BY DAN HILDEBRAN
A panel of community leaders said that attracting more employers to the Bradford County area, maintaining roads, and improving infrastructure requires constant effort.
Tonya Shays of Sen. Jennifer Bradley’s office, Bradford County Manager Scott Kornegay, Starke Mayor Scott Roberts, and North Florida Regional Chamber President Pam Whittle talked about economic development during the North Florida Economic Development Corporation’s annual meeting at the Keystone Heights RV Resort.
All four panelists emphasized the need to maintain ongoing relationships with Tallahassee lawmakers and establish a nonstop recruiting effort to attract employers.
Dawn Strickland, vice chair of the North Florida Economic Development Corporation, moderated the discussion.
It’s Bradford, not Broward
Shays said that cooperation between local leaders and state and federal representatives is essential to maintaining funding for infrastructure and road projects.
Whittle said the county’s participation in Rural Days, an effort by rural communities to raise the profile of smaller counties in Tallahassee, has been successful in at least getting lawmakers to distinguish between Bradford County and a familiar-sounding jurisdiction in South Florida.
“We found out people thought Bradford County was Broward County and wanted to know why we needed matching funds,” Whittle recalled about her initial contacts with state lawmakers. “I’m like, we’re poor, that’s why. And so, we joined in: Bradford, Union, Putnam, Baker. We went marching to the capital, not knowing what we didn’t know, thank goodness, but we found a lot of friends there, and they now know who we are.”
Tallahassee is the lifeline
Roberts said that although some communities benefit from federal dollars, the municipalities’ lifelines come from Tallahassee. He added that each city must get its house in order and keep it that way to take advantage of funding opportunities.
“We’ve had some success, but as y’all know, we start over every year,” he said of state appropriations. “We have just got to get out there. I think that with the communication between the people in this room and some that couldn’t make it, we have to constantly talk about economic development and make it real to people.”
The Starke mayor said that while county and city leaders deal with the day-to-day demands of local government, they must also put resources into economic development, which does not yield immediate returns.
“It’s a constant battle to keep those relationships going,” he said. “Constantly, new people are becoming part of it. We have to keep constantly talking about the importance of economic development. What does that mean to the community? What does it mean to the schools? What does it mean to the services that are provided? That conversation has to be going all the time.”
Roberts and Kornegay cited the county’s $4 million commitment to extend the City of Starke’s water and sewer lines to the bypass as an example of local governments working together.
Relentless effort
Kornegay also emphasized the importance of communication and relationships. He credited those attributes for the county securing the state-owned Douglas Building across U.S. 301 from Walmart. He added that the county is negotiating with MHD-Rockland for the Canadian-based aerospace firm to use the Douglas Building as a warehouse.
“We were able to acquire that building at no cost to the county,” he said, “and now it will become a revenue source because we’re leasing it to one business.”
Kornegay seconded the other panelists’ claims that economic development must be a relentless effort.
The panel also discussed the need for workforce development.
5,000 contacts, 42 meetings
Later in the meeting, Amber Shepherd, the corporation’s strategic alliances business partner, updated the audience on the corporation’s activities.
She said a delegation from the Bradford County area recently visited Washington and met with the Korean Global Business Center, Congresswoman Kat Cammack, Senator Rick Scott, the U.S. Economic Development Administration, and officials from the U.S. Agriculture Department.
Shepherd said her group has held meetings with local officials to discuss coordinating economic development and has had additional discussions with the Bradford County School District to establish an advisory committee.
The business partner also highlighted the county’s $75,000 grant award, which was obtained for charting an economic development strategic plan and creating digital and print outreach materials.
Shepherd said that since its inception, the economic development corporation has initiated over 5,000 contacts and held 42 meetings with potential employers.
A previous version of this story stated the economic development corporation has held 12 meetings with potential employers. The correct number is 42.
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