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.

The post Fueling Success<p class="company">Hightowers Petroleum</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

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.

“Since the Riverport Authority was created almost 60 years ago, we’ve provided real value to Louisville, the state of Kentucky, and even to the entire nation,” says Steve Miller, who became the authority’s Executive Director in August 2024. “We’re actively shaping the future, not waiting for it.”

To understand where the Louisville Riverport Authority is headed, it helps to understand what it already is. Miller describes its value through three interconnected pillars.

The first is the authority’s two vibrant industrial and commercial parks in southwest Louisville, which are home to more than 120 businesses employing more than 6,500 people. These parks have developed over 2,000 acres of industrial and commercial real estate and continue to offer investment opportunities across available parcels and buildings for sale or lease.

The second pillar is Foreign Trade Zone 29. For businesses engaged in manufacturing and assembly, this can significantly ease cash flow pressures and reduce operating costs. With more than 300 foreign trade zones now operating across the country, businesses facing the complexities of today’s shifting global trade environment are looking more closely at what these zones can offer.

Miller notes that FTZ 29 closed 2024 with record growth across jobs and trade activity, a sign that the zone’s advantages are resonating. In early 2026, Foxconn announced a $173 million investment at its Riverport facility, further underlining the appeal of the park’s business environment.

The third pillar, and perhaps the most distinctive, is the authority’s role as a multimodal logistics hub. Louisville’s central geography within the United States makes it a natural crossroads for freight movement, and the Riverport takes full advantage of that position.

Barge traffic on the Ohio River, rail connections, and truck access converge at the authority’s 300-acre port facility, creating what Miller calls a river-rail-road connection. And sitting just minutes away is UPS Worldport at Louisville International Airport, one of the most significant air logistics operations in the world, adding a fourth dimension to an already formidable freight infrastructure.

“We’re a strategic logistics hub that brings together these various ways to move freight based on Louisville’s central location in the country,” Miller says. “And we are working hard to be an entity for investments in Louisville’s future.”

When Miller arrived in August 2024, he brought with him a career spanning public policy, nonprofit leadership, and state and national politics. He quickly worked with the board to develop a new strategic framework, the Five Pillars strategic plan, which governs the authority’s full scope of operations across its entire footprint. That includes the 2,000 acres near the river as well as an additional 200 acres the authority owns near Dixie Highway in Louisville.

Alongside the strategic plan, the authority secured a federal grant through the office of Congressman Morgan McGarvey to fund the development of a comprehensive master plan focused specifically on the 300-acre port facility, the area where the rail, barge, and truck operations all come together.

The master plan was publicly launched in February 2026. When complete in early 2027, it is expected to serve as a transformational roadmap to modernize the port into a more resilient, future-ready logistics facility. The scope is broad: modernizing marine terminals and road and rail infrastructure; optimizing land use and site readiness; improving environmental sustainability; and positioning the facility to attract advanced manufacturing and logistics operations.

“The master plan is not just about what has been successful over decades,” Miller says. “It’s about the future. Through this master planning process, which is a very comprehensive one, we will position Louisville Riverport to better compete with our peer inland ports regionally for the decades ahead.”

The vision for the modernized facility includes a redesigned port with enhanced barge, rail, and truck integration, and the potential creation of a second dock on the river to expand capacity. Environmental stewardship near the Ohio River is also a core consideration, as is a forward-looking economic analysis to guide infrastructure investments that will need to remain relevant for decades.

Governance is another area where the authority has undergone a meaningful shift. Board member Rick Blackwell, a lifelong South End Louisville resident and former Jefferson County Metro Council member who served for 22 years, describes the change in tone and ambition as substantial.

“My main focus is on it being something that’s for the city and especially the opportunities for the South End,” Blackwell says. “With Steve’s leadership, I think it really has taken quantum leaps in terms of being the authority.”

Blackwell’s perspective is rooted in deep community knowledge. He has watched the Riverport develop from its earliest days and, during his time on the council, worked to consolidate its political representation to ensure more coherent support from local government.

He acknowledges that in previous years, the authority’s role was not always well understood or well communicated. “There was always confusion about the role of the Riverport Authority as opposed to the Riverport Business Association and individual businesses,” Blackwell says. “It didn’t come across to the community or to the Mayor’s office as an authority that was really driving economic development for the city.”

That perception has shifted, and Blackwell describes the current board as a group of active participants rather than passive overseers. “This is a board that’s very, very active,” he says. “Steve, to his credit, is not threatened by that in any way. He wants the feedback, seeks the feedback, listens to the feedback, and responds to it. We’re all on the same team.”

Indeed, Miller frames the board-staff dynamic as one of the authority’s key leadership assets. Alongside proactive planning and clear external communication, he says the alignment between staff, board, and community partners is what will ultimately determine the authority’s long-term success.

The timing of the authority’s transformation is not incidental. The global supply chain landscape has shifted dramatically in recent years, and the dynamics at play—tariff volatility, reshoring and near-shoring of manufacturing, the rise of e-commerce, and the rapid evolution of automation and smart logistics—all point toward the kind of infrastructure the Louisville Riverport Authority is working to build.

Miller is closely watching how these trends intersect with the authority’s role. “Both the political decision makers and the business communities are committed toward bringing manufacturing back on shore and expanding it here in the United States whenever possible,” he says. “We’re analyzing the impact of e-commerce and how distribution chains and demand are working. We’re also trying to keep our minds focused on automation, robotics, and how smart logistics are changing the entire global supply chain.”

To serve a facility seeking to modernize its infrastructure with investments that must remain effective for decades, the master plan is being designed not just to address today’s freight volumes but to anticipate how goods move, where they come from, and what kind of infrastructure will be required to handle them in a future defined by technological disruption and geopolitical complexity.

The authority’s proximity to UPS Worldport, one of the most significant global import-export hubs on the planet, gives it an asset few inland ports can match. Combined with rail access, river connectivity, and the regulatory advantages of FTZ 29, the Riverport’s multimodal offering is positioned to become even more competitive as supply chain pressure continues to favor consolidated, flexible logistics operations.

Beyond the strategic and infrastructure plans, the authority has also taken concrete steps to raise its profile in the community. It recently purchased a new building a mile down the road from its previous offices, a more visible location that will allow it to function as a genuine community hub, hosting meetings with Riverport businesses and building the kind of relationships that have historically been harder to cultivate.

For Blackwell, this is as meaningful as any element of the master plan. Having spent decades watching the authority operate largely behind the scenes, he sees the move as symbolic of a deeper cultural shift. “We’ll be able to invite Riverport businesses there to have meetings about how we work together to improve the area, to improve access to the rails, improve access to the river, and make it much more vital,” he says.

The authority’s sense of renewed purpose extends to its advocacy work as well. Miller says the authority has become more aggressive in pushing for both the public funding and the policy environment its infrastructure investments require, a posture the board has actively encouraged.

The Louisville Riverport Authority is, at its core, a special purpose governmental entity. Its six-person board and Executive Director are charged with managing and overseeing a riverport and a set of commercial and industrial parks on behalf of the public. But the authority’s leadership is clear-eyed about the gap between what the institution has been and what it can become.

As the master plan takes shape over the coming months, built with input from businesses and community stakeholders across Louisville and Kentucky, the authority is making the case that a modernized, proactive riverport is good for everyone—for the companies that rely on its infrastructure, for the workers they employ, and for the region’s long-term competitiveness.

“This is the new Louisville Riverport Authority and the new Louisville Riverport,” Miller says. “It’s an exciting time for businesses and government and local leaders to partner with us.”

The post Charting a New Course<p class="company">Louisville Riverport Authority</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

“We don’t take them all,” says the Mayor. “They have to be a fit that we feel can help our community. Can we see ourselves forming a partnership with them to advance our community in the future?”

A third-generation resident, Mayor Gregory has devoted much of his personal and professional life to Elizabethtown (often called E-town) and Hardin County. Following a career in law enforcement spanning over 20 years as a Kentucky State Trooper, he entered politics. Successfully becoming Mayor in 2018, Gregory was re-elected in 2022. A determined leader, he has helped to oversee exceptional economic growth and job creation for workers of all ages as well as veterans.

Celebrating 70 years
Mayor Gregory is quick to credit others with Elizabethtown’s ongoing success, including city staff and Andy Games, President and Chief Operating Officer at the Elizabethtown-Hardin County Industrial Foundation (EHCIF). Previously serving as EHCIF Vice President, Andy took over from his father, Rick Games. Serving as President for 25 years, Rick is now Vice President of the Foundation, which was originally formed in January 1956.

All those years ago, the EHCIF launched thanks to some local business executives focused on creating jobs for Elizabethtown. By the early ’60s, the city was recruiting well-known companies like Dow Chemical, Crucible Magnetics, and the Gates Rubber Company. The EHCIF’s mission, it states, is “to create jobs and elevate Hardin County as the top destination for advanced manufacturing, distribution, and industrial companies from across the nation and around the world.”

Another factor behind E-town’s success is vision for growth and prosperity. “We’ve had great leadership forever,” says Games, “and a lot of good Mayors over the last 50 years.” Mayor Gregory agrees and praises James R. Pritchard. Serving as Mayor in the ’70s and into the ’80s, Pritchard and other community leaders spearheaded Elizabethtown’s industrial boom starting about 50 years ago. This saw the city recruiting industry, developing industrial parks long before many other communities, and implementing an Occupational Tax. “They’re the ones who bit the bullet—and got a lot of the political pressure at the time for doing it—but it’s made all the difference in what we look like now,” adds Games.

Location, low taxes, and tailored training
For years, Rick Games liked to say that Elizabethtown was a day’s drive from two-thirds of the United States. On Interstate 65 in the heart of Kentucky, it is easy to get east or west with the Bluegrass Parkway (officially the Martha Layne Collins Blue Grass Parkway), and the Western Kentucky Parkway (Wendell H. Ford Western Kentucky Parkway), just five minutes from two industrial parks. The city also has the nearby Elizabethtown Regional Airport (EKX), and two major railway lines. “Our central location has always been our calling card,” says Mayor Gregory.

Along with its prime location, Elizabethtown-Hardin County stands out for many other reasons, including low taxes and quality education. Long-established school districts are highly ranked, and the area is home to the Elizabethtown Community and Technical College (ECTC), part of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS). Offering classes at five locations within Hardin County, Washington County, Grayson County, and Meade County, the KCTCS serves residents in 10 counties.

“Our community college is one of 16 regional campuses within the KCTCS and our campus has been here since the late ’60s,” says Games. Along with courses in accounting, business administration systems, and health sciences, the KCTCS offers classes in air conditioning and refrigeration, manufacturing, mechanical engineering, and other hands-on trades. This includes training for industrial partners and certificates in electrical, welding, plumbing, and more.

“If you come in and need training in something specific to your industry, they will build a program and train your people,” says Mayor Gregory. “Whatever industry comes in, they will work with that industry to develop a curriculum that is specific to them, and they will train their people at our community college. It is basically tailored training.”

Welcoming major players
In late 2021, Kentucky announced the $5.8 billion BlueOval SK Battery Park in Glendale, Kentucky. This saw KCTCS and ECTC build a new, specialized training facility and in May 2024, Governor Andy Beshear was joined by community and business leaders for the park’s ribbon-cutting. The park—home to the world’s biggest battery plants—was slated Kentuckians for thousands of new jobs. The massive facilities opened and started making batteries in January 2025, with about 1,500 employees, but by December, it was announced the facility would close, with the joint venture dissolved.

Although this saw job losses, it revealed the area’s resilience. The facility is now in a reboot, and will see Ford Energy (a wholly owned Ford Motor Company subsidiary) take over the site, which will be used for making U.S.-assembled, grid-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS). Set to be up and running by 2028, the property will be the home to over 2,100 workers, with a second facility coming online soon after. In the middle of the pandemic, Canadian packaging giant Kruger opened a massive new facility, representing one of 14 different countries with a presence in the industrial park.

Managed by the Elizabethtown-Hardin County Industrial Foundation, the area is also home to the T.J. Patterson Industrial Park and the Gil Niceley, Sr. Industrial Park, named in honor of the long-time farmer and furniture store owner. Nicely served in the Army Air Corps and during WWII, he was aboard the Straight Flush, the B-29 aircraft that served as the lead weather reconnaissance plane during the bombing of Hiroshima. “Gil had a lot of history here,” says Mayor Gregory. “He was a great citizen, and we thought that it would be appropriate to continue to name that area after him because of all the things he’s done, not only for the city but for the country.”

Some of the largest manufacturers in the area include Metalsa, which makes truck frames for Ford, and Altec, which manufactures products like telecommunication and electrical utility trucks. And, apart from the County school system, other key employers include Baptist Health Hardin and Fort Knox, a sprawling military base home to about 12,000 individuals and a big draw to the area.

A rich business landscape
Along with large manufacturers, many other businesses are coming to E-town. The area’s sixth McDonald’s is in the works, and the city is home to two Chick-fil-A’s. On the grocery side, there is Publix, and Elizabethtown’s third Kroger’s will be the largest in the state of Kentucky. The city also punches above its weight in hotels, while numerous other restaurants, clubs, entertainment venues, shops, and the Lincoln Trail Area Development District (LTADD) also boost the area’s popularity.

The LTADD encompasses seven counties, with Elizabethtown serving as a hub. Many drive to Elizabethtown for work, and the area sees an estimated daily daytime population exceeding 110,000. And for those wanting to permanently settle in the city, Elizabethtown has seen the creation of several thousand housing units since 2021.

A great place to build a business, Elizabethtown is also building a reputation as a sports and entertainment hub. Opened in 2012, the multi-million-dollar Elizabethtown Sports Park is a sprawling, 158-acre complex with dozens of baseball and soccer fields, pedestrian trails, and more. The Sports Park is a major destination from March to October for anything sports-related in the eastern half of the U.S., with people coming from all over to play baseball, soccer, football, and lacrosse. The area recently hosted about 100 soccer teams and 50 baseball teams, most of them from out-of-state.

To attract concert-goers, construction is underway for a new 10,000-seat outdoor concert venue. Estimated to cost about $40 million, the venue will host between 35 and 50 shows a year. “What we are trying to do is fill the space in between the weekends,” states Mayor Gregory. “So for your Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday crowds, we are bringing people into our city for concerts, while the weekends are usually maintained by the Sports Park. We want people here just about every day of the week, and think the concert venue and Sports Park will be very compatible and complement each other.” Set to open in the first quarter of 2027, the yet-to-be-named venue will be large enough to host big-name acts.

Ranked number one for startup growth in the nation, Elizabethtown is the fastest-growing city in the state of Kentucky. The city’s success stems from extensive planning and solid leadership. “We’ve never had anybody come in and deflate the balloon. The balloon keeps getting bigger, and keeps going up,” says Games. “Jeff has done a phenomenal job for seven years now, and it’s been the case that each Mayor has been a building block on what the previous Mayor has done.”

Quality of life
Along with solid business attraction and retention, Elizabethtown provides an outstanding quality of life for its residents. With robust police and fire departments, 2023 saw Elizabethtown ranked as one of the five safest cities in the United States per capita by the FBI. Public safety remains a top priority.

“I’ve said this a million times over seven and a half years, but if people feel your city isn’t safe or clean, you can’t do the rest of the work,” says Mayor Gregory. “You need those pillars in place as a foundation to build upon. So we work hard on public safety and making sure we keep a good, clean city to be attractive to people who want to come here, so we can do the rest of these things.”

Preparing to run as Mayor for the third time and buoyed by a strong and enthusiastic team, Jeff Gregory welcomes the coming years and looks forward to continuing to raise the profile of Elizabethtown and Hardin County.

The post Strong Leadership and Long-Term Vision<p class="company">Elizabethtown-Hardin County Industrial Foundation (EHCIF)</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

“We exist to foster collaborative partnerships among the private and public sectors to stimulate economic growth and improve quality of life in our communities,” says Ashley Epling, Executive Director of WEDCO. “Everything we do ties back to that mission.”

Founded in 1983, WEDCO serves as the county’s economic development engine, working closely with businesses, educators, government leaders, and developers. Its approach is hands-on and highly responsive, grounded in the belief that sustained growth comes from understanding the needs of both existing employers and prospective investors.

One of Williams County’s most compelling advantages is its location. Positioned within a day’s drive of roughly 60 percent of the United States, the county offers exceptional access to major markets, making it an ideal hub for manufacturing and logistics.

“That centralized location is one of our strongest assets,” Epling says. “We’re close to Indiana and Michigan, and we have strong transportation routes running through the county. It makes it easy for companies to move products in and out efficiently.”

Interstate access, rail connectivity, and proximity to larger metropolitan areas such as Fort Wayne and Toledo enhance the region’s logistical strength. Businesses can operate in a cost-effective, rural environment while maintaining direct access to major urban centers. Columbus, Ohio’s capital, is also within a three-hour drive, further expanding opportunities for regional connectivity.

This balance between accessibility and affordability has become increasingly attractive to companies looking to optimize operations without sacrificing reach.

Manufacturing serves as the backbone of Williams County’s economy, employing approximately 5,800 workers across a range of industries. Rather than relying on a single dominant sector, the county benefits from a diverse industrial base that includes automotive and food processing. “It’s not just one industry driving everything here,” Epling explains. “That diversity helps create stability and resilience in our economy.”

In addition to its established industries, Williams County continues to attract new investment from international companies seeking to expand into the U.S. market. Recent foreign direct investment projects highlight the county’s growing global appeal. A Netherlands-based manufacturer specializing in polymer materials, for instance, has selected Williams County for its first U.S. operation. Similarly, V-Rod, a Canadian company producing fiberglass rebar, has launched its first American facility in the county.

“These are companies choosing Williams County as their entry point into the United States,” Epling says. “That speaks volumes about what we offer.”

At the same time, legacy companies continue to play a vital role in the local economy. Businesses such as Spangler Candy Company, founded in 1906, The Ohio Art Company, established in 1912, and Acheson, dating back to 1914, have maintained a presence in the region for generations. Their longevity reflects both the strength of the local workforce and the supportive business environment cultivated over decades.

WEDCO’s commitment to business success begins with its proactive approach to engagement. Through regular Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) meetings, the organization maintains close relationships with local employers, identifying challenges and opportunities in real time.

“These meetings help us understand what’s happening on the ground,” Epling says. “If a company is facing hiring challenges or considering expansion, we can step in and help connect them with the right resources.”

This ongoing dialogue allows WEDCO to address issues before they become obstacles while also uncovering opportunities for growth. It also reinforces the organization’s role as a trusted partner for businesses operating in the county.

When it comes to attracting new companies, WEDCO takes a tailored approach. Incentives are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, with careful consideration given to factors such as job creation, wage levels, capital investment, and industry alignment. “We look at the full picture,” Epling explains. “Then we bring together the tools and resources that make the most sense for that specific project.” This layered strategy enables WEDCO to create competitive, customized packages that support both new investments and expansions.

Like many rural communities, Williams County faces the challenge of retaining young talent. However, WEDCO has made workforce development a central focus, implementing programs designed to connect students with local career opportunities and encourage long-term residency.

“We want our young people to see a future here,” Epling says. “Whether they go away for education or enter the workforce right after graduation, we want them to come back and build their lives in Williams County.”

Jennifer Stance, WEDCO’s Director of Workforce Development, works closely with the county’s seven school districts to bridge the gap between education and industry. Through initiatives such as early workforce placement, students who graduate ahead of schedule can transition directly into local employment opportunities.

Another key program is the annual educator boot camp, which brings teachers into local manufacturing facilities to gain firsthand insight into industry needs. “They can take that knowledge back to the classroom,” Epling says. “It helps ensure students are learning the skills that employers are actually looking for.”

Additional resources include a career and technical education center that is expanding its electrical and welding programs, as well as partnerships with a local community college that develops customized training programs for employers.

For businesses considering relocation or expansion, Williams County offers a range of development-ready sites designed to accelerate project timelines. “We currently have 13 sites available throughout the county, ranging from five acres to more than 200 acres,” says Epling.

One standout property is a 63-acre site that has been certified through the SiteOhio program. With due diligence completed, utilities in place, and rail adjacency, the site is ready for immediate development, and an additional 80 acres are available for future expansion.

Other properties include a 223-acre site located along Interstate 80/90, one of the country’s primary east-west corridors. These sites provide flexibility for a variety of industries while ensuring access to critical infrastructure.

Although the county has fewer existing buildings compared to more urban areas, its available land and streamlined development process make it an attractive option for companies seeking to build new facilities. Williams County’s participation in Foreign Trade Zone 8 enhances its appeal to international businesses, offering cost-saving opportunities related to tariffs and customs duties. “We already have several foreign companies operating successfully here,” Epling says. “That creates a strong foundation for additional international investment.”

Indeed, the county’s track record with foreign direct investment demonstrates its ability to support global companies entering the U.S. market. WEDCO provides hands-on assistance throughout the process, often serving as a primary point of contact for international clients.

“When companies can’t be here in person, we step in,” Epling explains. “We help coordinate everything from logistics to local connections so they can move forward with confidence.” This level of support helps reduce barriers to entry and ensures a smoother transition for companies establishing operations in the region.

Of course, as economic activity increases, housing has become a critical component of Williams County’s development strategy. WEDCO is working closely with the Williams County Port Authority to expand residential options and support workforce growth. “Housing and job creation have to happen at the same time,” says Epling. “You can’t have one without the other.”

Recent efforts include the construction of single-family homes, duplexes, and triplexes, as well as plans for a 50-unit senior housing complex. The goal is to create a balanced housing market that meets the needs of residents at every stage of life. By providing housing options for seniors, the county can also free up existing homes for younger families and workers entering the community.

This proactive approach is particularly important in a rural area where private development has historically been limited. By demonstrating market demand, local leaders hope to attract additional developers and accelerate residential growth.

Beyond economic development, Williams County is investing in its communities to create vibrant, welcoming environments for residents and visitors alike. In recent years, downtown areas across the county have undergone significant revitalization. Vacant storefronts have been transformed into restaurants, boutiques, and mixed-use spaces featuring loft apartments.

“I’ve lived here my whole life, and the change has been incredible,” Epling shares. “There’s a real effort to make these communities places where people want to spend time.”

Local initiatives have introduced unique attractions, from renovated historic buildings to entertainment venues and specialty shops. These improvements not only enhance quality of life but also support tourism and small business growth.

Community events also play a central role in this transformation. From farmers markets and festivals to theater productions and county fairs, there is a steady calendar of activities that bring residents together.

During the holiday season, Williams County becomes a regional destination. Downtown Bryan hosts a festive market inspired by traditional European holiday villages, while nearby West Unity transforms into a Christmas-themed shopping district that attracts visitors from across the region. “We see tour buses coming in for those events,” Epling says. “It’s something that really sets us apart.”

WEDCO’s efforts are delivering measurable results. Over the past year, the organization has supported six major projects totaling more than $78 million in capital investment. These initiatives have created 212 new jobs and generated over $12 million in payroll.

In addition, WEDCO has secured more than $2 million in incentives through a combination of grants and tax credits, further strengthening the county’s competitive position. For Epling, these achievements reflect both the strength of the local economy and the effectiveness of WEDCO’s collaborative approach. “We’re a small county, but we have a lot to offer,” she says. “Our goal is to show businesses that they can come here and succeed.”

With a small but dedicated team, WEDCO operates with a high level of agility and personal engagement. Epling and her colleague Jennifer Stance manage a wide range of responsibilities, from workforce development to marketing and project coordination. “We’re very hands-on,” says Epling. “When a company comes here, we’re with them every step of the way.”

This includes connecting businesses with local resources and navigating regulatory processes, and Epling’s deep roots in the community further enhance WEDCO’s ability to provide support. This network-driven approach ensures that businesses have access to the expertise and resources they need to succeed.

As Williams County continues to grow, its combination of strategic location, industrial diversity, workforce development, and community investment positions it for sustained success. The county’s ability to balance economic growth with quality of life makes it an increasingly attractive destination for businesses and residents alike. With strong leadership and a clear vision for the future, WEDCO is helping to shape a region that is both competitive and connected.

“We’re proud of what we’ve built here,” Epling says. “And we’re just getting started.”

The post Small But Mighty: Driving Economic Impact in Northwest Ohio<p class="company">Williams County, Ohio</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.