Lost River Economic Development

Since LRED has been functioning, articles have been written for various outsources. These articles are located on this page for public view.

As we approach the holiday season most of us will be making frequent trips to either Idaho Falls or some other city to purchase many items needed to celebrate with friends and family. Most of us will do this without considering the impact we can have on our communities by making many of those purchases locally.

One of the keys to growing our local economy is for residents to spend all that they can in the stores and other businesses that have been set up by their neighbors. As many of us know, owning a small business is time consuming and all those who do so take a tremendous risk. In many cases they have to place their homes, credit, and future into the hands of the bank or other institution from which they receive the necessary funds to operate.

What do they ask of us? That we try to frequent their businesses whenever we can. Many of us want to spend our money wisely and are always looking for the best “deal” we can find. That is why we drive for hours to go to a large discount store and buy everything at one time, usually because it is less expensive than what we would pay at the small “Mom and Pop” stores that are located in our valley. But is this a wise thing to do? Have we considered the financial impact these purchases have on our communities?

Most politicians and economists agree that a negative trade deficit is harmful because it sends resources out of the area. This is a problem we currently face here because many of us spend a large portion of our paychecks in far away cities. For example; if a person earned $500.00 and spent $250.00 of it shopping in another town and the balance on utilities, mortgage, and other incidentals hardly any of the income would actually pass through the valley and stimulate the economy. If, on the other hand, the same person was to spend half of the money in our valley, that money would stimulate growth and help create local jobs.

It would also help locals accumulate resources and allow them to keep their businesses open. In an effort to help local businesses Lost Rivers Economic Development, LLC, the Mackay Business Association, and the Butte County Chamber of Commerce are sponsoring a “BUY LOCAL” campaign. All three organizations would like to remind you that when you support local businesses you support your way of life. If we continue to neglect our local companies they will soon go the way of the countless other companies that once thrived in our valley; we will then be left with no choices at all.

We All Need to Help Business Succeed

By Jeff Bennett

The key to economic growth in our valley is for all of us to understand the relationship that exists between the business and the customer. In my last article I focused on the importance of all residents to shop locally whenever they can. This cannot be overstated. Today I would like to discuss the importance of all parties involved in a transaction to have a good experience.

Businesses have several stakeholders they need to please; owners, employees, vendors, and customers. If any one of these stakeholders has a negative experience on a continual basis they will stop interacting with the business. For example; if an employee feels he/she is being treated unfairly they will find another job, a wronged customer will not only never return – they will tell all of their friends not to do business with the company, and if a vendor has a difficult time getting paid they will close the account and “fire” the company.

Too often business owners aren’t receptive to the needs of these stakeholders because they are trying to keep their doors open. In a recent survey of small companies over 95% had no written policy regarding how to deal with customer complaints. This is staggering when you realize that a customer with a complaint that is not dealt with will, in most cases, never return to that business. And they will tell, on average, five (5) friends and neighbors about the bad experience they had, further harming the business.

Another problem we face is the attitude many residents have towards individuals and businesses located outside of our area. It is unfortunate but some have looked at them as someone to whom they should take advantage. I have spoken with leaders of corporations who have tried to interact with businesses in our valley and many of them felt that there was a desire for a “big score” and no thought to customer satisfaction. This mentality is harmful and hinders our ability to stimulate economic growth.

How do we solve the problems I have discussed? It may not be as difficult as you think. If you are in a business and you are unhappy for any reason, rather than just leaving, you need to let the owners know about your complaint. If you want to buy something that the store doesn’t have let them know what the item is and that you will buy it from them if they added it to inventory – and then do so. If you own a business focus on customer service and set up systems that make it easy for you to track complaints. When you receive complaints or suggestions correct the situation as soon as possible. Finally, focus on win-win relationships because they are mutually beneficial. A good rule of thumb to determine whether a proposed transaction is a win-win is if you would be happy as either the seller or the buyer. By working together we can help improve the quality of all our lives and the lives of our children.

Building Trust is Key

By Jeff Bennett

Many experts agree that trust is one of the most important elements in a vibrant, healthy and economically profitable company. Organizations that are built on foundations of trust usually succeed, those that don’t usually fail.

Leaders of organizations will ask, “How do I develop a strong relationship with a foundation of trust with all of my customers, venders, and employees?” It all begins at the very top since trustfulness and trustworthiness can only exist if upper management set the example and then instills that attitude into every department and employee within their scope of influence.

I've found there are five excellent ways for leaders to build trust into their teams, and five quick ways to lose it. First let's consider how to create it.

Establish and maintain integrity. It is the foundation of trust in any organization. Integrity must begin at the top and then move down. This means, among other things, keeping promises and always telling the truth, no matter how difficult it might be. If its people have integrity, an organization can be believed.
Communicate vision and values. Communication is important, since it provides the artery for information and truth. By communicating the organization's vision, management defines where it's going. By communicating its values, the methods for getting there are established.
Consider all employees as equal partners. Trust is established when even the newest rookie, a part-timer, or the lowest paid employee feels important and part of the team. This begins with management not being aloof, as well as getting out and meeting the troops. This should be followed by leaders seeking opinions and ideas (and giving credit for them), knowing the names of employees and their families and treating one and all with genuine respect.
Focus on shared, rather than personal goals. When employees feel everyone is pulling together to accomplish a shared vision, rather than a series of personal agendas, trust results. This is the essence of teamwork. When a team really works, the players trust one another.
Do what's right, regardless of personal risk. We all know intuitively what's "right" in nearly every situation. Following this instinctive sense, and ignoring any personal consequences will nearly always create respect from those around us. From this respect will come trust.

All right, that's the positive. But what about the negative - the five fastest ways to lose trust from our co-workers.

Act and speak inconsistently. Nothing confuses people faster than inconsistency. And if confusion due to contradiction is the only constant, trust is sure to fall victim.
Seek personal rather than shared gain. One who is out only for him or her self, especially in a team environment, quickly loses the respect and trust of others.
Withhold information. When the communication channels shut down - both top-down and bottom-up - rumors start and misinformation is believed to be real. Then come denials. True information is often too late, or is never offered. Then trust falls apart.
Lie or tell half-truths. Untruthfulness is a quick way to break a bond of trust. People may accept it once, even twice, but as the old saying goes, "twice burned..."
Be closed-minded. An unwillingness to consider other ideas and points of view, and/or to create an atmosphere of, "it's going to be my way or the highway…," will certainly cut-off communication and eventually shatter trust.

When we look at the truly successful organizations of both today and yesterday, we find their leaders fostered these five principles of creating trust. Consider the great military leaders of history (Augustus Caesar, Oliver Cromwell and George Washington), as well as the genuinely beloved political leaders (yes, there actually have been some: Joan of Arc, Peter the Great and Gandhi). And then there are the highly respected industrial leaders (Henry Ford, Lee Lacocca and Jack Welch). All of these great leaders built trust among their superiors, peers and subordinates, and it was this that spurred success and greatness for themselves, their units, alliances and companies.

We in the Lost River Valley need to make sure that every action we take, every word we utter, and every transactions we propose we do so with the intent of creating a win-win situation. This is how we can create trust amongst ourselves and with other entities with whom we do business that are located outside of our area. This will do more to spur economic growth than just about anything else.

As many of you are aware the new leadership at the INL was in Arco last week to meet with all concerned about the direction the Lab will be taking and Battelle's plan for the future. Many in attendance left with the "Heard it before" or "I'll believe it when I see it" attitude because, in reality, we have heard it all before. This does not mean that we shouldn't listen to what was said and try to improve our relationship with our neighbors to the east. While there were a plethora of ideas discussed I would like to focus on the few that will affect us here in our valley.

John Grossenbacher, Laboratory Director, made some comments we need to remember and prepare to hold him and all of his subordinates accountable. He stated Battelle has a strong policy of community involvement and when possible they will utilize small businesses as suppliers of goods and services. This is key. And it is very important that we position ourselves to be able to provide the goods and services of which he spoke.

Battelle wants the Lab to become the "premier nuclear research facility in the world" and is beginning to make it happen. How do we do business with a "world class" organization? There are several steps we need to take. First, we need to want to improve our communities. The outward appearance of a town is a critical aspect of business attraction. If buildings are unusable and eyesores they need to be leveled and replaced. Parks needs to be clean and plentiful, yards and homes clean and presentable. Second, we need to be professional in our jobs. If someone is driving through town and stops in a local business they need to have a good experience. If they are treated poorly or otherwise have a negative encounter with someone there is a good chance they will not stop the next time through. Hundreds of encounters happen every day and they build a communities reputation. Finally, businesses need to improve how they operate. Our local companies need to improve how they do business and focus on constant improvement. This is done through continuing education, systems improvement, and constant training.

Before anyone gets mad about our short comings let me say this; all of the Fortune 500 companies are unhappy with how they do things today. They realize they need to improve in all aspects of doing business or they will lose ground on their competition. Constant quality improvement is one key to success. Life is about motion and we all live on an escalator that is going down. If we walk slowly we stay where we are, if we stop trying we go down. Only by running can we improve our lot in life, our job, and our organizations.

If we begin try and become a "world class community" we will be able to not only meet some of the needs of Battelle and other contractors at the Lab, we will begin to promote and expand our local economy. Remember that luck is where education and effort meet.

LRED is starting monthly businesses classes on January 14, 2005 to help local companies and entrepreneurs succeed. If you own a business or have an idea of a company you'd like to start you are welcome to attend. There is no fee associated with the classes. For more information call 527-3060 in Arco and 588-2693 in Mackay.

As we here at LRED continue our fight to encourage economic growth in our valley we are constantly faced with new and unique challenges as well as long-standing attitudes. The new challenges are fun to try and overcome while the old attitudes are a larger road block than anything else we face.

Jack Schultz, a nationally recognized expert on rural economic growth, stated in his recent book Boom Town, USA that all towns take on a personality, a mentality that mimics the people who inhabit them. He describes these personalities in terms of animals. They include Mules, Moles, Jackals, and Eagles.

Mules: These are towns that are not only resistant to change but are actually proud of the way things are and have been for many generations. People in these towns believe that the lifestyle of 50 years ago is good enough for them and will fight change at any cost, even if the proposed change presents good opportunities to the community. This allegiance to the past ends up destroying a community when traditional ways of doing business no longer sustain the current population.

Moles: These communities don't aggressively fight change but they don't really consider it either. They are always behind the times, never at the forefront, and are often left behind altogether because of their unwillingness to consider change, look ahead, take risks, and be bold. The fear of failure is stronger than the desire for success. This town might have great ideas for bringing in new commerce but its citizens don't have the courage to make it become a reality.

Jackals: These communities are fearful as well but they lash out at other, more successful communities and take comfort when another community fails. These towns want to live off the successes of others even as they deride the risks successful towns take and the attitudes they have developed which has allowed them to become successful.

Eagles: These communities possess the positive attitude needed to make and keep a town successful. These communities are forward thinking in their mindset and do not spend much time mulling over past failures. They have great vision and spend no time with rumors, petty concerns, gossip, "what ifs" and popular opinion. They see opportunities that others miss, or are afraid to try. They understand their weaknesses and capitalize on their strengths.

Where do our communities fall? I am not going to pigeonhole any of our communities and say that it falls under one of these definitions because I can see all of these characteristics on a daily basis depending on with whom I'm speaking. There is a lot of resistance to change. There is also a desire by many for there to be change. What kind of change would be best? What kind of change would provide us with the greatest economic impart without compromising our quality of life?

We need to create and maintain a positive and open working environment and have "can do" attitudes. This will set the stage for good things to happen. Our local governments need to work with our businesses and help them flourish, not become a road block to success. I'm willing to take that thought a step further; our elected officials need to become actively involved in the development of local enterprises. It isn't enough for them to remain disinterested or apathetic, they must become pro-active. We will not be able to succeed without strong leadership and strong leaders make decisions that are not always popular. They also resolve conflict by taking charge.

Our communities need effective leaders that develop a strong vision. A strong vision goes hand in hand with a positive environment. We need to, in our own communities, determine what we want our towns to represent. There are many different visions for the future that we can pursue and they vary from town to town.

In Arco, do we want to be known as the "First City Powered by Nuclear Energy", a Gateway to The Craters of The Moon, or be known for ATV trails? While it is true that these are not mutually exclusive we need to create a vision and outline both short and long-term goals. After determining which path to take (or a combination) how do we begin to make the changes to create a vision that will effectively take us into the future?

In Mackay, are we an ATV destination, a fishing trip, or a historical mine tour? What other things can we do to market this community? What is the city's plan for utilizing the business park and how does that fit into the community's vision? What are the needs of the local residents and businesses and what can we all do to help them?

We need to be ever mindful of the fact that we are creating a reputation about our communities on a daily basis. Travelers who go through, businesses that buy or sell, and others interact with us daily. We are creating a reputation basis on these interactions. Let us always focus on becoming a "World Class" valley.

We will be holding a business class on Thursday, February 24 at 7:00pm in the BIC in Arco. The class will be covering Balance Sheet and Financial Ratios, all are invited to attend and there is no cost for the class.

ARCO OFFICE
P.O. Box 46, 159 N. Idaho, Arco ID 83213
Phone: (208) 527-3060 ext., 11 Cell: (208) 339-5900
Fax: (208) 527-3036
e-mail lred@atcnet.net

MACKAY OFFICE
301 E. Custer, Mackay ID 83251
Phone: (208)588-2693, Fax: (208) 588-2928
e-mail mackayid@atcnet.net


				Articles Since LRED has been functioning, articles have been written for various outsources. These articles are located on this page for public view. Appearing in the Arco Advertiser: Buy Locally, 11-18-04 We All Need to Help Businesses Succeed, 12-9-04 Building Trust, 12-23-04 Working With Battelle, 1-13-05 Attitude is Everything,2-24-05 Buy Locally By Jeff Bennett As we approach the holiday season most of us will be making frequent trips to either Idaho Falls or some other city to purchase many items needed to celebrate with friends and family. Most of us will do this without considering the impact we can have on our communities by making many of those purchases locally. One of the keys to growing our local economy is for residents to spend all that they can in the stores and other businesses that have been set up by their neighbors. As many of us know, owning a small business is time consuming and all those who do so take a tremendous risk. In many cases they have to place their homes, credit, and future into the hands of the bank or other institution from which they receive the necessary funds to operate. What do they ask of us? That we try to frequent their businesses whenever we can. Many of us want to spend our money wisely and are always looking for the best “deal” we can find. That is why we drive for hours to go to a large discount store and buy everything at one time, usually because it is less expensive than what we would pay at the small “Mom and Pop” stores that are located in our valley. But is this a wise thing to do? Have we considered the financial impact these purchases have on our communities? Most politicians and economists agree that a negative trade deficit is harmful because it sends resources out of the area. This is a problem we currently face here because many of us spend a large portion of our paychecks in far away cities. For example; if a person earned $500.00 and spent $250.00 of it shopping in another town and the balance on utilities, mortgage, and other incidentals hardly any of the income would actually pass through the valley and stimulate the economy. If, on the other hand, the same person was to spend half of the money in our valley, that money would stimulate growth and help create local jobs. It would also help locals accumulate resources and allow them to keep their businesses open. In an effort to help local businesses Lost Rivers Economic Development, LLC, the Mackay Business Association, and the Butte County Chamber of Commerce are sponsoring a “BUY LOCAL” campaign. All three organizations would like to remind you that when you support local businesses you support your way of life. If we continue to neglect our local companies they will soon go the way of the countless other companies that once thrived in our valley; we will then be left with no choices at all. back to top We All Need to Help Business Succeed By Jeff Bennett The key to economic growth in our valley is for all of us to understand the relationship that exists between the business and the customer. In my last article I focused on the importance of all residents to shop locally whenever they can. This cannot be overstated. Today I would like to discuss the importance of all parties involved in a transaction to have a good experience. Businesses have several stakeholders they need to please; owners, employees, vendors, and customers. If any one of these stakeholders has a negative experience on a continual basis they will stop interacting with the business. For example; if an employee feels he/she is being treated unfairly they will find another job, a wronged customer will not only never return – they will tell all of their friends not to do business with the company, and if a vendor has a difficult time getting paid they will close the account and “fire” the company. Too often business owners aren’t receptive to the needs of these stakeholders because they are trying to keep their doors open. In a recent survey of small companies over 95% had no written policy regarding how to deal with customer complaints. This is staggering when you realize that a customer with a complaint that is not dealt with will, in most cases, never return to that business. And they will tell, on average, five (5) friends and neighbors about the bad experience they had, further harming the business. Another problem we face is the attitude many residents have towards individuals and businesses located outside of our area. It is unfortunate but some have looked at them as someone to whom they should take advantage. I have spoken with leaders of corporations who have tried to interact with businesses in our valley and many of them felt that there was a desire for a “big score” and no thought to customer satisfaction. This mentality is harmful and hinders our ability to stimulate economic growth. How do we solve the problems I have discussed? It may not be as difficult as you think. If you are in a business and you are unhappy for any reason, rather than just leaving, you need to let the owners know about your complaint. If you want to buy something that the store doesn’t have let them know what the item is and that you will buy it from them if they added it to inventory – and then do so. If you own a business focus on customer service and set up systems that make it easy for you to track complaints. When you receive complaints or suggestions correct the situation as soon as possible. Finally, focus on win-win relationships because they are mutually beneficial. A good rule of thumb to determine whether a proposed transaction is a win-win is if you would be happy as either the seller or the buyer. By working together we can help improve the quality of all our lives and the lives of our children. Back to top Building Trust is Key By Jeff Bennett Many experts agree that trust is one of the most important elements in a vibrant, healthy and economically profitable company. Organizations that are built on foundations of trust usually succeed, those that don’t usually fail. Leaders of organizations will ask, “How do I develop a strong relationship with a foundation of trust with all of my customers, venders, and employees?” It all begins at the very top since trustfulness and trustworthiness can only exist if upper management set the example and then instills that attitude into every department and employee within their scope of influence. I've found there are five excellent ways for leaders to build trust into their teams, and five quick ways to lose it. First let's consider how to create it. Establish and maintain integrity. It is the foundation of trust in any organization. Integrity must begin at the top and then move down. This means, among other things, keeping promises and always telling the truth, no matter how difficult it might be. If its people have integrity, an organization can be believed. Communicate vision and values. Communication is important, since it provides the artery for information and truth. By communicating the organization's vision, management defines where it's going. By communicating its values, the methods for getting there are established. Consider all employees as equal partners. Trust is established when even the newest rookie, a part-timer, or the lowest paid employee feels important and part of the team. This begins with management not being aloof, as well as getting out and meeting the troops. This should be followed by leaders seeking opinions and ideas (and giving credit for them), knowing the names of employees and their families and treating one and all with genuine respect. Focus on shared, rather than personal goals. When employees feel everyone is pulling together to accomplish a shared vision, rather than a series of personal agendas, trust results. This is the essence of teamwork. When a team really works, the players trust one another. Do what's right, regardless of personal risk. We all know intuitively what's "right" in nearly every situation. Following this instinctive sense, and ignoring any personal consequences will nearly always create respect from those around us. From this respect will come trust. All right, that's the positive. But what about the negative - the five fastest ways to lose trust from our co-workers. Act and speak inconsistently. Nothing confuses people faster than inconsistency. And if confusion due to contradiction is the only constant, trust is sure to fall victim. Seek personal rather than shared gain. One who is out only for him or her self, especially in a team environment, quickly loses the respect and trust of others. Withhold information. When the communication channels shut down - both top-down and bottom-up - rumors start and misinformation is believed to be real. Then come denials. True information is often too late, or is never offered. Then trust falls apart. Lie or tell half-truths. Untruthfulness is a quick way to break a bond of trust. People may accept it once, even twice, but as the old saying goes, "twice burned..." Be closed-minded. An unwillingness to consider other ideas and points of view, and/or to create an atmosphere of, "it's going to be my way or the highway…," will certainly cut-off communication and eventually shatter trust. When we look at the truly successful organizations of both today and yesterday, we find their leaders fostered these five principles of creating trust. Consider the great military leaders of history (Augustus Caesar, Oliver Cromwell and George Washington), as well as the genuinely beloved political leaders (yes, there actually have been some: Joan of Arc, Peter the Great and Gandhi). And then there are the highly respected industrial leaders (Henry Ford, Lee Lacocca and Jack Welch). All of these great leaders built trust among their superiors, peers and subordinates, and it was this that spurred success and greatness for themselves, their units, alliances and companies. We in the Lost River Valley need to make sure that every action we take, every word we utter, and every transactions we propose we do so with the intent of creating a win-win situation. This is how we can create trust amongst ourselves and with other entities with whom we do business that are located outside of our area. This will do more to spur economic growth than just about anything else. Back to top Working with Battelle By Jeff Bennett As many of you are aware the new leadership at the INL was in Arco last week to meet with all concerned about the direction the Lab will be taking and Battelle's plan for the future. Many in attendance left with the "Heard it before" or "I'll believe it when I see it" attitude because, in reality, we have heard it all before. This does not mean that we shouldn't listen to what was said and try to improve our relationship with our neighbors to the east. While there were a plethora of ideas discussed I would like to focus on the few that will affect us here in our valley. John Grossenbacher, Laboratory Director, made some comments we need to remember and prepare to hold him and all of his subordinates accountable. He stated Battelle has a strong policy of community involvement and when possible they will utilize small businesses as suppliers of goods and services. This is key. And it is very important that we position ourselves to be able to provide the goods and services of which he spoke. Battelle wants the Lab to become the "premier nuclear research facility in the world" and is beginning to make it happen. How do we do business with a "world class" organization? There are several steps we need to take. First, we need to want to improve our communities. The outward appearance of a town is a critical aspect of business attraction. If buildings are unusable and eyesores they need to be leveled and replaced. Parks needs to be clean and plentiful, yards and homes clean and presentable. Second, we need to be professional in our jobs. If someone is driving through town and stops in a local business they need to have a good experience. If they are treated poorly or otherwise have a negative encounter with someone there is a good chance they will not stop the next time through. Hundreds of encounters happen every day and they build a communities reputation. Finally, businesses need to improve how they operate. Our local companies need to improve how they do business and focus on constant improvement. This is done through continuing education, systems improvement, and constant training. Before anyone gets mad about our short comings let me say this; all of the Fortune 500 companies are unhappy with how they do things today. They realize they need to improve in all aspects of doing business or they will lose ground on their competition. Constant quality improvement is one key to success. Life is about motion and we all live on an escalator that is going down. If we walk slowly we stay where we are, if we stop trying we go down. Only by running can we improve our lot in life, our job, and our organizations. If we begin try and become a "world class community" we will be able to not only meet some of the needs of Battelle and other contractors at the Lab, we will begin to promote and expand our local economy. Remember that luck is where education and effort meet. LRED is starting monthly businesses classes on January 14, 2005 to help local companies and entrepreneurs succeed. If you own a business or have an idea of a company you'd like to start you are welcome to attend. There is no fee associated with the classes. For more information call 527-3060 in Arco and 588-2693 in Mackay. Back to top Attitude is Everything by Jeff Bennett As we here at LRED continue our fight to encourage economic growth in our valley we are constantly faced with new and unique challenges as well as long-standing attitudes. The new challenges are fun to try and overcome while the old attitudes are a larger road block than anything else we face. Jack Schultz, a nationally recognized expert on rural economic growth, stated in his recent book Boom Town, USA that all towns take on a personality, a mentality that mimics the people who inhabit them. He describes these personalities in terms of animals. They include Mules, Moles, Jackals, and Eagles. Mules: These are towns that are not only resistant to change but are actually proud of the way things are and have been for many generations. People in these towns believe that the lifestyle of 50 years ago is good enough for them and will fight change at any cost, even if the proposed change presents good opportunities to the community. This allegiance to the past ends up destroying a community when traditional ways of doing business no longer sustain the current population. Moles: These communities don't aggressively fight change but they don't really consider it either. They are always behind the times, never at the forefront, and are often left behind altogether because of their unwillingness to consider change, look ahead, take risks, and be bold. The fear of failure is stronger than the desire for success. This town might have great ideas for bringing in new commerce but its citizens don't have the courage to make it become a reality. Jackals: These communities are fearful as well but they lash out at other, more successful communities and take comfort when another community fails. These towns want to live off the successes of others even as they deride the risks successful towns take and the attitudes they have developed which has allowed them to become successful. Eagles: These communities possess the positive attitude needed to make and keep a town successful. These communities are forward thinking in their mindset and do not spend much time mulling over past failures. They have great vision and spend no time with rumors, petty concerns, gossip, "what ifs" and popular opinion. They see opportunities that others miss, or are afraid to try. They understand their weaknesses and capitalize on their strengths. Where do our communities fall? I am not going to pigeonhole any of our communities and say that it falls under one of these definitions because I can see all of these characteristics on a daily basis depending on with whom I'm speaking. There is a lot of resistance to change. There is also a desire by many for there to be change. What kind of change would be best? What kind of change would provide us with the greatest economic impart without compromising our quality of life? We need to create and maintain a positive and open working environment and have "can do" attitudes. This will set the stage for good things to happen. Our local governments need to work with our businesses and help them flourish, not become a road block to success. I'm willing to take that thought a step further; our elected officials need to become actively involved in the development of local enterprises. It isn't enough for them to remain disinterested or apathetic, they must become pro-active. We will not be able to succeed without strong leadership and strong leaders make decisions that are not always popular. They also resolve conflict by taking charge. Our communities need effective leaders that develop a strong vision. A strong vision goes hand in hand with a positive environment. We need to, in our own communities, determine what we want our towns to represent. There are many different visions for the future that we can pursue and they vary from town to town. In Arco, do we want to be known as the "First City Powered by Nuclear Energy", a Gateway to The Craters of The Moon, or be known for ATV trails? While it is true that these are not mutually exclusive we need to create a vision and outline both short and long-term goals. After determining which path to take (or a combination) how do we begin to make the changes to create a vision that will effectively take us into the future? In Mackay, are we an ATV destination, a fishing trip, or a historical mine tour? What other things can we do to market this community? What is the city's plan for utilizing the business park and how does that fit into the community's vision? What are the needs of the local residents and businesses and what can we all do to help them? We need to be ever mindful of the fact that we are creating a reputation about our communities on a daily basis. Travelers who go through, businesses that buy or sell, and others interact with us daily. We are creating a reputation basis on these interactions. Let us always focus on becoming a "World Class" valley. We will be holding a business class on Thursday, February 24 at 7:00pm in the BIC in Arco. The class will be covering Balance Sheet and Financial Ratios, all are invited to attend and there is no cost for the class. back to top LOST RIVERS ECONOMIC DEVEOPMENT Excecutive Director: Michelle Holt ARCO OFFICE P.O. Box 46, 159 N. Idaho, Arco ID 83213 Phone: (208) 527-3060 ext., 11 Cell: (208) 339-5900 Fax: (208) 527-3036 e-mail lred@atcnet.net MACKAY OFFICE 301 E. Custer, Mackay ID 83251 Phone: (208)588-2693, Fax: (208) 588-2928 e-mail mackayid@atcnet.net © LRED back to top
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