Kosciusko Economic Development Corp. presented its "Report to the Community" Wednesday afternoon at the county justice building.
Max Courtney, chairman of KEDCo's board of directors, introduced the first full-time executive director for KEDCo, George Robertson.
Robertson spoke of his past experience in economic development and said this is the third time he's been an area's first full-time executive director of economic development.
Robertson previously worked for the Schenectady Economic Development Corp. in New York as well as one in Central Louisiana.
Most recently, he was the director of economic development for Charles County in Maryland.
Robertson detailed growing up in South Dakota and eventually working for the governor in economic development.
He said, after living in several places across the country, he and his wife were settling in to life in Kosciusko County.
Robertson said his wife is originally outside the U.S., and when they arrived in Kosciusko County she told him, "This is the America I'd thought I'd see."
Robertson extolled the virtues of Midwestern people and said to this area has an advantage in economic development because it already has the commodity of hard-working people.
"A brand is important," said Robertson. "Rarely do communities or counties think of a brand. Our brand by default is 'The Orthopedic Capital of The World.'"
Robertson said he looked into how Warsaw and Kosciusko County came to become the home to major orthopedic companies.
He found that the area thrived because of inventors, investors and a highly skilled workforce. He said that combination is vital to success in economic development.
One way this community will be branded is there will be a Hall of Fame created to highlight local people who have been innovative or successful in business.
Robertson said it was also important to reach out to those who are from the area but have left.
Robertson said each year a class is inducted to the new hall of fame, there will be a place for someone who left and became successful.
There will be about four to six people inducted into the hall of fame each year.
Those inducted, said Robertson, will be featured in a campaign to market what the community has to offer.Before Robertson spoke, Tower Bank's Josh Gordon gave an update on the new Kosciusko Business Resource Center.
Located at KosciuskoEDC.com or TheKRBC.com, individuals and existing businesses can find tools that will help them learn how to start a business, how to overcome obstacles in tough economic times, funding for business, how to get grants and links to helpful websites.
