Economy: Quality of life changes needed for the Mid-Ohio Valley
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Mid-Ohio Valley public officials would be wise to listen to C. Paige Webster of Webster Global Site Selectors, who spoke this past week at the annual meeting of the Wood County Development Authority and the Parkersburg-Wood County Area Development Corporation.
"We are not just site selectors, we are site eliminators," Webster said. "If you don't have all the boxes checked that is where you get eliminated."
What boxes? Labor costs, transportation costs, real estate costs, utility costs and quality of life, for a start. But Webster was wise to remind those in attendance that quality of life must not be confused with the pride many feel about the community in which they grew up. What we consider a good quality of life might not do much to impress those who are making a decision about relocating employees and putting down roots in a community.
Education is essential, and for all ages. Accessible, affordable day care centers are a big part of what employers seek for their workers.
Having that amenity means ""If they come in for a site visit you are probably in the top four," Webster said.
On both sides of the river, while economic development officials work on issues such as site readiness, potential new employers are looking for something more for their employees.
People like Webster are helping them examine whole communities for what will meet both a company's needs AND employees' needs. If those boxes aren't checked a community is out of luck.
"I'm trying to connect the dots between the community and the projects in my portfolio that would work in that community," Webster said.
As Wood County Development Executive Director Lindsey Piersol pointed out, there may be a lot more to talk about so far as real development, this time next year. But municipal and county leaders can't wait until then to think about improving the chances the Mid-Ohio Valley will be able to check all the quality of life boxes we've ignored for too long.