2011 Employee Survey Results

The Communities of Jackson County

An effort of the Jackson Economic Development Corporation Welcome Committee

Employee Survey Report February 2012 Page 1

Table of Contents Executive Summary Introduction Methodology Findings By Question

1. Please list your home ZIP code: 2. Please list your employer: 3. Please list your employers ZIP code: 4. How satisfied are you with the community in which you current reside? 5. Please list the most important factors in your decision to live in your current community: 6. Are you interested in moving to Jackson County? 7. If yes, what is preventing you from doing so? 8. If you moved to Jackson County, would you more likely buy a home or rent? 9. Would you require housing that allows pets? 10. What type of housing would you require? 11. What have you heard about living in Jackson County? 12. How satisfied were you with your most recent shopping experience in Jackson County? 13. What could have been done to improve this shopping experience? 14. What types of retail business would you most like to see open in Jackson County? 15. From what sources do you receive information about the following in Jackson County? 16. How would you describe Jackson County as a place to live? 17. What are your favorite aspects about living in Jackson County? 18. How important are churches and/or religious organizations in your decision of where to live? 19. How important is the availability of daycare in your decision of where to live? 20. What types of activities do you enjoy in your leisure time?

3 4 4 6
7 7 7 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 21 22 23 23 24 25

Additional Comments Survey Committee Members Welcome Committee Members Jackson Economic Development Corporation Board Members Employee Survey

26 27 27 27 28

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Executive Summary
This report contains information gathered from a survey of the employees of the largest employers in the Jackson area. While not all employees chose to participate in the survey process, the data gathered is felt to be a significant sample of the opinions of the workforce employed here. This survey serves to provide feedback to groups and individuals who care about the future of the area and want to make this the place people choose to live when working at local businesses. The Jackson Economic Development Corporation (JEDC) launched the Welcome Committee in early 2011, after learning that several local businesses planned expansions with the addition of many new jobs. This survey is one part of the work undertaken by the Welcome Committee along with the various organizations that can make a difference in their respective areas of expertise. Overall, thirty percent of those offered the opportunity to respond to this survey did so. The questions asked were meant to find out what people liked and disliked about the Jackson area, what the community needed to do to make improvements, what it was doing well and to find out why people who dont live here, dont move here. The resulting data shows that varying degrees of work is needed in the areas of housing, customer service, open government, and quality of life. The community can take pride in the fact that many positive responses were received about living here. We must not rest on our laurels and ignore the opportunities that lie before us to entice the new employees being hired in the area to live here as well as to encourage the people welcomed at the AGCO Visitor Center to stay and play. The opportunities and challenges facing the community are the responsibility of those groups in the community that focus on those issues as a part of their regular effort. Perhaps some refocusing is needed within certain groups to concentrate on the matters identified by the survey respondents. But focus we must, to keep the Jackson area the Number 1 choice when people are considering where to live, work, grow, build, and play. The JEDC Welcome Committee is grateful for the support and commitment of our partners in this survey process. A great deal of time, work and thought has gone into the survey and its analysis. Now, each of the partners must take the responsibility to implement the appropriate changes that will propel the Jackson area into a bright and growing future. Best wishes for great success!

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Introduction
The purpose of this survey is to gather information from those employed in Jackson County about living, shopping and playing in Jackson County. The surveys 20 questions were crafted to elicit responses that would assist researchers in attempting to identify motivations for or against living and/or spending time in the communities of Jackson County. Findings will assist the mission of the Welcome to Jackson County Communities Committee, a group of local individuals, intent on attracting those who work in the communities of Jackson County to live, shop and play in those very communities.

Methodology
A survey in both electronic and hard-copy form was made available to more than 2,100 people employed by 19 different Jackson County businesses, including AGCO, Technical Services for Electronics, Jackson County, Good Samaritan Society-Jackson, Accent, Jackson County Central School District, Pioneer Hi-Bred, Sanford Jackson Medical Center, Ziegler-Cat, Livewire Printing Co., Kozy Heat, Erickson Trucks N Parts, Jackson Feed, New Fashion Pork, the city of Jackson, Doherty Staffing Solutions, Farmers and Merchants State Bank of Alpha, FCA Co-op and Minnesota West Community and Technical Colleges Jackson Campus. A total of 624 surveys were returned.

Response statistics by business follow: Company # of responses

AGCO ........................................................................... 155 TSE ............................................................................... 104 Jackson County.............................................................. 76 Good Samaritan Society ................................................ 62 Accent ........................................................................... 61 JCC School District ......................................................... 42 Pioneer Hi-Bred ............................................................. 23 Sanford JMC .................................................................. 21 Ziegler-Cat ..................................................................... 19 Livewire Printing Co. ..................................................... 14 Kozy Heat ...................................................................... 10 Erickson Trucks N Parts ................................................. 7 Jackson Feed ................................................................... 7 New Fashion Pork ........................................................... 7 Unspecified ..................................................................... 7 City of Jackson ................................................................. 4 Doherty Staffing Solutions .............................................. 1 Farmers and Merchants Bank ......................................... 1 FCA Co-op........................................................................ 1 Minnesota West .............................................................. 1 Self-Employed .............................................................. 1 TOTAL ...................... 624

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This survey sought to collect quantitative and qualitative data through a combination of fixed-choice and open-ended questions. As the sample is not representative, results are not to be generalized. The real value of the findings lies in the descriptive data garnered from the open-ended questions. The quantitative data serves merely as a base on which the descriptive data rest. Baseline sample data were gathered from the surveys first three questions, which are as follows: 1) Please list your home ZIP code:

2) Please list your employer: 3) Please list your employers ZIP code:

Quantitative data was obtained from eight fixed-choice questions. The fixed-choice questions are as follows, numbered as they appeared on the survey: 4) How satisfied are you with the community in which you currently reside? Very satisfied Somewhat satisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Very dissatisfied 6) Are you interested in moving to Jackson County? Yes No Possibly 8) If you moved to Jackson County, would you be more likely to buy a home or rent? Buy Rent 9) Would you require hosing that allows pets? Yes No 10) What type of housing would you require? Single Family 12) How satisfied were you with your most recent shopping experience? Very satisfied Somewhat satisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Very dissatisfied 18) How important are churches and/or religious organizations in your decision of where to live? Very important Somewhat important Not important 19) How important is the availability of daycare in your decision of where to live? Very important Somewhat important Not important

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The descriptive data was garnered from eight open-ended questions and a ninth that solicited additional comments. The open-ended questions are as follows, numbered as they appeared on the survey: 5) Please list the most important factors in your decision to live in your current community: 7) If yes, what is preventing you from doing so?
(Following the fixed-choice question Are you interested in moving to Jackson County?)

11) What have you heard about living in Jackson County? 13) What could have been done to improve this shopping experience?
(Following the fixed-choice question How satisfied were you with your most recent shopping experience in Jackson County?)

14) What types of retail businesses would you most like to see open in Jackson County? 15) From what sources do you receive information about the following in Jackson County? 16) How would you describe Jackson County as a place to live? 17) What are your favorite aspects of living in Jackson County? 20) What types of activities do you enjoy in your leisure time? Additional comments: Following collection of data, responses were transcribed by question. The responses were analyzed and reoccurring themes were identified.

Findings By Question
Findings are presented by question in the order they appeared on the survey. Data gathered from the first three questions have been cross-referenced with Question 4 for reporting purposes and are included in the first four graphs. For the purposes of this summary report, only Jackson (56143), Lakefield (56150) and Alpha (56111) ZIP codes were analyzed. Data garnered from the eight fixed-choice questions are presented in pie charts. Data obtained from the nine open-ended questions are presented as analyzed. Immediately following each question is the number of responses the question generated and the number of survey takers who did not respond. Theme categories are listed by number of responses in descending order.

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1. Please list your home ZIP code: 2. Please list your employer: 3. Please list your employers ZIP code: 4. How satisfied are you with the community in which you current reside? Very satisfied Somewhat dissatisfied
Figure I

Somewhat satisfied Very dissatisfied

Figure II Very
Zip 56111 56143 56150 Dissatisfied 1 (5.00%) 17 (5.11%) 0

Somewhat
Dissatisfied 1 (5.00%) 50 (15.02%) 3 (4.05%)

Somewhat
Satisfied 9 (45.00%) 152 (45.65%) 38 (51.35%)

Very
Satisfied 9(45.00%) 111 (33.33%) 33 (44.59%)

No
Response 0 3 (0.90%) 0 Total 20 333 74

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Figure III

Figure IV
Company Total % in 56143 Very Dissatisfied Somewhat Dissatisfied Somewhat Satisfied Very Satisfied No Response Total

Accent AGCO Erickson Trucks Good Sam Jackson County Jackson Feed JCC Schools Kozy Heat Livewire Printing NFP Pioneer Sanford Jackson TSE Ziegler Unspecified

61 155 7 62 76 7 42 10 14 7 23 21 104 19 7 615

44.26% 50.32% 42.86% 74.19% 60.53% 57.14% 64.29% 10.00% 64.29% 14.29% 52.17% 42.86% 52.88% 26.32% 57.14% 53.17%

1 4 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 7 0 2 175.2%

4 12 1 6 7 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 15 1 0 4915.0%

16 33 2 22 20 1 9 1 5 1 6 4 25 4 2 15146.2%

6 29 0 14 18 3 18 0 3 0 5 3 8 0 0 107-32.3%

0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3-1%

27 78 3 46 46 4 27 1 9 1 12 9 55 5 4 327

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5. Please list the most important factors in your decision to live in your current community:
Answered question: Skipped question: 1. Employment 2. Ties to community a. Native of current community b. Spouse native of current community c. Family farm 3. Small-town atmosphere/people a. People b. Rural c. Sense of community d. Quiet e. Clean f. No traffic 4. School system 5. Amenities/infrastructure a. Shopping b. Entertainment c. Restaurants d. Trails e. Parks f. Health care/hospital g. Fitness centers 6. Housing a. Pricing b. Value/resolvability c. Condition 7. Safety 8. Location/scenery a. Proximity to large cities b. Proximity to lakes in general c. Proximity to Iowa Great Lakes Region d. River 9. Cost of living a. Taxes 10. Churches
Employee Survey Report February 2012

566 59 208 207 41 19 19 192 72 23 21 19 10 5 106 64 32 11 10 10 6 6 5 57 20 5 5 41 37 8 6 5 5 23 6 12

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6. Are you interested in moving to Jackson County? Yes No Possibly

Yes No Possibly Total Responses

29 119 49 197

14.7% 60.4% 24.9%

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7. If yes, what is preventing you from doing so?

(Following the fixed-choice question Are you interested in moving to Jackson County?)

Answered question: Skipped question:

82 543

1. Cannot sell current home 2. Happy where at currently 3. Cost of housing 4. Lack of amenities 5. Spouses job or lack of 6. Lack of housing 7. Family farm

13 7 6 6 5 5 5

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8. If you moved to Jackson County, would you more likely buy a home or rent? Buy Rent

Buy Rent Total Responses

147 35 182

80.8% 19.2%

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9. Would you require housing that allows pets? Yes No

Yes No Total Responses

118 66 184

64.1% 36.9%

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10. What type of housing would you require? Single Family

Single Family Total Responses

41 143 184

22.3% 77.7%

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11. What have you heard about living in Jackson County?

Answered question: Skipped question: 156 468

1. Nice community/positive things a. Friendly people 2. Nothing 3. Theres nothing to do/its boring 4. Good schools 5. Poor shopping/limited retail 6. Poor rental climate/expensive housing 7. High taxes/cost of living 8. Local government is dysfunctional 9. Negative things/unfriendly people

51 12 32 16 12 10 10 10 8 5

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12. How satisfied were you with your most recent shopping experience in Jackson County? Very satisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Somewhat satisfied Very dissatisfied

Very Satisfied Somewhat Satisfied Somewhat Dissatisfied Very Dissatisfied Total Responses

95 241 144 79 559

17.0% 43.1% 25.8% 14.1%

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13. What could have been done to improve this shopping experience?
(Following the fixed-choice question How satisfied were you with your most recent shopping experience in Jackson County?)

Answered question: Skipped question:

481 143

1. More variety 2. Lower prices a. Grocery prices too high 3. Need a big-box store 4. Nothing/happy a. Store clerks are friendly 5. More convenient store hours 6. Need competition 5

242 156 27 33 30

20 10

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14. What types of retail business would you most like to see open in Jackson County?
Answered question: Skipped question: 499 126

1. Big-box store 2. Clothing stores 3. Grocery store 4. Dining a. Restaurants b. Fast food 5. Home supply 6. Kids clothing and toys 7. Shoe store 8. Sporting goods 9. Entertainment a. Bowling alley

282 130 84 84 51 33 34 30 25 23 17 9

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15. From what sources do you receive information about the following in Jackson County?
Community Events a. Newspapers b. Radio c. Word of Mouth d. Internet e. Channel 6 f. Flyers g. School Housing a. Newspapers b. Internet c. Word of Mouth d. Real Estate Agents e. Yard Signs and Flyers f. Radio Daycares a. Newspapers b. Word of Mouth c. DHS d. Internet e. Flyers Shopping a. Newspapers b. Radio c. Word of Mouth d. Internet e. Visit, Storefront or Signage Schools a. Newspapers b. Internet c. School a. School b. School Website c. Comm. Ed d. School Calendar d. Radio e. Word of Mouth f. Flyers 458 359 104 75 53 29 28 27 421 251 79 37 30 16 15 323 118 76 33 15 12 406 318 50 40 22 18 383 180 76 63 30 20 8 5 59 40 12

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Employment a. Newspapers b. Internet c. Word of Mouth d. Radio e. Flyers Recreation a. Newspapers b. Word of Mouth c. Radio d. Internet e. Flyers f. Community Ed Churches a. Newspapers b. Word of Mouth c. Church & Church Bulletins d. Internet e. Radio f. Phone Book Healthcare a. Newspapers b. Word of Mouth* c. Internet d. Radio e. Healthcare referrals & newsletters f. Flyers / Phone Book *Includes Employers and Work

421 323 76 52 26 9 378 257 72 63 53 16 16 338 176 54 52 32 28 9 321 148 85 35 26 20 17

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16. How would you describe Jackson County as a place to live?

Answered question: Skipped question: 504 121 233 79 71 25 20 15 12

1. Friendly/nice/safe/quiet/great 2. Good/OK 3. Small/rural 4. Little to do/boring 5. Pretty 6. Clique 7. Expensive

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17. What are your favorite aspects about living in Jackson County?
Answered question: Skipped question: 456 169

1. Small-town living/friendly/quiet a. Friendly people b. Quietness c. Presence of family d. No traffic 2. Trails/parks/outdoor rec opportunities a. Trails b. Parks c. Fishing d. Hunting e. Camping 3. Good schools/place to raise kids 4. Proximity to work 5. Safe/low crime rate 6. Natural beauty of area 7. Economic opportunity 8. Community events 9. Proximity to Iowa Great Lakes Region 10. Churches

255 136 33 28 7 80 41 19 12 11 5 42 39 30 29 20 15 12 8

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18. How important are churches and/or religious organizations in your decision of where to live? Very important Somewhat important Not important

Very Important Somewhat Important Not Important Total Responses

213 228 116 557

38.2% 40.9% 20.8%

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19. How important is the availability of daycare in your decision of where to live? Very important Somewhat important Not important

Very Important Somewhat Important Not Important Total Responses

144 100 308 552

26.1% 18.1% 55.8%

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20. What types of activities do you enjoy in your leisure time?

Answered question: Skipped question: 522 103 164 17 13 95 86 72 71 71 60 11 54 52 52 38 5 37 32 25 25

1. Walking/running/hiking a. On trails b. In county/state parks 2. Fishing 3. Reading 4. Hunting 5. Camping 6. Biking 7. Movies a. At a theater 8. Boating 9. Golfing 10. Gardening 11. Swimming a. Outdoors 12. Shopping 13. Eating out/restaurants/bars 14. Motorcycling/ATVs 15. Bowling

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Additional Comments
Additional comments: 127 1. Local government dysfunction a. Officials need to listen to taxpayers b. Preserve historic buildings/dams c. Taxes too high 2. Retail business a. Need more choices b. Need a big-box store c. Need lower prices d. Retail community is attractive 3. Events/entertainment concerns a. Need more entertainment/events 4. Housing concerns a. Need more housing availability b. Need lower-priced, nicer rentals 5. Trail system a. Trails are a positive asset 6. Restaurants 7. Daycare 48 10 5 5 45 13 8 7 5 25 9 16 5 5 12 9 10 10

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Survey Committee Members

Rich Koch, JEDC Justin Lessman, Livewire Printing MartyCae Klein, Erickson Trucks N Parts Sandy Phillips, JEDC Sue Pirsig , ED Staff Andrea Sether, ED Staff

Welcome Committee Members

Becky Benson, JEDC Jan Fransen, JEDC Rich Koch, JEDC Todd Meyer, JEDC Sandy Phillips, JEDC Sue Pirsig , ED Staff Andrea Sether, ED Staff

Jackson Economic Development Corporation Board Members

Brad Anderson Todd Asa Kent Bargfrede Becky Benson Patrick Christopherson Brandon Fink Jan Fransen Dennis Hample Rich Koch Jim Keul Don Kuehl Dr. Clayton Lewis Dave Lovell Todd Meyer Sandy Phillips Rick Reed Gordy Ruskell Jerry Svoboda Loren Tusa Wayne Walter Ed Willett Gary Willink Sue Pirsig , ED Staff Andrea Sether, ED Staff

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Employee Survey

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Employee Survey Report February 2012

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