Norfolk Daily News

Monday – March 24, 2008

Job creation helps mitigate Tyson “damage”

Norfolk’s resilience has Dan Mauk feeling optimistic.

Even though the city’s 3.4 percent increase in net taxable retail sales compared to 2006 figures is barely enough to consider it growth in light of inflation, the president of the Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce said he’s encouraged.

“We’ve added the ethanol plant jobs. . . . Nucor Detailing is aggressively hiring. The 50 people out there in the last two years have bought 20 new homes in Norfolk,” Mauk said. “Those sorts of things the economic development team has been working on a long time area starting to help mitigate the damage.”

The damage Mauk referred to is the Norfolk’s loss of the $32 million payroll that occurred in early 2006 when Tyson Fresh Meats closed.

“A lot of that money was spent here, despite what some people would lead you to believe,” Mauk said.

Although the city recovered the job count, the payroll has yet to catch up, Mauk said.

“People often looked at those as undesirable jobs, but they were starting at pretty close to $13 an hour and had a good benefits package,” Mauk said. “Many folks that were working were at $14 or $15 an hour — that’s a respectable job in Norfolk.”

Also, a 15 percent vacancy in the housing market lingers from the Tyson impact, he said while also noting that the real estate market has been strong in Norfolk lately.

The actual increase in sales — from $462,696,742 in 2006 to $478,585,177 in 2007 — amounts to only a slight increase with inflation factored in, Mauk said, but he’s encouraged by the September, October and November sales figures that showed an overall average increase of 4.9 percent.

Inflation and fuel prices do, however, have Mauk concerned.

“If commuting costs become too high, then people may be forced to move closer to their jobs,” he said. “It might help Norfolk, but it might hurt our surrounding communities. The health of the surrounding communities is as important as Norfolk’s health.”

Mauk said he is hopeful about the city’s future in light of its current position to respond to opportunity. Although he couldn’t share any details, Mauk said there are announcements that will be made during the third quarter of this year that have him and other civic leaders feeling confident.

“I’m still in the job of being optimistic,” Mauk said. “I think there’s enough things in place that optimism isn’t unrealistic. We have enough things happening that 2008 ought to be a good year.”

Here’s a look at year-end net taxable retail sales figures among Northeast and North Central Nebraska’s larger communities and counties. The 2006 figures are in parentheses.

“http://www.revenue.ne.gov/research/sales_07/annual07.htm

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Cities
Ainsworth $27,512,905, ($25,905,495) 6.2 percent; Albion $28,340,094 ($25,165,013) 12.6 percent; Atkinson $18,687,063 ($17,699,648) 5.6 percent; Bloomfield $8,532,432 ($8,061,293) 5.8 percent; Columbus $334,003,207 ($308,819,307) 8.2 percent; Creighton $13,672,309 ($13,175,613) 3.8 percent; Fremont $345,150,810 ($350,142,495) -1.4 percent; Hartington $29,609,635 ($29,684,494) -0.3 percent; Madison $11,184,905 ($11,653,135) -4 percent; Neligh $24,741,666 ($22,837,034) 8.3 percent; Norfolk $478,585,177 ($462,696,742) 3.4 percent; O’Neill $68,012,335 ($60,484,339) 12.4 percent; Pierce $11,475,999 ($10,816,293) 6.1 percent; Plainview $9,350,776 ($8,030,377) 16.4 percent; Schuyler $28,580,062 ($27,111,415) 5.4 percent; South Sioux $118,358,662 ($105,310,134) 12.4 percent; Valentine $47,029,426 ($54,788,332) -14.2 percent; Wayne $55,584,960 ($53,949,254) 3 percent; West Point $64,868,305 ($53,613,933) 21 percent; Wisner $10,130,725 ($9,283,205) 9.1 percent.

Counties
Antelope $36,940,868 ($35,888,714) 2.9 percent; Boone $37,779,549 ($34,968,003) 8 percent; Boyd $7,807,442 ($7,910,342) -1.3 percent; Brown $29,630,578 ($27,836,022) 6.4 percent; Cedar $50,104,734 ($47,909,972) 4.6 percent; Cherry $50,088,068 ($57,856,363)
-13.4 percent; Colfax $44,689,335 ($42,172,046) 6 percent; Cuming $84,631,382 ($71,834,172) 17.8 percent; Dakota $133,143,890 ($118,977,310) 11.9 percent; Dixon $12,424,696 ($11,275,017) 10.2 percent; Dodge $374,585,385 ($378,342,012) -1 percent; Holt $98,003,694 ($89,114,183) 10 percent; Keya Paha $2,098,789 ($2,191,233)
-4.2 percent; Knox $39,281,335 ($37,825,632) 3.8 percent; Madison $514,483,247 ($495,537,571) 3.8 percent; Pierce $33,608,798 ($30,069,826) 11.8 percent; Platte $357,604,623 ($331,789,106) 7.8 percent; Rock $8,275,080 ($7,339,995) 12.7 percent; Stanton $12,392,215 ($11,847,181) 4.6 percent; Thurston $16,685,326 ($15,518,411) 7.5 percent; Wayne $58,350,013 ($56,441,352) 3.4 percent.