A recent study, conducted in partnership between the Center on Rural Innovation and Emporia Main Street and focused specifically on the Emporia economy, is helping emphasize the importance of “supplementation” for a strong, vibrant economy.
That was a major takeaway from a presentation by the CORI team and Emporia Main Street Wednesday morning inside the Granada Theatre. The presentation, titled “Following the Trajectory: How Emporia’s Economy is Evolving,” focused on historic economic trends within the community and how a diverse economic landscape can help to prevent communities from seeing detrimental impacts during times of economic crisis.
This was actually a specific point made by CORI Data Scientist Lindsay Elliot, who noted Emporia’s deep roots in the manufacturing sector. He noted that while Emporia maintains that identity today, it is not solely rooted in that single sector, noting a significant growth in tech-based jobs in recent years.
Elliot referred to this inclusion of tech-based opportunities as “supplementation,” a process he noted is neither easy nor a replacement for previous employment opportunities.
Emporia Main Street Director Casey Woods says that in addition to underscoring the importance of diversification in rural economies, the results of the study had several other significant takeaways for him, notably the opportunity to “reset the conversation” when it comes to discussions about tech-based jobs in the community.
CORI Director of Entrepreneurship Rhonda Ladig noted that this study is a first of its kind for their organization.
While this study may have been centered on the Emporia community, CORI Data Visualization Designer Ripley Cleghorn says it has the ability to be applied to all rural communities.
Cleghorn noted that the formula generated through the study will likely not work for all communities “step-by-step,” but rather as a guideline to develop their own step-by-step process for growth. That said, Woods did note there is a universal tool all communities can use to help make that formula effective: communication.
The results of the study were unveiled as part of the Center on Rural Innovation’s annual summit, which was held in Emporia Tuesday and Wednesday.
