By Chris OrletRecord Managing EditorWarren County is in the same position St. Charles County was two decades ago.That was the message Steve Etcher, an economic development and growth expert, delivered to a Home Builders Association meeting last week at the Innsbrook Conference Center.“Growth is coming whether we are prepared for it or not,” said Etcher. “It is up to us to manage that growth intelligently.”Etcher, an official with the Greater Warren County Economic Development Council and the former director of the Boonslick Regional Planning Commission, said the county’s greatest assets are its access — access to St. Louis, to major highways and rivers, a qualified, educated workforce and a high quality of life.Joining Etcher in a panel discussion were Warrenton Mayor Jerry Dyer, Truesdale Mayor Murray Bruer, Warren County Presiding Commissioner Arden Engelage, Wright City Superintendent of Schools Chris Gaines and Innsbrook Corporation President Charlie Boyce.Etcher said Warren County is poised to go from a rural community to a thriving exurban location, pointing to statistics showing that Warren County was the third-fastest growing county in the state, with a population that has doubled since 1980, from 14,900 to 32,513. That said, Warren County still had extremely low population density compared to St. Louis and St. Charles counties.Another result of that growth is a rise in median household income to $66,763, which is 13 percent higher than the state average.Commute times to work are an average of 28.7 minutes, with a quarter of those commuters driving into St. Charles County and 16 percent to St. Louis County to work.Warren County also remains a relatively crime-free area, with a total of 860 crimes against people and property last year, compared to 7,437 in St. Charles County.Etcher praised the recent decisions of CertainTeed and HT Hackney to locate in the county bringing with them a combined 115 jobs. “In the coming weeks we hope to announce another 80 jobs and $6 million in capital investment,” he said. Etcher added that in the pipeline there are a possible 470 new jobs.Asked about his city’s efforts to bring in jobs, Dyer said that Warrenton has been its own economic developer. “A few years ago we decided that Burger King, Dairy Queen and McDonald’s were not the jobs we want,” he said. “About 67 percent of our work force leaves our community every work day. We want to keep those commuters at home.”Much of the anticipated growth will continue along Interstate-70 and Highway 47.Asked to name the best quality of their municipality, Engelage and Dyer said the friendliness of the people. Bruer said that and Truesdale’s “Can Do” spirit. Gaines singled out Wright City’s schools, which are the most improved K-12 schools in the state.Pat Sullivan, executive vice president of the HBA of St. Louis and Eastern Missouri returned to the comparison between Warren County and the St. Charles County of a few decades ago. “This (meeting) reminds me very much of similar meetings the HBA held with leaders in St. Charles County some 30 years ago,” said Sullivan. “Warren County has a lot to offer now and incredible potential for the future.”County leaders discuss growth at Innsbrook Conference