LEADERSHIP, ATTITUDE ARE CRUCIAL FOR GROWTH

Buz Sutherland may understand what makes Jackson tick as well as anyone. He has seen Jackson grow as an insider and an outsider.

Currently the director of the Small Business Development Center at Southeast Missouri State University, Sutherland was the first executive director of the Jackson Chamber of Commerce, (1975-'76). Before that he worked in the former Missouri Division of Commerce and Industrial Development.

"Jackson has always had a can-do attitude," Sutherland reflected. "It was What can we do to make this happen?' They didn't dwell on why it might not happen. "

This was reflected in August 1977. Edward Spence, founder and CEO of Edward R. Spence Inc., made 35 visits to 14 area towns, but seemed to reach the same conclusion as Sutherland. He chose Jackson as the site for an Ocean Plastics Division plant.

"The deciding factor was the friendly attitude of the people and personal pride they have for their community," Spence said at the time. "They made us feel right at home."

"Industrial prospects can sense that," Sutherland said. "On most of the propaganda communities put out, they mention their blue skies, green grass and perfect trees. They hear that everywhere.

"But a site selection professional can separate the wheat from the chaff pretty easily. They can go in one or two visits and pretty well get a feel for the character of the community.

"Jackson has always had a sincere commitment and spirit. It's not a facade. It goes to the core of the community."

What do new businesses look for?

Retail

"Retail operations look for location, location, location," Sutherland said. "They want to be where the traffic is and where the growth is.

"With the phenomenal growth Jackson is experiencing, Jackson or a spot between Jackson and Cape is where a lot of retail businesses want to be."

Service

"Service providers can locate most anywhere," Sutherland noted. "They look or a quality labor force and a community environment that is pro-businesses. Jackson has a long and proven history of being pro-business."

Manufacturing

"Jackson also has a long history of being pro-development for manufacturing facilities," Sutherland said. "The JIDC has been supportive of the manufacturing community. It acquired additional property and worked toward developing that property. They see people with the skills, training and education they need."

Leadership

Through various eras, Jackson's leadership has had some foresight and zeal in looking toward future growth. Sutherland praised Mayor Carlton "Cotton" Meyer and City Administrator Carl Talley, who led the city during the 1970s and 1980s.

"They saw the need and moved toward building an infrastructure that would support growth," Sutherland said. "Under Cotton's stewardship, the city of Jackson poised itself to accept growth and anticipated growth in the future.

"The level of growth has probably surprised everybody. It's been unbelievable, almost. I don't know of anybody who anticipated that kind of growth."

Of course Jackson's growth has been ongoing and was certainly not limited to the Talley-Meyer era.

"We haven't been sitting on our hands here," City Administrator Harry Kollman told the Southeast Missourian in October 1971. "We have a very diversified and broad economic base. Our assessed valuation within the city limits is $9 million."

Jackson at the time was striving to become a five-star city, yet had lowered its tax base from 1960 to 1970.

"Jackson is a city which keeps a watchful eye on industrial opportunities," wrote the Missourian's Stephen Robertson in the same article. "The city fathers know that job availability can spell the success or failure of a community, and so they actively do whatever they can to encourage interested firms to visit the area and city."

The results were already impressive to Robertson.

"If progressive cities are the product of good planning, then Jackson must have good planners," he wrote 29 years ago.

Today, as the size of the city has ballooned to more than 6,700 acres and the population to more than 11,000, leadership is still a key.

"Mayor Sander received the torch from Mayor Meyer," Sutherland said. "He's been faced with annexation issues, infrastructure issues, etc. He understands the importance of them and addresses them, to be able to absorb today's growth and growth in the future. He also tries to continue to build relationships within the county.

"Cotton was a darn good mayor. So is Paul Sander. They're just from different eras."

Some things are effective in any era. Community leaders, supportive city administration, willing voters and a pleasant living and working atmosphere will probably be just as important to a community in another 29 years.