As printed in The Stateline Observer:
Morenci, the First Step Into Pure Michigan, is Important to All of Us
When things are quiet with economic development in Lenawee, it usually means that something is brewing. In the recent case of Morenci’s Palm Plastics building, it was several years of said “brewing” before we were able to help connect the building owner with the right buyer. The company moving in, Kamco Industries, is going to be a welcomed addition to all of Lenawee with its 60 new manufacturing jobs further improving the recently announced 4.1% unemployment rate. We are also pleased to have been part of the process to secure Kamco $250,000 from the state to train its new employees; we are here to help continue supporting the company during its settling in process.
In counties our size, attractions such as this are a major victory. Economic developers around the world round work tirelessly to get as many victories as possible, but it is the norm in our field that a small city will go eight to ten years between major industrial attractions. That said, it is vital to celebrate in each other’s successes and find the value brought to the county as a whole, and not just a single neighborhood. New jobs in Morenci are still good for the rest of the county and new jobs in the rest of the county are still good for Morenci.
Looking at Lenawee County as a whole, we see a community growing and improving every day, and we are grateful to be involved in a variety of ways. We strive to keep everyone informed of countywide economic development activity and will work hard to continuously improve that effort. We hope it will help all of us be on the same page and of collective expectations regarding both the business and quality of life aspects of economic development. We look forward to helping communities connect on opportunities and start approaching economic vitality as a countywide endeavor.
We’re encouraging all our partners to send a high-five your way, Morenci. You brand yourselves as the first step into Pure Michigan, so why wouldn’t we want everyone to give all the support we can and make it an AWESOME first step? When it comes to making Lenawee County ideal for business and perfect for life, we are all in this together.
Jim Van Doren
Executive Director
Lenawee Now
For more information about Morenci’s recent Development, visit The Stateline Observer or The Daily Telegram.