Bourbon County Inter-Agency Coalition general membership meets each first Wednesday of each month from noon to 1 p.m. at the First Baptist Church, 123 Scott. There will be no January 2020 meeting.
The meeting agenda for December 4, 2019
Welcome and Board update by Billie Jo Drake, chairwoman:
Member introductions and announcements:
Program: Gary Miller, Angels Home Care Health
February program will be presented by Meaghan Russell, USD 235. Meaghan will tell us about their Teammates program.
Open Forum:
Adjournment: Next meeting will be February 5, 2020.
“Inspiration for the site came from Ryan Sparks in Iola,” he said. “He has www.growiola.com. However, there have been many people involved with the development of the (GrowFortScott) project. Local landlords and business owners have contributed. And most importantly Isaac Robinson, formally from Uniontown, facilitated the website construction. YouAreNowOnline.com.”
“I am the main developer of the site functionality and concept. I have spent many hours making sure that all of the functions were “User-Friendly” before launching the platform to the community,” he said.
There are three core components to the service: rentals and renters, local businesses and local job openings.
“We have been developing relationships with local landlords and businesses to find out what some of their needs and wants would be,” he said. “We identified the biggest needs and have developed around them.”
When fully functional, the website www.GrowFortScott.com will consolidate rental properties, from multiple landlords, that are available now.
“You can search for rent, bedrooms, bathrooms and if it is pet-friendly,” he said. “View multiple photos and read the description of the rental. All from the comfort of wherever you may be. Then once you have determined what rental you would like to inquire about, you fill out an on-line application to the landlord. They will receive it, review it and respond to you. You will then be able to schedule a time to meet at the rental and finalize the renting of the property.”
“Access to local businesses and local jobs just fit as an intricate part of the community,” Adamson said. “We have made it simple for the local businesses to join and provide simple access to their business location, basic information, and potential job openings they may have.”
Frank and his wife, Cheryl Adamson are the owners of the Courtland Hotel and Spa.
Aaron Judy began his business, H2 Painting LLC, earlier this year.
“I started working in 8th grade at Max’s Way Station (Restaurant) washing dishes, and I’ve had a job ever since,” Judy said. ” I’ve spent my whole adult life working for someone. After five years at Timken (Company), my family and I decided that Friday was my last day of making money for someone else and putting my own business to the side… I decided to finally take the leap and become fully self-employed! I look forward to embracing it and working just as hard as I was for customers!”
“I began painting in the last few years, but officially began my business as H2 Painting in early 2019,” Judy said.
“I saw a need for painting in this area, and an opportunity for me to go ahead and start my business officially,” he said. “It’s fulfilling to see people enjoy their home or business again, or maybe more than they ever have after they see it repainted.”
“I provide interior and exterior painting in residential or commercial settings,” Judy said.
Aaron Judy paints a sign in Fort Scott
He also provides metal building or barn painting, power washing and soft washing services, along with parking lot lining.
“I have done quite a few residential and commercial repaints,” he said. “I am currently getting more involved in new construction and commercial painting job settings and expanding our range and business rapidly.”
“I try to provide a quality job with an affordable price for my customers,” he said.
Judy is the owner and operator, who hires part-time time employees when necessary, depending on the job.
Workers are needed across the state to fill workforce needs.
The Kansas State Board of Education, working with Kansas legislators, are providing the opportunity for juniors in high school, including Fort Scott, to take assessments to help fill those workforce needs.
The title of the program is ACT Work Ready Community and is paid for by Kansas legislators in collaboration with the state board of education.
Students are offered two assessments for the program and can either take the ACT, or ACT WorkKeys, or both.
The program facilitators are hoping to fill job vacancies in Bourbon County.
“An opportunity was seen to provide a connection for local Bourbon County employers to gain understanding of the ACT and the ACT WorkKeys assessment to help fill and build their workforce,” USD 234 Superintendent Ted Hessong said. “The opportunity for juniors to take the ACT assessments will continue this school year and for years to come.”
A career readiness certificate can be earned, after taking an assessment, which will help to evaluate future employees for the workforce skills needed.
The program allows employers to use it as a tool to see if the skills set will work for their need.
“ACT Work Ready Community is a program to provide Bourbon County the distinction of a county where the employers recognize the ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate earned upon completion of taking the ACT WorkKeys assessment, as a tool to evaluate future employees,” Hessong said.
The basis of the certification: current and future workers earn the certificate and the employers recognize the credential.
“Employers can be the fuel to drive successful state and county Work Ready Communities initiatives simply by recognizing the ACT® WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate®. And in doing so, they will have a more qualified workforce ready to fill their jobs,” according to the ACT Work Ready Communities website.
“The foundation of a community’s certification is based on individuals at the county level across the current, transitioning and emerging workforce, earning an ACT® WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate®…and employers recognizing the ACT® WorkKeys® NCRC®,” Hessong said. “(It) is a portable, industry-recognized credential that clearly identifies an individual’s WorkKeys® skills in workplace documents, applied math, and graphic literacy.”
A collaboration of local entities and employers will have two years to start reaching goals for the program.
“The Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with Bourbon County Economic Development, USD 234, Fort Scott Community College, and Bourbon County employers will have two years to attain goals set by ACT Work Ready in order to be recognized as an ACT Work Ready Community,” Hessong said.
Next Steps co-coordinators Sue Emmons and David Goodyear will start weekly gatherings next week.
A local initiative to move fathers out of dependence to become self-supporting is restarting August 19.
Next Steps is a local program of Connections to Success that the Kansas government provides to work with men in transition from dependence.
New co-coordinators David Goodyear and Sue Emmons are starting a new term with the program, replacing Jean Tucker, who had to step down for health reasons.
“It’s a 14-week structured curriculum,” Goodyear said. “It has a three-day intensive ‘get to know you’, team building and skills assessment.”
“We are targeting men, but we are not exclusive,” Goodyear said. They work with women wanting to become self-sustaining as well.
Next Steps meets Mondays from 5-7 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Fort Scott.
First United Methodist Church at 2nd Street and National Avenue, is the venue for Next Steps.
“The program is a collaboration of churches,” Goodyear said.
It is comprised of facilitators, who lead the discussion on a chosen topic, such as budgeting tools, conflict resolution, how to present yourself to an employer, how to do a resume, etc.
“We focus on personal, developmental, relational, vocational and spiritual,” Goodyear said.
Other people in the program are dedicated to helping with transporting participants to the meetings, and childcare during the meetings.
Then there are mentors-people who walk beside another person.
As a mentor, he has worked to develop relationships to help participants with decision making on such subjects as managing money or family conflicts, he said.
Many are battling isolation, lack of value and lacking a sense of belonging, Goodyear said.
“There is dignity in providing for themselves…We’ve had pretty good success,” he said.
Participants must learn such attributes as the mutual respect of showing up on time and not disrupting in group settings, Goodyear said.
Ages of participants in the past have varied from people in their 20s to those in their 60s.
For Emmons, she had been aware of the program and had referred people in prior jobs and was asked to join Next Steps as a facilitator/mentor about six months ago.
For Goodyear, the most practical way to show someone the Gospel of Jesus Christ is building relationships. He has been in the role of both facilitator and mentor as well for about five years.
To him, 1 John 3:18, is the inspiration: “Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”
For more information: contact Goodyear through Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene at 620-223-0131 or Emmons at 620-224-8096.
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce is initiating a partnership program that aims to cultivate an entrepreneurial environment in the community.
What is an entrepreneur?
An entrepreneur is an individual who, rather than working as an employee, founds and runs a small business, assuming all the risks and rewards of the venture, according to investopedia.com.
“The big-picture vision for this initiative is to move Bourbon County forward as a great place to start and grow a small business and where existing businesses have access to all the resources they need to grow and achieve their potential,” Bill Michaud said.
Michaud is the chairman of the Chamber’s Business Resource and Development Committee.
Bill Michaud is the chairman of the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Business Resource and Development Committee. Submitted photo.
He and Chamber Executive Director Lindsay Madison are the primary workers to bring this initiative to Fort Scott, Michaud said.
“Lindsay Madison did the work to complete the application which resulted in us being selected,” he said. ” She and I have been the primary ones immersed in the details.”
Lindsay Madison is the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director. Submitted photo.
“The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce representing Bourbon County has been selected by Network Kansas as a partner in the E-Community Program, a partnership program that aims to cultivate an entrepreneurial environment in partner communities throughout the state,” Michaud said. The Chamber was notified in June 2019.
“Bourbon County was awarded this partnership opportunity through a competitive application process in which 14 Kansas communities were vying for selection and only five new e-community partners were selected,” he said.
“The revolving loan fund and other E-Community resources can be the catalyst to build onto the many great improvements which have occurred in our community in recent years, “Michaud said. “This program is a resource that could help fund additional rehabilitation of downtown buildings which are currently very difficult to finance.”
E-Community loan funds can be used for building acquisition, renovations, inventory, expansion, relocation, equipment and other purposes.
One of the barriers to starting or growing a business is access to funding.
“The largest component of the E-Community Partnership is providing a locally controlled loan fund used to enable new business and existing businesses to overcome that barrier,” Michaud said. “There also additional resources available through Network Kansas to help businesses of all sizes including a variety of programs through StartupKS.”
The E-Community program also provides funding for several approved educational and personal development programs.
“These programs are geared toward teaching and developing potential and existing entrepreneurs,” he said.
Click below for a link to that inventory of programs:
The E-Community program was created through a Kansas Center for Entrepreneurship Tax Credit Program, according to the Fort Scott Chamber website.
Application Details
Applicants may include startup businesses and existing business purchases and/or expansions.
The minimum loan request is $5,000 with a $45,000 maximum amount available per applicant business, subject to availability. The terms for loans issued in the fiscal year 2019-20 will be 5 percent rate over a 10-year maximum term.
Applicants will be asked if the entrepreneur or business has a tax liability in arrears with the Kansas Department of Revenue or the IRS, or been involved in bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings.
Applicants will be asked to provide relevant details such as length of time in business, business name or entity changes, number of jobs to be created or retained, etc.
All business plans will be submitted with the application and should include key elements such as:
Executive Summary
Business Description
Products or Services
Short- and Long-Term Goals
Project Financing
Management
Ownership
Marketing Strategy
Description of Major & Prospective Customers
Description of Market & Competition
Financial Projections
Contact the Kansas Small Business Development Center at Pittsburg State University for assistance in developing a business plan, 620-235-4920.
How the application will be judged
The Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Financial Review Board will use the following rubric to score all applications in the Bourbon County E-Community Program.
Criteria
Strength (1-4)
Weight (% of total)
Weighted Score
Financial Soundness
25
Owner/Operator Experience
20
Business Plan
25
Owner/3rd Party Funding
25
Community Commitment
5
TOTAL
100
SCALE
4 = Exceeds expectations 3 = Meets expectations
2= Partially meets expectations 1 = Does not meet expectations
Application Checklist
Be sure to include the following with your completed application:
$50 Non-refundable Application Fee
Business Plan including Financial Projections (1-year projection of profit & loss by month and 3 years of annual projections)
Financial Statements (if an existing business)
Income statement and balance sheet from within the past 90 days
Income statements, balance sheets, and complete business tax returns for the two (2) prior year-ends
A current list of business obligations
Applicant Resume
Personal Financial Statement from within the past 90 days
Three Letters of Reference
Other documents relevant to the project
Proposed purchase agreement
The existing or proposed franchise agreement
Existing or proposed lease agreement
Real estate contract
Contractor bids
Appraisals and environmental reports
Partnership agreement
Articles of incorporation & bylaws
History Of Initiative
The initiative was established as a part of the Kansas Economic Growth Act of 2004 to stimulate entrepreneurship and small business growth as a priority for economic and community development in the State of Kansas.
Click here to learn more about Network Kansas and E-Communities.
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce is located at 231 E. Wall St., Fort Scott, KS 66701 and can be reached at 620-223-3566 or email [email protected].
Peerless Products, 2403 S. Main, is the largest employer in Fort Scott with 420 workers.
And they need more assembly lines to grow their business, according to Dave Elliott, Peerless Products Culture and Morale Manager.
Founded in Fort Scott, Kansas in 1952, they manufacturer high-performance aluminum architectural and commercial windows for new construction, replacement and historical construction, according to their website.http://www.peerlessproducts.com/Corporate/About-Peerless
“We need to have the capacity to run more products through, to continue to grow,” Elliott said.
“We purchased the old American Standard warehouse in Nevada (MO) on I-49, we will use that as a staging warehouse,” Elliott said. “That frees up space in the Fort Scott facility for another assembly line.”
The employees the company is looking for?
“Somebody that has a good work ethic and a willingness to learn and grow,” Elliott said. In addition, applicants must have a valid driver’s license, and a high school diploma or GED.
The starting-out wage at the plant is $11 per hour, and “they usually work more than 40 hours a week.”
Day shift is from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
“The hours on Friday depends on how much of the product is complete,” Elliott said.
Peerless offers a benefits package that offers health insurance, life insurance, a 401K and an “astounding profit-sharing program,” Elliot said.
Peerless also offers “employee care” activities such as chair massage a couple of times a year and currently are giving employees 20 lb. meat bundles. This processed beef and pork comes from what the company purchases at county fairs of 4-H animals.
Today, Aug. 9, Elliot and Karen Contreras will be at the Ellis Fine Art Center on the campus of Fort Scott Community College for a job fair.
Ellis Fine Arts Center
From 2-6 p.m. interested applicants are asked to bring their resume and come for a visit with the two Peerless Products representatives.
Hannah Vann, owner of Quick & Clean Auto Detail. Photos Submitted by Erin Vann.
This is part of a series that features area entrepreneurs under 30 years of age.
If you know of someone deserving this publicity, email [email protected] with your name, why you are nominating the entrepreneur, their name and email/phone number.
Hannah Vann of Fort Scott, 16, was nominated to be featured as a young entrepreneur by her aunt, Trisha Newton.
In May 2018 Vann started her business, Quick & Clean Auto Detail, working from her home.
“Last year when trying to work while being involved in sports and school she was finding it hard to find a job that worked well with her schedule,” Newton said. “So she decided to start detailing cars during her spare time.”
Hannah said the original reason for learning to detail cars was an argument with her mom.
“I started my business after my mother and I got into an argument over me being sassy,” Vann said. “As a punishment she made me clean our Suburban.”
“She and my aunt always said it would be nice to have a good clean, rather than a $100 detail, of their cars,” Vann said. “I realized I had an amazing opportunity to start a successful business, that also worked around all of my sports and school activities.”
Hannah is the daughter of Tarrell and Erin Vann.
“The unique part about her detailing is that she is not charging a ton like a normal detail costs, instead making it an affordable, quick clean,” Newton said. “Your basic vacuum/wipe down etc. for those busy people on the go and don’t want to spend an arm and a leg!”
The service includes an interior vacuum, and cleaning of windows, floor mats, dash, console, doors, door and seat trim.
“I charge $35 for cars and trucks and SUV’s start at $45,” Vann said.
“She has kept very busy all summer and continues to work hard for her customers,” Newton said.
The new Bourbon County Business Incubator offices are located in the old SRS Building at 108 W. Second Street, Fort Scott.
A business incubator is being developed by Bourbon County to attract new entrepreneurs and professionals back to the area.
What is a business incubator?
It is a facility established to nurture young, startup firms during their early months or years, according to businessdictionary.com. It can provide affordable space, shared offices and services, hands-on management training, marketing support and, often, access to some form of financing.
“The business incubator is still under development,” Bourbon County’s Economic Director Jody Hoenor, said. “But is available… it’s a county-wide service.”
“The vision is to have a workspace for a professional business, someone who needs office space,” she said. “The first six months are free, then rent is negotiable. The maximum stay is two years.”
“The point is to get their business up and going without initial opening costs,” she said
Skilled professionals such as web designers, architects, and lawyers. for example, who want to start a business, are the target for the incubator.
Retail would not be appropriate for the space, she said.
“Shane Walker (Bourbon County Information Technology) and Justin Meeks (Bourbon County Counselor) have been working on this before I started in October 2018,” Hoenor said.
There are six office spaces available, one with a reception area attached.
The largest of the offices shown by Bourbon County Economic Director Jody Hoenor is 11 feet by 23 feet. The other offices are smaller, but each has a window.
There is a lobby, conference room, kitchen space and bathroom that goes with the office spaces, and includes high-speed internet access.
Bourbon County Economic Director Jody Hoenor opens the door to the reception area, next to the largest office space available for skilled professionals to start up a business.
Bourbon County repurposed the building at 108 W. Second Street, just west of the courthouse. Years ago it housed the Social and Rehabilitation Services offices, most recently the Bourbon County Attorney had an office there until that office was moved to the second floor of the courthouse.
Currently, the building is being used also by the community corrections office and the driver’s license bureau.
