If you live in or around Marshall, you can¹t help but recognize the way the community has changed in the past few years. There is new housing development, new retail, new education and public-facility growth and new amenities such as the YMCA and the arrival or planned arrival of several new restaurants. It¹s all part of Marshall¹s attempt to position itself for long-term health, and to strengthen its ability to retain and recruit strong businesses.

Now, though, the city is drawing some outside attention for what has been done. A national publication, Site Selection magazine, has put Marshall on its list of top 100 micropolitan areas in the country for steps it¹s taken to improve business growth. Marshall is tied for 82nd on the list.

The list used to be called the Top Small Towns list, but was changed this year to match the U.S. Census designation of micropolitans. That¹s a community of more than 10,000 people, but fewer than 50,000, mainly contained within one county. And most of its workforce must also come from within the county. It¹s an important place to be noticed: The magazine is used by professional site-selection workers ‹ people whose job is to find locations for businesses looking to expand or move.

Marshall Mayor Bob Byrnes said the city didn¹t seek out the designation. It is the result of an independent study by what Byrnes termed a reputable organization. And it¹s a good feeling in a community that has worked hard for growth. ³I think it is an affirmation that the community development we¹ve done is on track,² Byrnes said. "And it has prepared us well for further growth and development ‹ and quality growth and development."

The Marshall Area Chamber of Commerce¹s Industrial and Development Committee had been discussing working with a site-selection professional to help fuel expansion here. Now, Chamber CEO Tracy Veglahn said, the word will get out that those kinds of professionals view Marshall positively. ³It¹s a group that can get the message around a bit more,² Veglahn said. ³Because they¹re dealing with a lot of companies and trying to weigh the positives and negatives of different sites. It¹s kind of cool.²

One city on the list, No. 6 Tupelo, Miss., provided the magazine with six core beliefs that have made it successful. They include: € ³Community development must precede, or at least, parallel economic development. People want to live in a complete community.² € and inviting newcomers to be involved in the community, and participate in community-building organizations. Tupelo leaders say a successful town must be committed to excellence in every phase of community life, and that the community must realize it¹s a long-term, never-ending process.

Byrnes looked at the list of Tupelo suggestions and they rang familiar ‹ they¹re basically the same steps Marshall has made. It¹s especially true on the idea of community development vs. economic development. A lot of the growth in Marshall hasn¹t been from business expansion, but rather on the public side: A new high school, the new airport arrival/departure building, the YMCA, a new downtown park. But they are all things designed to improve quality of life, which many businesses say is as important to them as the actual business climate of a city. ³They are the things that I think this community is doing,² Byrnes said. ³Where it says community development must precede economic development and residents want to have a complete community ‹ that¹s exactly what we¹re doing. We need to be the type of community that people want to choose to live in. ³Education, public safety, affordable housing, amenities ... that¹s exactly what we¹re doing. Employers don¹t just choose to expand (any where). Employers are concerned about their employees and their ability to attract employees.²

Marshall has done enough to be listed among the top 100 small regional centers in the country. There¹ve been a lot of changes, yes, in the past few years. And people in key places have taken notice.

Back to Marshall Home Page