While he couldn’t go into full detail, Regional Development Association of East Central Kansas President Chuck Scott says the organization’s “project pipeline” remains full of potential for the future.
As part of the RDA’s monthly board meeting Friday, Scott delivered his monthly report where he noted there are 50 projects in the pipeline, which carries the potential for 900 new jobs in the local community. Scott says while exciting, it is unrealistic to believe all 900 of those jobs will materialize.
That being said, even capturing a small percentage of those potential jobs would mean significant job growth according to Scott.
Scott would add that the potential for 900 jobs, while impressive, is still somewhat lower than it could have been years ago before a major expansion in automated manufacturing.
Scott adds that of the 50 potential projects, there is a healthy mix of both new industries and potential expansions of existing businesses within the pipeline. Conversations on potential projects carried over into one of two executive sessions held Friday, however, Scott was unable to comment on the details of those discussions.
A second executive session Friday dealt with non-elected personnel matters and the RDA Board also received the monthly Chairman’s report and heard comments from board members. The RDA will reconvene for its first meeting of the new year in January.
