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DRA Winter Round-up
In this issue:
SEDAP Project HighlightKentucky: DRA provides funding for transportation infrastructure projects to bring investment, development to communitiesIn order to attract private investment and support a community's economic vitality, a community must have the necessary transportation infrastructure to support commerce and development. Numerous communities do not have the resources to sustain modern transportation systems that encourage the growth of industry locally and must simply rely on minimal funding to maintain already existing infrastructure.
This past year, the Delta Regional Authority invested more than $550,000 into three transportation and public infrastructure projects in Western Kentucky -- more than half of the total investment for the state -- expanding roadways and building necessary structures to support current and future business and community development.
These investments have provided communities with crucial job creation and the opportunity to better attract external investment, supporting local economies. The investment has allowed communities: - To install a new bridge crane at the Riverport facility in Paducah. The crane enables the facility to handle larger loads both loading and off-loading of barge containers along with the improvement of the dock facility and mooring cell;
- To extend the Guthrie Eagle Way roadway, providing direct access to a company that is expanding operations and to an additional three industrial spaces; and
- To widen McFarlan Road, providing access for the local Riverport and support the economic vitality of Marshall County.
These projects represent more than $3.4 million in economic development investment to support communities in attracting industries that create jobs and improve lives of the people in the Delta.
Each month the Delta Regional Authority highlights projects funded by DRA's States' Economic Development Assistance Program, which in nine funding cycles has created over 9,000 jobs, leveraged $1.5 billion in private investment, and helped 25,000 families gain access to clean water and sewer service. Chairman Masingill receives briefing from US Coast Guard on Vicksburg Oil Spill
Delta Distinguished
Arkansas: Blytheville Mayor brings development, investment, and community to his hometownWithin two years of his election, Blytheville Mayor James Sanders has brought millions of dollars in investment and numerous community-building programs to his hometown. Sanders has served his community and state for 30 years in law enforcement, including graduating from the FBI National Academy and most recently serving as Sheriff of Mississippi County. He now continues his service by committing to transform his city through administrative reforms and economic development efforts as mayor of Blytheville. As one of the biggest investments in recent years, Mayor Sanders and Blytheville-Gosnell Regional Airport are pursuing a $5.8 million renovation and expansion project for buildings, tools, and equipment for its Aviation Repair Technologies aircraft maintenance checks program. This investment will not only secure jobs for the Blytheville area but also support the training of Blytheville’s students in an industry that directly supports the region. Mayor Sanders and his administration have also pursued creating a stronger community environment by cleaning up the city and bringing its residents together. A new program, Cleaner Safer Blytheville, is coordinating “days of service” for community members to come together and clean up neighborhoods and areas of the city that have become overgrown and a detriment to the city’s aesthetics. Through support from local churches, industry leaders, and civic organizations, Cleaner Safer Blytheville has hosted two clean-up days that have attracted more than 1,500 residents to participate.
“This program is about bringing the people of Blytheville together, meeting your neighbor and creating fellowship while helping your community,” said Mayor Sanders. The city also hosted a Gun Buy Back day this month, which successfully removed 15 weapons, a small step towards one of Mayor Sanders’ missions to make Blytheville a safer community in which to live.
Looking to the future, Blytheville will serve as one of four sites for the 2013 Innovative Readiness Training Mission in the Delta region. In partnership with the US Armed Forces Reserves, Delta Regional Authority and local leadership will host medical professionals in Summer 2013 to provide medical and dental care to residents of Blytheville and three other communities in Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee.
Delta Regional Authority proudly recognizes each month a community leader who has dedicated his or her life's work to serving the Delta region and inspiring lasting change throughout their community, state, and nation. DRA Helps Launch New El Dorado Small Business and Jobs Accelerator
 The Delta Regional Authority is investing more than $185,000 into the El Dorado Incubator Environment – known as EDIE’s Village – to provide support for entrepreneurs across Ashley, Bradley, Chicot, and Union counties. Along with the Delta Regional Authority, the partnership will include South Arkansas Community College and the Arkansas Women’s Business Center hosted by Winrock International. The DRA approved the project in coordination with Governor Beebe’s office.
This investment will: - Develop a student-run business, expecting 25-30 students to participate in the program;
- Launch retail space for 20 local entrepreneurs in a low-cost environment for businesses to sell products;
- Leverage additional resources from the U.S. Small Business Administration and Housing and Urban Development; and
- Provide one-on-one business development and product marketing counseling for participating entrepreneurs.
Chairman Chris Masingill said, “This investment honors the hard work of our region's small businesses and entrepreneurs. They are truly the lifeblood of the Delta economy - starting and expanding small businesses that create jobs in good times and in bad. Business incubators like EDIE’s Village will be on the front lines of that growth, helping these businesses create jobs today and a stronger Delta economy for years to come.”
For the full release, click here.
Louisiana: Couple pool their skills to build regional supplier for industrial equipment
When a husband has extensive industrial sales experience and the wife has marketing and business experience, it can be tempting to start their own business when they see the opportunity. In 2004 John and Renee Pender combined their skills and founded Pender Industrial. Based in Monroe, La., Pender Industrial is a manufacturer's representative and distributor for instrumentation valves and parts for chemical plants, energy plants and paper mills, servicing clients in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas.
When Renee Pender and her husband started thinking about forming a business in 2003, Renee consulted with the Louisiana Small Business Development Center at the University of Louisiana Monroe to begin working on a brief business plan and feasibility study to determine if starting the business would be the right move. The Penders had knowledge of the industry and the sales skills to go with it, but the SBDC helped determine whether the venture was right for them.
"[Our local SBDC] really helped with the numbers. At the time, we didn't know how much we'd have to borrow and we fine-tuned the business and marketing plan to see if it was even feasible," said Pender.
They started the business in their home and kept inventory in a small shop but things grew quickly. Within a couple of years they moved into a 4,300-square-foot warehouse and now have seven employees including themselves. The center continues to be a resource for the Penders when considering adding more staff, providing helpful analyses to inform decision making.
With their dedication and passion for their business coupled with the support of local and regional resources, Pender has had a successful decade, attracting a $700,000 sale within six months of opening their doors and generating annual sales in excess of $10 million. They are also exploring the opportunity of branding their own product line of valves.
Every month the Delta Regional Authority recognizes a small business in our region that demonstrates a commitment to growing the entrepreneurial environment of the Delta and contributing to its local economy, bringing new ideas and services to our communities. BACK TO TOP
Ozark Small Business Incubator opens new IDEA Center for Young Entrepreneurs Since its opening in January 2012, the Ozark Small Business Incubator (OzSBI) strives to create jobs and stimulate economic growth in the South Central Ozarks region of Missouri. Most recently OzSBI has opened the IDEA Center, an incubator for students and young entrepreneurs within OzSBI that will provide education in business development and entrepreneurship as well as cater to youth interested in pursuing small business opportunities.
By providing retail space, business development support, and necessary resources for small businesses, OzSBI is strengthening the entrepreneurial and small business community in West Plains, MO, and the surrounding towns. These services are now provided to the area's young entrepreneurs looking for a hip and supportive environment to pursue their own innovative ideas and business plans.
To kick-start the services of the IDEA Center, OzSBI sponsored an elevator pitch competition to showcase local entrepreneurs. Chairmen Masingill and Marshall joined the West Plains Mayor, OzSBI Executive Director, Toney Aid, and other West Plains community leaders in praising the new center. Construction of the IDEA Center was funded by Delta Regional Authority through the States' Economic Development Assistance Program.
Additional information about the IDEA Center can be found on OzSBI's website.
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Community LIFT brings Broadband Wireless
DRA Healthy Workforce Challenge
Dr. James Stapleton receives 2012 PRIDE Award
DLI, DLN website integration
Businesses, Residents in Historic Soulsville Receive Major Boost in Access to Broadband and Job Growth
 MEMPHIS, TN– A new wireless, broadband network is coming to help Soulsville small business owners and residents create jobs and boost their economic opportunity. Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell and Congressman Steve Cohen joined Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill today to announce that the DRA is proceeding with a new $250,000 investment, coordinated through the Community LIFT Corp, to establish a Wi-Fi network that will allow residents to work, learn, and fully utilize information technology in their daily lives. This innovative project will have significant business development implications in the Soulsville community by giving area businesses a larger capacity for innovation, efficiency, and communication. The investment will also: - Bring Memphis its first high speed wireless, broadband neighborhood network;
- Leverage an additional $157,000 in private investment for the Community Digital Advantage Program; and
- Align Soulsville with the State of Tennessee reshoring telecommunication strategy
For the full release, click here. Applications available for new partnership to address chronic health diseases in the DeltaThe Delta Regional Authority is partnering with the Health Resources and Services Administration to offer two new investments that will improve health outcomes in the rural counties and parishes located across the eight-state region. The DRA’s Healthy Workforce Challenge supplements the HRSA award by leveraging an additional $500,000 to improve workplace health. The partnership between the DRA and HRSA on these significant health investments follows the President’s charge to the White House Rural Council to collaborate and coordinate efforts to create new opportunities for rural communities. To be considered for the DRA Healthy Workforce Challenge, applicants must simultaneously apply to the Delta States Rural Development Network Grant Program. The partnership is looking for programs that support local health providers in working together across counties and parishes to implement programs targeting these chronic diseases. The programs will focus on strengthening the knowledge people of the Delta region have about health risk and disease management. For more information and the application, visit the Healthy Delta Initiative.
Stapleton honored with 2012 PRIDE Award Dr. James Stapleton, Executive Director of the Douglas C. Greene Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) and strong partner with the Delta Regional Authority, has received the Provost's Research, Instruction and Development for Excellence (PRIDE) Award from Southeast Missouri State University. The PRIDE Award recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated excellence as a teacher and an extraordinary level of scholarship and service to the university and community, and whose overall accomplishments are especially noteworthy. Congratulations to Dr. Stapleton, who has facilitated numerous partnerships between DRA and CIE, most recently of which was a first-of-a-kind report - Jobs and Small Businesses - that gives a comprehensive look at the small business community of the Delta region and its effect on job creation and economic growth. For the full release, click here. DRA website integrating Delta Leadership tools
In an effort to further enhance the accessibility and services provided to Delta Leadership Institute participants and Delta Leadership Network members, the Delta Regional Authority is integrating the Delta Leadership online tools into its own website platform. Over the next month, DRA staff will be drawing from suggestions and ideas of DLI and DLN members on how best to enhance the current online services for Delta Leadership programs. If you are a current participant in the DLI executive academy or a DLN member, please participate in our survey that we will have open through Friday, February 8. Keep an eye for the new websites and expanded services for our Delta Leaders. LOOKING AHEAD: February 20-21, 2013
Strategic Biomass Solutions 2nd Annual Southeast Clean Power Summit New Orleans, LA February 23, 2013DRA Quorum Meeting with Governors Washington, DC February 25-27, 2013
Delta Leadership Institute Session II Natchez, MS ***If you have an event that you would like featured in our Looking Ahead section, send event information to press@dra.gov. Like the DRA on Facebook!
We enjoy keeping up with many of you on Facebook, and hope you will keep up with us on our Facebook page. We will share our progress, insights and interests. Most of all, we want to hear from you!
Delta Regional
Authority
Board of Governors
Federal Co-Chairman
Chris Masingill
Alternate Federal Co-Chairman
Mike Marshall
State Co-Chairman
Governor Jay Nixon - Missouri
Mr. Bill Ransdall - Designee
Dr. Jon Hagler - Alternate
State of Alabama
Governor Robert Bentley
Mr. Jim Byard - Designee
Mr. Jimmy Lester - Alternate
State of Arkansas
Governor Mike Beebe
Mr. Steve Jones - Designee & Alternate
State of Illinois
Governor Pat Quinn
Mr. David Vaught- Designee & Alternate
Commonwealth of Kentucky
Governor Steve Beshear
Mr. Tony Wilder - Designee & Alternate
State of Louisiana
Governor Bobby Jindal
Mr. Doyle Robinson - Designee
Mr. Matt Parker - Alternate
State of Mississippi
Governor Phil Bryant
Mr. Chris Champion - Designee & Alternate
State of Tennessee
Governor Bill Haslem
Mr. Allen Borden - Designee
Ms. Brooxie Carlton - Alternate
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Delta Regional Authority
236 Sharkey Avenue -
Suite 400
Clarksdale, MS 38614
(662) 624-8600
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