New PCDC President Sets Sights on Four Areas of Development

As the Phelps County Development Corporation celebrates the accomplishments of the past year at its annual meeting, it will also be a time to look ahead to new opportunities.

Reed McClymont, a Phelps County native and local farmer, begins his term as president of the Phelps County Development Corporation Board of Directors at the annual meeting on March 14. Reed has served on the board since 2015.

“It’s fun being on the PCDC board,” Reed said. “We’ve got a lot of activity. We’ve just got a lot of things moving right now – a lot of opportunities. It’s fun being involved with a group that’s getting a lot accomplished and doing some good things for the community.”

Reed said he would like to help PCDC make progress in the following four areas in the next two years:

1. Continue to assist existing retailers to improve the vitality of downtown areas.
2. Assist developers and contractors to increase the number of homes available for residents and potential residents in all income groups in Phelps County.
3. Help existing businesses find the qualified workers they need to continue to grow.
4. Recruit new businesses to fill the Iron Horse Business & Industry Park.

Reed said it will take some community investment in infrastructure for PCDC to move forward with solving some of the community challenges, such as the housing shortage.

“We have two different housing developers that PCDC has been working with for six months,” Reed said. “We are getting relatively close to being able to connect the dots to make that happen.”

And, he said infrastructure development is needed at the Iron Horse Business & Industry Park to make it more marketable. The Gustin Street paving project scheduled for 2019 should help.

“We’ve identified several businesses to occupy the industrial park, so we just need to put it all together.” Reed said.

Reed said he is proud of several recent accomplishments spurred by the work of PCDC, including

1. Developing programs and incentives to assist local retailers and builders.
2. Bringing a new Cobblestone Hotel to Holdrege (construction scheduled to start this spring).
3. Working with Allmand Bros./Briggs & Stratton to encourage the company’s upcoming expansion in Holdrege.

Reed also mentioned he is happy with the hiring of PCDC’s energetic Executive Director Ron Tillery, who has been able to build upon the solid groundwork created by the previous PCDC director and staff.

Reed’s brother, Pete McClymont, will be the keynote speaker at the annual meeting on Thursday, March 14. A local ag business started by the McClymont family, LandMark Implement, will also be honored.

“My cousins at LandMark have done a real good job growing their business,” he said. “It will be neat to recognize them the same time I get started as president.”

Reed’s grandfather, father and two uncles also started a grain business that later became Cargill.

“My family got the ball rolling at both Landmark and the business end of the grain facility a while ago,” Reed said. “It’s fun to know that your family has been a participant in the economic growth in the county.”

Tickets can be purchased for the annual meeting by calling PCDC at (308) 995-4148 or emailing Stacy@PhelpsCountyNE.com. Seating is limited, so please purchase tickets by Wednesday, March 6, to guarantee a seat.