Project 17, the regional economic development initiative, has been awarded $715,000 in grants this week.
The money will be used primarily to bring jobs to southeast Kansas, said David Toland, executive director of Thrive Allen County and one of four members of a subcommittee who developed a vision for the program.
Project 17 is one of 13 initiatives across the country to secure the funding from The Rural Jobs Accelerator Challenge, a three-year program designed to encourage the growth of business in rural areas.
“The idea is to ‘re-shore’ businesses that southeast Kansas has lost to other countries,” Toland said. He used Haldex Brakes as an example. Iola’s division was moved to Monterrey, Mexico in the fall of 2010.
Not only did the area lose good jobs for 165 employees, it is also was left with a large building designed for a specific purpose.
“Our goal is to find jobs that meet the talents of our people, and also repurpose vacant buildings such as Haldex’s,” Toland said. “The funding will help us link our resources with those of other industries, bringing them to our area.”
Of the funding, $215,000 comes from USDA Rural Development and $500,000 from the Economic Development Administration.
The Advancanced Manufacturing Institute of Kansas State University is working closely with Project 17 leaders in this effort. Business leaders such as Joe Works of B&W Custom Hitches in Humboldt have used the K-State resource to expand B&W’s reach, Toland said.
AMI personel wrote the grant for the $715,000, Toland said, and will continue to work with Project 17 to address four key areas: economic development, healthcare, leadersip, and permanent structure.
Project 17 includes the counties of Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Coffey, Crawford, Elk, Franklin, Greenwood, Labette, Linn, Miami, Montgomery, Neosho, Wilson and Woodson.
In March the initiative was awarded $1 million for leadership training from the Kansas Leadership Center, Wichita.
