The Grundy County Industrial Development Corporation, Trenton City Council, Grundy County Commission, and North Central Missouri Development Alliance met on October 27, 2021. The groups discussed the state of economic development in the city and county. No action was taken at the meeting.
Jackie Soptic with the IDC reports the groups talked about available land in the community ready for a business because the state is looking for about 10 200-acre sites that are project ready. She does not know the exact reasons the state is looking for the sites.
However, she explains industrial parks created in the 1960s and 70s are almost maxed to their fullest potential in Missouri, and the state is running into not having project-ready sites available when it has a business it is seeking a location for. The Missouri Partnership, an entity that works with marketing and attractions for the state referenced the need, and there are no identified businesses. Soptic notes the IDC developed the current industrial park in Trenton, and there are only about 18 acres available there at this time.
The groups at October 27th’s meeting reviewed what economic development used to be in Trenton and Grundy County and what it is like today. They also reviewed what the state does to support economic and community development and what each group does.
Soptic notes there is not enough land all together in the city and county to make a good site. The Grundy Electric Cooperative, city, and IDC have property, but it is not adjacent to each other. There was a discussion on how available land could be put together to make a larger space.
Soptic says there is no business looking at Trenton, and it was more of a readiness discussion on what the community needs to do to prepare if it wants to have a business attraction component in economic development.
The IDC, Trenton City Council, Grundy County Commission, and NCMDA discussed the need for NCMDA to focus on keeping businesses Grundy County has in the county. It was also said the development alliance should help with expansion and trying to find workers to fill available positions.
The groups plan to meet quarterly to discuss updates.
