If economic development seems to be something easy that should happen if someone, somewhere would only try, first of all, know that people are trying in our area and it's not always so easy.

If it seems like something complex and tough that requires complex plans and grants and tons of legwork, it can be and often is.

But sometimes, economic development can be given a chance by simple human contact and a resident thinking carefully.

That's the case with Certwood Ltd., a British plastics manufacturer hoping that as it gains a toehold in educational and office products in the United States that it will grow and prosper from a base in Jefferson County.

Certwood's sales engineer, Chris Courtnell, based in Bedfordshire in the United Kingdom, is making the rounds, drumming up business for his family's company's education storage products.

Certwood is using warehouse space in the Riesbeck's Plaza in Wintersville as a base of operations while eyeing expansion to fill anticipated customer demand.

If you're wondering just how a company from England happened on Jefferson County, know that it wasn't the Internet this time. It was family. Courtnell's family has relatives in the area and has visited and talked about possibly doing business in the United States. Janet Carr of Hopedale put her British relatives in touch with Progress Alliance, and, over the course of multiple contacts for quite a period of time, the idea grew. When Certwood decided the time was now, Progress Alliance stepped up and started to help.

Courtnell credits the local economic development organization with helping find space in the Wintersville building, owned by Derek Ferguson.

If all goes well, the firm's warehousing operation could quickly outgrow the available space there. And if all goes really well, Certwood could put a plastics injection molding factory in Jefferson County at some point in the, we hope, not too distant future.

It's about potential and hard work.

But it's also about people wanting to see the area grow and prosper in new ways.

Had Carr not sent her relatives to Progress Alliance, Certwood could be looking elsewhere.

That's the value of a positive attitude, and having the right people in the right place at the right time, from property owners to economic development officials to citizens with their hearts in the right place.

We hope we hear much more from and about Certwood Ltd. in the future and we're glad we've got the opportunity to have that hope.