The recently announced closure of one of the few remaining large scale manufacturing operations in the area, the local Tenneco plant, will surely leave a lasting impact on our region. As we watch our politicians point across the aisles to lay blame and once again talk about local economic growth and development potential, what exactly, is being done? The problem is, as a community, we have yet to take the time to truly distinguish between the two. As we have seen time and again, growth, with it's immediate job creation may feel great and boost optimism in the short term, but in reality, it is vulnerable. We will, again, see a great deal of nervous energy being spent trying to attract new growth opportunities while neglecting the true value of economic development. Perhaps now is the time time to demonstrate the power of our local community by coming together through communication and creation of databases engaging both customers and local business, in a way that truly supports our regional development in an economically sustainable manner. Understanding each community has it’s own set of challenges, so too must we realize our own unique opportunities, resources, and our abilities to respond. Just a thought….let me know yours.
Let’s chat
Brandon
Let’s chat
Brandon