by Alan Biggs and David Ingram
Guest Columnists
May 06, 2008 11:34 am
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By ALAN BIGGS and DAVID INGRAM
Guest Columnists
The two of us, as current and past chairman of the Board of the Logansport-Cass County Economic Development Foundation, wish to share our views regarding the state of our local economy, and more specifically, the status of local economic development efforts. This is especially timely given the recent decision by Modine Inc. to close its Logansport facility. In spite of this discouraging news and a tightening economy (rising food and fuel costs), we feel that we in Logansport and Cass County have many positive things going for us and that our future will be bright.
While there appears that there is nothing additional we can do about Modine’s decision, it does not mean that we did nothing. From the first public warnings of financial difficulty by Modine Inc., Mr. Skip Kuker, president of LEDF, was diligent in his efforts to contact Modine officials. He presented the case to Modine officials that Logansport and Cass County is a positive place to do business, that our costs are very economical, our workers well-educated and hard-working, and our public officials are willing to do whatever necessary to keep this plant in operation. These efforts included a trip by Mr. Kuker and Mayor Mike Fincher to Racine, Wis., to further make these points. Unfortunately, Modine has made a corporate decision to cut costs by closing this facility to improve their deteriorating position. Their choice was based on overall corporate goals — not Logansport’s lack of effort. LEDF, along with a host of other agencies, has already begun working with Modine and its employees on transition plans. We will do all we can to line up employment, training and assistance for displaced Modine employees.
For the present, efforts that LEDF, Mr. Kuker and the mayor have been making continue to pay and promise dividends. Multiple projects are at various stages of completion, including a few very exciting prospects that may be soon announced publicly. More prospects are added each month, as through the efforts of LEDF and the support of our elected officials and great local corporate citizenry, we have created a business friendly, inviting atmosphere. Our “Shovel Ready” site is the envy of communities throughout the state, and is the object of daily consideration by site planners. The site received its “Shovel Ready” designation by having all zoning, certifications and site work pre-performed so that a prospective expansion would merely need to begin “shoveling.” Our unemployment numbers are in the mid point for the state, and our average per capita income has continued to rise steadily as well. Clearly, the present holds great promise and these efforts will continue.
That promise leads to the future; a future we believe will be very bright for Logansport and Cass County. We are blessed and fortunate to have energetic, positive-minded, and compassionate people involved in our community working for our future. These people are volunteers or elected officials, public and private alike, but they share one common purpose: a driving passion for our community, for Logansport, and for Cass County. It is a passion that instills a desire to see our community succeed, to grow and thrive, to be a prominent place to live and work, to provide opportunities for our children. In this regard, the efforts of LEDF, Mr. Kuker, Mayor Fincher, and our elected officials have been especially productive and vital. Through these efforts Logansport will have four-lane highway access to all of Indiana (and even the U.S.) by the end of 2013. Through these efforts, Logansport will soon be home to a new Ivy Tech campus, a $16 million permanent addition to not only our landscape, but to additional and continuing training availability for our workforce. Also through these efforts, a delegation of 10 committed people traveled over 6500 miles to Japan, where we established relationships with the beautiful and thriving town of Mibu. Business and philanthropy were discussed, as well as the possibility of mutual student exchanges. These relationships will one day lead to growth, development and enlightenment for both of our communities. It was a positive effort for change in what can seem like negative times, and it echoes the message of our thoughts. While we have some problems and challenges, we will continue to meet and overcome them with the combined effort of the citizens of Logansport and Cass County to achieve that bright future.
At LEDF we encourage all of our citizens to become involved, to be positive about building our future and to always look for ways that we can build for the future in our global economy.
Alan Biggs was chairman of the Logansport-Cass County Economic Development Foundation in 2007 and David Ingram is its chairman in 2008.
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