June 2013
| Business World Magazine | 131
lyzed for impact, even as challenges and op-
portunities were identified. In terms of chal-
lenges, Fowler says, “We quickly realized we
didn’t have ready sites. When you’re trying
to recruit new business, it will be difficult if
you don’t have a place ready to go with infra-
structure.”
Among the EDC’s earliest successes was
developing an industrial park encompass-
ing 320-acres of land within City limits. Ap-
proximately $3.4 million was spent by the
community for land and the EDC secured
a $1.6 million EDA grant for upgrading the
road, putting in streetlights as well as storm
water retention and drainage systems. When
all was done, the community had what ap-
peared to be four-lanes of beautiful paved
boulevard winding between two pastures. It
sat like this for the next several years, necessi-
tating upkeep of landscaping and road main-
tenance, while Fowler’s EDC was diligently
working behind the scenes to market that
real estate to industrial prospects. For all his
meetings and negotiations in other markets,
over time, there would be certain challenges
also confronted in his home market. People
had begun to speculate about the rationale
behind that industrial park. It became a po-
