Sweetwater Economic Development Association

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2005-2006 Highlights

The Sweetwater Economic Development Association took aggressive steps to assist local businesses through an active business retention and expansion program. The countywide workforce shortage was identified as the priority and SWEDA devoted significant time and resources to that effort. Key to the program was workforce recruitment, housing for the workforce, and daycare for local employees.

In an unprecedented move, SWEDA partnered with Campbell County ED and Casper Area ED, to recruit workers. Local industries were consulted on specific skills sets needed, and a search was initiated for areas around the country with similar climates, housing costs, skills sets, quality of life and high unemployment rates. The three entities identified six Michigan communities and created their own job fairs with local media promotion in Flint, Lansing, Jackson, Saginaw, Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo. 

The efforts have generated over 1,535 Michigan residents registering with the Wyoming Workforce Service office for employment. Over three dozen Michigan residents have currently relocated to the county. Additionally the job fairs generated dozens of local media stories, through radio, television, and print which were later picked up by the wire service. SWEDA has since conducted interviews with the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times as follow-up to the efforts.

In February SWEDA was recognized along with our partners by Governor Freudenthal with the presentation of the 2006 Bravo Award for innovative Economic Development for the success of the Michigan recruitment efforts. See photo on page 3 SWEDA also attended workforce recruitment fairs in Idaho and South Dakota.

SWEDA has further expand its workforce recruitment through a partnership with tourism efforts. The Sweetwater County Joint Travel and Tourism Board allowed SWEDA to participate in their tourism promotions through the insertion of workforce recruitment needs. SWEDA has also developed a separate workforce recruitment piece that will be distributed in fulfillment to requests on Yellowstone National Park. See insert

SWEDA continued to work with commercial, industrial and residential developers over the past year. SWEDA met personally with twenty-three developers on a variety of projects, providing economic information, demographics, site and county tours and other pertinent information. Proposals were sent to eleven different developers in response to leads generated locally and by the Wyoming Business Council.

SWEDA wrote and assisted with several grants, including a partnership with Campbell County on the behalf of the energy impacted communities for Department of Labor funds in the amount of $17 million. SWEDA assisted with Workforce Training Grant applications for BJ Services and Black Butte Coal. SWEDA successfully wrote a Community Development Block grant for the Sweetwater County Events Complex for a economic impact study and the Town of Wamsutter for a new daycare facility. SWEDA has also submitted a Community Facilities Grant for the Town of Superior for renovations to the former school, currently used as a community center.

SWEDA partnered with the Wyoming Business council for attend two trade shows specific to site selectors to promote the area for business relocation. SWEDA compiled an updated listing of county buildings and sites and promoted them on FastFacility.com, a web site for site selectors. The listings are receiving approximately twelve hits a week on the internet resulting in great exposure for local buildings and sites. 

SWEDA’s recruitment efforts resulted in site visits to Sweetwater County by twenty nine different prospects, including industrial, residential and commercial. An additional thirty proposals were sent to interested companies as well. In addition to business recruitment SWEDA worked closely with several residential developers to help provide additional housing including the Sparrow Group’s affordable housing project tin Green River , the relocation of houses from Table Rock to Rock Springs and Wamsutter, and the Bluffs Senior Estates in Rock Springs.

SWEDA continued to work on building community capacity through daycare expansion with the YWCA. SWEDA is currently pursuing grants to accommodate the growing need.

SWEDA partnered with other organizations on several successful projects. The Sweetwater County Leadership Institute, a cooperative efforts with the Green River and Rock Springs Chambers of Commerce, concluded in June with twelve graduates completing the program. The program runs from January through June and informs participants on the County, itself facilities, and its issues to prepare and encourage leadership development. SWEDA also partnered with the two Chambers of Commerce in hosting the Annual Sweetwater County Gala April 8th at the Island Pavilion in Green River, which recognized our volunteers through the presentation of our annual awards. The Annual Leadership Award was presented to Kent Porenta for his contribution to the goals and objectives of SWEDA; the Visionary Award was presented to Ray Sarcletti as the community member who contributed to the economy of the county; and BP was presented the Presidents Award for their outstanding support and assistance to the Town of Wamsutter.

SWEDA took an active role in legislation that impacts our local and state economy. SWEDA was an active supporter and participant in the campaign for the 6th penny for infrastructure improvements countywide. SWEDA also helped develop and support the legislative issues for the Wyoming Economic Development Association with primary emphasis on workforce housing, workforce recruitment and additional funding for local municipalities that are struggling with high impact from the increase energy development. 



BRAVO AWARD FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Pictured  Pat Robbins-Sweetwater Economic Development Association, Ruth Benson, Campbell County Economic Development Corporation, Governor Dave Freudenthal

In July 2006, the Sweetwater County Board of Realtors presented SWEDA Director Patricia Robbins with the 2006 Business Person of the Year Award, in recognition of her dedication 

Board President’s Message 

Another year has passed and SWEDA continues to be the economic development leader in Sweetwater County. Once again staff and the Board of Directors have proven the dynamic ability of our organization. This ability, to “roll with the punches” and change focus to the present needs of industry, has become the trademark of SWEDA. While others flounder, SWEDA continues to rise to the top setting the benchmark for economic development locally and state wide.

Our concentration has switched from heavy business recruitment to workforce recruitment and workforce housing. The success of the workforce recruitment trips to Michigan, where the automotive industry is laying off thousands of skilled people, brought many new workers and many more job applications to Sweetwater County. The only issue preventing more desperately needed workers from moving, is housing. When that was realized, SWEDA went into action to convince the City Councils to make this their number one priority. I believe this is happening.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Board of Directors for instilling their confidence in me for another term as President. Moreover, I would like to thank the membership for the honor of the Leadership Award. Words can’t express the honor I feel for having this prestigious award bestowed on me. I would also like to thank our staff, Pat and Dorothy, for the fantastic work this past year. For every challenge, they rose to the occasion and delivered above and beyond. We as an organization are blessed to have such dedicated and committed employees.

In the coming months you will see an advertising campaign and radio interview shows touting the accomplishments of SWEDA and informing what we have to offer. This has been a personal goal of mine for the following reason; we are great about serving business, but we have never really told OUR story. My hope is that the general public will learn, and perhaps comment, on the job we are tasked to do.

I am excited to see what the coming year will bring to Sweetwater County and SWEDA. These, coming from a Sweetwater County native, are fantastic times; everything we have wished for is either here or on the way. Our job remains to keep them here, a job I’m positive that SWEDA can and will do!

Again, thank you for allowing me to have the “SWEDA experience”.
Kent Porenta, President

Committee Accomplishments

• Retention and Recruitment , Co-Chairs Jim Anselmi and Janet Hartford
  The committee focused strongly on business retention and continued to provide grant assistance to local businesses. The committee identified trade shows for SWEDA to attend and participate at in partnership with the Wyoming Business Council. The Committee also worked aggressively with builders to encourage and assist in housing for workforce including having a developer present ideas and issues to the local governing bodies.
     

• Workforce Recruitment and Development, Co-Chairs Regina Clark and Dave Hanks
  Utilizing information from local industries the committee identified several areas for workforce recruitment including Idaho Falls and Pocatello, Idaho; Rapid City, South Dakota; and the State of Michigan. Additionally the committee worked cooperatively with tourism entities to create joint tourism/relocation pieces through partnerships with the Sweetwater County Travel and Tourism Board and the Yellowstone Journal.
     

• Strategic Positioning, Co-Chairs George Lemich and Craig Nelson
  The committee was formed to respond in a timely fashion to issues, threats, and opportunities that arise in the county and actively supported and advocated for several zone changes and new developments to allow the communities to prosper.
     

• Finance
  The committee set budgetary needs and priorities and established the budget for the upcoming year.
     

• Infrastructure, Chair Don Hartley
  The committee identified areas of growth and funding sources and started SWEDA first virtual committee utilizing the internet.