|
Letter to the Editor...
Darke County Jobs
By Mike Stegall
August 3, 2011
Speaking as a citizen and not an elected
official, I have been amused and irritated lately by some of the
comments going
around about the lack of jobs in Darke County.
I find it amusing that apparently all the new
businesses in the county
that have been highlighted in the papers and blogs are being
overlooked, and
irritated that some people just don’t want to see the positives in what
we have
accomplished. We are in a serious
recession in this country, and yet despite that Darke County has been
adding
businesses and jobs at a rate that is getting us noticed throughout the
state.
Take a
good look around
everybody. Just open your eyes and you
will see new companies, and established ones, adding jobs and expanding. In the past year we have added Integrity
Ambulance,
with 45 jobs retained and an expansion of the business. Continental
Carbonic
with a new structure and about 75 jobs as of now with more to be added.
American Plastics Recycling,
located in the
old Excello plant has opened, and JAFE Glass who has expanded our
adding jobs
as well. There are also other companies,
such as HD Supply, Marco’s and 2 other companies with expansion that we
cannot
disclose of yet. We are also in talks
with 5 or 6 other companies about possible expansion or relocation to
our
County.
One of
the most irritating things
I hear is that these are “low paying, burger flipping jobs with no
benefits,” really? Apparently, some people
just like to complain
and don’t want to see anything positive.
Of the companies I mentioned the average hourly wage
runs from $22.40 an
hour to $11.00 an hour! No burger
flipping wages there! (You may check with the Economic Development
office if
you like.)
It is
time to start being
positive about what the Economic Development team is doing! This collaboration between the private sector
and Government is unprecedented. We are
making it work here in Darke County. In
my opinion, the smartest move was turning the Economic Development
Department
over to the private sector, and keeping the County involved as an
investor, not
a sole manager. I truly believe that
Government
should be involved in people’s lives as little as possible, and the
private
sector does a better job of running most things in the long run.
I
encourage everyone in Darke County
to get involved by checking with the Economic Development Office and
the Commissioner’s
Office frequently. We are doing everything
publicly so everyone can feel they are a part of this effort, because
you are a
part of the solution. If you hear a
rumor of a new business, a possible expansion, or a hiring, or if you
have an
idea, let us know. A collaboration where
we all work together is the key to our success in Darke County.
We are
practicing that philosophy
now. That is why I write the
“Commissioners
Corner” column. I also have the “Coffee
with the Commissioner” gatherings, also myself and my two fellow
Commissioners
go on the Tiger Radio station monthly to keep everyone updated &
involved. I think it is important for the
people of the
county to realize that this is truly a County wide effort, not just a
Greenville effort. The Partnering for
Progress initiative is a business and citizen group from all over the
county. We all know that if one town
gets a new business or an expansion, we all win. There
are no borders in Darke County. If Arcanum
gets a new business, there is no
reason a person from New Weston cannot apply for a job there. We have to start realizing this.
All of
Darke County is in this
boat together, and we will sink or swim together. Those
involved in Partnering for Progress are
swimming, and we are not stopping! I
want everybody in the County to start being positive about the County,
help us
achieve our goals, and help each other to make Darke County the leader
in the
State. We can do it, and we are going to
do it. I am positive about this and you
should be too!
Mike
Stegall
Greenville
|
