Quality of growth is more important than quantity in Ravalli County

When it comes to economic growth, it isn’t about quantity; it’s about quality.

As one of the fastest growing counties in the nation, Ravalli County has plenty of quantity, a high rate of job growth and plenty of potential employees, said economist Larry Swanson, but it needs to concentrate on attracting quality.

By KODI HIRST staff Reporter Ravalli Republic

Swanson was in town to summarized the key findings of the Ravalli County Needs Assessment Tuesday and outlined the possible next steps the county needs to take to foster economic growth.

Conducted by the Center for the Rocky Mountain West, the needs assessment focuses solely on Ravalli County and was funded by a $22,000 grant from the U.S. Forest Service to the Ravalli County Economic Development Authority, who hired the Missoula-based, but regionally focused, organization in the fall of 2001.

Utilizing a special database housed at the center, Swanson said the performance of Ravalli County’s economy was gauged regionally, in the context of a variety of local economic factors across the 22-state region.

Although Ravalli County ranked number one in its rate of population growth and total employment growth out of 24 comparable counties in the nation, it ranked 23rd in per capita income.

With limited resources, the EDA should focus on raising the quality of jobs in the valley, Swanson said, and he offered some suggestions for doing so.

Providing life-long education for county residents should be one of the focuses of the county’s effort to raise the quality of jobs in the valley.

"I don’t think you’ve got too long to wait on workforce development," Swanson said.

Swanson suggested that the county commissioners approach the University of Montana College of Technology about bringing skill training into the valley.

"It needs to be there for people while they work," Swanson said, adding that it’s difficult for people to work and make the drive to Missoula.

Ravalli County also has an inordinate amount of people who are self-employed.

According to the assessment, 30 percent of people in the peer counties was self-employed. In Ravalli County, self-employment accounts for 40 percent.

The county needs to explore this sector of employment more closely, Swanson said.

"In what ways in the county is it good or bad?" Swanson said.

The proximity to Missoula is another asset that the county needs to explore further, Swanson said, suggesting that a dialog be established between Missoula and Hamilton on how they can work as a region.

Swanson’s final suggestion was to continue to evaluate and assess the economy of the valley.

"The modern economy is becoming more and more fast changing and competitive to participate in for both businesses and communities," Swanson said.

The valley can continue to be an attractive community if the county continuously tracks the economic trends of the region, and changes its goals and policies accordingly, he said.

"A successful business is an adaptive business and a successful community is an adaptive community," Swanson said.

http://www.ravallinews.com/display/inn_news/news6.txt