Article submitted by James Master, The Pilot News Managing Editor
ARGOS — The new interim director for the Marshall County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) Greg Hildebrand attended Wednesday night’s Argos Town Council meeting and updated the council on MCEDC business.
Hildebrand informed the council that he will be taking over as interim director due to the resignation of Laura Walls. He then gave a brief summary of himself and his work history. He’s been with MCEDC for about three years, prior to that he was with The Pilot News Group for over 20 years.
In the past, the MCEDC performed Business Expansion and Retention (BEAR) interviews. The interviews were face to face confidential meetings between industry leaders, local public officials, and the MCEDC. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, those interviews were put on hold. “It gives them an opportunity to talk to you about what issues they’re having,” said Hildebrand.
That information is compiled into an anonymous report about what trends are showing in the industry.
“It’s a good way for us to get a feel what industry is expanding, maybe warning signs that there’s some contraction on the horizon that we need to look for,” he said.
When they were performed in the past, the BEAR interviews were done every three or four years. Hildebrand stated that his team finds it more effective to do them every year with different industries. “That way we can be following up with people, but it’s constant contact,” he said.
According to Hildebrand, those BEAR interviews will be resuming.
Another thing that the MCEDC looks to get back into is working with the Crossroads. “Crossroads just had a strategic meeting last week. There were about 25 individuals there,” Hildebrand said.
The Career Technical Education Center (CTE) was touched on. The MCEDC aims to work to make that center more available to students in the ten school systems in the area.
“Right now there’s a ten school district corporation co-op and those kids are sent in ten different directions for these classes and transportation’s all on the student,” said Hildebrand. “So, by us providing CTE in one location, the school districts can help bus kids. They don’t have to rely on their own transportation.”
Another area that Hildebrand and the MCEDC would like to cultivate is the retail sector. “Retail is a big part of quality of life…people look at retail downtown as an experience and they’re still wanting to go out.”
