“Our state offers an ‘Iowa Nice’ culture and the ability to pursue the American dream,” said Shelly Greving, owner of Emerge Marketing Solutions in Manning, which helps revitalize rural Iowa. “Calhoun County can capitalize on this and build on what’s working.”

Greving and her team led the four-hour strategic planning event, which included small business owners, educators, a health care administrator, CEOs, agriculture professionals, a county supervisor and other local leaders. As these leaders worked in small groups to assess what’s working in Calhoun County, their lists included:

• Attracting younger people back to Calhoun County

• Expanding broadband connectivity to more communities in Calhoun County

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Pictured from left, Calhoun County Supervisor Carl Legore; Keaton Hildreth, CEO of the Calhoun County Electric Cooperative Association; and Ann Gemberling with Lohrville Visions, discuss the opportunities and challenges with various assets in Calhoun County, including the people who live and work in the county.

• A thriving ag sector

• Safe, secure communities

• Amenities like Twin Lakes (which is one of only two walled, glacial blue lakes in Iowa and includes the new “Lakeside Landing” housing development)

• Easy transportation access, thanks to four-lane U.S. Highway 20 (which was completed in 2018)

• An affordable cost of living. (In fact, Calhoun County offers the sixth lowest cost of living among Iowa’s 99 counties, based on data from the U.S. Census and Bureau of Labor Statistics.)

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Theresa Hildreth, executive director of the Calhoun County Economic Development Corporation (CCEDC), participated in a recent strategic planning session with local residents and business owners. The group worked together to identify ways to enhance business retention, start-up and growth, as well as enhance the quality of life, in Calhoun County.

All this fits with Calhoun County Economic Development Corporation’s (CCEDC) vision to connect businesses and communities with resources for success. CCEDC provides assistance to existing and prospective businesses and industries, entrepreneurs, local chamber of commerce/development organizations, city offices and non-profit organizations in Calhoun County.

“Our mission is to enhance business retention, start-up and growth to increase employment opportunities and the tax base,” said Theresa Hildreth, executive director of CCEDC.

The CCEDC strives to be responsive to the communities, business leaders and stakeholders the group serves.

“By pulling a diverse group of people together, we can develop a comprehensive plan that focuses on addressing big-picture needs, instead of getting lost in weeds,” said Keaton Hildreth, CEO of the Calhoun County Electric Cooperative Association (ECA). “Planning becomes a team effort, where new ideas can be shared, and real solutions can be discovered with everyone’s input.”

Strengthening local communities

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Macie Schoon (left), economic development coordinator/deputy clerk for the City of Manson, joined 16 other participants from across Calhoun County during a recent strategic development planning session hosted by the Calhoun County Economic Development Corporation in Rockwell City.

The need for additional housing, as well as affordable housing, was a major topic during the strategic planning session.

“It’s something that will continue to limit the available workforce, if this issue is not addressed,” Keaton Hildreth said. “The strategic planning session helped people who are working through similar issues make connections, provide advice and share best practices.”

The fact that many people across the county were willing to attend an in-person meeting shows a willingness to start the discussion, said Nathan Gentry, owner of Gentry Hardware and Gentry Restorations and Kustoms in Rockwell City.

“There are some tough discussions and hard truths that need to be addressed, and this is the doorway to those discussions,” he said. “It’s valuable to connect with like-minded people who share your concerns and goals.”

This reflects CCEDC’s commitment to improve the quality of life in the local area. This focus is more important than ever, said Greving, who helped strategic planning participants explore “what does economic development mean to you?’ and shared data about current economic development priorities in Iowa.

“Quality of life is leading more people’s discussions of where to move and live,” Greving said. “Iowa is not just a pass-through state anymore. Rural areas offer unique opportunities.”

Those opportunities include room for small and larger businesses alike. Consider the Calhoun County Business Park at the junction of Iowa Highway 4 and four-lane U.S. Highway 20.

“Our most recent data shows that 8,837 vehicles pass through this area each day,” Theresa Hildreth said. “That’s up from 3,600 vehicles a day in 2012.”

Sparky’s convenience store has carved a thriving niche across from the Calhoun County Business Park. In 2023, this area also attracted the Store on 4 by Katy Lynn Boutique, which offers accessories, clothing and gifts.

This kind of catalyst effect drives the rural economy, grows the tax base and helps unlock more resources to meet strategic goals like new housing options.

“Economic development is all about building relationships and connecting,” Greving said. “Collaborations and partnerships are vital for the future.”

These connections are essential in the post-COVID-19-pandemic world, Gentry said. “The pandemic highlighted the necessity of knowing your neighbors and supporting your local businesses,” he said.”Growing these connections helps strengthen the county as a whole.”

Macie Schoon, economic development coordinator/deputy clerk for the City of Manson, is excited about the possibilities.

“The people who attended this strategic planning session had varying backgrounds and experiences, which created the perfect environment for brainstorming,” she said. “It takes a cohesive team to move the county in the right direction. I think the leaders who attended this event are the right people to do just that.”