Editor’s Note: The Trenton Republican-Times will be publishing a weekly series of articles regarding the activities of the North Central Missouri Development Alliance and information about economic and community development in Grundy County.
By Micah Landes, Director
North Central Missouri
Development Alliance
Late in the year of 2016 and early 2017, Grundy County received concerning news from the ConAgra Corporation which stated their intentions to phase out and ultimately close the Trenton facility. Receipt of this news threatened the employment of 350-plus employees and promised to challenge the economy in Grundy County and the surrounding region. Local governments and taxing entities were faced with the possibility of a loss in property tax revenue, utilities, goods and services as well as a decline in population.
Several months after the formation of North Central Missouri Development Alliance, ConAgra announced the sale of the Trenton facility to Nestle Inc., which was a major accomplishment for the newly-formed organization. Former Nestle plant manager Andy Darley has publicly stated that without the services of NCMDA the ownership transfer would never have happened. The Nestle acquisition serves as a testament to the ability of a community to achieve great things when everyone is focused on the same goal and egos and agendas are checked at the door.
Historically, economic development in Grundy County had been delivered primarily at the city level, which partnered with the Grundy County Industrial Development Corporation. Many positive outcomes were realized over the years from this delivery mode however, the ConAgra situation highlighted the need for an organization that could be the conduit for all things economic development in the county without the required public purview at the city and county government levels.
In response to the economic threats that the ConAgra closure promised to deliver representatives from the city, county, Industrial Development, and other partners began discussions about forming a countywide development organization that would represent the interests of all public taxing entities within the county. Those involved researched the economic development models of surrounding counties in the northeast and northwestern parts of the state and learned that almost every city/county had evolved into a public/private partnership model for the delivery of their economic development initiatives and they were experiencing positive outcomes. After a great deal of discussion and exploration, NCMDA was incorporated on March 23, 2017, and after a selection process I was hired as the first director of the organization.
NCMDA is funded by a partnership with the City of Trenton and Grundy County and the organization is governed by a set of by-laws and a board of directors. Current board members include Phillip Ray, Grundy County Presiding Commissioner, representing Grundy County; Cathie Smith, city council member representing City of Trenton: Jackie Soptic, Green Hills Regional Planning Commission. Dr. Lenny Klaver, President of North Central Missouri College; Travis Elbert; Phil Hoffman; Scott Wilson, general manager of Grundy Electric Cooperative; David Bain, Wright Memorial Hospital; Scott Weldon; and Cathy Bailey.
NCMDA continues to facilitate positive economic outcomes in Grundy County, which is evident in recent economic reporting during the COVID-19 Pandemic. To date, county sales tax collections have been flat or have increased each month of the pandemic, a few small businesses have opened and no businesses have closed. These indicators reflect the county’s economy is strong, diversified and experiencing steady growth.
NCMDA offers partnership opportunities and has enjoyed tremendous support. Local businesses and organizations in the county that acknowledge and financially support NCMDA are the Grundy County Commission, City of Trenton/TMU, Grundy Electric Cooperative, Trenton Downtown Improvement/Main Street Trenton, Trenton Area Chamber of Commerce, Grundy County Industrial Development Corporation, Church Women United, Barbara Spencer, Sam and Cathie Smith, Phil Hoffman, Cox Family Dentistry, ASAP Locksmith, Wright Memorial Hospital, Linda Crooks, RS Electric Corp, Barnes Baker, Trenton Republican-Times, Lockridge and Constant, Howard’s Department Store, PDQ Cleaning, Citizens Bank and Trust, Main Street Mall, Trenton Hardware, Chris and Jackie Hoffman, Modine Manufacturing, North Central Missouri College and the Friends of the Library.
If you are interested in being a NCMDA partner or have a business need, please contact me at 660-973-2996 or via email at [email protected].
Next week’s NCMDA update will focus on Grundy County economic indicators in an effort to help readers gain a better understanding about Grundy County’s economic engine and the challenges that lie ahead.
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