The Greater Warren County Economic Development Council (GWCEDC) is on a roll.During its first 18 months in existence, the GWCEDC has landed two companies to the area, according to Josh Beck, a spokesman for the organization.The H.T. Hackney Company — which serves grocery store and supermarket chains — established a distribution hub and test kitchen in Truesdale.CertainTeed Corporation announced earlier this year that a roofing materials manufacturing facility and warehouse would be built on a 186-acre parcel which is situated in western Warren County and eastern Montgomery County.Beck presented a report on the GWCEDC’s activities to officials with the five Warren County government entities which are part of the GWCEDC over the past two weeks.Member communities include Warren County and the cities of Warrenton, Wright City, Truesdale and Jonesburg.“In the first year of operation, we had some tremendous accomplishments,” Beck stated, adding that none of the group’s success would have been possible without support from area governments.The idea behind creating the GWCEDC was to “try to strengthen the local economy,” Beck explained.The GWCEDC is comprised of five local governments, two school districts, three Chambers of Commerce and more than 60 area businesses.Over a five-month period, all the participating members of the GWCEDC worked to determine the group’s mission and goals to help ensure that efforts were “targeted and well-organized,” Beck said.The goals and objectives of the GWCEDC were approved unanimously by both a private sector advisory committee and a public sector advisory committee.The private sector group is comprised of 15 area business leaders and the public sector advisory Committee is made up of county commissioners and municipal elected officials.“One critical mission was supporting the existing business community,” Beck stated, adding that there are three key areas of that effort, including: Project management support, education and networking.Anytime a company has an opportunity to expand, or if there is a threat of closure or relocation out of the greater Warren County region, Beck stated.The education and networking portions of the GWCEDC’s mission include hosting speakers on various issues, such as the recently approved local use tax and informing area businesses of the resources available to them, Beck explained.MarketingMarketing the greater Warren County area to companies seeking to relocate “is an area in which a great deal of funds can be spent very quickly,” Beck said.He added that the GWCEDC Board of Directors “went through an extensive planning process” to define the group’s target audience and what the region has to offer.According to the GWCEDC’s 2012-13 annual report, the target audience includes owners and executives of companies involved in location decisions and professionals who advise business owners and executives about location decisions.The GWCEDC’s target audience includes Tier II and Tier III automotive suppliers, food processing and distribution firms, St. Louis area businesses, site selection consultants and commercial and industrial real estate professionals in the St. Louis area.Project PipelineCurrently, the GWCEDC is competing for 15 potential projects comprising approximately 1,000 jobs with average wages of $41,000 per year and capital investments totaling more than $436 million, Beck reported.Industry TypesAccording to Beck, 68 percent of the projects currently in progress are in manufacturing.  Another 16 percent are in the food service industry, 11 percent are in distribution and 5 percent are in information technology.Here is a breakdown of primary reasons companies are interested in sites in the greater Warren County area:Available Building - 33 percent; Proximity to Markets - 30 percent; Available Site or Property - 14 percent; Area Transportation Assets - 8 percent;Business Climate - 5 percent; Existing Business Presence - 5 percent; and Proximity to Suppliers - 5 percent.Beck noted that in terms of the area’s transportation assets, Interstate 70 and railroad access are two key factors companies are viewing when considering locating in the greater Warren County area.“We’ve got the (Missouri) river and we’ve got the airport (in Washington), so we’ve got a lot going for us,” asserted Scott Hays, president of the GWCEDC board of directors.Successful Projects“We’re very proud to say we got two projects across the finish line,” Beck remarked.Those two projects combined will create approximately 115 local jobs and a capital investment in the area of $135 million.The H.T. Hackney Company announced in November 2012 that it would establish a satellite distribution hub serving retail stores in the firm’s Missouri market.There will be an estimated 15 jobs created by the project and the company made a $350,000 capital investment in the area.“They are a great neighbor to have in our backyard and they’re already talking about future opportunities for expansion locally,” Beck remarked.The CertainTeed Corporation announced in April 2013 that it would construct a 60,000-square-foot shingle manufacturing plant and a 150,000- square-foot warehouse facility on a 186-acre parcel which is located in both Warren and Montgomery counties.There will be approximately 100 jobs created by CertainTeed alone, and the company’s capital investment in the area totals $100 million.A ground-breaking ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday, July 24.“It will be a nice celebration of a hard-earned project,” Beck said.CompaniesReaching OutThe expansion of the General Motors assembly plant in Wentzville potentially will create additional opportunities for the GWCEDC to attract companies to the greater Warren County area.“We’re starting to see larger companies reaching out,” Beck said. “They’re realizing that they will have to find locations to fill the needs of GM.“We’ll have to be prepared and proactive,” he added, noting that during a recent automotive convention in Detroit, Mich., the GWCEDC was the only economic development council at the event.“That shows the type of pro-business community you represent,” Beck stated during a presentation last week to the Warren County Commission.“We than you for your support and we’re looking forward to another successful year,” Beck said.Other Possibilities?During the meeting, Southern District Commissioner Hubie Kluesner pointed out that a building formerly used by DACA Tool and Die currently is vacant, and could be an attractive site for the right company.Kluesner also asked Beck and Hays if it would be possible to have the Marthasville Area Chamber of Commerce join the regional economic development group.Hays stated that three separate proposals have been given to officials in Marthasville, but so far, neither the city nor the Chamber have moved forward to join the GWCEDC.Board members and officers will be elected for the coming year during a meeting Monday, July 15, Beck said.