Unemployment Rate Low/Construction High

The latest report from the Kansas Department of Labor shows unemployment in Mitchell County at 3.4% in January 2012. This is lower than any of our neighbors in the contiguous counties of Jewell, Osborne, Lincoln, Cloud and Ottawa counties which are all over 4%. The Department of Labor has published a map demonstrating unemployment rates, county by county, across the state.

Employers in Mitchell County are still trying to hire new people and manufacturers are expanding and facing increasing demand for their products.

New construction and new business investments continue to add up in Mitchell County. Construction continues on the addition to the Super 8 Motel. A small warehouse building has been moved into the Solomon Valley Business park, the additional warehouse facility at Thompson's OK Tire is being completed, the new Law Enforcement Center is open now, a new front is being added to the Solomon Valley Building Center, Sunflower Manufacturing is putting up another building, the Library construction project is underway and two more buildings will begin construction soon on the Solomon Valley Business Park.

On top of all this crews are making great progress on the new swimming pool, new water lines on the west side of Beloit and new cooling towers for the City Power Plant.

Three of the new homes in the Crown Homes Addition are nearing completion. A total of 9 homes are included in this project.

Many images from numerous construction projects currently underway or recently completed can be seen on the Mitchell County Community Development Facebook page.

Economic Investments Continue to Grow

Mitchell County Community Development began working with local businesses in 2004 and since that time we have documented 68 success stories including 34 new businesses and 34 expansion projects. New Businesses have included a small trucking company (Griffith Transportation, a custom cabinet shop in Tipton, KS. Simpson Farms which is an Apache sprayer dealership in Beloit, small restaurants, a coffee shop, private fitness center, florists, chiropractors and an auto dealerships. We have also worked with a company called Old School Seals that manufactures wax seals for formal letters and invitations that now calls Tipton, KS their home.

Several multi-million dollar projects have bloomed over the years with Farmway COOP and their rail car loading facility in Glen Elder, KS plus their steps to add several types of large grain storage facilities in Glen Elder and Beloit plus a new Distribution Facility on Highway 24 in Beloit.

We have worked with Carrico Implement, Fin-Kool (a custom machine shop), Fouts Insurance, Solomon Valley Home Center, Sunflower manufacturing and Great Plains Manufacturing on expansion projects including a new Research and Development Facility for Sunflower manufacturing just a couple of years ago.

We have worked with developers on large housing projects such as the development of the Porter House Apartments project in downtown Beloit and our most recent project with Manske & Associates with the Crown Homes development in the Ackerman Addition of Beloit.

We now have 4 lots sold in our business park. Three of those within the past year. As a result of that we are getting three businesses....Racer Tech, Midway Development and Schroeder Building and Cabinets.

Thompson Tire Company and Super 8 Motel are also working on expansions right now. This Spring we will have at least 7 commercial construction projects underway simultaneously.

In 2005 we created a county-wide Neighborhood Revitalization Plan to encourage more investment in both residential and commercial construction. As a result we have over $41.7 million in construction projects approved through this program.

From October 15,2006 to January 15, 2012 there were 158 projects approved under the Neighborhood Revitalization Program in Mitchell County, KS. This includes 50 commercial construction projects and 84 residential construction projects and 24 ag facilities.

In the future we are looking to open up new opportunities for commercial development along Highway 24, open a new housing development area, a new restaurant is expected to open soon at the junction of Highways 24 & 14 and efforts are underway to bring a couple of new businesses into the downtown business district in Beloit.

Efforts are also underway to recruit new residents to the community through the Rural Opportunity Zone program introduced last year by the state of Kansas. We are also reaching out to recruit residents to fill positions with local employers. Plus we are working to encourage the state to assist with more "work force" housing programs to aid developers in constructing wage appropriate housing for our local workforce.

Investments being made today will help our community continue to move forward in the future.

Looking Forward to 2012

2011 has been a year of ups and downs but commercial construction activity looks very promising in 2012. Community Development Director, Murray McGee reported to the Mitchell County Commissioners recently that several large commercial construction projects have been started and many more are on the horizon.
The Crown Homes construction is nearing an end. Two of the new homes in the Ackerman Addition are expected to be ready in February. Seven more will be ready soon after.
Thompson Tire has started adding on to their north building. Super 8 is adding on 20 rooms. Those two projects will be completed in early 2012.
In 2011 a total of three lots were sold in the Solomon Valley Business Park south of Super 8 and Becker Autos & Trailers. Three new commercial buildings will be constructed in the business park next year.
Plans are also being developed to construct new commercial buildings at 3rd & Mill Street and at 2nd & Mill Street in downtown Beloit.
Construction continues on the new swimming pool in Chautauqua Park, crews have started work on new water lines. Construction work on the new lines started in the area of 4th & Western Streets.
They City of Beloit is also moving forward with plans for new cooling towers to be built at the power plant in 2012.
McGee said there are also two other commercial building projects in the discussion stage at this time for 2012.

Busy Time for Mitchell County Community Development

I just gave an update today on several ongoing projects:

1) The platting process continues on the North Campus Development area. We already have interest in the commercial and residential areas of the property.

2) Manske & Associates have closed on land in the Ackerman Addition in Beloit and will move their housing project to this location. Construction should begin soon.

3) We have two large business expansion projects on the table. Both over $500,000.

4) We have 9 new business development projects. A couple have made offers on property in Beloit.

5) We have sold two lots in the Solomon Valley Business park within the past 45 days and talks are underway for the sale of a 3rd lot at this time.

6) Brett Wichers has moved the Plum Creek Restaurant to it's new location on west Court Street in downtown Beloit.

To say the least.....this is a very busy time. If you have a business project you would like to discuss call 785 738-2717 or 785 569-1465.

2011 off to a BIG start

One of the best indicators of economic growth and strength is "construction". When you have construction activity in your community it demonstrates confidence and a dedication to individual and business investment in your community.

Since October 18, 2010 our county commissioners have approved over $7.8 million in construction projects under our Neighborhood Revitalization Pogram. That's almost double the amount of construction projects approved under the same program from Oct. 15, 2009 to October 15, 2010.

We already have over $11 million in construction projects planned in Mitchell County, KS for this Spring. This include a $5.2 million project being undertaken by Farmway Coop for a grain storage and handling facility in Glen Elder, KS; a $2.2 million addition and remodeling project for First National Bank in Beloit, KS; remodeling the former Beloit Juvenile Correctional Facility "lock down" facility into a joint city and county law enforcement center and jail; remodeling the cafeteria on the former correctional facility campus into a new library; the Crown Homes housing project that will add 10 new homes in Beloit totaling over $1.3 million in construction and several smaller commercial and residential building projects scheduled for this Spring.

It's exciting to see this magnitude of construction taking place in a county of approximatley 6,500 people. It shows a strong committment to investing in our community.

Another exciting development is the work being done by the North Campus Development Steering Committee. This is a committee made up of people from our community who will help create a plan for development of the North Campus (the former state Correctional Facility campus. The steering committee is focusing on development plans for approximtley 46 acres of agricultural land along and just south of U.S. Highway 24 in Beloit. Some of the land will be utilized for commercial growth along the highway. The committee is also looking at designating a portion of the land for additional housing.

This type of activity is a sign of positive economic growth in our community.

NCKTC Unveils New Underground Construction Program

The North Central Kansas Technical College has unveiled a new program that is gaining worldwide attention.
The Kansas Institute of Underground Technology evolved from the increasing need of a trained workforce in the career fields of horizontal directional drilling, proper fluid mixing and training for locating underground utilities.
In conjunction with grant assistance from the Kansas Department of Commerce, North Central Kansas Community Network, Inc. as a funding source through the Rural Business Development Tax Credit program of the Kansas Department of Commerce and in-kind support from Charles Machine Works, Inc., manufacturer of Ditch Witch products and Ditch Witch of Kansas, NCKTC has developed the Kansas Institute of Underground Technology. The Institute features state-of-the-art, up-to-date curriculum, along with hands-on practical training opportunities to allow participants/students to successfully complete the training needed to safely operate equipment used in underground technology.
Since announcing the new program on September 1st the college has already received a response from the editor of two trade publications in London who plans to help promote the program in Beloit by getting the information to their subscribers.

For more information follow this link to the website on the new college program.

New Business Activity in Beloit, KS

WWe are starting to see new business activity again in Beloit. It has been recently announced that changes are coming to Tammy Vetter’s store, the Closet. Eva Shurts and Dustin Dougherty are both planning to bring businesses into the north half of the building. Eva will offer a new fitness program called Body Defined by Eva and Dustin is moving his Tae Kwon Do classes into the north half of the building.

Tammy will continue to have her store, the Closet in the south half of the store.

Just last week we announced Jodi Mosher owner of “Accents 4 You” is moving her store downtown to the Struble Photography building. Dick and Pat Struble have sold their building and will be moving their photography business to their home.

Ambria Wendell has opened a massage therapy business called “Rejuvenating Touch by Ambria into the building just south of the Solomon Valley Cinema. Ambria has scheduled a ribbon cutting for June 1 at 9:00 a.m.

Andrea Benedick is also opening a new floral business called Wheat Fields Floral. She will be operating the business at 541 Roosevelt alongside her parents business Great Plains Landscaping. Andrea will have a ribbon cutting on Thursday, May 27 at 9:00 a.m. She also has a website at wheatfieldsfloral.com

At this time we are also working with a service related business from Concordia that is looking for office space in Beloit. There are a couple of small retailers looking for locations. Plus a proposal was recently submitted for a manufacturing business that is looking for a new location.

If you would be interested in starting a new business or expanding an existing business contact Mitchell County Community Development at 785-738-2717 or e-mail beloitmmcgee@nckcn.com

Shaping Our Future with the North Campus Development

Unfortunately we don't have a crystal ball and can't take a clear look into the future. But in Economic Development we always have to look forward as far as we can to identify what can be done for continued growth and sustainability of our businesses and our community.

Work is underway to redefine and set a new direction for the former Beloit Juvenile Correctional Facility. To begin the facility is now being referred to as the "North Campus Development" which is a way of looking forward and setting our sights on the future.

The City of Beloit and Mitchell County are working together right now on developing plans to "re purpose" at least one building on the campus. The Morning View building is a hard-cell, lock-down, jail facility that was designed to house juvenile female offenders. It is going to become the future home of the Beloit Police Department, Mitchell County Sheriff's Department and it will serve as our jail for adult prisoners. This step is expected to be a long term move for our local law enforcement personnel.

The City of Beloit is expected to take another step in working with officials from USD 273 to utilize the "North High School" building on the campus.

Mitchell County Partnership for Children and The Early Learning Center have occupied two buildings on the campus for the past several years and it's anticipated they will have contracts from the City to keep them there as well.

Efforts are underway to find other purposes for the remaining buildings. Each step is being considered very carefully.

Taking a broader look at the "North Campus Development", opens the doors to many opportunities for our community. There are nearly 50 acres of undeveloped land. Portions of the land provide frontage on highway 24 that could be utilized for key retail services. This land could also provide space for lighter commercial uses, multi-family residential development and much needed single family housing development.

This will all take careful planning. And that is what is currently being done with specific attention given to the location of existing roads and utilities. An examination of how those can be extended to serve the existing campus facilities and extend into the undeveloped property for future growth.

These items must be studied carefully and not rushed. The direction taken today could set the course for the future of our community for the next 40 years. When you consider the former juvenile correctional facility was planned and developed over 120 years ago. Then 40 years really doesn't seem like such a long time. But it's an important timeline because what is done today and in the next few years will set a new direction for our community that will have a long lasting impact on our future.

Utilities and Technology Vital

When it comes to business growth and new business attraction having up to date utilities, infrastructure and technology is a vital.

Sometimes rural communities are over looked because people think they aren't up to speed with the rest of the world. Well you might be surprised by what you can find in a rural community like ours.

For example, fiber optics is a MUST for many businesses today. But some might not think we have access to it here. I contacted Brent Cunningham with Cunningham Telephone and Cable and was impressed to find they have over 1,000 miles of fiber optics connecting homes, businesses and communities in Mitchell, Jewell, Cloud, Republic, Osborne and Ottawa counties. That is very significant to business sustainability and growth here in north central Kansas. Cunningham Telephone exchanges are built with "Fiber-to-the-Home" technology with dedicated fibers per customers and 100 Mbps capable connections.

This didn't happen overnight. Cunningham Telephone is a founding member of the Kansas Fiber Network connecting Kansas with advanced services. Cunningham Communications cable systems are built with fiber optic nodes and 1GHz technology. They have been providing broadband Internet service since 1997.

Another great asset for our community is the North Central Kansas Technical College. The college provides training and services that can be very beneficial for business. Some of these are on the cutting edge of technology. The NCK Tech College has a great GIS/GPS program and can provide training and services related to geographic information systems.

The college can also provide training in telecommunications, business, computer courses, welding and a wide variety of other programs.

The City of Beloit and Mitchell County are working together on gathering GIS data and creating new aerial maps and databases. This information can be important for business planning, infrastructure development and improvements.

Utilities are another important element when a business considers expanding or relocating in our area. On one recent site visit a business person asked me how many times a year we had power outages and how long they lasted. I contacted the Systems Operations department for the City of Beloit and they verified my answer. In 2009 the city of Beloit had 3 power outages. Two of those were during winter ice storms. The average time of the outages was only about 15 minutes. In most cases the outages are limited to one section of the city or another depending on what caused the outage and where it is located.

Beloit us unique in that the city still has a power plant and can generate their own power if needed during outages from their suppliers. Or in case of emergencies. In 2009 the City of Beloit generated their own power for a total of 761,780 kWh. They purchased over 47,000,000 kWh of electricity last year from KMEA, WAPA and GRDA.

Water is another vital resource for residents and businesses alike. The city of Beloit gets its water from the Solomon River/Waconda Lake. The City has total water rights of more than 227,102,673 gallons per year or approximately 622,199 gallons per day.

The capacity of the City Water Plant is 1.5 million gallons per day and the average annual consumption is 800,000 gallons per day.

The numbers, facts and figures concerning the utilities, infrastructure and technology available in our area goes on and on. But I think this summary give you a better idea on what we have to offer to businesses and the fact that we are up to speed with the latest technology that is so important in today's business world.

Solomon Valley Farmers Market Association

Farmers Markets are a great way to help individual producers and consumers who are looking for fresh items grown or produced locally. The Solomon Valley Farmers Market Association is planning to start a local market in Beloit, KS this summer. They plan to have the market every Saturday from June 19 to October 2nd at Guaranty State Bank, the intersection of Mill & Court Streets.

Vendors are will pay a $25 fee for their booth to participate in the full season.

More details on the market can be found on their Facebook Page.

Their next planning meeting will be March 25th, 7 PM at 1217 North Mill Street in Beloit, KS.

Governor Signs SB 357 to Transfer BJCF to Beloit

Govenror Parkinson has signed Senate Bill 357 to authorize the transfer of the former Beloit Juvenile Correctional Facility property to the City of Beloit.

The Govenror closed the facility last August due to severe budget cuts bringing an end to a facility that has served the state of Kansas for over 120 years.

The Governor's action today means the property which includes roughly 14 buildings on a 23 acre campus, along with 49 acres of agricultural land will be returned to the City of Beloit.

Local officials have been working on plans to reuse most of the buildings on the campus. Representatives from the City of Beloit, Mitchell County, USD 273, NCK Technical College and the community have been working together on this project.

The actual transfer of the property will take some time. It will be handled by the Kansas Department of Administration and Attorney General's office.

Pictures of the Administration Building and available property can be found on the Mitchell County Community Development Facebook Page and on LocationOne.

Proposed Housing Development Positive Step

Wichita housing developer, Manske & Associates is looking at the possibility of constructing ten new homes in Beloit. The developer has been working with representatives from Mitchell County Community Development, the Solomon Valley Economic Development Housing Task Force and the City of Beloit. They have submitted an application to the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation to participate in a special housing tax credit program to encourage the development of income based housing.

The total cost estimate for the development is $1.8 million and calls for new homes to be built at 3rd and Mill and in the Zimmer Addition in Beloit, KS.

Manske & Associates has a very long and positive record of developing housing in communities all across the state of Kansas. The homes proposed for Beloit will be single family houses with 3 bedrooms, two baths and a two car garage. They will be approximately 1,275 square feet and some will include an unfinished basement.

The application for the housing development program has been submitted to KHRC and will be reviewed and scored against other projects being considered throughout the state.

Just the other day someone asked what a housing means to economic development. Of course there is the initial benefit of the jobs created for construction of the homes and the purchase of materials. There is also an increase in property value created with the addition of new homes.

Beyond the construction phase of the project there are many other economic benefits to creating additional housing in a community. Rental housing in Beloit is extremely tight and adding 10 homes with 3 bedrooms each would help relieve some of the pressure on the housing market. This would add to the number of people living in our community as they move into the new homes. Some will be new residents. Others will be moving out of other homes in Beloit and freeing them up for other families to move into.

Having more families in Beloit would increase the demand for retail goods and services, sales tax revenues and possibly add more children to our school system. For the City and County it would generate more property taxes and utility revenues.

The housing project will be owned locally. Manske & Associates only serve as the developer. The local owner of the project will benefit from the revenues generated by the rental and sales of the homes.

In all there are many ways that a new housing development benefits the local community. We are hopeful our application is approved by the KHRC.

BJCF Legislative Path Streamlined

Members of the Beloit Juvenile Correctional Facility Task Force are heading back to Topeka on February 11th to testify in support of Senate Bill 357. The bill has already been passed by the full Kansas Senate. Now it is being heard by the House Local Government Committee.
A duplicate bill HB 2450 that originated in the House of Representatives has been put on hold. It was found that having the duplicate bill was not necessary as the Senate quickly moved SB 357 through to the House for consideration.
Part of the reason for the quick action by the Legislature is the Kansas Juvenile Justice Authority is currently paying for the utilities and a full-time staff person to keep the former BJCF maintained and they are running short of money.
What will happen if SB 357 is passed by the House? It will become official once the bill is published. Then the work will begin to transfer the property to the City of Beloit.
In the meantime representatives from the City of Beloit, Mitchell County Commissioners, NCK Technical College, USD 273, the Early Learning Center and several other organizations have been working together to develop plans for how the facilities can be utilized to benefit the community. And to plan how the expenses for utilities and maintenance will be shared.
Admittedly the legislative action on the communities request to receive the BJCF property is moving faster than expected. But with all parties working together the community can develop plans to receive and utilize the facility, secure jobs that are already asscociated with the Early Learning Center and Mitchell County Partnership for Children, and create several other jobs associated with new uses for the buildings and property.

Kansas Senate Bill 357 Hearing

Members of the Kansas Senate Ways and Means Committee will hear testimony on a bill to authorize the transfer of Beloit Juvenile Correctional Facility to the City of Beloit. Several community representatives will travel to Topeka on January 27th to testify before the Senate Committee on behalf of our community to encourage the state to return the property to the community so it can be utilized for the greatest benefit of the community and not sit idle.

The property was originally given to the state by the community in the late 1890’s and operated over 120 years as a facility for juvenile girls.

Senator Janis Lee introduced senate Bill 357. A similar bill is also working its way through the House of Representatives and will be considered by the House Local Government Committee sometime soon.

BJCF Bills Introduced

Two bills have been introduced in Topeka requesting the state return the Beloit Juvenile Correctional Facility property to the City of Beloit. Last week Senator Janis Lee introduced Senate Bill 357 and Representative Clay Aurand introduced House Bill 2450.

The Senate Bill has been assigned to the Ways and Means Committee for their consideration. The House Bill has been assigned to the Local Government Committee.

Both bills ask that the Secretary of Administration be given the authority to convey the Correctional Facility property to the City of Beloit.

The property was given to the state over 120 years ago. Community leaders are asking the property be returned so that it can be put to use once again for the benefit of the community.

If you would like to follow these bills through the legislative process click here and type in the appropriate bill numbers in the tracking box.

Getting the state to return the property to the City of Beloit will open the door for us to utilize the property in ways that will benefit the entire community.

Available Buildings and Sites

We are continuously updating information on available buildings and sites in Mitchell County, Kansas. You can keep up to date on these properties via our Facebook Fan Page.

If you have any questions contact Murray McGee at 785.738.2717 or 785.569.1465.

NBAF Future in Kansas

The National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility is slated to come to Manhattan soon and it could change the landscape in our state and our communities. Kansas State University President, Kirk Schulz was the keynote speaker at the Beloit Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet on January 9th, 2010. He biefly discussed what NBAF could mean to our area.

Of course the greatest impact of the the NBAF development will be seen in the Manhattan and Junction City, Kansas area. The NBAF facilities are being built at Kansas State University in Manhattan. But as Dr. Schulz pointed out there will be many related businesses that will need to local near Manhattan. Some of those will need offices for 2 or 3 people. Some will need small production or manufacturing buildings and some will need land to build.....new, large manufacturing facilities.

Some of these new businesses will need to be close to NBAF. Some will be able to operate within a few miles of the new facility and some will want to locate within a 100 to 150 mile radius of the facility.

Of course the latter of the locations mentioned is where our community could come into consideration. We may be able to offer available buildings and land for development of new facilities related to NBAF.

But the key element is to make sure these prospective new businesses know we are even here. At this time there is no "single" point of contact for these prospects. It is up to us to be sure that we make ourselves known.

It will be important for us to be in direct communication with economic development leaders in Manhattan and with Kansas State University.

We are studying our options and what opportunities could be ahead for our community in relation to NBAF. Like everyone else we are interested to see how this facility could change the landscape for business in north central Kansas and possibly the entire state.

Green Acres!

I was surfing the net this morning and came across a story from the Wall Street Journal describing how young people are leaving metropolitan areas in search of greener pastures in rural areas of the country. You can read the story here.

My first reaction was.....great! I thought how great it would be to have more people moving to our rural areas. We have been struggling with a declining population for over 100 years. But then I read the many posts people made in response to the story. They are from rural residents who do NOT like city people moving in to their areas. They are concerned the "city" folks won't understand the difficulties that come with living in a rural area. And they might believe they can earn a living on a 5 or 10 acre farm. Or they might drive up the cost of land. There are many other concerns or fears the rural people have about welcoming "city dwellers" to the countryside.

Then I thought "What about inviting people from the metropolitan areas" to contact us and invite them to come and learn more about what rural living is really about. It's not for everyone. But for some people it could be a positive lifestyle change.

I don't believe people should rush into making life changing decisions. I also believe we should not close the door to opportunities for both rural and urban residents. With education and understanding there could be positive opportunities for both. I believe the lines of communication and understanding should be open. And if someone from an urban area has a genuine interest in moving to Mitchell County, Kansas. Great! Let us know and we'll work together to see if it "really" is something for you and your family.

Shopping Local Makes Sense

New commercials recently started running on the local cable TV system stressing the importance of shopping locally.

Brent Cunningham, Vice President/General Manager of Cunningham Telephone & Cable is featured in the first commercial that can be found online at Youtube. You can see it here.

Cunningham has been working with Solomon Valley Economic Development to create several ads to remind everyone of the importance of supporting our local businesses.

Unemployment Wave Hits Home

The wave of unemployment has made its way from the coasts to the center of the United States. That is evident by recent layoffs, the tight labor market and tough economic times we are seeing locally.

There are several maps that can be found on the internet that demonstrate how unemployment rates began increasing first in the eastern and western thirds of the United States. Here is an example using information from the U.S. Department of Labor.

The Kansas Department of Labor statistics show that locally our unemployment rate increased from a rate of 3.3% in October 2008 to 4.6% in October 2009.

While this is a difficult period it is also a time for some busineses to seek new opportunities. Businesses that are in a position to expand may find this as a good time to purchase realestate at low prices. Because of recent layoffs the size of the available labor pool has increased. This also means there are good quality workers seeking employment. There are some positive factors to consider that businesses can tap into if they are in a position to take on new product lines or otherwise grow and expand.