The Connection A publication of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce Volume 1, Issue 4
July/August 2012
Lawrence economic development hits many highlights this summer By Jean Milstead Interim Vice President, Economic Development, Lawrence Chamber It’s been anything but the lazy days of summer for the Lawrence Chamber’s economic development program. Efforts on several recent projects have been successful – perhaps an indication the economy is improving. We are excited to welcome the following new companies to Lawrence. K & M Tire, Inc. purchased a building in East Hills Business Park for its 13th U.S. tire distribution location. K & M estimates this location will add about 17 new jobs to our community. The Results Company (a 300-employee call center) leased space in the Riverfront Mall, and is expected to begin operations by Sept. 1. Both companies expect to hire employees locally. We continue to help local companies with their expansion needs and will update you on those projects as we are able. The Chamber is also moving forward with a Labor Force Availability Survey conducted by the Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University. Recent news articles about the importance of an available skilled workforce indicate this issue is shared by a number of communities. This study is key to attracting new business to our area -- labor force availability is the second most important issue identified by companies considering communities in which to locate.
The study will identify the work patterns for individuals commuting into and out of our community. It will also provide area employers information about desired salary and benefits packages, which they can use to attract more skilled workers. Douglas County Development, Inc. is funding the project. Our economic development partners, the City of Lawrence and Douglas County, continue to work on the final development plan for the former Farmland location. As businesses locate in the business park, this project will help our local economy grow by providing additional job opportunities to our residents and increasing our tax base. The contractors for the City demolished more than 35 structures and removed over 1,600 tons of scrap metal for recycling from the property. Remediation efforts to pump ground water from the site continue. The City is supplying this water, which has an overabundance of nitrogen, to local farm fields. The City plans to submit proposed zoning codes for the sites in the business park for approval this month. This new business park is an exciting development in Lawrence’s economy. The final property plat has not yet been approved, but companies, both local and non-local, are already considering the space for relocation and expansion.
Leadership Lawrence By Alice C. Hunt Chamber Staff The applications are in and the Leadership Lawrence selection committee has the difficult task of selecting the Leadership Lawrence Class of 2013. “We have an outstanding group of applicants this year, which is great,” said Sue Hack, executive director for Leadership Lawrence. “The selection committee members have their work cut out for them.” Leadership Lawrence, a program of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, provides Lawrence and Douglas County residents with the opportunity and the tools to explore their leadership styles and strengths, to gain insight into the workings of the community and to learn how to work together to solve the challenges the community will face in the future. The class selection process takes about three weeks. Class members are notified of their selection the first week of September. The Class Announcement Reception, which is free and open to the public, will be held at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 18 at Landmark National Bank, 4621 W. Sixth St. Sponsors for this event are Landmark National Bank, O’Malley Beverage of Kansas, and CEK Insurance. The Leadership Lawrence Class of 2013 is sponsored by Briggs Auto. For details about Leadership Lawrence, call Sue Hack at 785.865.4421 or visit www.LeadershipLawrence.org.