Economic Development Alliance Developing Through Forums, City "Summit" Plan
Bay Aggregates, S.C. Johnson are Bright Spots; Pinny May Again Make Cheese
September 29, 2003
By: Dave Rogers
A company from Whittemore has purchased the old Kraft Foods plant in Pinconning and wants to combine retail operations with cheesemaking.
Economic development is at the top of the agenda for Bay County government and business these days, buoyed by a resurgence in arts and culture and tourism initiatives.
The buzzwords are cooperation and joint efforts to revitalize the economy of the area. County Executive Tom Hickner continues his series of forums focusing on economic development, the latest featuring two speakers: Robert Redmond, county financial analyst, and Mike Seward, president of the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce.
The process of building a new Bay County Economic Development Alliance is a stated goal. Redmond says government "has a lot of work to do" in planning and information sharing about resources available. Seward calls for "real teamwork" and the need to "bring together a variety of viewpoints," while stressing that "business, not government, provides jobs and tax base."
Laura Ogar, county environmental affairs and community development director, who facilitated the forum, pointed to "very distinct roles" of government and business and indicated that steps have already begun to weld them together in a new alliance for mutual benefit.
Meanwhile, new City Manager Robert Belleman has called an economic development "summit meeting" for Oct. 15 at 6 p.m. in the Bay County Community Center, seeking a means to a unified economic development effort.
The role of the city's development staff of three seems to be emerging as a positive resource for the economic development process also a decision is awaited on city funding for the new alliance. Redmond suggested a way needs to be found to have city staff assist townships such as Pinconning, which have no development staff or expertise, in their economic development efforts.
A $50,000 county contribution to the alliance is planned to be matched by city and business funding at the same level, according to tentative plans. But the city has not committed the funds and the fate of the existing business group, Bay Economic Development Corporation, and its fulltime director, Greg Stutelberg, are also in limbo.
Cheesemakers are coming back to Pinconning and that's good news for Bay County's economic development efforts, says Redmond.
A company from Whittemore has purchased the old Kraft Foods plant in Pinconning and wants to combine retail operations with cheesemaking, according to Redmond. Also, highway-based retailer and wholesaler Williams Cheese wants to resume manufacturing, so a rebirth of this industry locally may be in the making, he says.
Seward followed Redmond to the podium of the Bay Economic Development Forum recently and echoed his calls for government-business cooperation toward economic development.
"Economic development is two simplewords but it is most effective when local leaders work together toward good jobs and improved incomes," said Seward.
He noted that the best example of private sector involvement was in the move of Bay Aggregates from the middle of the city to a new site in Bangor Township at the mouth of the Saginaw River.
Seward called the 48 acres in the city on the river made available by the move of Bay Aggregates "one of the greatest economic development opportunities to hit this community."
He also pointed to the expansion of the S.C. Johnson Co. as a bright spot in efforts to revitalize the area.
All participants noted a necessity to work with local schools to build an effectively educated workforce and Seward noted the Chamber's effort to create a "family friendly employee initiative."