There tends to be a natural order to economic development.
Normally, a business-friendly group like Dubois Strong lures a big company to town. That company, in turn, brings new jobs and, of course, new jobs help grow the local economy.
But after speaking with business leaders and hiring managers, Dubois Strong found the area has more jobs than people to fill them. According to a recent survey conducted by Mike Cummings, Dubois Strong’s interim president, at least 836 local manufacturing jobs will be created in the next three years. That assessment closely matches what Jasper Mayor Terry Seitz said last week when he announced that 700 area jobs are available or will be available soon.
So Dubois Strong decided to take a different approach. Rather than going after new companies, the group will seek new workers.
“Our emphasis has to be on growing the size of the workforce,” said Alan Johnson, dean of Vincennes University Jasper Campus and the chair of Dubois Strong’s board. “And that means growing the population.”
In addition to a shortage of workers, Dubois County also has a shortage of affordable housing. Johnson said the group will work with Realtors, developers and builders to create more housing for workers who move to the area.
Local contractors have told Johnson that to keep pace with the demand, at least 30 to 50 new housing units need to be built each year. That includes apartments, town homes and lofts.
Steve Lukemeyer, a real estate broker with F.C. Tucker Emge Realtors in Jasper, said 200 homes are for sale in Dubois County. It’s the lowest number in several years. Favorable interest rates have spurred home sales and lowered inventory. Lukemeyer did not have figures on apartments for rent.
“You can get an idea of the scope of the shortage,” Johnson said. “I’m not sure how we’re going to do this, but we as Dubois Strong can be the catalyst to bring people together to start talking on this.”
Last month, Cummings called a dozen local manufacturers and asked if they expect to expand over the next three years. Of the seven that responded, the majority said they will add jobs. A few, though, told him that their job growth will be flat.
Because several companies did not respond, Dubois Strong estimates the number of new jobs over the next three years could be closer to 1,000. Neither Cummings nor Johnson would divulge the names of the companies they surveyed, but Seitz said last week that most of the skilled labor jobs will be offered by Stens Corp., Meyer Distributing, Best Home Furnishings and MasterBrand Cabinets.
MasterBrand’s expansion plans are well known. The company has said it will add 135 jobs at its Ferdinand plant. The positions will vary from skilled labor to entry level jobs.
Of the 135 new jobs, 109 will pay between $11.60 and $14.49 per hour, while several upper-level positions will pay $21.75 or more per hour. MasterBrand estimates the gross salary of the new positions will be more than $3.6 million.
Johnson said VUJC will play an integral role in training new workers. Last year, it unveiled the $12 million, 57,000-square-foot Center for Technology, Innovation and Manufacturing. Johnson said the facility will help grow the workforce by educating students interested in industrial careers.
But to ease the shortage, the county must also entice workers to move here. Johnson said a local furniture company, which he declined to name, has advertised in a town in Alabama. There, one of the local company’s competitors is closing. Local representatives have tried to woo workers with manufacturing skills.
“They need workers,” Johnson said. “Not necessarily highly skilled workers, but people with basic employability skills.”
Cummings said Dubois Strong has never marketed directly to workers. In the coming months, the group will brainstorm how to sell Dubois County to potential workers.
“Dubois County is known for having a quality workforce,” said Johnson, who noted the county’s 4.2 percent unemployment rate is the lowest in the state. “But there’s just not enough people.”
Johnson said plans for redeveloping Jasper’s downtown should help attract more people to live and work in Dubois County. The proposal focuses on improving the courthouse Square, enhancing the area where the Patoka River cuts through the city, reusing former industrial properties, connecting the downtown and riverfront areas and integrating public art.
Huntingburg also has developed a downtown revitalization plan that includes improved parking, outdoor seating areas and adding several lofts and apartments to the downtown area.
“By putting some of these improvements in place,” Johnson said, “private developers can have more confidence that they can make an investment here that will pay off.”
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