Keith Taylor Reflects on Decades of County Economic Development

Friday, October 22, 2010

 

James City County’s Office of Economic Development Director Keith Taylor is getting ready to retire in November after 21 years leading that office.

The county’s approach to economic development has changed over the years, he tells WYDaily, but one thing hasn’t: folks on staff still work as a team to make things happen.

 

When Taylor first came to the county in November of 1989, his role had a different name: Economic Development Coordinator. The county’s approach to growing business was different back then, too, with a more traditional approach that focused on “clean, capital-intensive” industry, Taylor said.

“The community had been blessed with Anheuser Busch, and the canning and bottling plants,” he recalled, and the county was looking to bring other types of large businesses to the area. “We were trying to diversify our economic base beyond beer and tourism.”

One success story in Taylor’s estimation is the county’s work with AVID Medical, a company that makes procedure trays for the medical industry, and how the business has expanded since its early days. AVID, recently acquired by Medical Action Industries, Inc., is currently located in the Stonehouse Commerce Park in Toano.

The Commerce Park itself, on 650 acres with 2.9 million square feet of office and light industrial space, is another project that Taylor counts as a success in helping to attract businesses to the area.

The business complex has hit a few bumps in the road, losing the John Deere research, development and manufacturing complex in 2002 and also losing BP Solar’s thin-film manufacturing plant, which closed the same year.

 

Though Taylor was sad to see those two businesses leave the Commerce Park, others like AVID and Lumber Liquidators have moved in. “The Park is almost full now,” he said, “and I’m very proud of that. I remember when that property was a soybean field.”

Over the last several years, the county has started shifting gears when it comes to its economic development philosophy, according to Taylor. The focus lately has been on trying to work with smaller businesses in the area.

Taylor calls it “economic gardening,” helping to grow small businesses into bigger, better ones. The county’s business and technology incubator is a recent success in this area, he said.

The idea for an incubator came out of a study done about a decade ago, and the current program offers space and various business services to budding entrepreneurs or any local business that could use some help. Mentors, often local businesspeople who volunteer their time and expertise, can help with crafting a business plan or explaining the nuts and bolts of marketing, bookkeeping and other facets of growing a business.

“The interaction of entrepreneurs interacting together really works,” said Taylor. Recently the county partnered with the College of William and Mary on the incubator, with the college agreeing to manage the program. This is a step toward a synergy with local educational institutions that former county administrator Sandy Wanner had envisioned, says Taylor.

A recent report commissioned by the Historic Triangle Collaborative suggests collaboration in the area go even further, with possible revenue sharing projects between the localities and a regional business incubator.

“It’s an idea worth considering,” Taylor said of revenue sharing. “It’s not as difficult as it looks, but it takes strong political will.” James City County’s new Economic Opportunity zone, which abuts a similar zone in York County, might be a good place to try such a project, he said. Taylor also thinks the regional incubator is worth trying.

On the topic of the recession and its impact on the county’s businesses, Taylor said “it hasn’t gotten as bloody here as it has in some counties.

“I’ve been through my share of economic cycles, but this is a weird one – no one knows when it started or when it will end.” The county has weathered the tough economy by keeping in touch with existing businesses, lending support when possible, and helping business grow if they can.

Though businesses have been closing through the recession, a few businesses have grown over the past few years such as AVID, Citizens and Farmers Bank and Walmart, he pointed out.

As for what Taylor will miss the most about the job, it’s the sense of teamwork. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the teaming approach to economic development,” he said. “If we can’t reach out to a business, someone in the county will.”

His proudest moment? “Three years ago, my peers gave me the Cardinal Award, which was a particularly high honor for me.”

Taylor likes to golf, but doesn’t see being able to spend all his retirement years on the green. Between seeing his 11 grandkids scattered around the country, Taylor said he’ll probably pick up some part-time work. “It’ll be a real challenge to just go cold turkey,” he said with a laugh.