Bollinger County entrepreneurial center has great potential

The COVID-19 pandemic changed various aspects of our way of life, including how, where and with whom we work. We're past the pandemic now, but we are still using those lessons learned to improve and enhance work environments. A group of Bollinger County citizens is taking a bold step in that direction.

A renovated third floor of Bollinger County Library will become Mayfield Entrepreneurial Center (MEC).

The facility will serve as an "incubator and accelerator" for those who need centrally located work space. With a focus on start-ups and growing small businesses, the center will provide shared spaces -- perfect for training and mentoring -- for a number of businesses.

"This center fulfills a desperate need in our area for creating a business-friendly start-up space, shared workspace, and training and mentoring center," explained MEC chairman Ed Crowley. "The center will help new businesses in launching their business, providing work and meeting spaces for existing small businesses and work-at-home professionals, and support services to assist start-ups in navigating the start-up process."

Crowley is a Southeast Missouri State University assistant professor and a small business owner himself. Crowley and Stan Crader of Crader Distributing saw a potential match between a business community need and an existing building.

"Renovation of the library's third floor completes the restoration of one of the most magnificent buildings in Bollinger County, and it's being done for the right reasons," Crader said. "Requests for temporary workspace is a regular occurrence at the library. COVID ushered in work-from-home, and now working remotely is common place. 'Build it and they will come' is a reality if what is built is useful and located in an attractive setting. The MEC is both and more, and will certainly attract those looking to reside in rural America but have the need for a conveniently located high-tech work space. The renovation of the third floor will finish the work started by hundreds of volunteers who painstakingly restored the first two floors, and, in a sense, is a tribute to them."

The pair, along with a volunteer board, sought and received a state grant to renovate the facility, and the project should be complete in about a year.

At that time, Bollinger County will have a top-notch location entrepreneurs can use to create, develop and grow their own small businesses.

This forward-looking project has the potential to benefit Bollinger County and beyond. We applaud those involved for turning an ambitious vision into reality.