|
|
|
 |
NEDCO News
Promoting Growth & Prosperity Throughout Nacogdoches County |
|
February 17, 2010
|
Nacogdoches Economic Development Corporation
|
|
In This Issue
· Helping New Businesses Get Started
· Lone Star Legislative Summit
· Tech Training Center Final Report
· Census Day is April 1
NEDCO Website
Upcoming Events
Feb 18 — Lone Star Legislative Summit
Mar 11 — NEDCO Board Meeting
Apr 15 — NEDCO Board Meeting
Apr 20 — VIP Employer Visit - Pilgrim’s
Important Information
Contact Us
Telephone: (936) 559-1255
Email: bking@nedco.org
|
HELPING NEW BUSINESSES GET STARTED
At last night’s city council meeting, the City Council approved a low-interest loan to T-REX-S, a new local business to be operated by Rex Perry that will create 13 new jobs. The loan, from the City’s Revolving Loan Fund, is similar to one awarded last year to another start-up business, Southwest Scooter Company, for its Lone Star Scooters retail store.
T-REX-S is the most recent new business to pass through NEDCO’s Entrepreneur Incubator Program, which helps local businesses develop business plans for new business ventures. The program, operated in partnership with Angelina College’s Small Business Development Center, is free of charge.
The three legs of any community’s economic development strategy are business retention, business creation and business attraction and, while business attraction creates a lot more buzz in the media, the real work of job creation comes from the other two legs – business retention and business creation.In the case of T-REX-S, we have a blending of retention and creation – a struggling existing business (Nacogdoches Power Sports) that is being given a second chance by Rex Perry to succeed, in a new location (the former Suzuki dealership), with a new name (T-Rex-S) and a new business model, while creating 13 jobs in the process.
It is our local business owners who carry the weight of our local economy and, by helping them be successful, we help all of Nacogdoches be successful.
For more information on NEDCO’s Entrepreneur Incubator Program, contact Bill King at (936) 559-1255, orbking@nedco.org.
LEGISLATIVE SUMMIT IN NACOGDOCHES THIS WEEK
The third biennial Lone Star Legislative Summit is set for February 17 and 18 in Nacogdoches, Texas. The event kicks off with the Lone Star Reception on Wednesday, Feb. 17 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Hotel Fredonia, while Thursday’s sessions will be held at the student center on the SFA campus.
Summit sessions begin with an early breakfast on Thursday, Feb. 18 on the second floor of the Baker Pattillo Student Center at Stephen F. Austin State University. Sessions run through the afternoon. Topics include Transportation, Education, Water Resources, and Property Rights.
Among the high profile speakers are Texas Governor Rick Perry, who will speak on legislative challenges and opportunities across Texas, and U.S. Representative Louie Gohmert will highlight federal activity on healthcare, homeland security and other major issues. State Senator Robert Nichols and Rep. Wayne Christian are helping host the event.
TECH TRAINING CENTER NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Raymond Hartfield, AT&T’s Education Industry Practice Manager, presented his Needs Assessment report for the proposed Nacogdoches Technical Training Center at NEDCO’s February 11 board meeting. The report recommends the establishment of a technical training center physically located in Nacogdoches County.
The study was performed at the request of the Nacogdoches Economic Development Corporation (NEDCO) as a way to address the needs of local employers for basic technical skills, as well as to provide meaningful job and career skills for the 70 percent of our high school kids who do not go on to college. It is envisioned that the technical training center would offer training is such areas as welding, HVAC, automotive technology, electronics, and other basic manufacturing and construction skills.
The next step in the process will be to come up with a facility to house the technical training center. NEDCO’s goal is be in a position by the end of 2010 to either break ground on a new facility or retrofit an existing building.
REMINDER THAT CENSUS 2010 DAY IS APRIL 1
The 2010 Census aims to count all U.S. residents—citizens and non-citizens alike. To do so, the Census Bureau delivers a short 10-question form to every household in America; requires that you fill in the form to account for everyone living at your address as of April 1, 2010; and includes a prepaid envelope with the form so you can mail it back as soon as possible. A census taker must follow-up in person with every address that doesn't mail back the form in order to obtain the responses.
Census data is used in apportioning seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as in deciding how more than $400 billion per year is allocated for projects like new hospitals and schools. That's more than $4 trillion over a 10-year period for things like new roads and schools, and services like job training centers.
|
|
|
|
