Harvey County savors strong growth

In the last year, more than $30 million has been invested in Harvey County businesses. There have been about 300 jobs created and more than 240,000 square feet of commercial and industrial space built in the same time frame. “It’s been a busy year in Harvey County,” said Mickey Fornaro-Dean, executive director of the Harvey County Economic Development Council. During the EDC’s annual appreciation banquet Tuesday night, outgoing president Roger Ahrens discussed the turbulent times for businesses and how it’s going to take a different way of looking at things to be successful and prosperous. “Traditional methods of thinking will not work so well,” he said. “We’re going to have to be more creative. I’m not talking about flying creativity, but you’re going to have to leverage your experience in more creative ways to prosper. You’re going to have to harvest opportunity from challenging and changing conditions.” He left the creativity up to each business, but showed just how things have been changing in the economy and business world. The rate of change in business has been accelerating over many years — much like a jet plane, he said. Indicators of this change include wheat trading on the Chicago Board of Trade at about $8 per bushel, while several months ago it was about $13. Corn isn't much different, being traded at about $6, while in 2005 it was about $2. Oil has gone from $50 per barrel not that long ago to about $120. Why the economy is in such a state of change, Ahrens doesn’t know. But, he said, change and uncertainty provide opportunity. In south-central Kansas, businesses are taking those opportunities to expand and build business. Following his speech, Ahrens passed the gavel to the new council president for the 2008-2009 term, Steve Lang. Fornaro-Dean took the microphone after the presidents’ addresses to the audience to honor businesses that have decided to call Harvey County home and those that remain and prosper in the area. Three new businesses were honored by the economic development council during the ceremony — Enertech, Healy Biodiesel and Park Aerospace Materials. Enertech is a privately held corporation involved in the wind energy industry. The company relocated its business to a 10,000-square-foot facility off Spencer Road in Newton. The company designs, manufacturers, sells and installs wind turbine generators and specializes in refurbishing existing turbines. Healy Biodiesel in Sedgwick began operations in June and is the first commercial biodiesel production facility in Kansas, Fornaro-Dean said. Other new businesses the Harvey County Economic Development Council helped in some fashion include Healthy Baby Boutique in Newton, Paradise Grille in Burrton and Salon Fusion in Newton. Park Electrochemical Corp., headquartered in Melville, N.Y., selected the Newton City/County Airport as the location of its new advanced composite materials development and manufacturing facility for aircraft structures, to be called Park Aerospace Materials. Business expansion in Harvey County has been on the move, Fornaro-Dean said. Several exisiting businesses have added facility space and brought new jobs to the area in the last year. Those businesses include AGCO Corp., Anesthesia Billing, Bunting Magnetics, Full Vision, Kustom Karriers, Legg Co., Martin Machine and Welding, Mackey and Sons, Prestressed Concrete, Southwest and Associates, Stadridge Color Corp., VAE Nortrack North America and Excel. Following the awards ceremony, Fornaro-Dean introduced the entertainment for the evening — Barry Ward. The singer/songwriter was a finalist for the Western Music Association’s male performer of the year award in 2003.