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Saluk says nearly 200
jobs saved or created in 2010
By Bob Robinson
GREENVILLE – Darke County Economic Development Director Marc Saluk told
a standing room only crowd Saturday that the combined efforts of
individuals and groups saved 80 Darke County jobs, and helped create
about 110 new ones.
“In 2010, there were 38 official county visits to local businesses to
find out their needs and what we could do to help them,” Saluk told
members and guests of the Darke County Republican Men’s Club. The
meeting was held in the Private Dining Room at Brethren Retirement
Community.
Saluk acknowledged that government can’t create jobs, but it can “put
companies in a better position to make jobs.”
He said that he has been working closely with Greenville Mayor Mike
Bowers and Versailles Village Administrator Randy Gump, as well as
Partners 4 Progress, the Darke County Community Improvement Corporation
and individuals like John Keller and others, to help keep jobs in the
county.
One of the tools of the DCED Office and others has been to work on a
loan program where needed dollars can be available in a week or so,
rather than the 3-6 month approval process they’ve had to deal with in
the past.
“We’re always looking for unique ideas and ways to bring dollars into
the county, so we can offer more local options,” he said.
Saluk noted that sometimes it takes very little effort to keep a
company here, others can be challenging.
“Just a tiny effort saved 30 jobs last year,” he said, then added that
six months ago another company said it would be leaving.
“It looked like there was nothing we could do about it, but then a tiny
window opened. We now have a good shot at saving it.”
He said that in 2011 there are 337 jobs that they will be working to
retain and another 145 they hope can be created. When a rumor floats
around about a local business, he added, it has to be taken seriously…
80 percent of the time it’s true.
“The key word is ‘we’,” Saluk said. “And we’re focusing on who we have.”
He said that in 2010 they concentrated on “locally grown jobs” because
those businesses have an investment in the community. However the
effort, especially in the coming year, hasn’t been and won’t be limited
there. Saluk said there were four basic approaches to the efforts of
the office: Help retain jobs, Help expand companies already here, Help
attract new companies and Help start-ups.
“We’re planning a more outward focus in 2011,” he said.
Saluk said that one of his priorities is to develop a web site, noting
that businesses seeking to relocate “weed out” 90 percent of possible
sites before they even sit down at the table… and they do it through
Internet searches, local newspapers and other sources of information.
“The view by many back east,” Saluk added, “is that we’re a farming
community that still uses a rake and pushes cows. We want to ‘brand’
our county as a progressive community that is interested in their
business.”
He noted that while much of his time in 2010 has been in educational
seminars, more time in 2011 will be spent on trade shows to build
outside interest and let businesses know we want them to look at Darke
County.
“We’ll be focusing more on bringing companies in,” Saluk said, “but we
will maintain our focus on retention as well.”
Saluk noted that some of the issues that have hurt Darke County,
currently and in the past, were the high cost of commercial and
industrial land (outside the industrial park), a perceived lack of
concern by government officials, and the difficulties the Greenville
School District has had to get support for a new facility.
Bowers noted that the city wants to know the needs of local businesses
so it can assist if possible, adding that it’s critical to retain the
businesses already here. Tod Oliver, Greenville City Council, said it’s
all about attitude and what government can do to help.
“We’re all in the same ship,” he added.
Other public officials in attendance were State Senator Bill Beagle,
State Representative Jim Buchy, Darke County Commissioners Mike Stegall
and Diane Delaplane, Darke County Clerk of Courts Cindy Pike, and Darke
County Prosecutor Kelly Ormsby. Republican Candidate for Municipal
Court Judge Jesse Green attended; and Bowers noted that he’s currently
putting his petition together to run for re-election as Greenville
Mayor in 2011.
Bob Robinson is the
retired editor of The Daily Advocate, Greenville, Ohio, a Senior Scribe
and Editor of County News Online. If you wish to receive a daily
notification of County News Online posts, send your email address to:
countynewsonline@gmail.com. Feel free to express your views.
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