This is an excerpt from a column posted at BizOpinion
When Jason White took over as CEO of the brand new Greater Oshkosh Economic Development Corporation or GO-EDC, he realized right away it wasn’t your typical start-up organization. The organization was created in 2014 by business, community and education leaders looking to strengthen the region’s economy.
“The group had the support that other organizations take years to get,” says White, who came to Oshkosh from the Warren County Economic Development Corporation in Iowa where he served as executive director. “The leaders had a solid plan and knew what the organization’s values were. They put in a lot of legwork.”
While GO-EDC is still in its infancy, the idea for the organization had been in the works for years. Previously, economic development functions were scattered among different entities. Now, a single organization guides those efforts.
“The area really needed a single organization that brings all the players to the table to help businesses with their needs,” White says.
Since Oshkosh has such a strong manufacturing base, White is building relationships with local employers to make sure they have what they need to be successful. “We need to take care of the businesses we have and nurture them,” he says.
GO-EDC’s other goal, of course, is to attract new businesses – and jobs — to the region.
