Dearborn County Register, Business Spotlight. July 30, 2009

 

 

Dearborn Businesspeople

Are Community Heroes

 

By Mike Rozow

Chamber President and Chief Operating Officer of the Dearborn County Economic Development Initiative

 

When the call came asking if I would write some words for the Register’s annual salute to local business, my first thought was that there is nothing the President of the Chamber of Commerce and the Chief Operating Offering of the Economic Development Initiative would enjoy more.  I welcome the opportunity.

 

My job gives me an opportunity to interact most of each workday with local businesses and the people who work at them.  As I collected my thoughts to write this article, I scribbled some words and phrases on a legal pad.  When I sorted the notes, I kept coming back to one word I had written to describe local businesspeople.  That word is “heroes.”

 

I truly believe that.  The people who own and run and work at our local businesses are heroes.

 

The owner who lives with the daily pressure of finding the next big piece of business so the company can make payroll and continue to provide jobs that let workers provide for their families is a hero.  The boss who looks for ways to make going to work more challenging and rewarding for employees is a hero.  The workers who show up on time and give a full day’s work and more to provide quality goods and services for their companies’ customers are heroes.

 

I know that Dearborn County doesn’t have the market cornered on these kinds of heroes, but I hope you’ll pardon a little bit of prejudice when I suggest that the work ethic that exists in our community makes us better than most. 

 

The Chamber recently launched a “Buy Dearborn” campaign, suggesting that local residents and businesses consider the value associated with buying products and services close to home.  We made the point that buying Dearborn did not mean to imply that local businesses were looking for charity, but rather were encouraging people to examine all the components that add value to a Dearborn purchase … such a convenience, buying from someone you know and can trust, helping preserve local jobs, contributing to the local tax base, and enlarging the local economic pie.  Value is about more than price, especially if you have to drive 50 miles to return a purchase to an outlet mall or find a box and bubble wrap so you can ship an internet purchase back to the manufacturer.

 

We have some great businesses here in Dearborn County … and as I trade my Chamber of Commerce hat for my Economic Development Initiative hat, I would add that I only wish we could attract more of them.  We’re working on that.

 

I realize that kind of statement may concern some residents, and I hope I can allay their concerns.  Mention the words “economic development” and a lot of people think they mean big companies, smokestacks, more traffic and the loss of our community’s rural character.

 

I disagree, and I suggest those concerns are not valid because we are committed to working cooperatively and collaboratively with diverse groups throughout the community to achieve the right kind of growth that will mean more workplace options and a higher quality of life for residents.

 

In simple terms, the Dearborn County Economic Development Initiative is about Jobs, Family, Education and Taxes … more good jobs close to home for our residents … enhanced services and quality of life … providing resources for succeeding generations … and expanding the tax base to sustain our economy.  

 

DCEDI is a marketing organization formed to “tell our story,” raise the awareness level about the business location advantages of Dearborn County, and persuade companies to expand or relocate here.  Major support comes from the Lawrenceburg Development Fund and some other government entities, and we rely on similar support from businesses and other organizations to make this a true public-private partnership.

 

A number of economic development good news stories and happenings have surfaced recently, and those of us involved with the Dearborn County Economic Development Initiative feel very encouraged by our progress and the future.

 

•  Two Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts are in place along the I-74 corridor in West Harrison and St. Leon and another is in West Aurora. 

 

•  The Redevelopment Commission has secured commitments of up to $3 million from the City of Lawrenceburg and Dearborn County to be used to purchase property and make it available to prospective buyers.  The TIF districts are our first priority. 

 

•  The State of Indiana has added the Stone Trust Property at the West Harrison TIF to its list of nearly 50 sites that bear the designation “shovel ready.”  This is important and means the State will be talking up a Dearborn County location.    

 

•  Northern Kentucky companies Crown Car & Coach and Crown Charter relocated to Lawrenceburg, citing lower costs and tax and the business-friendly environment.  Crown’s positive remarks provide us with a great testimonial to share with future prospects.

 

•  PDS Biotechnology Corp., a firm that got its start at the University of Cincinnati’s biotech incubator, established its headquarters at Ivy Tech’s Lakefront Campus in Lawrenceburg after getting a $2 million grant from Indiana’s 21st Century Fund.  The company expects to grow to 100 employees over the next four to eight years with FDA approval for the next step in developing Versamune-HPV, a vaccine cure for human papillomavirus related cancers, and in treating and curing melanoma.

 

•  A $12 million senior living complex is coming to the Ludlow Hill area near Dearborn County Hospital.  The facility will have a capacity to serve 130 residents.  Mainstreet Property Group is the developer and Trilogy Healthcare Services is the provider.