Lake of the Ozarks Regional Economic Development Council

In general, economic development is usually the focus of federal, state and local governments to improve our standard of living through the creation of jobs, the support of innovation and new ideas, the creation of higher wealth and the creation of an overall better quality of life. Economic development is often defined by others based on what it is trying to accomplish. Many times these objectives include building or improving our transportation and energy infrastructure, improving our education system through new schools, enhancing our public safety and health services, or incentivizing new businesses to open and existing businesses to maintain a location in a community. Economic Development at The Lake The Lake of the Ozarks region has all of the essential ingredients necessary to provide a high quality of life for its citizens. One of the most significant attributes for the region is its natural scenic beauty along the 1,150 miles of Lake shoreline. Located in south central ...

Why move your business to the Lake of the Ozarks ? Well, aside from the beauty of the lake and surrounding area, we have a high quality of life! From quality education and healthcare to a good workforce and great recreation, the Lake of the Ozarks area has a lot to offer its residents. Let's take a look at some of the things that make living and working in this area so great! Tax Rates The sales tax rates in the Lake of the Ozarks region vary slightly from county to county, and vary even a little more from city to city: Camden County - 5.475% Miller County - 5.725% Morgan County - 5.725% Camdeton - 7.475% Eldon - 8.125% Lake Ozark - 7.725% Laurie - 7.725%  Osage Beach - 7.475% to 8.725% depending on the area Versailles - 7.725% For Businesses  In Missouri, the taxable wage base is $11,000. This means an employer pays contributions/taxes on the first $11,000 paid to each employee. After the taxable wage base has been met, the employer continues to report t...

As you may know, a number of agencies, organizations and businesses have joined together to enhance the efforts of economic development opportunities at the Lake of the Ozarks through the creation of the Lake of the Ozarks Regional Economic Development Council (LOREDC). What started over ten years ago as an informal exchange of information between communities throughout the tri-county region, has now evolved into a structured committee with the purpose to retain and attract businesses to the Lake with the understanding that what is good for one community is good for the entire region. Photo From: FunLake.com LOREDC Ongoing Achievements  Here's a list of LOREDC's ongoing achievements and current focus: Maintain a regional demographic profile for Camden, Miller & Morgan counties.  Maintain www.LOREDC.com that contains vital statistics and information regarding our region.  Work with MSW Interactive Designs to develop an engaging social media campaign uti...

As we discussed in our December blog, the Lake of the Ozarks Regional Economic Development Council (LOREDC) is conducting a Lake of the Ozarks Area Housing Study . It is our hope and desire than an effective housing study would assist local government, builders, developers, lending institutions and other interested parties solve the housing concerns of the Lake of the Ozarks region. Business Owners' Issues The following scene is all too familiar for local business owners: an employee lives in a community 30 miles or more away from the Lake because they can't find quality and affordable housing near their job. Eventually that person finds a job closer to their home, leaves the Lake area and thereby forces that small-business owner to raise additional capital to retrain a new employee only to see this chain of events repeat over and over. Small business owners, as well as many people who work in these businesses could see this housing issue become a distant memory if LORE...

The Lake of the Ozarks Regional Economic Development Council (LOREDC) is excited to announce the recipients of the LOREDC Annual Awards that honor persons / businesses in the tri-county region. The awards were presented at the LOREDC Annual Membership Meeting on Thursday, February 11, 2016 at Seven Springs Winery. LOREDC Business Award Eligibility To be eligible, nominees must have been in business for a minimum of six months and a registered business in Camden, Miller or Morgan County. As members of the LOREDC Awards Committee, Trish Creach from the Camdenton Area Chamber of Commerce and Jeana Woods from the City of Osage Beach presented the awards. Trish stated, “This is the 11th year for recognizing businesses in our community. Needless to say, it was a challenge to narrow down the field to three this year.” LOREDC Business Award Categories Business Partner of the Year – A business that has experienced significant business accomplishments in the past year i.e. growth in...

The Lake of the Ozarks is growing in 2016 - with plenty of economic development activities underway. Most notable is the $385 million Arrowhead Centre redevelopment plan, which broke ground on December 4, 2015 at the former site of Dogwood Hills Golf Resort on Route KK. The development will feature 200-400 living unites, which will include independent and assisted senior living, an apartment complex, a skilled nursing facility and restaurants, a hotel, retail and office space. This is the largest landmass development ever in Osage Beach! Development Objectives One of the main objectives of this project is to expand economic development at the Lake of the Ozarks . It is designed to enhance the tax base of the city and other taxing districts by development of the redevelopment area to its highest and best use. Other objectives include: Encourage private investment in the surrounding area Encourage commerce, industry and manufacturing to locate and stay within the city Increas...

The Lake Region is unique for its beauty, its recreational features, its people, topography, and its quality of life. These characteristics attract people at all stages of their lives for opportunity, experience, pleasure, and retirement. However, one thing our region shares with many other places is the struggle to provide its present and prospective residents with places to live that provide for their needs at costs they can afford. Because of this, the Lake of the Ozarks Regional Economic Development Council (LOREDC) requested proposals from consultants with extensive experience in housing planning and policy to complete a comprehensive housing study for our region. What Is The Plan? This Lake of the Ozarks housing study will analyze all aspects of the regional housing market in our three counties: Camden, Miller and Morgan, on both regional and local levels. It will examine housing supply, demand, and affordability in areas as localized as zip code districts and individual co...