Jack Schultz, nationally acclaimed author of Boomtown USA: The 7 ½ Keys to Big Success in Small Towns, will be the keynote speaker at the Monroe County Economic Development Council (MCEDC) Forum on Feb. 8 at The Falls Reception and Conference Center in Columbia. Doors will open at 7 a.m. and the event will conclude around 9 a.m.
The forum is sponsored by Midland States Bank, of which Schultz is chairman of the board.
Schultz, founder and CEO of Agracel, Inc., an industrial development firm majoring in rural America, is a top economic development authority on small towns just like those in Monroe County. His book, Boomtown USA: The 7 ½ Keys to Big Success in Small Towns, and the presentation by the same name, have inspired many communities to find their own vision.
The Boomtown USA project took more than three years of research beginning with 15,800 small towns across the country. Schultz narrowed the list down to a group of 397 outstanding small towns he calls AGURBS. His research has been featured in USA Today, Forbes and BusinessWeek among others, and he has been a guest on numerous radio and television programs including Bloomberg Business Television.
Schultz has taken his message on the road to more than 300 communities in 44 states since 2004. In 2005, Schultz was named Ernst & Young’s Illinois Entrepreneur of the Year and in 2006 he received the Beta Gamma Sigma Medallion for Entrepreneurship.
His company, Agracel, has completed projects in 14 states, owning seven million square feet of industrial space, which has facilitated more than 5,000 jobs. The company owns 15 business parks and a short line railroad.
At the MCEDC Forum, Schultz will talk about the characteristics of towns that are successful as well as the importance of encouraging an entrepreneurial approach in your community. He will also give some insight into the importance of supporting your local business community, and how small towns can survive and thrive during hard economic times.
Attendees can register online for the Feb. 8 MCEDC Forum by going to the U of I Extension-Monroe County website at monroe.extension.uiuc.edu. Registration can also be taken by calling 618-939-3434.
Registration is $20 for those who own or work for a business in Monroe County and $25 for all others. Deadline is Monday, Feb. 1.
The Falls will serve a buffet featuring assorted muffins and breakfast danishes; scrambled eggs, biscuits, gravy, assorted meats (apple-smoked bacon, sausage links, sausage patties), coffee, orange juice, tea, and water. The Falls is located at 300 Admiral Weinel Blvd., Columbia, IL
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