With another year in the books and a new year just starting, one organization in Greene County looks to see additional successes.

Greene County Development Corporation (GCDC) Board President Scott Weber says in 2024, their organization helped with some housing projects, including the townhomes and single family homes that Rowland Construction has been doing, providing revolving loans to assist businesses with relocation or expansion, and hiring Sara Huddleston as the Multicultural Family Resource Center Director. Weber reveals that another project that started in 2024 and is hopeful to see tangible progress is with a successful owner of a company from Carroll that has built a business incubator that would be located in their East Business Park, along US Highway 30 in Jefferson.

“His plan is to put up a big building and there would be individual bays in there with an office, bathroom, shower, those types of things in there. And really what the concept is, is that you would rent a bay from him and in that bay you could run a business out of there. And then you’re allowed to hang a sign up there and then they can come in and do business.” 

Weber notes that the city of Jefferson has been involved because of the need for a road to be extended from the existing frontage road, which would also give access to GCDC’s other lots to attract additional businesses in the future.

Weber adds some other aspects on the horizon for GCDC in 2025 is to hopefully announce a new business in the former Forge building on the downtown square in Jefferson, as well as working with the city of Jefferson and ISU Extension on the results from the Rural Housing Readiness Study to continue to aid in additional housing projects.