VISION 2000 A BUSINESS AID

Since 1988, when Vision 2000 began its strategic planning efforts in Cape Girardeau, Chuck McGinty has seen profits at his downtown jewelry business increase.

Most people would say the economy is good everywhere, so Vision 2000 can't take credit for McGinty's good fortune. As unemployment rates across the nation continue to decline, businesses -- including those in Cape Girardeau -- are thriving.

While Vision 2000 likely didn't create a better economic situation for Cape Girardeau, it certainly helped businesses reap those benefits, organizers say. The committee of strategic planners helped spur some of the community's job growth and redevelopment. The group has served as a catalyst for bringing people together through its strategic plan.

The coordination of downtown development groups, merchant groups and Vision 2000 was the greatest benefit, community leaders say.

"Nothing negative came out of it," said McGinty, who served on Vision 2000 during its early years. "The focus helped the entire community and all businesses, not just downtown."

75 percent success rate

Vision 2000 was appointed by the City Council in 1988 as a way to help Cape Girardeau approach future growth and development. Now that work has come to an end. Nineteen of the group's 25 objectives were reached, which amounts to a 75 percent success rate.

Creating better training programs so that companies can hire skilled labor, offering help and information to small-business owners and start-up companies, and increasing employment in the community were part of the objectives set out in the Vision 2000 strategic plan.

The committee did address business owners' concerns on some issues, particularly in the area of increased employment, but missed the mark in improving working relations among labor and management groups.

The Southeast Missouri Area Labor Management Cooperation Committee began meeting in 1989 and disbanded when federal funding dried up. A new labor relations committee has been meeting informally since 1998 but hasn't formed officially.

Some of the effects of Vision 2000 aren't seen in dollar amounts, business owners say.

"The economy drives the amount people spend," said Kent Zickfield, owner of Zickfield Jewelers. "It didn't effect businesses in dollars up or down."

The efforts of the Vision 2000 committee helped to make the downtown area especially attractive and gained it some recognition that might not have been there before, he said.

Vision 2000 made good progress in helping meet the city's changing needs, said Melvin Gateley, a key organizer of the committee.

"There are always issues with business but we have developed a plan," he said.

Needs assessment

Vision 2000 wanted to assess the concerns business owners had about how to combat labor problems and customer relations. Since 1994, the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce has been surveying its members and other business groups in town to assess those needs.

Early on, those concerns were insufficient infrastructure necessary to attract businesses, dependable utilities and filling the gap with service-oriented companies seeking labor.

Now the city has upgraded its sewer and water systems and continues to expand them to serve needs. AmerenUE continues to upgrade its electric systems in the city and new lines were added to serve the Southeast Missouri Regional Port. The city has only seen one rate increase in its natural gas service since 1988.

The job market shows a direct correlation with how a community addresses its business needs. Vision 2000 set out to increase net employment by 5 percent every five year, with an emphasis on higher educational skills and job training.

The city's unemployment rate has dropped steadily since 1990, according to data from the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. The unemployment rate in 1990 was 5.4 percent; by 1998 it had dropped to 3.8 percent.

In August, the county's unemployment rate was just 2.2 percent. The statewide unemployment rate for that same period was 2.8 percent, making it one of the lowest in the nation, according to the Missouri Department of Economic Development.

With more people taking jobs, more job training programs were needed, said John Mehner, president of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce.

Mehner said that the Cape Girardeau Area Career and Technology Center and Southeast Missouri State University continue to offer job training courses for area businesses.

Certainly some of these advances would have happened eventually, Vision 2000 officials say. "But how much would have happened, who knows?" Mehner said.

"I think the key thing that happened is that we have a long-range strategic plan. It gives you some guidance and a focus to continue going."

Working together

Vision 2000 wasn't a success just because it drafted the plan but because the committee worked to bring people together to get its goals accomplished, Mehner said.

Mehner and Gateley both attribute the Cape Girardeau Area Industrial Recruitment Association office as a key example of what Vision 2000 accomplished for the city's business community.

Mitch Robinson, director of the association, wouldn't have been hired nor an office established without the work of Vision 2000, Mehner said. Having an office for 100 percent full-time economic development was a key goal in the plan.

Plans continue to develop for beginning a small-business incubator to offer assistance to new businesses.

"It takes funding and a number of ingredients to make that happen," Gateley said.

Research continues to show it is still a need, Mehner said. "It's an issue of dollars and available buildings."

Some of the business goals outlined in the Vision 2000 plan will continue with the work of Vision 2020, Gateley said.

With Vision 2000 the city got a clear plan and a list of the people responsible for helping reach that goal. "It's working together to know what the other is doing," Mehner said.

Thursday: How did Vision 2000 influence city planning and zoning issues?

Included in this goal:

The goal was to fulfill the needs of existing, relocating and start-up businesses in the area.

Objective 1: Assess and address the major areas of concern of existing businesses, relocating businesses and start-up businesses every two years, starting with existing businesses in 1989 and relocating and start-up businesses in 1991.

This goal was met through Chamber of Commerce surveys.

Objective 2: Establish an area-wide labor management committee for improving communications, working relationships and productivity between labor and management groups.

This group was established in 1989. Federal funds dried up for the council on labor management and the group disbanded. A new group began meeting informally in 1998.

Objective 3: Increase net employment in the area by 5 percent every five years, with special emphasis on jobs with higher educational and skill requirements, including college degrees.

New jobs were created and the average annual growth rate exceeded the Vision 2000 goal.

Objective 4: Provide reliable utilities with competitive rates to meet the growing demands of the area.

This area is continually monitored. New infrastructure was added by the city to help address utility needs.

Objective 5: Develop a fully-funded community office of economic development, which will improve coordination.

The Cape Girardeau Area Industrial Recruitment Association opened in 1992. Mitch Robinson, executive director, continues to recruit companies to the area.