County commissioner to head PIC West council

Greene County Presiding Commissioner Dave Coonrod was named 2010 president for the Partnership Industrial Center West Administrative Council after an Oct. 12 vote.

Coonrod was a unanimous choice to head the council, which governs the 400-acre master-planned industrial park adjacent to the Springfield-Branson National Airport.

The council comprises representatives from each organization that partnered to develop PIC West - the city of Springfield, Greene County, City Utilities, the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce and the Springfield Business Development Corp. - and oversees decisions on park development and infrastructure, including approval of land sales to companies and park management.

"PIC West has helped bring 900 new jobs and more than $90 million in investment to our community since it was formed in 2001," Coonrod said in a news release. "It's exciting for me to be able to contribute to this as well as the county's ongoing economic development efforts."

Coonrod's one-year term as president begins Jan. 1; City Manager Greg Burris will serve as vice president and chamber President Jim Anderson will be secretary.

PIC West has seven tenants: Crosstech Construction Products, Executive Coach Builders, Gold Mechanical, Green Seed, NorthStar Battery, Seltzer Nutritional Technologies and Stamina Products. The site also has two 75,000-square-foot shell buildings and 11 open lots ranging from 6.5 acres to 51.2 acres.

NorthStar was the last projected completed at PIC West, having opened in August; chamber Senior Vice President of Economic Development Greg Williams said there are no projects pending at the center.