County’s economic growth topic of State of the Area event

A gathering of municipal and county leaders concluded that St. Joseph County’s economic growth is being hampered by a lack of workers willing to take on entry-level manufacturing.
The four leaders were a part of Tuesday’s State of the Area event, sponsored by the Three Rivers Area Chamber of Commerce. The forum featured St. Joseph County Administrator Pat Yoder, Three Rivers City Manager Joe Bippus, and village managers John Hyden from Mendon and Mark Honeysett from Constantine.
Honeysett said he is aware local manufacturers are paying up to $11 an hour with benefits, yet they can’t get people to apply for the jobs.
According to the local officials, existing businesses are more challenged to find unskilled, entry-level workers than more technically educated, skilled employees.
Bippus said the local business climate has changed, in part, to changes pushed by Gov. Rick Snyder and conservative spending locally when municipal budgets were buffeted.