Survey of county's industrial businesses continues

GRANT COUNTY — Even though it's called a quarterly "membership" meeting, the next Grant County Economic Development Council function is open to the public, communications and research director Jon Smith says with a grin.

Microsoft senior director of MSN Infrastructure Services Michael Manos will address attendees at the meeting, which will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 13 at Big Bend Community College's ATEC Building.

"With the project going on in Quincy, a lot of people are curious: Why did Microsoft choose Grant County?" Smith said. "What are their plans out there? What are they going to build out there? What does the future look like for Microsoft in Grant County? Those are the kinds of things that will be addressed at that meeting."

The membership meeting will also provide updates on other projects the GCEDC has been working on.

In other GCEDC news, the council continues to interview Grant County industrial businesses in order to determine their needs.

Smith said 15 interviews were expected to be completed by the end of last week, with 25 to 30 finished by the end of fall. A final total of 40 is expected.

"The time frame for that has kind of shifted from the state's standpoint," he said, noting the EDC is working in cooperation with the state's Department of Community Trade and Economic Development. Originally, the survey was expected to take about three months, and will now take about a year.

Some information has been collected, but Smith said there isn't enough yet to release any results.

"Usually, we try to talk to the president of the company. The one who oversees it," Smith explained, adding the survey is sent ahead of time so the interviewee can obtain the necessary information if it's not something they specifically deal with. An interview typically takes 30 to 45 minutes.

"It really is a business climate-type survey, so we can look at the business climate for the particular area, region, city, and see where its strengths and weaknesses are, and also see the attitudes of businesses," Smith said.