Congressman Bob Gibbs stops by Tuscarawas County to connect with local employees, Community Improvement Corporation members, and Buckeye Career Center Natural Resources students: discusses business and technology future for area

  • By Jennifer Kneuss
  • August 23, 2011
  • 278
Congressman Bob Gibbs stops by Tuscarawas County to connect with local employees, Community Improvement Corporation members, and Buckeye Career Center Natural Resources students: discusses business and technology future for area
Congressman Bob Gibbs stops by Tuscarawas County to connect with local employees, Community Improvement Corporation members, and Buckeye Career Center Natural Resources students: discusses business and technology future for area
Congressman Bob Gibbs stops by Tuscarawas County to connect with local employees, Community Improvement Corporation members, and Buckeye Career Center Natural Resources students: discusses business and technology future for area
Congressman Bob Gibbs stops by Tuscarawas County to connect with local employees, Community Improvement Corporation members, and Buckeye Career Center Natural Resources students: discusses business and technology future for area
Congressman Bob Gibbs stops by Tuscarawas County to connect with local employees, Community Improvement Corporation members, and Buckeye Career Center Natural Resources students: discusses business and technology future for area
                        
Local business leaders and employees of Zimmer Surgical, as well as Buckeye Career Center students, recently had the opportunity to spend time dialoging with Congressman Bob Gibbs about the issues facing the county and beyond. “Doing nothing is not an option,” stated U.S. Congressman Bob Gibbs as he addressed a group of employees gathered at Zimmer Surgical in Dover during a visit to the area on August 23. The Congressman was given a tour of the facility before meeting with employees and management under a large tent outdoors. “There need to be serious reforms.” Gibbs was speaking in reference to the unprecedented US debt, and the resulting difficulties. Gibbs noted that he feels that “the process in D.C. is broken”. The congressman went on to say that the high tax on medical equipment hurts companies like Zimmer, and also that constantly changing regulations have a negative impact as well. “Regulatory uncertainty undermines growth in our American businesses. Our tax code and regulatory decisions make market enterprise difficult. Our system allows us to create wealth in three specific ways. One, raise it or grow it, as in agriculture. Two, develop our natural resources, and three, manufacture goods. It’s our job in congress to lower the barriers for the number three to happen.” Following his visit to Zimmer, Gibbs traveled to Kent State Tuscarawas’ Science and Advanced Technology Center to hear a presentation on the new Regional Technology Park, and met with members of the Community Improvement Corporation, or CIC. After a welcome by CIC president Ed Lee, Kent Tuscarawas Dean Gregg Andrews explained the importance of the CIC in local economic growth. “We are practicing knowledge based economic development to bring together business, educators, economic development personnel, professors, and political leadership to create a new focus on economic development in the Tuscarawas Valley.” The dean also spoke of the role played by Kent State Tuscarawas. “We want to accelerate entrepreneurs here, then move them on to the business incubator at the new Eugene Tolloty Center, and then later right into the technology park.” “We really work incredibly closely together,” noted Mike Lauber of the CIC collaborative development team. “We work terrifically as a team. Proof of that is the development of our Regional Technology Park.” Member Blair Hillyer added, “This tech park has been a long term commitment. We’ve been very successful in putting this together. All we need now are the tenants to get this thing to roll.” Andrews then turned to Congressman Gibbs to ask for his assistance with the project, including the possibility of hosting federal and state anchor facilities, and promoting the park to site selectors across the state. He emphasized that Tuscarawas County needs assistance in promoting the park as an ideal place for high tech start-ups and other companies. The CIC also requested assistance in securing funding for entrepreneur initiatives. “We are placing a real emphasis on ‘growing our own’ here, too, and creating an entrepreneurial spirit,” added Andrews. Gibbs pledged his support of the ongoing project before he embarked on tour of the technology park location. While there, he, along with CIC staff, presented an award of appreciation to John Oliver, natural resources instructor of Buckeye Career Center, and over a dozen students. “We are helping out by managing the natural resources at the tech park with invasive species control, property markers, and with the wetlands they have there. We are also in the process of putting a walking track around the park,” said Oliver. “It’s a nice cooperative effort, because the students have that land available for educational opportunities, and we can help them at the same time.” Congressman Gibbs joined the students as they climbed a knoll with their instructor to inspect a small tree. “I think the students were impressed that the congressman would come out and visit their class, and the fact that he came up and participated in this class activity meant a lot to them,” commented Oliver. “I think everyone likes to be appreciated. This reaffirms the fact that what they are doing is helpful to the community and hopefully will help them along the path to a lifetime of community service.”


Loading next article...

End of content

No more pages to load