The Chippewa Herald....

Tuesday, November 3, 2009....

Contact:  editor@chippewa.com....

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Editorial by Neil Mathwig....

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EDC board squarely behind Walker, his work....

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A local businessman recently asked me, “What do I do in this poor economy when my customers start cutting back on their orders and I have to consider laying off employees?” In my business as a community banker, I hear questions like this often.....

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I told him the same thing I’ve been telling everyone that will listen: In the face of declining revenues and increasing expenses you need to direct more resources to marketing.....

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Chippewa County government is experiencing similar issues, and likewise should consider directing its resources toward marketing. In this case, marketing is synonymous with economic development.....

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A simple Google search of the term “economic development” yields several definitions – all describing in different ways what our community needs. One that sticks out to me is: “A process by which local people build organizations and partnerships that interconnect profitable business with other interest and values.”....

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Sixteen years ago local business and public leaders commendably recognized the need for an organized and professional economic development effort in Chippewa County. Through many hard-worked hours and with hard-earned dollars they established the Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation.  This group had the combined goals to improve our economic future and our quality of life.  I am thankful for their foresight, hard work, and monetary commitment.....

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The CCEDC continues to grow, become more professional, and experience the successes envisioned by its founders.....

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While a small percentage of these successes are large business, by themselves making them front-page newsworthy, the larger part of the CCEDC’s activity is assisting one business at a time, more of them small businesses.  But the sum of these small successes adds up to a significant resource for our community.  Much, if not most, of this work is not in the news because the business does not want it to be, for varied reasons.....

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Three years ago the CCEDC’s board of directors recognized that the resources committed to the organization by our community could be better utilized by hiring an experienced economic development professional.  To that end, the board engaged a local consultant to assist in a nationwide search.....

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The response was significant and after a considerable amount of interviewing and vetting, ....

the board asked the best-qualified candidate to join the organization and lead it into greater prosperity.  Charlie Walker accepted the offer and joined the organization in 2006, and has been moving the CCEDC and Chippewa County forward since.....

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Much of Mr. Walker’s hard work and professional expertise goes unnoticed by the public. Again, this is usually because the businesses he works with ask that their activities not be made public.  In fact, it is common for him to be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement promising not to share anything about their activities outside of the CCEDC.....

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Those of us privy to the corporation’s business via board involvement are very satisfied with Mr. Walker’s work and accomplishments, and his performance evaluations reflect this.....

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Unfortunately, some county residents re frustrated that the CCEDC’s work generally cannot be made public, and have become accusatory and adversarial.  In particular, the consideration by Canadian Sand and Proppants to establish a mining site and other operations in our community has become a particularly heated topic.....

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The major misunderstanding is that the CCEDC and/or Charlie Walker “brought” this business to our community.  That position is ridiculous and completely untrue.....

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CSP identified the sand deposits utilizing their own resources and simply asked the CCEDC to assist in development of their business locally, much like any other business locally, much like any other business would in any other industry.....

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It is not the responsibility or the practice of the CCEDC to screen which businesses or industries will have access to its economic development resources.  Decisions to allow or disallow a business entry to our community are made by local municipalities and county government through the zoning and permitting process.....

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The CCEDC provided its services to CSP as it should have. It’s up to processes outside of the purview of the CCEDC to determine whether a business such as CSP would be welcomed to our community.....

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Furthermore, CSP opponents have taken their misguided position of the CCEDC’s economic development assistance much too far, making it a personal attack on Mr. Walker.  The CCEDE board of directors wishes to make it clear that Mr. Walker’s employment history was fully vetted before his hiring, and the board is very satisfied with his professional knowledge of the economic development process and his level of commitment to the organization and its goals through hard and difficult work.....

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Whether certain individuals like or dislike him on a personal level is a topic that is not appropriate to bring into the debate on the CSP issue.....

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As is often the case, the good news is being overshadowed by the bad.  With the CCEDC, the unfortunate situation is that the confidentiality reasons we’re not allowed to share much of the good news.  After a business has made a public announcement of its own, sometimes the CCEDC can discuss it.....

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In most cases, however, the CCEDC has chosen not to “toot its own horn.”  If it had, you might have heard about work it had done to facilitate economic development by Northern Crossarm, Pliant Corporation, Spectrum Industries, CRI, General Beer, W.S. Darley & Co., TTM Technologies, WOW Logistics, Great Northern Corporation, Bloomer Plastics, SFR Industries, and a host of others in all parts of the county, large and small.....

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I urge Chippewa County residents and those in political office to consider our need for economic growth to support and improve the lifestyle we wish to lead in our little corner of the world, and to recognize the important and necessary part played by the Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation toward that end.....

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Neil Mathwig is board chairman of the Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation.....

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