Last Wednesday was a bittersweet day for Emporia.
The positive was that the United Way of the Flint Hills surpassed its fundraising goal by raising more than $600,000. That feat has only been accomplished a couple of times. But doing it during a recession speaks of the tremendous generosity from people in Emporia and the eight surrounding communities.
On the negative, we learned that Hill’s Appliance Center is closing its doors after 25 years of service. In an age of mega-retailers, it was encouraging to see a locally owned business surviving in a David-and-Goliath fight.
No one likes to see a business close and especially a locally owned family business.
This year, Emporia has been hit especially hard by business closings, and we have seen some anchor retailers close. Although the business closings have been more noticeable this year, in reality, retail businesses have been slowly slipping away for many years.
This raises the question whether these closings are driven by the economy, different shopping patterns or both.
On Steve Sauder’s On Air Blog on KVOE, a person wrote an e-mail saying that with the Internet, 24-hour shopping and endless selection, they have many more choices now.
For a business to survive locally, it needs to invest heavily in marketing just like the major retailers. Local businesses need to offer good products at competitive prices with awesome service. If a business does these things, then we hope shoppers will support them before shopping out-of-town or out-of-state competitors.
We cannot stop the world from changing, but if the business-closing trend continues, we need to ask what our community will look like in 20 years. Will it be one or two mega-retailers, some food stores, restaurants and service repair with our main economic engine living off our city and county government jobs?
If retail businesses cannot survive, does that ultimately pose a catastrophic situation for our community because there will be far fewer tax dollars to run our county?
For now, we are wondering whether the vacant buildings will be filled up with thriving businesses again. I bounced the idea off longtime Emporian Jeff O’Dell, and he thought they would.
At some point, we need a wake-up call. The city, county and business organizations will need to consider doing more to address the business-closure situation. In addition to recruiting businesses to our town, we need to look at ways to help businesses already operating in Emporia.
People may be able to save a buck by buying their stuff off the Internet, but, in the end, our community really loses.
Helen Hill of Hill’s Appliance Center said last week that “the older community shopped locally because they understood the importance. Unfortunately that group keeps getting smaller, and the other 90 percent don’t care.”
To survive, a community has to care.
It is incredible that our community can excel in reaching fundraising goals, but we need to have a goal of not falling short in supporting local retail businesses.
Chris Walker
Editor & Publisher
gooseylucy (anonymous) says...
Interesting comments coming from the Gazette. I just happen to own a small business that is also going out of business. This business has been operating in Emporia for over 50 years! But yet when I have contacted the Gazette previously to see if they would be interested in doing an article on my business they would never get back with me. Now I'm not saying this would have kept my business afloat, but it sure could not have hurt.
Maybe if the Gazette were more pro-active and would run articles more often on locally owned small businesses, it would help. You know, kind of remind local folks to support their hometown businesses. It also would help, if Emporia wasn't ran by the "good old boys" club. You know, you have to belong to special clubs and/or organizations to "keep connected".
Be prepared Emporia & Lyon County, I think the worst hasn't even hit yet. Sad, very sad.
February 17, 2010 at 4:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
railroadhorn (anonymous) says...
It certainly is a Catch-22 these days with the recession and the Internet changing the way companies do business. I'm sure the Gazette is no exception with a crumbling subscriber and advertising base thanks to the Internet and the aging of folks who relied more on actual not virtual newspapers. It's hard to say but the most timely news now comes from the radio station or the Gazette's website -- not the actual newspaper. Last month I missed a guy's funeral in Wichita because the Gazette didn't get the word out in time. He died on a Friday and the obit didn't get published until Monday afternoon. Funeral was Monday morning. It doesn't help either that the biggest retailer in town -- Wal-Mart -- doesn't even advertise in the local media. I definitely think this town is heading for an employment structure with a focus on shrinking public education dollars and government payrolls. I used to think Emporia had an attractive future in the field of healthcare but most of the people I know with longterm health problems go to other cities for treatment because that care is not available here to the standard required. Take cardiology. We have none here;some doctors visit from Stormont-Vail in Topeka. But I know someone whose first appointment this month turned into a disaster thanks to a discourteous employee on the visiting doctor's staff. She decided to go to a Lawrence doctor instead. I really think the powers-that-be have to pull out all the stops to help local businesses. I don't get the sense that that's happening now.
February 17, 2010 at 4:50 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gooseylucy (anonymous) says...
" I really think the powers-that-be have to pull out all the stops to help local businesses. I don't get the sense that that's happening now."
railroadhorn, you are so correct. I don't know what the answer is either, but something has to be done. It seems like every few weeks now, the Gazette is reporting about yet another small business that is closing. And many of these are ones that have been in business many years.
And then I see where out at the Vo-Tech, they are having classes to help folks start their own small business. Hello people!! If you have long term small businesses going down the drain, what makes you think these folks even have a chance? Perhaps they should direct their efforts towards the small business owners already in business. It seems to me helping keep already established businesses would be more beneficial to this town, than taking a chance with a brand new business. IMHO.
February 18, 2010 at 8:12 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
biscuitboy (anonymous) says...
railroadhorn and gooseylucy
Good thoughts and insight. I fear railroadhorn may be right on the money in his prediction of Emporia's employment future...education and government. Both areas the taxpayer wants to pull the rug out from under at present. But our remote location has caused most everything else to pass us by.
A railroad line with no trains that stop...and an interstate that no traffic exits...is no big help.
February 18, 2010 at 8:26 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
Very perceptive thinking from both railroadhorn and gooseylucy. I thought it was an excellent comment too from railroadhorn about the medical field. At one time, I too thought that Emporia could become a health care mecca given its location and availability of building sites. But apparently, "the powers that be" never thought into the future far enough to begin developing an infrastructure that would embrace such a plan.
I saw a piece on TV about a small town in South Carolina that did just that. They developed themselves into a health care center for all kinds of treatments. They attracted specialists from all over the world and the town has built up to feature everything in it you'd ever want in a place to live. I pictured that for Emporia.
When I asked questions locally, I found out that health insurance companies were a major draw back, refusing to pay for services that were being duplicated. I found it difficult to understand. I wondered then why the Gazette never really looked into it in order to open up the questions folks might have.
One thing I've found about Emporia is that people who do get involved in community work or governing of some sort all want to go in their own directions. There doesn't seem to be any central meeting of the minds with an eye on keeping Emporia afloat and awake. Why is that? Main Street? Please!
This past summer, when my daughter, a retail development scout, came home for a visit, she saw several things that were working against us. I mentioned them online. Instead of taking the comments as good places to start mending, several people said she should just stay in Chicago and leave us alone.
Why must we always shoot ourselves in the foot? It's frustrating.
We paid big dollars for the Buxton study. What ever happened with all that?
February 18, 2010 at 9:36 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodoleboy (anonymous) says...
"At some point, we need a wake-up call. The city, county and business organizations will need to consider doing more to address the business-closure situation. In addition to recruiting businesses to our town, we need to look at ways to help businesses already operating in Emporia."
Wow I hear a lot of this on these boards and throughout the community, is there an echo? Less courthouse, less visitor's center style projects and more focus on attracting industry. Sounds good to me. If I see it happen I might actually start spending here again....
February 18, 2010 at 9:38 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
I guess I don't have to ask any more questions about developing Emporia after all. I just went to the thread about the courthouse having difficulty finding a Spanish-speaking interpreter. Nuff said.
February 18, 2010 at 9:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
The one thing that seems to be forgotten, is the fact that, everyone is haveing a tough time right now. People have lost jobs, regardless of that fact, anything having to do with social services/programs are demanding more money, which usually results in higher taxes, which results in less money for consumers to spend, which results in businesses having to either restructure, cut back or even close, which results in people loosing jobs, and so on, and so on, and so on .
And in a severe econimic downturn most companys do not look to expand, they seek to cut back or restructure, which usually means loss of jobs at the bottom of the ladder .
Even the giant Walmart is not immune to restructuring, etc., if the need arises. Each and every Walmart store, etc., has to operate within a certain profit/sales quota or margin. If a store does not meet its set or expected profit/sales quota, employees hrs. are cut or even amount of days of work are cut as well as not receiving any profit/sales bonus or Christmas bonus, etc.. And less hrs./days, worked, bonuses, etc., means less disposable income to spend on goods, services and taxes.
Emporia started loosing its rail passanger service in the late 1950s early 1960s when passanger ticket sales were almost nothing . And I really don' t foresee any such service returning . Not only that but freight service is where the real money is to made for the Rail Roads.
I can recall when I was a child growing up in Emporia . Passanger rail service was booming at a fast pace. There were passanger trains going thru or stopping to drop off and pickup passangers, almost every halfhour or so. But that was before the airlines really started pushing the rail passanger service toward being extinct.
.
February 18, 2010 at 10:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodjoss (anonymous) says...
As far as businesses closing in Emporia, I think we're finally seeing the fallout from Tyson, now 2 years later. ESU seems to be bleeding students - there's money flying out the door, too. We need to support Higher Education so they can bring $TUDENT$ to our town.
As for the economy in general, it's not just Emporia (although a recent visit to Pittsburg KS was surprisingly pleasant - not nearly as many 'For Sale' signs & vacant businesses) - as a commercial property owner in Johnson Co., I know it's pretty bad up there, too.
>>>
For a business to survive locally, it needs to invest heavily in marketing just like the major retailers. Local businesses need to offer good products at competitive prices with awesome service. If a business does these things, then we hope shoppers will support them before shopping out-of-town or out-of-state competitors.
>>>
Just half-true here Chris... marketing is not a panacea. Marketing is critical, make no mistake - but telling everyone how great your "Model T engine crank levers" are won't help if nobody's buying. Quality service is much more important... just go buy a pair of shoes from Jim, you'll agree.
Business will thrive if business is smart. Certainly we all want an economy broad enough to support not only primary, but secondary and tertiary commerce. Demand is down, you have to supply what is in demand.
Also, too - everything that comes must go. We cannot escape this fact of life.
Few people are smart enough to plan for growth. Fewer are smart enough to plan for contraction. Like death itself - it's painful to consider.
What do you bet someone will question the accuracy of Emporia's census data next year?
February 18, 2010 at 10:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
goodjoss
I agree with your comment about " Marketing " . I believe the success or failure of a business is based on how well the business or business owner know their particular market area and whether they have the ability to offer what is needed or appeals to the customers of their particular area. And of course good service to the customers or potential customers is also of utmost importance, especially in these times.
I believe the days of impulse buying are basically over.
However supporting Education/Higher Education does not necessarilly mean spending outrageous sums of money needlessly or demanding more money than people can afford to give. To me throwing good money after bad money is not an option.
February 18, 2010 at 10:48 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Hornets (anonymous) says...
Read the article about waiving parking meters fees for a couple days and the people that have commented show our great community support here in Emporia.
February 18, 2010 at 11:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
BOY-HOWDY,
If you people are waiting to get a better deal at Hill's going out of business sale, you had better get there quick. just got back from a visit with Rob there, (and picked up a new frig), and things are going fast. It was nice getting a good deal from them, but then we always did. It really sucked knowing it was the last time we were buying from a locally owned appliance store.
February 18, 2010 at 11:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bloomsbury (SC DIXON) says...
EVERYONE wants to blame the “big box stores”… but let’s look closely at this:
Mom & Pop want to be open when it’s easy for them. There are stores downtown which post hours that some people literally cannot do…these people cannot shop there because the open after we’re at work, they close before we get off and sometimes mom and pop want to drive to Topeka or Kansas City to do their shopping on the weekend and/or be closed on Monday.
If you work on the west side of Emporia and your watch band breaks at 4 in the afternoon, are you supposed to take off work to hurry downtown and get it repaired or do you relax, go out to Wally-World at your leisure, have a bigger selection and pay less for the same item on your OWN time? Figure it out.
Check out the rents in some of the dumps sitting empty downtown. You’ll probably be pole axed. The landlords want you to fix their buildings, bring them up to code, and then charge you through the nose every month for the pleasure of doing business with them. Some shops sit empty for years, finally get rented, the renter fixes up the real estate, then because it takes a long time to build a business they have to close in a few months because the cant afford the rent.
Or the utilities.
Meanwhile the city and country want to continue to raise taxes, not the least of which is sales taxes. At my business a lady from Chase County was stunned at our tax, “Isn’t that about what Topeka charges?” she asked. I said “yup,” and she said, “Well, someone needs to tell your chamber of commerce and your city commission that this sure as hell ain’t Topeka…”
Local media doesn’t pay much attention to local businesses and their advertising rates are prohibitive for most new, single owner shops to even consider.
There are lots and lots of ways to make Emporia more conducive to business, reduce or waive deposits, adjust rents seasonally, tell the city commission to lead or get out of the way, knock it off with business-killing directives (yes, I do mean the smoking ban), give special advertising rates to new businesses, have someone from the chamber visit with a FAQ sheet in hand, ready to answer questions rather than to pose more roadblocks.
Or we can just sit, bellyache, and watch the town come apart piece by piece.
February 18, 2010 at 12:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
bloomsbury, what true words, especially about the outrageous rents for the dumps downtown where they expect the renter to bring them up to code and fix them up too. It's always been that way too. I've experienced it myself years ago, and even now I have friends who rent downtown who say that sort of thing still goes on. They want the rent, but make no improvements. If they do, it's always cobbled. I can't imagine them waiving deposits, however, not those greedy landlords!
February 18, 2010 at 1:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eucharistandcannabis (anonymous) says...
A nicely-penned editorial, Mr. Walker.
Personally, I would hope the crystal ball to hold a positive fortune for Emporia, but I doubt that to be the case. My assumption is based upon the past decades of destruction in the community. Citizens have sold out locally owned businesses for big box retailers. Emporians, while some speak of the "evils of Wal-Mart," all have conditioned themselves to shop at the tent of blue smocks. The Mom & Pops that remain will dwindle away, in time.
Main thoroughfares, especially 6th Avenue, is littered with fast food restaurants, used car lots, loan sharks and new, low cost, metal buildings that are without question architectural eyesores. So much for aesthetics.
The university, one of the few assets left, is not respected by the community.
What exists is an imbalance of income, skills and productivity. The majority of those falling into the middle class bracket have or will soon be retired. Skills? Professionals aren’t clamoring to the city, in fact they are going the other way because the community does not attract talent or inspiration. What’s left is a "suitcase college," Wal-Mart a workforce that knows only how to flip a burger and operate a cash register, and a throng of people signing petitions for a highway sign that reads "Emporia - Home of Clint Bowyer."
Emporia, looking back 20 years and looking ahead 20 years; two entirely different places.
February 18, 2010 at 2:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
bloomsbury
You are correct, and almost everything you said relates back to market area and the ability to recongnize what the market area needs or thrives on. And yes I and others will agree, that the smoking ban and the control of the City/County Commissions has a lot to do with business success or failure and the " Marketing " of a City or Community .
I would not even want to locate, open or operate a business or industry in a place where a few influential people are going to be able to control the success or failure of my substantial investment in a business or industry by dictating, with the help of the local governing body, how I am to run my business, whom I may allow in my business, what I may allow in my business ( within fair and resonable Laws and Ordinances ) and manupilate the local governing body and some towns people into initiating a more severe city ordinance, especially when the previous one was a fine and fair one in its own right.
February 18, 2010 at 2:23 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Dido1969 (anonymous) says...
Back in the 60’s the city decided to basically block of the intersections at 5th and 7th in order to “divert traffic congestion from downtown…” boy, did that work with a vengeance!
The intersections are bottlenecks, people who rent on those streets hate them, out-of-towners who come to town for events at the auditorium (some even want to shop! Gasp!) ridicule them, and if you ever need to visit the Lyon co. courthouse you know perfectly well that they are a ridiculous impediment sometimes forcing people to drive several blocks out of their way.
A few years back at a commission meeting some local merchants purposed that the streets should be opened up again and the commission was ready to jump on it…till Steve Commons told them that, technically, they had to run it by the state as Commercial is also highway 99…but I guess he forgot to do that.
The time has come. Unblock 5th & 7th streets and tie it in to the work on the water main. Get it done.
February 18, 2010 at 2:28 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
Dido1969
Amen, to that !
February 18, 2010 at 3:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
And now you have a " roundabout " on the west side of town to contend with. Who thinks that was a " brilliant " idea.
February 18, 2010 at 3:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
dido1969,
have you run that idea by the commissioners or city manager?
Casey at Main Street?
Called the Gazette and see if they want to run a poll on it?
i think it is a good idea that should be able to be done at very little cost. But they are in planning stages now so get busy dido1969.
February 18, 2010 at 3:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eucharistandcannabis (anonymous) says...
How many years has the roundabout been in place, and you're still complaining about it? Time for new material.
February 18, 2010 at 3:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
meth,
The turnpike round about isn't bad. It's only problem is the signage. There's too much of it and too confusing.
The 1 at the high school could have been a little wider and a lot less center but what the heck?
February 18, 2010 at 3:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gooseylucy (anonymous) says...
Yeah, bloomsbury hit the nail right on the head. Small mom & pop business cannot afford advertising rates from the Gazette or the radio stations. You'd think the Gazette would be able to do at least a weekly story focusing on a local small business. Also the Chamber or Main Street could possibly do a little more to help out small business. Without making them pay the high fees to belong. Or have a structured fee schedule depending upon the size of your business.
Most people don't understand the high prices you pay, just for being a business. For example, you pay almost double the amount for a land line phone, just because you are a business. Even just a listing in the white pages is double. Let alone who can afford to be listed in the yellow pages. Geez!! And that is just one example. Everything for a business is higher, because you are a business.
There needs to be someplace for the small business owners to go to get help. If small businesses keep dropping like flies, the larger businesses won't be far behind......
February 18, 2010 at 4:28 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
giggles (anonymous) says...
Steve and eucharistandcannabis,
Perhaps that roundabout out west isn't a big deal to you, but for someone who has to traverse it each day at least twice a day, it can be quite harrowing. It is a daily event, to watch out of towners try to maneuver this bit of construction. Just 2 weeks ago I came across someone heading my direction in the roundabout! They clearly did not know how to maneuver a roundabout. I have almost been hit in the roundabout at least 3 times, because people do not yeild to those in the roundabout. Last week I watched a semi almost turn over (his back wheels were pretty far off the ground). I was surprised he made it, but this also happens daily, probably many more times a day than I am aware of. There are yield signs for those coming off of the turnpike who can bypass the roundabout going west, if you passed a driving test you know what yield means, problem is, NO ONE YIELDS! The thing is a driving nightmare, even for those who do know how it works. There are too many others who don't know or don't care.
You may not think it is a big deal, but for me, it is a daily headache, and sometimes a scary endeavor.
February 18, 2010 at 4:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eucharistandcannabis (anonymous) says...
That does sound like a headache. I'm so sorry. Life probably has lost all appeal, huh?
February 18, 2010 at 4:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
FinallyOUT (anonymous) says...
I had alot of faith in Emporia.. I really did. I still do.. but these days, it's very hard to make a liveable wage in the state of Kansas and actually get ahead. Towns like Emporia are slowly dying, just like all the little farm towns (where I am from orginally) and in between. It's happening all over this country.
What is sad and has always been a nagging factor with Emporia is that instead of taking circumstances like closing business, economic downturn, people moving out of the city and turning that into a reason to revive and change what we are doing..
Our city government chooses to sit back and spin there wheels.
There are limited jobs and those that are out there, it's hard to advance. My husband has a disease, which was always treated in 3 different cities because Emporia couldn't give us the health care we needed.. I could go on and on, but mostly, it's the same story for alot of folks. We just couldn't keep going on that same track.
I remember what Emporia was 10 years ago.. Even 20 years ago when my grandpa used to bring me into town to go shopping. It was a really good place.
I've alllllllways hoped that things would turn around for Emporia. Even though I don't live there anymore, I still wish that things would get better there because I have alot of great friends there.
Emporia gave me 10 years.. a education, a great husband, a super set of friends.. but I just didn't see it giving me any kind of a lasting future.
February 18, 2010 at 7:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dalelinn (Dale Linn) says...
It does relatively little good , so to speak, to "tend ones tree" when there is a giant forest fire. Our country has exported jobs (income) and imported cheap labor (increased costs), enacted restrictive regulations, and enacted the world's highest corporative taxes to the point where it is becoming impossible to do business in the United States.
February 19, 2010 at 8:36 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )