With all the political rancor polluting the media nationally, with all the talk of continued economic mayhem at home and abroad and with all the negative energy circulating, it’s tough to remain optimistic.
Scratch that.
A group of local investors lead by Rick Ball and Norbert Schneider with Innovative Livestock Service Inc. have entered into a deal to purchase the commercial products division of Fuller Brush, a long-time industrial staple in Barton County that has recently fallen on financial hard times. But, did these forward-thinking business leaders dwell on the negatives? No.
“This overall effort was made possible with the commitment of local investors who care greatly about the Fuller Brush Company remaining a viable employer in the local area communities,” Ball said. They looked past the bad news and saw a future not only of the company, but also of the communities in the area.
Remember, this same cadre of investors purchased CPI Qulified Plan Consultants in 2004.
There is a trend here. With the Fuller deal announced last week, the retention of local control over CPI and the private funds that make the purchase of the Great Bend Convention Center possible, there appears to be a bunch of folks who are bullish on the local economy.
They see potential and are confident in out success.
True, few of us have the resources to make such a bold statement. But, optimism is cheap.
There are a lot of very positive things happening in Great Bend and the surrounding area. First, unlike so many parts of the country, we retained our common sense and didn’t suffer as mightily as did other regions. Now, we have even more to hopeful about.
Dale Hogg