Orange County Economic Development Corporation releases Strategic Focus Initiatives

Published 8:44 am Wednesday, May 10, 2017

From staff reports

Orange County Economic Development Corporation has outlined its strategic focus for the 2017-2018 cycle to coincide with the International Economic Development Council’s 2017 Economic Development Week celebration.

The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) is a non-profit, non-partisan membership organization serving economic developers. With more than 5,000 members, IEDC is the largest organization of its kind. Economic developers promote economic well-being and quality of life for their communities, by creating, retaining and expanding jobs that facilitate growth, enhance wealth and provide a stable tax base.

As OCEDC continues to strive forward with promoting Orange County as the ideal location for businesses to locate, Executive Director of the Orange County Economic Development Corporation Jessica Hill said listening to the citizens of the county help devise the five focus points for the coming year.

Last fall, the OCEDC hosted a series of community focus group discussions to gather input from the business leaders and citizens on the economic development efforts of Orange County. The analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats resulted in several prominent goals and implementation strategies. The OCEDC has identified the following five initiatives as areas of strategic focus.

  • Identify specific parcels of land that have the potential to bring growth to Orange County through industrial, commercial and residential development, and remove barriers that could potentially hinder progress.
  • Target industry specific companies that are complementary to Orange County’s current business community by attending industry specific conferences, building relationships with consultants and advertising globally.
  • Identify local individuals willing to invest in Orange County with suitable projects capable of creating economic growth.
  • Improve access and availability of healthcare by reestablishing emergency and inpatient services in Orange County.
  • Prioritize the reallocation of financial resources to fund the Economic Development Corporation at a level adequate for a community the size of Orange County.

“The successful implementation of these initiatives will be directly impacted by our ability to adequately fund them, and the communities level of commitment to embrace them,” Hill said.

The Orange County Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors meets the second Monday, bi-monthly, at 3 p.m. Visit them online at www.orangecountyedc.com or Facebook for more information, or contact Hill at 409-883-7770.