City should grant request by Valmont

If you haven't driven through McCook lately, you will be in for a surprise as you head south over the U.S. Highway 83 overpass.

To your left, where there used to be nothing but packed-dirt baseball practice fields and wire backstops, sits a gleaming, modern, computerized factory. The new Valmont plant turns out state-of-the-art irrigation systems, designed to meet the need for reliable, efficient irrigation of crops in America and around the world.

Bringing Valmont to McCook was shining achievement, capping years of hard work, on the part of local and state economic development interests, as well as research and planning by the company itself.

Part of the package which brought Valmont to McCook was a $1 million loan/grant channeled through the state and city. In return, the company promised 200 to 255 jobs.

Now, however, the company has asked for that guarantee to be reduced to 140 to 165 full-time equivalent jobs, the number now employed.

The council tabled the request in order to explore other options, such as extending the length of the loan.

But, as Gary Hamer, director of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development told the council, even if Valmont had brought the lower figure to the table during the original talks three years ago, the loan would have been approved.

And, as Councilman Chris Overman said, "I don't think it's worth risking our relationship with Valmont to get half a million dollars."

Valmont also made the argument that, even with lower numbers of jobs, its payroll missed the planned $5 million mark by only $30,000. A $5 million payroll is a major part of an economy the size of McCook's and the surrounding area.

We don't see any veiled threat connected to Valmont's request. And, we don't think there's any danger of McCook becoming a "company town," where one employer dictates civic policy.

But we do think Valmont, like the rest of us, is doing the best it can to deal with the economic downturn that began long before the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Its request should be granted without further delay.