EDC seeks support in Johnson County
By George C. Ford
The Gazette
CORALVILLE — Maybe it’s a matter of name recognition, or possibly it’s time to stop taking a free ride.
The Entrepreneurial Development Center in Cedar Rapids has assisted a number of successful Johnson County entrepreneurs over the years. And yet none of the EDC’s financial backing comes from Johnson County contributors.
University of Iowa President Sally Mason and Iowa City attorney Robert Downer told a breakfast gathering of business leaders Thursday at the Coralville Marriott that it’s time to open their checkbooks.
“My intent in coming here this morning was to encourage more people in Johnson County to get financially involved in this kind of enterprise,” Mason said.
“Despite the tough economic times, now is not the time to turn our back on developing businesses and developing strategies for bringing business to the Corridor.
“This is the time for us to be thinking more strategically and investing what we can in these areas. It’s absolutely essential that we do this for our future.” Downer said Linn County and Cedar Rapids contributors to the EDC have done more than their share to foster development of new businesses in the Corridor.
“That’s one reason why President Mason and I want so much to see support from the Johnson County community, so that we do our part in bringing about the positive developments that the EDC brings to our area,” he said. Mason cited Iowa City’s Bochner Chocolates and Budcat Creations as examples of young companies building wealth in the community. She said the EDC is able to provide the expertise of how to start and run a company to entrepreneurs who have the great ideas.
“Business sense is very different from the entrepreneurial spirit that allows you to invent something,” she said. “Most of our inventors are clueless about business, and many businessmen are clueless about where these ideas come from.
“When you get them together and form partnerships, what a powerful tool that is.” EDC President Curt Nelson said a lot of the key stakehold ers in Iowa City and Coralville economic development have not been aware of what his organization provides.
“It’s easy to look at the EDC as a Cedar Rapids program, but hopefully this meeting opened up their eyes to the fact that we provide a service they don’t have here,” Nelson said. “We’ve been providing it for a long period of time and would like to increase that service down here. We would like their support.” The EDC last month launched a $5 million capital campaign to help it become self-sufficient.
Since 2003, it has invested $3 million to assist more than 300 businesses.
■ Contact the writer: (319) 398-8366 or george.ford@gazcomm.com
