Scott County looks at marketing options

Officials of mostly rural Scott County have a vision. In this vision, people are moving to the county to live and work. Industries with plenty of jobs are choosing the county for locating plants. Retirees are relocating to the county to take advantage of the easy lifestyle pace and low taxes. Tourists are stopping in the county to soak up its history and natural beauty.

This is a good vision, but it is one the county officials know will take a good sales effort. To that end, the county's economic developer, Jim Schwaninger, has been meeting with Southeast Missouri State University marketing students under the guidance of emeritus professor Charles Wiles since January. Recently, the students, Wiles and Schwaninger presented their ideas to county officials.

The students were divided into three teams. Each team devised its own marketing themes and strategies. As Presiding Commissioner Martin Priggel observed, the county officials now will be able to cherry-pick from those ideas in an effort to build some momentum for selling the county's advantages.

One team of students emphasized the county's family-friendly environment, low taxes and low-cost utilities. Another team focused on the county's friendly atmosphere and potential for growth. The third team stressed the opportunities the county offers.

Underlying all of the marketing plans was the need to promote the county in a variety of ways. One important strategy, the students said, was for the county to have a good Web site. That has been a goal of the presiding commissioner's for a long time. And, as was pointed out during the marketing presentations, the Internet is becoming the tool of choice for doing research about places to live, work and locate businesses.

There are many good reasons for a county to compete for economic development. Orderly growth and business expansion produces good jobs for county residents and provides opportunities for more satisfying lifestyles. Growth also expands the tax base of a county, even as county services must also grow accordingly.

One of the lessons to be learned from Scott County's partnership with university marketing students is one that many businesses and government entities already know, but it's one that many more need to learn. That lesson has to do with the resources available at our local university to assist with projects like this. At the same time, students get valuable practical experience in the real world.

These university resources are regularly tapped, but there are many more opportunities to use the skills, knowledge and technical know-how of students and faculty.

Scott County officials have taken the first steps toward a plan to encourage beneficial growth. It will be interesting to see what comes of this effort. Better still, it will be interesting to see what benefits come the county's way as a result of making this effort.