Economic development officials in Greene County are now actively recruiting Latino business owners from around western Iowa, providing information about opportunities to expand or re-locate to Jefferson and the other communities in the county.
At least 16 Latino business owners have signed up for a tour on Tuesday, Aug. 30, of possible locations in the county and information about business-assistance programs. Their visit Tuesday will be from 11 am to 2 pm, with stops at the Welcome Center at Thomas Jefferson Gardens, the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower, and then lunch and a seminar in the business center at the Sierra Community Theatre.
They will be hosted by Ken Paxton, director of Greene County Development Corp., and Carlos Arguello, the contractor hired to lead the development group’s diversity initiative “Nueva Vida en Greene County.” Paxton and Arguello will also talk with the business owners on bus rides GCDC is hosting between their current hometowns in western Iowa and Jefferson.
“We have been surprised and very happy with the response we’ve had to our invitations,” said Arguello. “Word has spread about Greene County wanting to grow and welcoming new families, and business people know that means new opportunities. A couple months ago, I made some contacts in Denison and told business owners I’d come over there with more information. Five or six signed up for appointments, but by the time I got there, I had 12 or 13 waiting to talk to me.”
About the 16 Latinos who have signed up for the visit to Greene County on Tuesday, Arguello said “they represent a good mix of businesses – service, retail, the trades and more – that are already operating but are interested in possible expansions or even re-locating here. And then we have a couple of entrepreneurs who are looking into starting up their own new businesses, too.”
GCDC launched the “Nueva Vida” diversity initiative last November specifically to address the serious workforce shortages at the major manufacturers and other large employers in Greene County. In addition, the development group hopes the county will experience what other diverse communities across rural Iowa have seen in recent decades – overall population growth for the first time in a century, related growth of school populations, and growth of retail business, too.
In early spring, there were seven different public forums held about the initiative in Jefferson, Grand Junction, Scranton, Rippey, Churdan and Paton.
Subsequently, there have been several public programs introducing the Latino culture. Those have been held as a result of work by four work & study groups formed to help current residents of Greene County learn about the Latino people, their history and traditions, and to understand how life here will begin changing as we welcome more people and become a more diverse community.
Those four sub-committees are focusing on cultural history and integration; food, arts, music and culture; interfaith activities; and soccer events and facilities.
There are several more public programs and events coming through the fall and beyond.
Persons who want to be involved or get more information can contacting Chuck Offenburger, chairperson of the Nueva Vida steering committee, by email at chuck@offenburger.com or by phone at 515-370-2659.
