The International Economic Development Council sent a team of experts to assist with our development of an Innovation and Commercialization Center  at Lamar University. The team included representatives from Georgia Tech University, the University of Central Florida, and a consultant from California who authored the book on best practices with Business Incubators.  Scores for civic leaders, economic development professionals , entrepreneurs, financial lenders  local  business resource experts,  Lamar University faculty and leaders participated in the three days of interviews and fact finding about the local business culture our plans for the center. They offered recommendations concerning our strengths and challenges to move forward.  At the same time word has been received that approval of  a $11 million grant to build the center and offer business incubation programs is forthcoming from the state and federal agencies responsible for hurricane recovery assistance.  We plan to share the results of the visit and the recommendations of the IEDC team once they are finalized.

Jim Rich spoke to the commercial real estate members of the Beaumont Board of realtors on Tuesday morning.