If southern Ohio is ever going to fulfill its potential and enjoy the levels of economic development success that our region deserves and our people needs, everyone will have to work together.

Along with The Point industrial park in South Point, property along County Road 1A along the Lawrence and Scioto county border is the area most primed for industrial development that could inject new life into our economy and provide quality jobs.

Local leaders are pursuing a partnership that would create a new economic development organization or combine the focus of existing ones, all with the ultimate goal of sparking economic development along this corridor that would mix well with the industry that is already there including Sun Coke, Duke Energy and Rumpke.

This partnership makes perfect sense and may be one of the final pieces of the puzzle needed to save a project to develop a steel mill there or, at the very least, open doors for some other development.

It will be very important to create a clear plan that outlines responsibilities and funding. County leaders also need to quantify clearly how much has already been spent on development in this area and what it paid for.

Partnerships will be vital to economic growth of our entire region in the 21st Century and well beyond.