JCED produces videos to market Jones Co.

     The success of Jones County is something Jones County Economic Development thrives on, and the production of two new marketing videos only aids in those efforts.

     Since the unveiling of a business recruitment video and visitor recruitment video, over 12,000 people have viewed both on social media.

     The unveiling took place on Sept. 13 in both Monticello and Anamosa, with the public invited.

     “You asked and we answered,” shared Patty Manuel, president of JCED.

     Thanks to a $6,300 grant from the Jones County Community Foundation, JCED Director Dusty Embree said they were able to produce both videos using local company Twisted Pair Broadcast Productions in Anamosa.

     The video focused on business retention and recruitment is roughly 4 minutes in length. It features several Jones County business owners in various sectors such as healthcare, insurance, industry/manufacturing, technology, small business, and food service. It also includes the voices of local entrepreneurs who chose to live and work in Jones County.

     “The idea is if you were to locate here,” proposed Embree, “what would make you do it?”

     She said a lot of factors go into recruiting businesses: healthcare, education, the local workforce market, and amenities.

     Some of the segments in the business recruitment video feature business owners and residents offering their insights into why they choose Jones County to live, work and raise a family. Embree and her JCED board put those interview-type questions together to add some personality to the video.

     “We put together an outline of who we’d like to see featured,” Embree added. “We wanted to cover certain sectors (of the community), and have a good span of men and women.”

     The other video, about a minute and a half, shows off all that Jones County has to offer visitors/tourists: Wapsipinicon State Park, both the Wapsipinicon and Maquoketa rivers, restaurants, nightlife, swimming pools, fishing, river recreation, the Great Jones County Fair, the National Motorcycle Museum, libraries, schools, Kirkwood Community College, golf clubs, hotels, and Jones Regional Medical Center.

     “It’s all about quality of life,” said Embree of all that people can do in Jones County. “It’s also a moral booster for those who live here.”

     Watching both videos makes you proud to live, work and play in Jones County.

     Embree said JCED just wanted to create a fun way to showcase the best of the best in Jones County.

     “It was a collaborative effort,” she said of working with Twisted Pair, who also offered suggestions of their own.

     They also did the editing and added music to bring the whole package together.

     Embree admitted there was so much more she would have liked to see in both videos, but timing just did not allow.

     “There’s a lot more than meets the eye here,” she boasted; “a lot more than people know.”

     Embree’s hope is that the county and other like-minded groups such as chambers of commerce, tourism, city and county governments, and civic organizations, take ownership of these videos.

     “They’re tools for everyone to use,” offered Embree, “provided by Economic Development. We want everyone to own them.”

     Embree said the end goal is to use them for business recruitment, resident/visitor recruitment, and moral.

     As Monticello resident and business owner Joel Althoff said at the conclusion of one of the videos: “In today’s world, you can put your business anywhere. Why not put it in a place that you enjoy living?”

     The two videos can be viewed by visiting JCED’s website https://jonescountydevelopment.com or Facebook page “Jones County Economic Development – Iowa.” You can view them at the Monticello Express’ Facebook page.