Certified site will add to momentum in Fort Dodge and Webster County
Lots of local teamwork made the achievement possible
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To the vast majority of Americans who are not in the business of finding locations where businesses can build huge new facilities, the concept of a certified site likely seems irrelevant to their lives.
But having a certified site nearby means their community can attract businesses faster than many others. That means their town will grow, bringing more jobs, more business, more places to eat and more tax revenue to pay for everything from police officer salaries to swing sets in the parks.
Webster County now has the second largest certified site in the state, totaling 720 acres in the ag industrial park called Iowa's Crossroads of Global Innovation.
Attaining that listing clears the way for the park to grow, and perhaps grow quickly, bringing millions of dollars in investment and hundreds of new jobs.
A certified site designation tells businesses that the property is ready for development. As Debi Durham, director of both the Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Finance Authority, aptly put it, companies that are investing hundreds of millions of dollars in facilities don't like surprises. Site certification eliminates any surprises related to the land upon which they want to build.
Site certification is not easy to get. A community doesn't just fill out a couple of forms to secure it. The process of earning site certification can take a couple of years. It includes an exhaustive examination of the property. Pollution and archaeological artifacts are among the things examiners look for during the process.
Getting the 720 local acres certified was a remarkable achievement. And it took a lot of work by a lot of people to do it. Many county and city officials, both elected leaders and appointed staff members, had a role in it. We thank them for their work.
The certified site dovetails with some other things going on in Fort Dodge and Webster County that position the community for an exciting future. Those include the massive expansion of the Nestle Purina PetCare plant, the continued development of Corridor Plaza, investments in downtown, the riverfront and housing. Businesses that may be coming to the certified site need employees, and many of those investments will make Fort Dodge and Webster County an attractive place to live.
The steady presence of Iowa Central Community College and its many worker training programs contribute immensely to the local economic development prospects.
To top it off, the community benefits from a unique level of cooperation between the city and county governments.
Fort Dodge and Webster County have a lot of good things going for them. We should all be proud to be part of this community.