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The economy is bleeding jobs and budgets are tight, but through partnerships perspectives may start to shift.

Not necessarily through government help, but local interests.

During the Mid Iowa Development Conference Wednesday, the representatives of Mid Iowa Growth Partnership talked about their work of marketing the nine-county region to bring in key jobs citizens are needing.

"We realized up front we need a key message," said Dennis Bowman, director of Wright County Development. "When people hear Mid Iowa we want it to mean something. What are we known for? How do we do business?"

One thing the group "hangs their hat on," Bowman said, was transportation.

Pacific Union and Canada National railroads, along with U.S. Highway 20, have been key in the region's development of and shipment of ethanol, he said.

"We are blessed to have those transportation systems," Bowman said. "Those are key factors we need to sell to other companies."

Low utility costs were another draw discussed. Iowans - at least in the northwest part of the state -pay seven to eight cents a kilowatt hour compared to the 14 or 15 cents Ohio residents pay.

Quality of living and education were also selling points for the area, along with available space.

"One thing that was surprising to me was that we have more than 1.5 million square feet of available building space and 1,500 acres of industrial sites ready," Bowman said. "We now have these available to move companies in quickly."

The partnership created a video that highlighted the reasons businesses should locate in region.

Of these incentives to locate to the area were the three community colleges, which can offer work force training as technology changes and grows.

Transportation was mentioned, as well as the willingness and quality of the area workers and, lastly, the quality of life.

Keynote speaker Steve Siemens told the group he was from the Fort Dodge area and still lives in Iowa.

"I'm grateful you are all committed to keeping the area home for lots of people," Siemens said. "You can truly make a difference in these nine Iowa counties if you build better perspectives."

Sen. Daryl Beall, D-Fort Dodge, tried to do just that when he addressed the crowd.

"I'm optimistic and hopeful by nature," Beall said. "So I'm going to cite some things that bode well for the state of Iowa."

Beall went on to state Iowa's AAA rating from Standard and Poor's; Forbes Magazine's naming Iowa the 14th best state in which to do business; and that CNBC had Iowa ranked fourth as best state for cost of doing business, quality of work force and quality of life.

"It's not all doom and gloom," Beall said, "but it will be an austere year in the Legislature."

Iowa Representative Annette Sweeney, R-Alden, said the economic climate reminded her a lot of the 1980s when she came back and took over the family farm.

"We can't tax our way out of this problem," Sweeney said. "But we can grow out of it, and with this group's help it's coming to fruition. Thank you for striving to create an opportunity for my kids to stay here."

Contact Lindsey Mutchler at (515) 573-2141 or lindsey@messengernews.net