HOISINGTON — NetWork Kansas announced today that Hoisington was selected as a 2011 Entrepreneurship (E-) Community and has been awarded $75,000 in tax credits, enabling the Hoisington area E-Community to raise $100,000 to be loaned to local businesses. Hoisington joins a group of twenty-nine other E-Communities.
The Entrepreneurship (E-) Community partnership, now in its fifth year, emphasizes development of community resources to create a flourishing entrepreneurial environment. During the first four years of the E-Community partnership, more than $4.7 million have been raised. These funds are estimated to generate more than $33 million of investment in rural businesses across Kansas.
The E-Community Partnership is based on two fundamental principles: 1.) In order for rural and distressed communities to survive, they must grow from within by fostering local leadership; 2.) Organizations involved in community development need to empower businesses with the assets they need to succeed, including education, expertise, and economic resources.
The greater Hoisington area assembled a collaborative local leadership team to apply for consideration durinthe 2011 E-Community Competitive Round. The City of Hoisington Manager Jonathan Mitchell will serve as the point person for the group, which includes: Stacey Bressler, Bill Lowry, Brad Tajchman, Irv Mitchell, Jeff Zoller, Kathy Bahe, Gene Mooney, Gene Manweiler, Brian Wilborn, Karmi Green, Clelia McCrory, and Curt Colson.
The leadership team will determine the strategy and vision for the E-Community. A separate financial review board will evaluate prospective loan applications from local businesses.
The leadership team submitted a detailed written application to NetWork Kansas in August before being chosen as a finalist. An in-person interview was held between NetWork Kansas and the leadership team this fall that led Director of E-Communities, Erik Pedersen, and Product Manager, Anne Dewvall, to recommend to the NetWork Kansas Board of Directors that the Hoisington area be approved as a 2011 E-Community.
Mayor Clayton Williamson said, "A community is only as good as you make it. I am excited to see people in our community working so hard to make Hoisington a great place to call home."
Stacey Bressler, who serves on the Hoisington E-Community leadership team expressed satisfaction with the news. She said, "The designation as an E-Community validates the hard work of a dedicated group of people. Our community’s efforts should continue to create a business-friendly environment that will help position our region for growth."
Hoisington has until mid-December to raise donations in exchange for the tax credits it has been awarded.
These funds will then be available beginning in January 2012 to be awarded to businesses in the Hoisington area as matching loans. The establishment of the E-Community loan fund represents a significant accomplishment for the Hoisington area and is the result of ongoing collaboration between the City of Hoisington, the Hoisington Chamber of Commerce, and area banks, entrepreneurs, and residents. In addition to the establishment.
