Enhanced Enterprize Zone OK'd for El Do

* City manager says having zone in place will mean the city's ready to move forward if companies want to move to El Dorado Springs.

Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt announced Monday that the Missouri Department of Economic Development has approved the designation on an Enhanced Enterprise Zone for El Dorado Springs.

El Dorado Springs City Manager Bruce Rogers said Tuesday that the Enhanced Enterprise Zone boundaries will include all of the city El Dorado Springs and will not extend into the county.

Rogers said that it will be good to have this in place and ready to go if a company wants to come to El Dorado Springs.

"It is available for existing businesses that are interested in expanding," he said.

"We have been talking to an existing business that is interested in expanding, but it is very early in the process," he said, adding that it is too early to talk about a specific business.

"City officials from El Dorado Springs and their economic development partners have worked well together to create jobs and opportunity for area resident," Department of Economic Development director Greg Steinhoff said.

"This Enhanced Enterprise Zone designation will assist those efforts by opening the region to state incentive programs to help attract and retain jobs. I commend city leaders for seeking this designation and we look forward to helping them obtain the job growth goals they have set," Steinhoff said.

Nevada and a portion of Vernon County was designated an Enhanced Enterprise Zone in 2006.

The Enhanced Enterprise Zone program was established in 2004.

These zones are specified geographic areas designated by local governments and certified by the state's Department of Economic Development.

The designation is based on specific demographic criteria and has the potential to create sustainable jobs in a targeted industry and a demonstrated impact on local cluster development.