There are reasons we can’t lure jobs

Last week I told you the city would be throwing away $70,000 in taxpayer dollars if it contracted the services of a consulting firm to tell us information I can give you for 75 cents. So, for better or worse, here it is ‘ and you’re not going to like it as much as last week.
First, there are three reasons why commerce and industry aren’t coming to Warren County. And yes, the economies of the county of Warren and the city of McMinnville are married and can never be divorced so you have to consider one with the other or you’re just wasting your time.
The foremost reason for our problems was told to me just a few months back by a gentleman who until recently was an advance corporate planner who serves as a scout for several major corporations. This guy basically presented his clients with the places he recommends they locate and does the initial groundwork for such site locations.
According to this man, Warren County’s history of unions here has made many businesses avoid us. He said our track record with unions is well known in the corporate community dating back to strikes from Carrier workers. A community’s romance with unions, he said, is one of the first things looked at when corporations are assessing risk when it comes to location and the wildcat strikes of the 1970s are now coming back to haunt us, he said.
The second issue, when it comes to a large operation, is the shortage of educated manpower. While we did have many people employed at the various plants here one or two decades ago, there was a good amount of those who failed to continue their education because they already had good-paying jobs. However, their failure to get that GED or college education is now coming back to haunt us because the industry of today is looking for an educated workforce. Plus, corporations are looking at our workforce as one that is now aging and suffering health issues, meaning more financial risk would be assumed than in a place like Murfreesboro, Cookeville or even Manchester (which has an interstate).
The last major reason for lack of industry here is lack of investment in our future by us, the people of Warren County. Have you ever noticed what happens to a spec building (a building we build in the industrial complex to sell to new industry) when we build it? It sells. Why aren’t we constantly doing this? There are some industries which will ask about such spec buildings when they first get to town.
And what about recruiters? Why don’t we have a team of recruiters traveling the country actively pursuing commerce and business like traveling salesmen, selling Warren County. You can’t sit here and hope it comes to us. That would be like you sitting at home jobless and hoping an employer shows up out of the blue knocking at your door.
Now that I’ve given you $70,000 worth of advice, I see how these consultants feel. There’s no way to give it to you for 75 cents. I’m going to have to ask you to drop down another 75 cents next week for me to finish up. Hey, inflation, the cost of gas, and us consultants, you know, have to make a living.
Folks, the stuff I’ve just given you about why we haven’t had any major industry locate here in a while was given to me for free by a just-retired advance planner. Why in the world would you ever pay $70,000 for something you can get for next to nothing?
Come back next week when I’ll finish giving my $70,000 report.
Duane Sherrill is a reporter for the Standard. He can be reached at 473-2191 or by e-mail at news@southernstandard.com.