status. The distinction, Gjermo explains, is purely about governance—anyone can be a member and benefit from the cooperative, but shaping its direction is reserved for the producers it was built to serve.

While Rocky Mountain Supply’s producer members remain central to its mission, its customer base has diversified considerably over the years. At least half of the company’s business today comes from non-producers, including a growing roster of commercial customers in construction and excavating, alongside a large volume of retail business through its farm supply and convenience stores. The company’s product range has expanded well past its agricultural origins to include clothing and sporting goods, categories that did not exist within the coop’s offerings in 1931.

Gjermo frames that growth as a natural extension of the cooperative’s role in rural America. Because Rocky Mountain Supply operates primarily in small agricultural communities, it has taken on the job of providing goods and services that might not otherwise be available locally. “We play the role of providing goods and services that others may not be able to, or are not providing in the community,” he says. “That’s what’s driven us to be more diverse than we were when we were formed almost 100 years ago.”

That diversification has required real investment. Serving customers across agriculture, commercial, and consumer segments takes far more product knowledge than the coop needed in its early decades, and the company has built out its staff and expertise accordingly.

Rocky Mountain Supply employs agronomists and energy specialists who provide education and support alongside the products the coop sells. The company holds regular customer meetings throughout the year to share information with its membership, a practice Rorabaugh ties directly back to the cooperative model.

Technology plays an increasing role in how that support gets delivered. Rocky Mountain Supply has used remote fuel tank monitoring for several decades, improving delivery efficiency while giving customers visibility into their own inventory levels. Its agronomy team has adopted drones for field scouting, allowing staff to survey a 300-acre field far faster than would be possible on foot. On the administrative side, the company has begun implementing artificial intelligence and Power BI tools to strengthen its accounting and decision-making.

Rorabaugh expects the shift toward AI to accelerate. “I think AI is probably the biggest thing that’s come along in technology since probably the invention of the internet,” he says. “I don’t even think we’ve scratched the surface of what’s going to be possible.”

Rocky Mountain Supply currently employs between 160 and 180 people, depending on the season, and Rorabaugh attributes the company’s employee retention less to any single program than to the overall environment it has built for its team. Wages and benefits are competitive, he says, but freshly remodeled stores, a modern administration building, a newer vehicle and delivery fleet, and a generous approach to paid time off all contribute to turnover rates that run significantly below national averages across every part of the business. “Providing a good, comfortable workspace and a good culture is really what sets us apart,” he says.

One of the more distinctive pieces of Rocky Mountain Supply’s community role is its foundation, established roughly a year and a half ago. Its origin traces directly back to the cooperative’s ownership structure. When the company distributes patronage and equity payments to members, a portion of those checks occasionally goes unclaimed. Rather than let those funds sit idle, Rocky Mountain Supply created an informal foundation to redirect that money back into the communities it serves.

The foundation’s mission centers on three priorities: supporting agricultural education, particularly for young people considering a career in the industry; funding resources for fire departments and other first responders to better serve their communities; and awarding grants that improve overall quality of life in the areas where Rocky Mountain Supply operates. The company has built a formal application and evaluation process for the program, with the board of directors making final decisions on which requests to fund.

To date, the foundation has distributed roughly $50,000 in grants, with another $25,000 planned over the next six months. The program is currently structured to distribute up to $50,000 annually, a figure Rocky Mountain Supply expects to grow over time. For Rorabaugh and Gjermo, the approach is simply an extension of the cooperative’s core purpose: channeling profits back to the people and places that generate them.

The foundation is only part of the picture. Over the past decade, Rocky Mountain Supply has reinvested close to $50 million into the company itself, upgrading assets, remodeling stores, constructing a new corporate office in 2017, and pursuing acquisitions. Looking at the broader 10-year picture, patronage dividends and equity retirement have returned close to $25 million in cash to the communities the coop serves.

“That all goes back to the people that we serve and the communities that we serve, that is ultimately reinvested back in those communities,” Gjermo says. “We plan to continue to do that well into the future, and hopefully those dollar amounts each year will continue to grow.”

Rocky Mountain Supply is continually investing in new ways to serve its members, and a new online shopping platform for its retail stores is still in the early stages, with more products being added regularly. A retail rewards program is set to launch this winter, returning cents per gallon on fuel purchases along with rewards on retail spending, an offering Rorabaugh describes as a natural evolution of the patronage model the cooperative has run for decades.

The company is also eyeing expansion into new communities, though leadership isn’t sharing specifics at this time. “We feel like there are some areas that we can grow into,” Gjermo shares. “We want to be able to expand that reach so the company can grow, but also so those communities can enjoy what we do the same as the communities we’re currently present in.”

For Rorabaugh and Gjermo, the message they hope readers take away is straightforward. “As a cooperative, our entire purpose and mission and passion is to serve our members,” Rorabaugh says. “Providing our agronomists and our livestock experts and our fuel experts and our people here in the office with what they need because at the end of the day, it’s all about customer service, and they’re our owners. Our goal when we come to work is to provide excellent service to them and provide them what they need to be successful.”

The post Putting Cooperation to Work<p class="company">Rocky Mountain Supply</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

Incorporated as an industry town in the 1950s—the first community without residents to do so in the province—Kitimat continues to leverage its resources and its relationships to push the economy forward and preserve the enviable way of life it affords—a way of life that is due in large part to industry partners.

As Mayor Philip Germuth explains, “Kitimat is a very industry-friendly community when things are done properly,” and the investments that have taken place in the community are evidence of that.

Industry first
As an industry town, Kitimat, British Columbia had an interesting start.

The community was founded when the Aluminum Company of Canada (Alcan, now Rio Tinto BC Works) identified the area for what was a massive engineering undertaking at the time. The Alcan Project ran from 1951 to 1954. Through the construction of the Kemano hydroelectric dam, a 16-kilometre-long tunnel, a deep-sea terminal, an aluminum smelter, and the surrounding community, Kitimat came to be.

Considered the most expensive private project in Canadian history at the time, this was an intentional effort for industry and community to thrive alongside one another. Alcan brought renowned city planner Clarence Stein out of retirement to execute a vision for a planned garden city that existed separately from industry. Stein looked at prevailing wind patterns to isolate the community from the impacts of industry and found a way to design a community that is well connected, aesthetically pleasing, and could support the needs of the individuals and families that keep industry functioning.

Boom and bust
At its peak in the 1970s and 1980s, Kitimat had grown to a population of 13,000 people, but not unlike the rest of the world, the global financial crisis took its toll, and the market became incredibly challenging. For instance, Methanex, which established its ammonia and methane operations in the 1980s, sadly closed in 2005, while Eurocan Pulp and Paper Co., which had operated in the community for 40 years, closed in 2010, taking with it hundreds of jobs and leaving industrial lands sitting idle.

Industry boom and bust cycles are never easy to weather, but luckily for Kitimat, the hard times were short lived thanks to new investment partners who ushered in a new wave of growth and opportunity.

“Since the final investment decision by LNG Canada in 2018, the community has seen significant population growth,” notes Walsham Tenshak, Director of Economic Development and Communications for the District of Kitimat, who referred to this growth as “astounding.”

Over the last five years, Kitimat has experienced a nearly 20 percent increase in population, going from around 8,500 in 2020 to 10,000 people today, according to BC Stats. As such, Tenshak notes, “Council has had to work with industry to look at how we can expand the services that we provide to care for more people as they come to the community, and industry partners have been excellent corporate citizens.”

Indeed, there have been several milestone moments in Kitimat’s history that have altered the trajectory of the community. Rio Tinto’s acquisition of Alcan in 2007 was one of them. The Rio Tinto Alcan acquisition breathed new life into the community, not only through a major investment to modernize the smelter, but through other investments in infrastructure that support the community.

“In 2015, they completed a multi-billion-dollar investment in a modernized smelter, which now has us producing the greenest aluminum anywhere in North America,” explains Mayor Germuth. He tells us that another key move came from LNG Canada in establishing Kitimat as a global natural gas export hub.

Having recently completed its hundredth shipment, LNG Canada is now considering proceeding with Phase Two of the project, a $33 billion CAD expansion of its export facility which will double production from 14 to 28 million tonnes of LNG (liquefied natural gas) annually.

Mayor Germuth also highlights the value and impact of the Cedar LNG project, which showcases the unique nature of partnership and collaboration between industry and the community.

Cedar LNG is valued at around $4 billion USD and is not only regarded for the magnitude of its investment but also the fact that it is the world’s first Indigenous majority-owned LNG facility, developed in partnership between the Haisla and Pembina Pipeline Corporation. Designed to operate using renewable energy from BC Hydro and to connect to the Coastal GasLink pipeline and local power grids, construction activities commenced in 2024 with completion expected in 2028, when it expects to deliver its first shipments of low-carbon LNG overseas to the Asian market.

As many communities know, investment breeds investment—and that is certainly the case in Kitimat. As Mayor Germuth notes, “The investment by Rio Tinto into modernizing the smelter plus the LNG Canada and Cedar LNG projects have given a lot of other people the courage to reinvest in their properties,” which is leading to a new wave of revitalization including new residential developments as well as retail, hospitality, and commercial investments.

Maximizing industry’s impact
The high wage opportunities in Kitimat not only afford an exceptional quality of life; they also enable a higher rate of entrepreneurship, as families have the economic freedom to pursue their interests with efforts that have the full support of the community behind them.

For those who take the chance, organizations like the Kitimat Chamber of Commerce and programs like Business Bootcamps and Entrepalooza, as well as industry programs like the LNG Business Growth Fund, are there to make the leap into business ownership a success.

In fact, industry is behind a lot of the growth and success taking place in Kitimat, with the Haisla Bridge project serving as a perfect example. Built in 1954, this critical infrastructure was in dire need of replacement. “That’s the main bridge that connects the community to the industrial area and it’s the only way to get to the industrial area,” explains Mayor Germuth. “LNG Canada was able to lobby the government to have them take care of the whole thing for us, so we were very thankful.”

Completed through a joint partnership, the Ledcor-Haisla Limited Partnership, the bridge was opened in 2023 and not only showcases the connectivity between industry and the community but also pays tribute to Haisla through traditional art, serving as a physical reminder that industry in Kitimat is strong, but community is stronger.

To be sure, companies like LNG Canada find countless ways to give back to the community in a very big way. The company committed more than one million dollars in funding to support the Kitimat General Hospital Foundation and the Kitimat General Hospital to purchase a computed tomography (CT) scanner as well as an electrocardiogram (ECG) machine, which improve patient outcomes locally and contribute to physician attraction and retention efforts.

The company also supported the community’s Dementia Home Project currently underway, and the construction of a kayak launch at Minette Bay West Park that gave the community its first saltwater access point, which is attractive to residents and visitors alike. “Rio Tinto donated the land in the bay in 2014 and then LNG Canada gave us money to develop it,” explains Mayor Germuth.

Being a safe community with abundant services, recreational opportunities, and amenities, a good school system, and a strong economy make Kitimat an attractive community to call home, but also make for an attractive place to visit, which is evident in the latest tourism figures.

“Tourism in our region grew by about 35 percent last year, and we’re welcoming more visitors than ever through our doors. What’s really interesting is that many of them are just as eager to learn about Kitimat’s industry as they are to experience our natural attractions,” explains Laurel D’Andrea, Executive Director of the Kitimat Chamber of Commerce.

Supporting the movement of goods, people, and opportunities
Access, proximity, and connectivity are other key parts of the overall value proposition offered by the District of Kitimat. With water, highway, and air infrastructure, from Kitimat, you can get anywhere! “We like to say that we are the very start of the highway, so you literally start here and can go everywhere,” says Tenshak of this connectivity. “We have great road networks, the province and the district invest heavily in ensuring that people stay connected, and we have an airport that’s just 30 minutes away,” she says. “You get to have the world as your oyster.”

This is what happens when a community is intentionally designed and thoughtfully developed: it is rewarded with continued growth and development and an unmatched quality of life, something that would not be possible without partnership.

“There’s lots of opportunity here, and again, you have a community that wants to work with industry,” Mayor Germuth says of a commitment that has long served the community and will continue to do so for decades to come.

The goal at its core, he notes, is to make Kitimat “a balanced, desirable community that people want to call home and where they can pursue their opportunities,” a place where everyone is welcome and where individuals and businesses thrive.

The post Built for Business, Designed with Intention<p class="company">District of Kitimat, British Columbia</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

Pucci, before becoming Lands & Economic Development Manager at the City of Terrace, built a reputation for strategic engagement in business development. A skilled and passionate negotiator, his résumé includes work with government and Indigenous partners, serving as CEO of Prince Rupert International Airport, and working at Prince Rupert’s Port, Canada’s fastest-growing container terminal. His current role is generating municipal revenue and acquiring and developing municipal lands for the City of Terrace.

A prime location
“We are the Fort McMurray of the 1990s,” says Pucci, referring to the Albertan city which became legendary for its powerful petroleum sector. To Michael Pucci, and many others, the City of Terrace is similarly on the brink of overwhelming success, for a variety of reasons. The city’s population of just 13,000 is small, but its economic and service draw is closer to 40,000. The business, investment, and growth potential of the area is enormous.

When discussing Terrace, a word frequently used is “hub.” The city is easily accessible by the Skeena River and multiple highways (16, 113, and 37) and is just 144 km east of Prince Rupert. Terrace is also linked to passenger rail, bus service, the CN mainline—the only rail line in northern British Columbia—and the Northwest Regional Airport Terrace-Kitimat. Annually, the CN rail line moves about $65 billion worth of Canadian economic value to and from the Port of Prince Rupert through the City of Terrace.

Northern BC is sparsely populated, with about 100,000 residents in a 1,000 km range from Prince Rupert to Prince George. However, Terrace lies along the Trans-Canada corridor, making it a centre for shopping, healthcare, financial services, and other amenities that many similar communities lack. People drive hundreds of kilometres to visit Terrace. In 2024, a study showed that 1,000 regional inhabitants visit the city in any given week, year-round, because of its hub status.

“Tourism accounts for about $84 to $86 million worth of our economy,” says Pucci, “and that includes local tourists who come to see their doctor or optometrist, or go to the grocery store, those kinds of things.” Every year, millions of additional dollars flow into the city thanks to its year-round tourism market. In summer, many are drawn by ocean fishing, boating, and fly-fishing for trout and salmon. In winter, with some of the deepest snowpacks in Canada, they flock to Terrace for skiing and heli-skiing.

Despite its many attractions, the City of Terrace knows success doesn’t happen overnight, and understands that local government must also make an effort at every level. Pucci and his team have exchanged views with Prime Minister Mark Carney three times in the past few months concerning development initiatives. And despite comparisons of Terrace’s emergence with that of Fort McMurray in the 1990s, Pucci understands the importance of proceeding strategically.

“We know from lessons learned where we need to jump over the puddle instead of walking through, and we may need help doing that,” he says. “But we have that type of opportunity here that’s outside of our taxable jurisdiction to the same level of federal economic mover and shaker in a small town. And again, 15 or 20 years from now, we will hopefully have done it better.” He notes that in the ’90s, owing to the oil industry, Fort McMurray’s high local wages also created inflated prices for everything from housing to groceries, and he says measures need to be put in place to ensure this doesn’t happen in Terrace.

Welcoming diverse industries
Many years ago, people and goods such as logs were transported along the Skeena River. In time, this led to the development of railways, roads, and a strong forestry industry. And then, to meet the needs of forestry companies, Terrace transformed itself into a service hub as truck-servicing facilities and heavy industrial groups, like Caterpillar, established themselves in the area. Every day, about 200 Class A forestry trucks roll through.

In the past few years, intent on not focusing too narrowly, Terrace has modernized, invested, and expanded wherever opportunities arise, and sees a future serving multiple industries. Truck drivers need places to sleep and eat, prompting investment in new hotels. And while the forestry industry is growing and evolving, Pucci says Terrace is well-suited to helping related businesses expand locally. Wood mills need forklifts to move product, and manufacturers to make forklifts.

“There are many different industries, but the idea is to look at the core things we do well and ask, ‘How do we participate in those industries?’” he says. “That’s an important reason why we’re able to create and maintain our hub status.”

Together with forestry, the City of Terrace is promoting itself to the mining industry. After Northern Ontario, Northern BC is the hottest mining hub in North America. One of the world’s largest gold deposits was uncovered nearby, and 60 percent of BC’s critical minerals are found within a few hours of Terrace. Some mines are at the permitting stage, while others are in operation, and as these mines develop, they will need more equipment and local labour.

“It’s very top-of-mind right now, and the federal government has highlighted that area as a key revenue source for the Canadian economy,” Pucci shares. “That is beyond the fact that it means a lot to the local economy, because mineral extraction provides a lot of royalties to the federal government. It’s an important component.”

One mine in BC’s Golden Triangle, Red Chris, is on Canada’s Major Projects Office list, and Terrace is well-equipped to meet the logistical needs of this mine site and many others across BC. These sites, along with other major energy projects such as wind, oil, gas, and ports, are estimated to bring $230 billion in affordability, security, and diversification.

Indeed, Northern British Columbia is known as the powerhouse of the province’s mining industry, and it is projected that the construction of 24 mines in the area could realize $69 billion in economic activity for British Columbians from gold, copper, silver, zinc, and other minerals. More mines, of course, mean greater opportunities for related businesses, like depots to serve trucks, commercial vehicle inspection stations, food services, and accommodation.

“We might not see Caterpillar making new diggers here, but will they have a service shop?” asks Pucci. “It makes a lot of sense to have some sort of service depot or affiliation. Will they need certain styles of flatbed trucks to move equipment in the area? One hundred percent.”

Industrial opportunities
When he became Lands & Economic Development Manager, Michael Pucci was intrigued by one of Terrace’s key assets, the Skeena Industrial Development Park (SIDP). The park is remarkable for many reasons, including its size. With over 1,200 acres of continuous greenfield industrial-zoned land, SIDP is larger than Vancouver’s 1,000-acre Stanley Park.

Representing a joint venture and revenue-sharing partnership with Kitselas First Nation, SIDP is ideal for operations large and small. It is close to the Port of Prince Rupert, which is Canada’s third-largest container terminal and the home of the nation’s newest liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) terminal.

“The involvement of First Nations in British Columbia’s economic development, and where that’s going, is something that large and global companies don’t have the strongest understanding of,” says Pucci. “And so, this is a fantastic way to put industry at comfort; that there’s a way to positively engage, as well as contribute to the overall benefit of our region.”

On the highway and adjacent to the Northwest Regional Airport, SIDP is accessible to every part of British Columbia. And with both the transmission and distribution of natural gas and electricity, it has all the base assets for petroleum, manufacturing, logistics, and transportation businesses. Just 10 minutes from nearby communities, it’s conveniently placed. “It is the future of Terrace,” says Pucci, “and it doesn’t have that urbanization concern.”

The Skeena Industrial Development Park may be the clearest expression yet of Terrace’s ambitions. With its scale, strategic location, infrastructure, and partnership with Kitselas First Nation, it offers the city an opportunity to attract investment while building on the strengths that have made Terrace a regional hub. More importantly, it reflects a broader vision that is not dependent on any single industry or project.

For Pucci and the City of Terrace, the goal is not simply to capitalize on a moment of economic momentum, but to build an economy capable of sustaining that momentum for decades to come. Forestry, mining, energy, transportation, tourism, manufacturing, and logistics all present opportunities, but the real advantage lies in the connections between them—and in the businesses and services that emerge around them. By identifying what Terrace does well and positioning itself to support a diverse range of industries, the city is working to turn its geographic and infrastructural advantages into lasting economic value.

That approach also means learning from the experiences of other resource-driven communities. Terrace has an opportunity to welcome major investment without losing sight of affordability, livability, Indigenous partnership, or the needs of the residents and businesses that already call the region home. The ambition is considerable, but so is the opportunity: to grow strategically rather than simply quickly. Terrace has the chance to chart its own course—one that embraces its role as a northern hub, welcomes diverse industries, and creates prosperity that extends well beyond any single boom.

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Powered by SWANA (the Solid Waste Association of North America), the event, running from September 29 to October 2 in St. Louis, Missouri, offers a space “where waste and resource management professionals go to think.”

“As someone who joined SWANA early in my career, I know firsthand the impact that education, mentorship, and professional connections can have,” says Lynsey Baer, PE, BCEE, SWANA Board President. “RCon brings all of those opportunities together in one place, while also offering unique experiences you won’t find anywhere else. From a disc golf practice area in the exhibit hall to live battery fire management demonstrations, RCon blends learning, innovation, and engagement in ways that make it much more than a conference.”

Experiential learning tours are a highlight this year, featuring six distinct locations in the St. Louis area with numerous opportunities to investigate and gain firsthand knowledge. Additionally, learn from four keynote addresses on industry subjects centered on workforce, safety, innovation, and collaboration; attend technical sessions led by professionals from across North America talking on a variety of subjects affecting the sector; and take in a variety of vehicles, equipment, technology, service providers, and other resources in the fully booked exhibit hall.

“From technical sessions and facility tours to networking events and the exhibit hall, attendees will experience our industry in action,” adds Carolyn Muller, SWANA Acting CEO. “RCon showcases the people, technologies, and innovations shaping the future of waste and resource management by creating a dynamic learning environment where attendees can explore emerging trends, gain practical knowledge, and leave inspired by what’s possible.”

As always, this year’s RCon provides a wide array of events and activities to meet every need, including Experiential Learning Tours, guided site visits designed to improve participant comprehension through practical learning.

Along the Greenway: Native Habitat Restoration & Recycling in Practice Tour examines the connections between waste management infrastructure and environmental restoration along the Gravois Greenway, starting at the Mysun Charitable Foundation Trailhead and following participants through a carefully planned corridor of wetland, woodland, and prairie ecosystems, each of which represents deliberate native habitat conversions that promote ecological resilience and biodiversity in an urban setting.

Inside Recycle City: Advanced MRF, Transfer & Composting Operations Tour explores how materials are converted into useful resources by visiting one of the most cutting-edge integrated waste management campuses in the area. Attendees receive a thorough, backstage look at a completely co-located system with a cutting-edge Material Recovery Facility (MRF), transfer station operations, and a sizable composting facility at the City of St. Peters Environmental Campus, home to Recycle City.

Champ Landfill: A Frontline Look at PFAS Treatment & Sustainable Operations Tour investigates how state-of-the-art operations and environmental innovation come together at Waste Connections’ Champ Landfill by going behind the scenes of one of Missouri’s busiest landfills. For a unique, up-close view of large-scale landfill operations in action, this guided bus tour takes guests deep inside the site, which is housed within a 200-foot limestone quarry. Attendees gain knowledge about important procedures, site management techniques, and infrastructure that facilitate effective and safe trash disposal along the route, perfect for professionals interested in disposal infrastructure, environmental protection, and community engagement since it offers a balanced perspective of contemporary landfill operations alongside innovative sustainability initiatives.

Play with Purpose: Disc Golf, Sustainability & Smart Land Reuse Tour offers an enjoyable disc golf experience at the Jefferson Barracks Park disc golf course for players of all skill levels. A flexible round played from the “short tees” makes the event accessible to novice players. Along the way, participants discover how disc golf courses can be built on landfills, why they’re a wise post-closure use, and how they can improve community ties and generate income (small courses may be built for less than $10,000).

Washington University: Waste Reduction, Circularity & Campus Sustainability in Action Tour investigates how a top university is using integrated waste reduction, circularity, and building design techniques to advance sustainability. From front-of-house collecting methods to back-of-house operational procedures, this guided tour of Washington University in St. Louis walks attendees through a look at how campus operations support an all-encompassing approach to sustainability. Participants tour campus facilities to observe the implementation of three-stream trash collection (landfill, compost, and recycling) including collection locations, service docks, and operating areas that facilitate effective material management.

Energizer Park: Community-Centered Stadium Design & High-Impact Diversion is a guided stadium tour to learn about Energizer Park’s sustainability narrative, showing how daily operations and careful design combine to divert over 80 percent of trash from landfills. Along the way, participants can discover how cutting-edge technology and thoughtful food and beverage choices support sustainability goals, take advantage of lots of photo possibilities, and experience distinctive stadium settings.

Keynote sessions include Safer by Design: How Technology Is Transforming Waste Industry Safety, which investigates how safety is changing in the waste and resource management industry and technology is becoming more crucial in lowering risk, enhancing operations, and safeguarding employees. Robotics, sensors, and automated monitoring in processing facilities, as well as AI-enabled cameras and driver-assistance systems on collection vehicles, are all examples of new tools that are assisting businesses in identifying risks early on, improving decision-making, and creating safer workplaces. This lecture discusses how safety-focused innovation is transforming the sector, provides real-world examples of technology in action, and looks at how leaders can combine these tools with responsibility, culture, and training to produce long-lasting gains in operational performance and worker safety.

From Design to Recovery: Collaborating Across the Recycling Value Chain examines how recycling’s future depends on collaboration along the whole materials value chain, from product design and packaging choices to collection, end markets, and resident participation and education. This fireside discussion discusses how cross-sector cooperation, public-private partnerships, and volunteer action are speeding up the transition to a more circular supply chain.

Trash to Treasure: Innovations for Nature-Based Solutions and the New Economics of Circularity examines what is possible when capital, design, technology, and biology collaborate, bringing together a variety of perspectives to argue that circular economies expand from pilot to infrastructure through public-private partnerships supported by catalytic, outcomes-based finance and rooted in municipal innovation.

Finally, Built by People: Strengthening the Workforce That Powers the Industry, discusses how people are the key to the industry’s future. The final general session of RCon will center on changing demands for workforce development, examining opportunities and difficulties for professional advancement, hiring, and building organizations that can quickly adjust to change. Practitioners and thought leaders will exchange tactics for creating cohesive teams and training the next generation.

Additionally, there are numerous learning opportunities presented throughout the convention, addressing topics such as Monitoring Points: Assessing the Effectiveness of Landfill Gas Migration Monitoring Programs; Advancing the Solid Waste Industry Through Young Professional Networks; Building Up Instead of Out: A Case Study in Vertical Landfill Expansion and Long-Term Planning; and The Success of the Empire Bins Program in New York City and Key Takeaways for Automating Urban Waste in other North American Cities, to name just a few.

RCon attendees are decision-makers, ranging in fields from equipment, design services, engineering, regulatory compliance, safety, leadership tools, automation, artificial intelligence, technology, thought leadership, environmental consulting, and marketing and communications to directors, supervisors, managers, and owners in hazardous materials management, landfills, landfill gas, material recovery facilities (MRFs), recycling programs, and transfer stations.

“Safety is a critical part of the RCon program, with sessions and conversations focusing on how to transform your culture to one grounded in safety and continuous improvement,” stresses Baer. “I encourage every attendee to use their time at RCon to connect with professionals from across North America, learn from their experiences, and bring home new ideas that build a safer, more resilient industry.”

Sidebar:
RCon^® 2026, St. Louis, MO

Event Dates: September 29 to October 2

Exhibit Hall Hours:
Tuesday, September 29: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. (RCon Opening Reception in Exhibit Hall)
Wednesday, September 30: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Thursday, October 1: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

In an effort to give attendees enough time to visit with all exhibitors, the RCon schedule includes nine hours of dedicated exhibit hall time. During this time, no other primary activities will be scheduled outside of the exhibit hall.

For more information visit https://swana.org/events/rcon2026

The post Trash Talk: Transforming Waste and Resource Management at RCon® 2026<p class="company">RCon® 2026</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

The county’s big picture growth strategy is achieved in various ways. In its efforts to draw and retain private investment, the Wells County Economic Development Corporation (WCEDC) focuses on continuous infrastructure improvements while actively reaching out to prospective new arrivals who are handsomely incentivized to establish themselves here. The cumulative outcome of the corporation’s economic development efforts has been a significant improvement in local utility supply, transportation infrastructure, and broadband connectivity.

With shovel-ready sites, Wells County’s location, infrastructure, and access to major transportation veins all contribute to its appeal as a future-forward location with the means and business savvy needed for further development.

Where business booms
Home to around 10,000 people, its county seat, the City of Bluffton, was once a gas boom town and one of the first to have paved roads, leading it to become known as “The Parlor City” for being “as clean as a parlor” during a time when most streets were commonly either dusty or muddy. Wells County’s other fast-growing towns include Ossian and Markle, amongst others. And while its communities are expanding at an impressive rate, the county really takes care of prospective businesses looking to relocate here by providing state-based, dollar-for-dollar cashback credits and a county-based relocation cost abatement and workforce assistance, plus low equipment investment taxation.

As a result, Bluffton, Ossian, and Markle have seen impressive changes over the past few years. Poised for the significant growth of its industrial park, workforce, and wages, the town of Ossian is proud of two new housing developments that are underway as a result of a powerful regional economic upsurge.

Moreover, the state’s fastest-growing town, Markle, is known for its beauty and higher wages. Markle also happens to be divided by the borderline of the counties of Wells and Huntington. The happy outcome is that, with fabricators relocating from Illinois and Michigan, much of Allen County’s growth is positively impacting Wells County.

In response to this economic boom, Wells County’s housing sector is also expanding. In particular, its section of Markle is experiencing high housing demand. With Wells County offering low taxes, a lower cost of living, and quality schools and amenities, the town of Markle has responded to the demand with a considerable housing development, of which phase one is already fully occupied. It is now moving into phase two of the project.

If you build it, they will come
In its early days, Wells County was under the management of Allen County before establishing itself as an independent entity in the late 1830s. While the town of Zanesville now also spans both counties, the friendly neighbors regularly join forces on regional advocacy and infrastructure.

Now, following the implementation of numerous well-executed strategies to develop its many sectors and overall infrastructure, leaders in logistics, agribusiness, and advanced manufacturing find Wells County an ideal location for their facilities. To accommodate growing demand from industry, Bluffton Industrial Park is working on a new 100-megawatt electrical capacity that will be rolled out in 2028 alongside its existing 249 acres of available land.

The county has also invested $16 million in its water supply and other infrastructure, with a specific focus on improving food production capacity. Ossian’s industrial park has had significant drainage improvements to improve the quality of its shovel-ready sites within five miles of local railway access, and the town also has large-scale electricity and natural gas infrastructure in place.

Of course, it helps that the local workforce has a longstanding reputation for being particularly industrious. Public statistics show just under 20,000 resident workers, of whom just under 15,000 live and work in the county, with nearly 2,700 commuters entering the county daily from elsewhere, actively contributing to the local economy.

As a result, forward-thinking businesses choose Wells County for its capable workforce, integrated and proactive leadership models, competitive overhead costs, and quality of infrastructure. Wells County is also superbly accessible. Situated right on Interstate 69, and connected to U.S. Highways SR1 and 224, the county has direct routes to all corners of the United States, within a day’s truck drive of around half the American population.

It also has international access to important ports on the Great Lakes at Indiana-Burns Harbor; in Toledo, around two hours away; and in Detroit, roughly three hours away. Its dependable rail service offers national connectivity, and Wayne County Airport, Detroit Metropolitan, Indianapolis International Airport, and Fort Wayne International Airport are all within a three-hour drive.

Amenities for all
Committed to creating quality of place, Mayor Scott Mentzer is leading with the idea that for communities to remain healthy, they must have access to what he calls good, safe, and affordable “third places”—places beyond work environments and home—where people gather and meet. “I think we’ve become isolated. And I’m trying to create momentum about breaking down that isolation and having people gather again, connect again, and create connectivity,” Mayor Mentzer says.

“The quality of our public places signals what we believe we deserve,” he adds. Based on this maxim, the county is continuously recreating itself in ways that make people want to stay.

One such new landmark amenity is the Wells County Community Aquatic Park in Bluffton. As a county-wide effort, the park was funded by a number of visionary stakeholders and designed to be accessible to all demographics, with a design that is modern, fun, and packed with activities. The best part is that it is unbelievably popular, with attendance in the first weeks surpassing the previous year’s visitors’ volumes of its original 51-year-old swimming pool by 40 percent. This year to date, it has gifted 3,600 tickets sponsored by generous business owners to local residents.

The generous people of Wells County also ensure that every child has access to all its wonderful amenities and extra-curricular opportunities. The Wells County Foundation assists families in covering the costs of children’s participation in sport, the arts, and school activities, while other organizations with similar missions include Women in Leadership, The Women of Light, and the Wells County Chamber of Commerce.

Furthermore, the economic development team also endeavors to provide the local workforce with quality job opportunities. These efforts include preempting investors’ workforce needs and curating and developing local talent through workforce training and related partnerships in ways that complement prevailing industries.

Diversifying the economy
In the process, the team is looking to further expand the county’s economic prospects by diversifying its industrial profile. By focusing on providing suitable sites with high-volume water and power supply and other business resources, it aims to draw more companies serving the defense, agricultural technology, and aerospace industries.

“With our collaboration with local governments and utility partners, we have improved transportation, utility, broadband, and shovel-ready sites to keep supporting our growth,” says Jessica Beste, Director of Economic Development.

As a historically agricultural region, a considerable part of Wells County’s existing gross domestic product is derived from crops like wheat and soybeans and their subsequent food processing facilities and value-added agricultural products and services.

Thanks to its expansive technical education offerings, strong logistics and storage industries, and accessibility, alongside generational fabrication expertise, advanced manufacturing, precision machining, and cleanroom facilities, medical fabrication has also found a comfortable home here. From automotive OEMs and metal and plastic fabrication to wood and food production, Wells County is known for innovation and a proud tradition of craftsmanship.

Building the future
As the region continues growing, expediting housing development and redevelopment is a priority, as is providing affordable childcare in order to maintain its workforce as a family-oriented region. To this end, two three-year aid pilot programs assist families with childcare bills from state-registered providers. On the trishare plan, one-third of the cost is settled from regional Northeast Indiana funds, while employers cover one-third and employees another. On the coshare plan, higher-income employees equally divide the cost of childcare with their employers.

In the county’s bid to provide sufficient, quality affordable housing, the WCEDC collaborates with multiple stakeholders on work that dovetails with establishing its Skilled Workforce Pipeline. As part of this initiative, students from the school districts of Bluffton-Harrison, Southern Wells Community Schools, and Norwell Community Schools all receive a K-12 education informed by local business requirements to ensure that they develop the necessary academic and technical acumen they need before choosing from a selection of post-secondary institutions where they can further their studies.

“While industries evolve and markets change, one thing that has remained constant in Wells County is our culture of people who believe in building for the next generation. That commitment to innovation, stewardship, and community is what continues to make Wells County a place where businesses don’t just locate to, but they put down roots and grow. Wells County Economic Development (WCEDC) is proud of that,” says Beste.

As part of the development of adult learners and young students alike, the corporation has built alliances with local trade schools and colleges and the towns of Southern Wells, Norwell, and Bluffton Harrison, alongside Area 18 Career & Technical Education (CTE), which has proven tremendously successful over the past half-decade. The greater education system also accommodates employer engagement through curated training, apprenticeships, internships, and other means.

As Indiana’s biggest, this local CTE cooperative provides students with current, industry-relevant training and experience. High standards are maintained by interest groups engaging directly with industry and collecting relevant information, which is then processed and applied in coursework to ensure that student education remains relevant and in stride with the times.

A separate exploratory group gathers all manufacturers in Wells County to identify areas for improvement in employee education, and the CTE cooperative responds with relevant training for students and employees. This is followed by on-site, hands-on skills training in local manufacturing facilities.

The organization also gives students from eight high schools across Wells, Blackford, Jay, and Adams counties the opportunity to earn dual college credit and industry certifications toward their qualifications. There were 6,007 students enrolled in the program for the 2025-26 school year, with areas of study including Public Safety, Business, Agriculture, Health Sciences, Information Technology, Automotive Technology, Construction Trades, Precision Machining, Welding, and Advanced Manufacturing.

Beyond its school districts, Wells County benefits from Northeast Indiana’s wide choice of post-secondary institutions. These include Ivy Tech Community College, Indiana University Fort Wayne, Purdue University Fort Wayne, Indiana Wesleyan University, Huntington University, Manchester University, Indiana Tech, Trine University, and the University of Saint Francis. Considering the vast selection of study fields these schools collectively offer, Wells County residents enjoy incredibly high standards of education, especially for a rural community.

The WCEDC has partnered with Adams Wells Manufacturing Alliance (AWMA) to conduct convocation days, career exploration, and readiness with the area’s schools. WCEDC also hosts influencer tours and manufacturing day tours, and collaborates with AREA 18 to provide career readiness and internships, while the local Chamber of Commerce hosts career expos.

Northeast Indiana is not all about work, however. It also invests generously in the development of the arts, as proven recently when a combined $65 million in READI 2.0 Arts and Culture grants were awarded to nearly 50 statewide projects from Lilly Endowment funds. Sources claim that these projects are forecasted to earn the local arts economy just under $370 million. Northeast Indiana received just short of $11 million of the overall grant for six projects, one of which, the Parlor City Digital Projection, was initiated in the city of Bluffton. A permanent digital installation used as a regional arts and mapping tool is being projected onto the front of one of its oldest buildings. The project received $354,062 from the READI Award and cost around $478,000.

The WCEDC is clear regarding its vision for the future, and with so many incredible partners on board, the path ahead looks promising. As Beste says, “Wells County Economic Development Corporation believes economic development is about creating a future worth investing in. We are committed to supporting responsible growth, expanding opportunities, strengthening our workforce, and building communities where businesses succeed, families thrive, and future generations choose to stay, return, and invest.”

The post Rooted in Community, Driven by Progress<p class="company">Wells County Economic Development</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

In his book, Hightower discusses the countless lessons he learned from his parents while working for their janitorial company—navigating racial barriers, financial hurdles, and underscoring the importance of keeping your word to employees, industry partners, and customers. “There are a lot of people who want to be in business but don’t really know how, and don’t think that it’s possible,” he shares. “Having been in business my entire life, I just thought that, at my age, I need to leave something behind.”

Prior to building his petroleum business from scratch, Hightower worked at his mother and father’s business, Hightower’s Janitorial Service, in the Middletown, Ohio area. Before he even entered his teens, Steve Hightower showed up at work early on as a child with his Mother and Father, cleaning offices and commercial and residential properties. By the time he was 16, he was a crew leader with adults working under him. Ambitious and with an eye on the future, the young entrepreneur grew the family janitorial business from Middletown to Dayton, Cincinnati, and then statewide. “I was that generation who took a baseline family business and developed it into something more,” he says.

From fundamentals to finance
Watching his parents closely—and accustomed to hard work as a youngster—Hightower was a fast learner. Even today, he believes you need to create a solid foundation to be successful, no matter the enterprise. “Business is basic; you have to understand finance, pay your bills, and know how to invoice,” he states. “And whatever product or service you are offering, that has to be delivered, and delivered on time. Get a product that a company has to have to execute, versus a product that people may want to have—product that is moving every day even while you sleep.” He cites the supply chains of paint (“without resin, there is no paint”), gasoline (“without crude oil, refineries would shut down”), and consumer goods (“you can’t ship or sell without packaging) as examples. Critically, Hightower says, “Trust is built, not assumed! People have to know that they can trust you, and it always helps if they like you.”

Taking on more responsibility managing others, Hightower grew the janitorial business and connected with big players. This included selling industrial materials to the Ford Motor Company in Sharonville. He took advantage of a statewide program, HB: 584, which afforded companies owned by persons of African American, Hispanic, Native American, and Asian descent the ability to bid on certain contracts in Ohio. Other opportunities presented themselves, and Hightower pursued more procurement contracts. This included a huge opportunity when Landmark Supply Co LTD, wholly owned by Steve, bid a fuel contract which energy giant BP had held for 32 years.

Hightower knew how to find a supplier. “If you have an opportunity big enough, you can find a supplier for it, as long as he knows he can be paid,” he says. His first fuel contract was for the entire State of Ohio in 1982, and to this day, Hightower credits the late Don Lykins of Lykins Oil, who quoted him as his supplier, providing product and a credit instrument that secured the sale to the state of Ohio.

The contract revealed Hightower’s confidence. “I did not know anything about petroleum. I did not come from the industry, I did not work for a petroleum company,” he says. “And at that particular time, he remembers saying to his people—even though it was only two or three people at the time—‘Whatever our part, we need to do that well.’ “Thus the beginning of learning the business.

Thanks to Lykins, Hightower learned about a credit instrument that allowed the company to gain credit by utilizing a “lockbox.” This, he says, was the key to his ability to grow in the business, because he could secure funding to his suppliers by having customers send checks to the bank’s lockbox; once the check arrived, the bank was instructed to send the money to the supplier, i.e. Lykins, initially under the name of Landmark supply Co LTD.

“The bank had no liability, because they only had instructions to transfer the dollars to my supplier,” he says. “I could not get a bank loan for petroleum. None of the local banks would trust me to be in the oil business. To them I was just a janitor… I was told by a diversity professional of a construction company in Cincinnati to stay in my lane. How I was able to get to doing hundreds of thousands of dollars in business was through the use of the lockbox.”

Hightowers Petroleum continued to grow, and the business reached $235 million after many years, before HPC got its first commercial bank loan. “No one believed that I should be in the petroleum business, but you learn how to manage with what you have. You’ve got to be creative, and you’ve got to deliver, and most importantly you have to have the courage to succeed. We were able to deliver, and that’s how I really got started.”

The evolution of energy
Following the initial contract years later with the State of Ohio, the company was called to Cleveland and won an opportunity to haul jet fuel to Government locations BP was fulfilling. “They selected us to become a ‘Contract Carrier’ for BP after they supported and help secured our PUCO (Public Utilities Commission of Ohio) status, which allowed the company to transport jet fuel to various government entities within the state for BP.” It was at that point that Steve incorporated “Hightowers Petroleum Company” in 1984 and had the credentials to officially be in the fuel industry.

Today, Hightowers Petroleum remains a leader in energy solutions. A safe, environmentally responsible wholesale fuel supplier, the company’s reputation is unparalleled, with a 99.9 percent on-time delivery rate. The company’s Focused Energy Model is unique and “designed to minimize energy spend, maximize energy efficiencies, and optimize your company’s success by having a trusted single source manage all of your energy requirements.”

Establishing its reputation as a trusted supplier of traditional fuels in the downstream such as gasoline and diesel fuels, today the company is moving upstream to include crude oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and supplemental products such as diesel exhaust fuel (DEF), additives, and lubricants. Hightowers Petroleum keeps investing in the future of energy. Our “HPC Mastercard® Fleet Card” is nationwide serving every state in the USA with discounts at the pump for our commercial customers, both fleet and Class A vehicles,” says Hightower. “Additionally, we follow our customers and provide alternative fuels which include renewable diesel and hydrogen for fleets produced on site; emerging technologies such as nano nuclear reactors; small-scale reactors; carbon credits; and electric vehicle (EV) charging station infrastructure,” he says.

“EV is a Johnny-come-lately,” says Hightower. It is a piece of the company’s automotive business, which includes General Motors, Volvo, Nissan, and Mack Trucks. “When your automotive customers are moving toward EV and electric, you don’t want to be the last horse and buggy on the street, so you get ahead of the game. That’s why we went toward EV.”

The company’s construction arm, Hightower EV Solutions, is growing in response. Currently, there are 15 or 16 major turnkey EV installations going on across the country, from California to New York to Miami. This work comprises installing EV charging stations, infrastructure, charging stations, and electrical upgrades. “That’s where we’ve done very well with Hightower EV Solutions, and it is growing quite rapidly,” says Hightower. The company also owns the software for many EV stations and provides 24/7 maintenance service to customers.

Navigating change
Even with the current global uncertainty surrounding petroleum because of the closures at the Strait of Hormuz, business remains solid. “The good thing about this industry is whether its crude oil, gasoline, or diesel, they need to have it,” says Hightower. “Price might be a factor, but you’ve got to pay it anyway, because you need it for your refineries. Refineries can’t shut down.” The price of freight has gone up from $2 to $12, and the product has increased from $45 to $50 dollars a barrel to $100 to $110. “Instability has its challenges, however it also has its opportunities. It’s time to lean in, not put your head down, but to ‘step up.’” Hightower is moving full force in the upstream opportunities created that were not available prior to this disruption.

While this has caused plenty of conflict and confusion in the petroleum industry, it has also created opportunities. “We look at it from an opportunity standpoint, and basically just lean into the situation and continue the route we were on, namely maintaining and managing our downstream customers on a daily basis.” With a presence in every state in the continental U.S., Hightowers Petroleum is also entering Puerto Rico and Hawaii. To achieve this in the downstream, Hightower and his team are buying product throughout the United States and managing the supply chain of carriers that carry product to almost every major city in the U.S.

“We’ve been able to do that one customer at a time,” he says. “We have hundreds of customers now, 99 percent private sector.” His philosophy is, “If you take care of your customers, your customers will take care of you. When times get hard, companies are still looking for people who will answer the phone, show up, and do what they say they’re going to do! And that’s been our success model.”

For years, Hightowers Petroleum has maintained a philosophy of going deep, not wide. The company started with fuels like gasoline and diesel long before adding EVs. Other factors behind the company’s success include MasterCard fleet cards and offering discounts to private companies with large fleets throughout the U.S. using Hightowers products and services.

Building the business on wholesale downstream fuels, Hightower says upstream, like crude oil and LNG, is totally different. A load of gasoline or diesel fuel of about 9,000 gallons going down the road is approximately $30,000 to $35,000; a load of crude oil, about one million barrels per shipment, amounts to some $85 to $100 million per shipment. “$30,000 versus $100 million? That’s a big leap for a little guy,” says Hightower, who brought in experts specializing in trading crude and upstream over the past three years. Owing to this, the company now has customers in Europe, the United Arab Emirates, and Africa.

“That’s because I continue to work in our vertical, but in a different portion within the vertical of petroleum products, and that’s where we stand today,” Hightower explains. “We are taking advantage of opportunities being posed by all of the confusion that’s going on, because we’ve got relationships with China. With our Chinese partners, we can go through the Strait of Hormuz.” And with Europe being short on crude oil, customers are looking for safe places to purchase product, and the U.S. is considered one of those safer places, as opposed to Mexico, Central and South America, or certain countries in Africa. Customers are extremely comfortable purchasing petroleum from Hightowers Petroleum.

“When you have a disruption, that, again, is opportunity. Fortunately, we worked for three years building a foundation upstream, and the environment became what it is. There is a shortage and a need, and Hightowers was well-positioned after 44 years in the petroleum industry, and able to get partners from Europe and the UAE and here in the USA. One criterion for exporting fuel or crude from the U.S. is, there needs to be a base in the U.S. Hightowers Petroleum has become that partnering business in the U.S. for about four different major corporations and has been able to execute in the market despite shortages. “The advantages we put in place allowed us to be prepared, so this was not a disaster for us. It was an opportunity, and an opportunity to succeed.”

Continuing on its path, Hightowers Petroleum recently formed a partnership with multinational giant Shell with its MasterCard fleet card. Offering some of the deepest discounts in the country, Shell took notice and partnered with Hightowers. When the fleet card was released in 1985, it was a loss leader; today, it is a very profitable part of the business.

A foundation for the future
Years after founding the business, Steve Hightower says much of his success comes down to drive, respect for customers and employees, and treating people right. “This is an industry of reputation,” he says. “It takes a lifetime to build a reputation, and it takes 15 seconds to lose it. The difference is, I grew this company from scratch without basically any money, no outside investors, and no big loans available to me. Today, I am still a 100 percent owner of a C-Corp—typically, most companies today have either sold off, sold to someone else, and are not around. Longevity comes from being honest with people.”

Hightowers Petroleum’s reputation is the result of hard work, dedication, professionalism, and on-time delivery. These attributes, and others, have seen the company recognized for its work. A couple of the most recent was the Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Southwest Ohio and the “Sustainability Award” from Honda NA. competing against all of their vendors in 2026. Although this is a validation, Hightower says the company’s work in the community is just as important. Along with being active on many boards, the company also adopts classrooms and sixth graders with a program that exposes schoolchildren to the petroleum industry within classroom education and small exercises, along with field trips to learn about the oil and gas industry.

For years, Steve Hightower has championed public speaking and still carries his love of high school debate to this day. This includes taking local kids from Middletown to the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio for Youth and Government mock legislation. These are the real reasons he wrote FUELING. “They compete against other schools from across the country,” he says. “When people ask, ‘Why did you write a book?’ it’s because those kids are our next generation. I have to leave my knowledge for somebody, because none of us are going to be here forever.’” In Hightowers Petroleum, he is building a legacy to last.

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Here, dedication to supporting local businesses’ expansion and prosperity is imperative, and the Economic Development team addresses this need with a broad blend of skills and local awareness that affords the opportunity to give individual support and strategic insights for growth.

By adopting cooperation, teamwork, innovation, development, honesty, and openness and supporting community involvement, the Economic Development team stays ahead in the constantly changing scene by promoting innovative thinking and adopting new technologies, acting in the best interests of those they serve, and forging a strong bond with the community, working with local businesses, groups, and citizens to understand their needs and contribute to their success.

Some of those recent successes include the progress of the North Florida Mega Industrial Park, as the first tenant, AgroLiquid, comes into full operation; a new 60-acre land purchase from a wholesale building supplier; and a $30 million wastewater treatment plant, all truly impressive accomplishments.

“After being rescheduled due to Hurricane Helene in September 2025, we celebrated the official grand opening of the North Florida Mega Industrial Park on November 7, 2025, dubbing it the Greatest Show on U.S. Highway 90,” says Jennifer Daniels, Economic Development Director.

Mayor Noah Walker served as the ringmaster, telling the story that was 20 years in the making, while Todd Powell, Weyerhaeuser’s Vice President of Real Estate from the inception of the project, shared remarks, along with comments from the Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners Tim Murphy; longtime supporter and former commissioner Ron Williams; AgroLiquid’s local plant manager Jeff Herald; Congresswoman Kat Cammack; and Daniels herself.

“This day really honored everyone who played a part in creating this fantastic asset that will be a catalyst for growth and prosperity for Columbia County and the entire north central Florida region,” she says.

In fact, the volume of interest in the park has more than doubled, with most of those leads being viable projects, she adds. “We’ve had several very significant projects come back to the table after going quiet for a couple of years. Leads are coming from a wider array of sources and are much more real, not just speculative.”

In terms of improvements to infrastructure, Columbia County has recently allocated millions in investments for expansions to roads and rail and a new water main. Funded by a legislative appropriation of just under $3 million in 2022, the main entrance road, NFMIP Parkway West, is now under construction with an anticipated completion of late Q4 2026.

In 2023, the Florida Legislature awarded Columbia County $5 million to construct a water treatment facility on site. After realizing that construction of an entire plant was no longer feasible with a $5 million budget, that funding was shifted to build a new water mainline from the City of Lake City’s Price Creek Water Treatment Plant to NFMIP Parkway West, allowing Lake City to be the complete utility provider and eliminating duplication of services. That project is anticipated to be complete by June of 2027.

In 2025, Columbia County received a $2 million Rural Infrastructure Fund Grant Award for the construction of rail within the NFMIP. Those funds are being utilized to construct two side tracks—designed and constructed by Pinsly Railroad Company—used for pulling railcars off of the park’s mainline to prevent queueing, crossing NFMIP Parkway West, and extending approximately 1,500 feet into the catalyst site, the largest area of contiguous acreage within the NFMIP. Because of the civil work already completed as part of the parkway construction, the rail project is expected to be completed by Q3 of 2027.

“This key piece of critical infrastructure is another check in the boxes that help eliminate risk factors for potential industries,” Daniels says. “Having rail on the ground within the largest parcel of the NFMIP is a game changer.”

In local business, the Busy Bee Travel Center’s substantial new location in Ellisville, spanning 75,000 square feet, is slated for completion by early 2027. “Elizabeth and Lucas Waring, owners of Busy Bee, Florida’s own infamous chain of comfy and clean convenience stores, first approached Columbia County Economic Development in 2019 with the idea to build their biggest and best store yet,” Daniels tells us.

This means expanding the footprint of an existing store on Highway 441/41 S and I-75 in Ellisville, an unincorporated area of Columbia County. After working for several years to acquire the adjacent land, the Warings officially and publicly announced the project in May of 2023, an $80 million private investment that will bring approximately 200 jobs along with Busy Bee’s signature sweets and treats, quirky trinkets and gifts, and a new brick oven pizzeria not found in any other location.

“Due to the size and scope of the project, improvements needed to be made along Highway 441/41S and the adjacent county road, Howell Street,” adds Daniels. A $5 million Rural Infrastructure Fund Grant awarded in 2024 is funding the construction of a signalized service road, diverting truck traffic eastward, paralleling Highway 441/41S, behind the SunStop Convenience Store before coming out on the highway.

Additionally, FDOT is completing approximately $40 million in improvements to both sides of I-75, including lowering the highway under the overpass to correct a decades-old safety concern for tractor-trailers.

The addition of an almost 80,000-square-foot convenience store will also require upgrades to the wastewater system in Ellisville, now managed by the North Florida Water Utility, a joint utility authority partnering with Columbia and Suwannee Counties together in an effort to lower the cost of county-owned utilities simply via economies of scale. Funding efforts are currently underway to increase the capacity.

In terms of the county’s Planning and Zoning Department, Columbia County and Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. are partnering to provide a full, complete, and thorough review and revision to the county’s Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Regulations, a project that includes a robust community engagement process and pop-up events throughout the county within the 18-month project timeline. This is important for two reasons, says Daniels: the first is to give current residents within the county a voice in the rules that determine where, what, and how growth and development happen around the county. By creating commercial overlay corridors around interstate exits, paths are created for quicker permitting, directing commercial growth to areas where it makes sense for commuters, and attracting business to areas that may have been overlooked and neglected for many years. By updating the Future Land Use in these corridors, homeowners who may be contemplating putting their homes on the market can now ask for commercial prices, putting more money back into their pockets.

Secondly, Columbia County will have a playbook on hand, complete with the rules and requirements, so potential industries don’t have to guess if they fit within the county’s standards.

“One of the first check boxes of any economic development project is if the zoning and comp plan designation already supports the use,” Daniels explains. “Updates to either can cost a company up to 18 months. Modern LDRs with clear industrial zoning, streamlined concurrency requirements, and predictable review times are a clear indicator that Columbia County is easy to do business with and in.”

The county certainly has much to celebrate, and other recent accomplishments include partnering with the City of Lake City to complete infrastructure improvements at both the NFMIP and SR 47/I-75, water/sewer/gas improvements that will open land for both commercial and industrial development in areas of the county where that growth makes sense, creating jobs and increasing ad valorem tax revenue.

“ClearSky Health Rehabilitation Hospital is also now open,” says Daniels of the 36-bed, $45 million private capital investment that provides state-of-the-art, compassionate care for patients recovering from strokes, brain injuries, and other complex conditions.

Approval of two residential development tax rebate incentives resulting in the construction of a total of 120 duplex/townhouses is also cause for celebration, as no multi-family projects had been constructed in the county for more than 10 years, while construction of Recoil Trampoline Park—a brand-new 30,000-square-foot facility—will bring a much-needed entertainment option to the county while also serving as an amenity to attract larger industry.

Challenges, Daniels says, include visibility. “While the Department of Commerce and both the state and local Chambers of Commerce are advocates of Columbia County, we are often still not top-of-mind compared to other Florida metros like Jacksonville or Ocala when site selectors are in the market.”

Restrictions around water usage and capacities, along with other utility infrastructure, are also still a struggle. While there has been tremendous progression over the last five to eight years, there are still many areas of the county that are underserved with water, sewer, gas, and fiber. The potential loss of revenue due to property tax reform is also a concern.

“Many people don’t understand the true implications,” stresses Daniels. “Those dollars pay for fire and ambulance services, public libraries, and our 4-H and Extension Office programs, not to mention the impact on our school system.”

When asked about what lies ahead, Daniels has some ambitious ideas. “In the next few years, I’d love for our Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) program to grow, creating additional resources, funding, and opportunities for our legacy businesses that are looking to expand.”

She’d also like to have at least two new tenants in the NFMIP—“extra credit” if one of those is an aerospace/aviation/military project partnering with SpaceFlorida—along with partnering with the City of Lake City to develop the Gateway Regional Airport, eventually creating a cargo hub to utilize the FTZ designation.

“I also want to establish a Building Construction Technology Center with Florida Gateway College, building the talent pipeline needed for attracting advanced manufacturing jobs,” she says, along with attracting additional amenities that include resort hotels or an event venue so Florida’s Gateway can host regional and national conferences and events.

“Personally, I’d like to expand my opportunities for serving on local, regional, and statewide boards and committees,” Daniels adds. “Not only does this bring me joy, but it gives me a platform to share Columbia County and rural Florida with a wider audience.”

While those might be future aspirations, there are a number of amazing attributes Columbia County offers today for residents, visitors, and potential businesses looking to enjoy all the area has to provide. These include affordability; access to good healthcare, education, and community events; and growing amenities such as new restaurants, family entertainment centers, and expanded sports parks and facilities, all attracting younger families to the community.

“Columbia County has small-town character with genuine community involvement: festivals, sports, parades, and a sense of people knowing and looking out for each other,” Daniels says.

Additionally, innovative minds at Florida Gateway College and the Columbia County School System Career and Technical Education Department are exploring ideas that challenge the rural stereotype, providing educational opportunities for future generations while staying true to local roots.

Boasting an abundance of natural springs, waterways, and a waterfall, as well as hundreds of thousands of acres of National Forest, Columbia County provides a refreshing break from the hustle of a technology-driven society.

“Columbia County is Florida’s Gateway, welcoming people here since 1832,” says Daniels. “You can drive an hour to go to Jacksonville Beach, two-and-a-half hours to hang out with Mickey Mouse, or five hours to salsa the night away in Miami, but something I’ve learned and take to heart is that all roads lead to Columbia County.”

The post Florida’s Gateway: All Roads Lead to Columbia County<p class="company">Columbia County Economic Development</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

This is still true, but paired with the low taxes and affordable housing, the area’s population continues to grow as well, with young people and families seeking out the quality of life this oceanside retreat has to offer. For several years running, Myrtle Beach has been ranked amongst the fastest growing metros in the United States, momentum that the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation (MBREDC) continues to ride as it locks in new investments and a sound economic future for the region.

Tending to growth
Growing for growth’s sake is one thing, but tending to that growth is quite another, and since 2013, Sandy Davis, President and CEO of the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation (MBREDC), has not only sowed the seeds of growth herself but also nurtured the work of her predecessors to ensure their work is done.

Nowhere is that more evident than at Bucksport Marine Park, which has sat vacant since before her time—until recently, that is. Now, with the addition of a new road making the area more attractive to potential investors, a new partner in Ocean Craft Marine is expected to bear fruit.

“The company visited different sites in several locations in various states and we were the last stop, and they really loved the Bucksport Marine Park site. They loved the area,” says Davis. “We toured the HGTC boat building program and they said, ‘This is it. You have everything that we wanted. You have a great community. You have the skills for the workforce we need. We’ve met with all your leaders in the area and they’re really supportive.’”

While the deal for the land has yet to close, it is underway and the anticipation is growing, especially given the fact that the land has been vacant for so long. This will serve as a beacon of economic growth and prosperity for the community and will free Davis to seek out new deals with an even greater impact.

Big deals, big impact
The Myrtle Beach region is no stranger to big announcements that come with big investments. That is certainly true of the relationship it has with DC BLOX, which has been located in Horry County’s International Technology and Aerospace Park since 2023. It offers connected data center infrastructure, including its first subsea cable landing station (CLS), the largest on the Eastern Seaboard, with the capacity to host up to five subsea cables.

From Davis’s perspective, “DC BLOX has been a huge asset to our area. They continue to grow, continue to invest in the Myrtle Beach region, and continue to bring in more subsea cable customers.” This includes Segra, which will be taking a fiber line from the subsea cable line from Myrtle Beach to Charlotte.

Noting that, “it is a lot of investment for our area,” there is still further room to grow and economic impact to be had. What started as 20 acres for DC BLOX has now expanded to 40, with more growth potential in the future.

Initially there were opponents to this development, but Davis reaffirms that there has been no strain on local utilities or infrastructure. In fact, many people are unaware that a data center exists in the community.

One investment that people are aware of, however, is Amazon. Home to a 165,000-square-foot, same-day delivery facility that opened in 2024, which sped up deliveries and improved service, a second last-mile delivery center is planned and underway for early 2027 operation. “The community loves Amazon,” says Davis of what has been the most popular project over her 13 years at EDC.

Discussing the second project, she notes, “It will be a lot more product, a bigger distribution area, and more jobs than what we saw with the first one.”

Acknowledging concerns around the strain on infrastructure, as the facility will be located proximate to Highway 501, one of the most utilized roads in the county, Davis explains that Amazon has been a true community partner, working to schedule departures from the facility around the existing traffic patterns to alleviate strain on transportation infrastructure in the region.

Still searching for a hole in one
Further to these big economic wins, any discussion about the Myrtle Beach economy would be remiss to not mention the role of retail and hospitality in the strength of the region, driven by tourism, which is being viewed in a new light.

Golf has long had a respected presence in the community, but beyond its value in tourism dollars, there is untapped potential to grow the economic impact of the sector. For instance, while golf is certainly a regional draw, Davis is exploring the notion of bringing in a golf manufacturer or similar kind of operation that could further reinforce the region as the golf capital of the world.

“It makes so much sense in the golf capital of the world to look at recruiting a golf manufacturer in our area that we can support. That would definitely be a company we have the visitors and the locals to support, and we even have golf courses who are happy to say, ‘If we can get one here, we would love to showcase them at our golf course,’” says Davis of the full-circle potential of such a strategy.

Whether it is a golf ball, a grip, or even carts, there are so many components of the golf industry that can be leveraged to maximize the region’s economic potential. “We are actively searching for that. We attended our first PGA trade show in Orlando in January, and it was the most successful trade show that we have been to in probably the last two years,” explains Davis. To advance the concept, MBREDC is working with Golf Tourism Solutions as a strategic partner to increase attention to the region and help showcase the skills and available workforce that could support investments in this sector.

A place to call home
Strategic partnerships, like that with Golf Tourism Solutions, are a big part of the economic success of the Myrtle Beach region. From the various municipalities to the local Chambers of Commerce, educational institutions, local, county, and state legislators, The Department of Commerce, and the North Eastern Strategic Alliance (NESA), a nine-county regional economic development organization, it is truly a group effort to advance the interests of the region.

Investments continue to be made to keep pace with growth to preserve and elevate the area’s quality of life; this includes investment in housing to ensure that the missing middle has access to affordable and adequate housing, as well as infrastructure.

Regarding housing, Davis notes, “We have a lot of housing, but affordable housing may be the issue, so we have started something new for our target companies that we need to provide for called a Community Land Trust, where we focus on housing for the incomes between the $45,000 to $72,000 range.” This is the group most struggling to secure housing due to the rising rents and home costs in the area.

This is certainly not a problem unique to the Myrtle Beach region, but it is exacerbated by the growing population causing housing prices to rise.

Further to economic development and growth, the region is also focused on the provision of infrastructure and services to sustain the quality of life that has proven so attractive to so many. “We have a lot of plans for our infrastructure as far as roads,” Davis shares. “Our utilities are robust and we’re working on some new projects with utilities as far as gas and electricity. We recently had a gas company and utility company team up to build a generation station together,” which will serve the area well as it seeks to attract manufacturers with high power demands.

Downtown Myrtle Beach is also beginning to see the positive outcome of years of revitalization efforts. These efforts are intended to not only enrich the aesthetic of the city’s core but also improve traffic flows and walkability. And through the creation of opportunity zones and tax credits, more work will be undertaken to breathe new life into the city’s already vibrant energy.

A long-term strategy
Crediting the Myrtle Beach region for how far it has come, Davis continues to be mindful about the future, planting the seeds of change with hopes that they will be tended to and given the opportunity to bloom.

While she acknowledges that she might not see some things come to fruition while she is at the helm of MBREDC, she will continue to advocate for change, particularly around matters like Interstate 73, which could benefit from investment and could further open up the area to opportunities in manufacturing, industry, and other high-wage sectors.

“My long-term goal is to have a footprint on the progress of bringing manufacturing, distribution, and technology into our areas,” she shares. “That will create a lot more opportunity for people moving here, having children, to be able to keep their children here to build the skills that diversify our economy.”

This diversity has been the area’s strength—not just economically but also from a population standpoint. Now, never resting on its laurels, MBREDC and its partners are working to ensure there will always be opportunities for all, making the Myrtle Beach region a great place to visit and to stay.

The post Planting the Seeds of Change and Reaping the Rewards of Investment<p class="company">Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation (MBREDC)</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.