Emmett/Gem County Community Review Report Summary

Economic Development in Emmett and Gem County
Economic Development was not one of the requested areas of focus from the Home Team,
but it is something everyone spoke to us about when the Visiting Team was in the region.
The common comment was, “We need jobs!” This is understandable because Emmett has
taken some big economic hits recently and is a community in transition.
Progress in economic development means sustaining existing regional assets in addition to
new business recruitment and industrial park development. Community leaders might work
closely with the Chamber of Commerce and economic development groups to form a
strong, business-oriented retention plan with regular business visitations, consultation,
management forums, socials, and recognition for local businesses exhibiting excellence. This
open line of communication will create a basis for trust, a consistent message, and a
relationship built over time.
Home and Visiting team members explore Emmett’s pedestrian-friendly downtown corridor to gather
information from shoppers and interact with local business-owners.
Community leaders might also take to the streets for an hour each week or every other week
to meet individually with businesses and gather additional information about thoughts and
concerns, perhaps by making use of information from the community development and
quality of life survey instrument incorporated into this document. This kind of one-to-one
trust-building initiative will establish the degree of commitment by community leaders to
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