The road to prosperity is built with regional cooperation and support for businesses that are willing to take risks.
Speakers hammered home the message at Monday’s Tri-State Development Summit in Fairfield, Iowa.
The event, the eighth such gathering in 13 years, stressed the needs of workforce, infrastructure, incentives and livability in 35 counties of Northeast Missouri, West-Central Illinois and Southeast Iowa.
Entrepreneurial expert Deb Markley said businesses don’t worry about geographic boundaries, especially during hard times.
“Regionalism is essential,” Markley said. “Half the battle is getting people to think regionally. That’s happened here.”
Tom Boland, a Hannibal businessman who chairs one of the summit’s steering committees, said greater regional cooperation has resulted in better roads and additional jobs.
“Have we had a home run over the lights in center field?” Boland asked rhetorically. “No, probably not. But we went from a disparate state of mind to speaking with a common voice.”
George Walley of the Hannibal-based Northeast Missouri Development Authority said regionalism leads to a “better use of resources” in promoting growth.
Jim Mentesti of the Great River Economic Development Foundation in Quincy, Ill., has been part of the summit since the beginning and said the hard work has paid dividends.
“We have infrastructure, we have leadership and we have investment in place,” Mentesti said.
Fairfield was cited as an example of what can be accomplished. The city of fewer than 10,000 residents in the last two decades has put together an entrepreneurial program that’s created businesses, jobs and investment.
“Our success has been based on good partnerships and vision,” said Fairfield Mayor Ed Malloy.
The effort has helped keep many young people from seeking jobs in larger cities.
“We see the next generation taking root,” he said.
Former Macomb, Ill., Mayor Tom Carper, who now is national chairman of the Amtrak passenger rail service board, said regionalism is the “wave of the future” in an era of tighter government spending.
“We’ve got to think differently,” Carper said.
Dan Wiedemeier, another summit steering committee member, also had his eyes set on the future.
“We have made tremendous progress,” he said. “But even with our success today, we have much to accomplish in the future.”
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The road to prosperity is built with regional cooperation and support for businesses that are willing to take risks.
Speakers hammered home the message at Monday’s Tri-State Development Summit in Fairfield, Iowa.
The event, the eighth such gathering in 13 years, stressed the needs of workforce, infrastructure, incentives and livability in 35 counties of Northeast Missouri, West-Central Illinois and Southeast Iowa.
Entrepreneurial expert Deb Markley said businesses don’t worry about geographic boundaries, especially during hard times.
“Regionalism is essential,” Markley said. “Half the battle is getting people to think regionally. That’s happened here.”
Tom Boland, a Hannibal businessman who chairs one of the summit’s steering committees, said greater regional cooperation has resulted in better roads and additional jobs.
“Have we had a home run over the lights in center field?” Boland asked rhetorically. “No, probably not. But we went from a disparate state of mind to speaking with a common voice.”
George Walley of the Hannibal-based Northeast Missouri Development Authority said regionalism leads to a “better use of resources” in promoting growth.
Jim Mentesti of the Great River Economic Development Foundation in Quincy, Ill., has been part of the summit since the beginning and said the hard work has paid dividends.
“We have infrastructure, we have leadership and we have investment in place,” Mentesti said.
Fairfield was cited as an example of what can be accomplished. The city of fewer than 10,000 residents in the last two decades has put together an entrepreneurial program that’s created businesses, jobs and investment.
“Our success has been based on good partnerships and vision,” said Fairfield Mayor Ed Malloy.
The effort has helped keep many young people from seeking jobs in larger cities.
“We see the next generation taking root,” he said.
Former Macomb, Ill., Mayor Tom Carper, who now is national chairman of the Amtrak passenger rail service board, said regionalism is the “wave of the future” in an era of tighter government spending.
“We’ve got to think differently,” Carper said.
Dan Wiedemeier, another summit steering committee member, also had his eyes set on the future.
“We have made tremendous progress,” he said. “But even with our success today, we have much to accomplish in the future.”
