Reamer to fight decrease in industrial development
By Kate Shellnutt
Tim Reamer wanted more responsibility. He wanted a job that would let him take initiative and do good on a local level. So, he left his position as the head of a non-profit economic partnership in Rockingham County, and, three months ago, became Buena Vista’s business development coordinator.
Reamer now faces a challenging economic climate, as the city struggles with a $25-million debt and a drop in industrial development. He also takes on a $67,000 budget, nearly 20 times more than the Office of Business Development received from city funding during the last fiscal year.
His first task is to bring businesses to Buena Vista to fill the spots left by one company’s failed plans to locate in the industrial park and the gradual closing of a car-parts plant.
Buena Vista bought a portion of the Rockbridge Regional Industrial Park last spring, forcing the Rockbridge Partnership, a regional economic organization, to end its contract with MeadWestvaco, a Connecticut-based pulp and paper company.
Buena Vista backed out on an agreement to bring a MeadWestvaco distribution center to the area after residents complained about the noise and truck traffic that would result. The city must now fill the 44-acre spot in the industrial park that it bought last year with the help of a $750,000 loan.
Reamer must also fill a location on Green Forest Avenue, once home to the Dana Corporation’s axle-producing plant. Because of decreasing domestic car production, Dana announced last October that it would close plants in both Buena Vista and Bristol as a part of company consolidation efforts. The axle production has since been picked up by an existing Dana plant in Kentucky.
Though the city of Buena Vista left the Rockbridge Partnership last year, Reamer still considers industrial development a collaborative effort.
“It’s not restricted to city limits,” he said. Buena Vista remains a member of the Shenandoah Valley Partnership, which includes Rockbridge, Bath, Highland, Augusta and Rockingham counties.
Industrial decline is going on everywhere, he noted. “It’s not just Buena Vista or the Commonwealth of Virginia.”
During his first month in Buena Vista, Reamer immediately began goal-setting and making plans to address the city’s economic needs. “Before, people were just dealing with things as they came up,” he said. “Now we have an idea of where we want to go.”
In August, Reamer announced a three-year plan, which is organized month-by-month and summarized online.
It includes market analysis, promotional efforts and seasonal events. The hope is that business growth will augment Buena Vista’s property tax base, paying for the expanded Office of Business Development many times over while reducing the city’s debt.
Rebecca Fairchild, the owner-operator of Becky’s, a boutique in downtown Buena Vista, has noticed Reamer’s efforts.
“I’m happy with what he’s doing,” said Fairchild, who, along with other local businesses, received a copy of the work plan in the mail. “Any movement with business, especially downtown, is a plus.”
The plan also aims to put more
information about Buena Vista businesses online to make the area more
accessible to companies and entrepreneurs.
Reamer will take the first steps in “furthering e-commerce” when he
launches the city’s new business development Web site Nov. 15. An
interactive map on the site will link to individual businesses’
homepages.
The program also offers a template design and free server space, and according to Reamer, 60 retailers and restaurants have already created new Web pages that will go online next month.
“It’s an Internet society, and this is the way to advertise,” said Fairchild, whose business will be featured in the online business guide. The site will expand to include industries and community organizations after its launch.
Produced by Washington and Lee journalism students.
Lead supervisor: Prof. Claudette Artwick
Reporting supervisor: Prof. Doug Cumming
Technical supervisor: Michael Todd