Ottie Maxey of the Hamilton County Growth Partnership updated the Hamilton County Supervisors on recent developments in economic development for the county at the July 22 meeting.

The Hamilton County Growth partnership, which first met in February, has completed paperwork as a newly organized 501-C6 organization. This group will serve as the county development board.

Maxey had several positive updates for the supervisors. The first was that the new industrial site plans, which contains approximately 450 acres have been submitted for certification.

“There is other ground adjacent to the site that the landowners have given permission to do the field work in case we had a project that we would need more ground,” said Maxey after the meeting.

He also said the U.S. Highway 20 study, which is being underwritten by Cornbelt Power and the Iowa Area Development Group, is nearing completion. This report identifies four industrial sites, including Webster City. Information from this study will be used to produce materials that will formalize the recruitment effort and engage a much broader marketing approach.

Maxey was also part of the team who visited the Butler County Logistics Park, just outside of the city of Shell Rock in July. He pointed out that since this project was completed, they have reversed the declining population of their county, but it didn’t happen overnight.

“This park was established more than a decade ago, and since its inception, it’s grown from what was 75 acres to more than 300 acres,” he explained, “It houses multiple industries, employing more than 500 people.”

“It’s exciting that Webster City is in the initial stages of industry development and recruitment, but it’s important to keep in mind the build out in rural industrial parks takes many, many years,” he concluded.