Editorial

Leaders united behind efforts to boost economy

Friday, February 18, 2005

The excitement about economic development is spreading through the McCook community. That was evident Thursday night when 61 business leaders gathered for the annual meeting of the McCook Economic Development Corp.

"It was a thrilling night," said Rex Nelson, executive director of the McCook EDC. "You could sense, throughout the evening, how completely McCook supports economic development. The people want growth because they realize the good things it can do for the community."

Even though his voice was crackling because of a paralyzed vocal chord, Nelson brought the annual meeting crowd at the Coppermill alive with his impassioned plea for an all-out economic development effort.

He power-pointed to all the reasons why, saying we in Southwest Nebraska must "reverse the population decline" and "create opportunities for youth." To accomplish those goals, the economic development director said the people of the community need to recruit new businesses and to encourage local business start-ups and expansion.

Looking back over the past 10 years, Nelson said there have been some impressive economic development success stories in McCook, including Valmont and the Work Ethic Camp.

And, he added, there have been more encouraging developments in recent months, including: 21st Century Systems, which is working on military software at McCook Community College; Customer Response Teleservices (CRT), which is up to 56 employees at the former Sitel location; and Pawnee Aviation, which will begin producing helicopter kits in McCook within the next month.

Other projects are on the horizon. The quest for financing continues for SW Energy LLC, which is planning a $60 million to $70 million ethanol plant at the Perry location west of McCook. Not only would the plant create new jobs, but it would also create a better price for corn, boosting prices between 5 cents and 10 cents a bushel in this area.

The economic activity is essential. It provides the life blood for community growth. That's why Thursday night's meeting was so important. The session not only underscored the importance of development, it revealed that the town's leaders are united ... and determined ... to achieve economic success.

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