THE END of an exciting year for economic and community development is upon us. The end of the calendar year is traditionally the time to show appreciation, reflect on past successes, and prepare goals for the upcoming year.
The Shelbyville-Bedford Partnership, an economic development organization, was formed as a 501(c)6 corporation in May of 2021. The Partnership provides Shelbyville and Bedford County with economic and development opportunities to benefit its citizens. Since its inception, there have been many accomplishments and some first-time for Bedford County economic development accomplishments. Some of these accomplishments could be considered minor and some large.
elopment accomplishments for 2021. First, the creation of The Partnership hails as the springboard for ongoing development and future opportunities. The Partnership benefits from a quasi-private sector and government makeup.
The second of the top three accomplishments was Bedford County’s award from the state of Tennessee to participate in the Property Evaluation Program. The program was created in 2015 and designed to bring best practices and improved marketability to industrial sites in communities throughout Tennessee. The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development award was Bedford’s first selection in the program’s history. The participation was meaningful because it provided the governing board of the 231 North Business Park with third-party information necessary to improve the competitiveness of the industrial park. “The availability of shovel-ready industrial sites is an enormous advantage and allows Tennessee Communities to remain competitive when recruiting companies to the state. Through PEP, these four counties are increasing their marketability and likelihood of landing future projects. I congratulate Bedford, Greene, Hamilton, and Hardin counties and look forward to seeing the improvements that will be made through the program,” the TNECD Commissioner Bob Rolfe said, according to the TNECD website.
The third of the top three accomplishments was engaging the private sector for investment in the industrial park. The private sector is poised to assist in making the park more marketable. Erecting a speculative building in the park would be one of the single most advantageous catalysts for new industrial recruitment. This year, there have been more than twenty occurrences that Bedford wasn’t considered for a new project because of the lack of an appropriate manufacturing facility.
Having a speculative building is not a guarantee for success, but it does open many more doors of opportunity.
Shelbyville and Bedford have experienced many more accomplishments in 2021, but the top three have cleared a path to success and charted the course to greater heights of prosperity. Increasing activity that leads to more projects considering Bedford County will be a focus in the new year of 2022.
In conclusion, thank you to the Bedford County Commissioners and the City of Shelbyville Councilmembers. Their financial support and other support have been invaluable to bringing jobs and capital investment to Shelbyville and Bedford County. We appreciate our private sector support from NationWide Express, Ferrous Processing & Trading, Nearest Green Distillery, Southern Catering, and Tyson. -GN
