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INTRODUCTION
Header Title Economic Development is a broad and ever changing field, ultimately based on the creation of jobs. Once focused on marketing a community for the purposes of attracting the next company, the focus has now shifted to supporting the existing business in a community. This shift is not by accident, research has suggested that anywhere from 60% - 80% of all new job creation comes from existing businesses in a community. So, if the goal of your economic development efforts is to create jobs, it makes sense to place a greater emphasis on and resources towards growing existing businesses. Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) programs are a systematic economic development business outreach process, designed to build relationships with existing companies. The programs intent is to identify local business issues and opportunities, understand potential risks and build a sustainable relationship with the business to help provide growth opportunities. BR&E has been deemed to be a very local initiative, with the process itself being customizable to fit the unique qualities, capacity and resources of an individual community. While this is true, and not all programs processes are the same, there are certain practices that all programs can improve to make their processes more efficient and effective.
The traditional approach to BR&E was to focus on a very structured outreach process, intended to match companies to resources and remove barriers to growth. Recently, a new approach has emerged. One that is much more strategic, proactive and comprehensive. Rather than primarily just focusing on retaining companies, a new emphasis has been placed on the “E� in BR&E. Successful BR&E programs are becoming more results driven, placing greater value on the expansion of existing businesses. They are focused on the client, and providing a comprehensive, value-added service delivery system, to help drive the greatest impact for growth.
INTRODUCTION
PROCESS This six stage process has been developed for the Northeast Ohio region, however, it is a flexible system that should be adapted to meet the unique assets of each individual community. It is designed to build on the existing BR&E models in the Northeast Ohio system, providing systematic best practices for improved efficiency and effectiveness. While most of the steps in the process are customizable, there is a percentage that can be standardized across the region to help build a more holistic process. The idea is to establish a common nomenclature across the region, to help facilitate a collaborative effort based on continuous improvement.
R&E FRAMEWORK: PLAYBOOK Stage I: Defining the Team
Stage II: Targeting Cmpanies (Strategy)
Stage VI: Stage III: Pre-Work Analysis
Stage IV: Outreach
Stage V: Opportunity Engagement
Analyze, Evaluate and Share Learnings
STEP 1: Assess the community and identify the R&E Coordinator
STEP 1: Targeting Analysis
STEP 1: Establish an Outreach Calender and Communication Plan
STEP 1: Establish Survey Instrument
STEP 1: Process Identification of Issues and Opportunities
STEP 1: Evaluate Data and Develop Action Plan
STEP 2: Develop the team strategy
STEP 2: Determine a time phased Targeting Strategy
STEP 2: Data analysis and business intelligence
STEP 2: Establish trusted relationship with the businesses
STEP 2: Determine action items and identify solutions
STEP 2: Report, Implement and Monitor
STEP 3: Complete Pre-Work Information Sheet
STEP 3: Continue to probe and understand the business dynamics
STEP 3: Track Accountability
STEP 3: Establish a quality assessment process
*Maintain learning in common repository
*Maintain learning in common repository
STEP 4: Meet with Partners and Review Lessons Learned
*Highlighted steps are areas of standardization throughout the region
INTRODUCTION
KEY REGIONAL LEADERS OF PROCESS From a regional perspective, the business retention and expansion process in Northeast Ohio has a number of key players that need to work collaboratively to have an effective and sustaining regional system. The key players for business retention and expansion include:
Team NEO Team NEO is a regional, private-sector organization that markets Northeast Ohio to the world and collaborates with its partners and others to attract new businesses, help those that are here grow, and accelerate the pace and impact of innovation in the region. As the JobsOhio regional partner, they support the retention and expansion work of the 18 county partners by connecting them, and their client companies, with both state and JobsOhio support as well as resources across Northeast Ohio.
County/Metro Economic Development Organization Partners Team NEO collaborates with the region's 18 County Partners and Metro Economic Development Organizations to expand and retain existing business and job growth. The regional partners are tasked to conduct the BR&E outreach in their respective communities.
Regional Network Partners The network partners are part of Northeast Ohio’s robust economic development ecosystem. They are the primary resources that support the BR&E efforts, utilizing specific areas of expertise to help companies grow.
Professional Services (Experts) These are professionals services throughout the region that are part of the BR&E network. They are primary solutions for the opportunities and issues uncovered during the outreach process.
JobsOhio Team NEO is the Regional Network Partner for JobsOhio, a private, non-profit corporation designed to drive job creation and new capital investment in Ohio through business retention and expansion efforts. As part of this statewide effort, TeamNEO works closely with JobsOhio and five other regional economic development partners, known collectively as the JobsOhio Network. With deep ties to local business communities, this Network provides JobsOhio with the connectivity needed to achieve a “One Firm, One State” approach to selling Ohio.
Business Development Council (BDC) The BDC is a standing committee of the Team NEO Board. They report to the Board on business retention and expansion activities, initiatives and performance. The BDC plays a critical role: to ensure that Team NEO and its partners are more strategic, proactive, and growth-oriented in pursuing an aggressive, enhanced business development activity.
STAGE 1: DEFINING THE TEAM
Stage 1: Defining the Team An important part of sustaining a successful business retention and expansion program, is putting into place a system that is well organized and collaborative; reducing duplicity and focusing on the customer. The first part of developing a system is assessing the readiness of your community and clearly defining a team that will be conducting the activities involved in the process.
CHALLENGES: How can you effectively prioritize the needs of your program and team around the capacity of your organization and support of your community? What attributes and experience will a BR&E Coordinator need to possess in order to have a successful and sustaining program?
Stage I has two steps to effectively support the community and organization through the BR&E process:
I: Defining the Team
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STEP 1: Assessing Community & Identifying R&E Coordinator STEP 2: Develop Team Strategy
II: Targeting Companies (Strategy) III: Pre-work Analysis IV: Outreach V: Opportunity Engagment VI: Analyze, Evaluate and Share Learnings
STAGE 1: DEFINING THE TEAM
Step I: Assess the Community and Identify the Business Retention and Expansion Coordinator Historically, successful business retention and expansion programs have been housed in three different areas: local government, private organizations, and public-private partnerships. In defining which area is best suited for your community’s specific situation, the following are advantages and disadvantages of each:
Local Government ADVANTAGES
Economic development staff probably will have day-to-day contact with public officials, providing opportunities to build political support for the program. Staff of other government agencies and departments (i.e. zoning, public works) impacting business retention and expansion may be more responsive to fellow public sector employees than representatives from the private sector.
DISADVANTAGES
Some business owners and plant managers may be dismissive of the public sector's ability to aid business. Funding for BRE program may be drastically reduced or eliminated during times of budget crisis, or after a drastic change in local leadership (e.g., a switch in partisan control of the city council or county commission). Economic development agencies that have historically focused on business attraction may be reluctant to engage in retention and expansion activities. Personnel rules and/or collective bargaining agreements may cause career bureaucrats with a little or no economic development experience to be assigned as staff to the BRE program. Such individuals may not be suitable for working with the business community.
ADD SOURCE
STAGE 1: DEFINING THE TEAM
Private Organization ADVANTAGES
The staff should have much more credibility with local businesses than government employees. The private organization can leverage their members to serve as key personnel in the program. Freed from short-term political considerations, the program should be able to take a long-term approach to business retention and expansion.
DISADVANTAGES
Staff in regulatory agencies may be unresponsive to private staff, particularly in communities where a chamber has been critical of regulatory actions. Some businesses may view the BRE program as counter to their own interests (for example, feeling that a certain amount of unemployment is good because it holds wage levels down), and use their influence within the chamber to thwart it. Many chambers operate on extremely tight budgets, and may be unable to fund a BRE program; however, may manage it on a contract to the local government.
Public - Private Partnership ADVANTAGES
Initial government funding leverages substantial contributions from the private sector. Structure outside of local government provides a measure of protection from the desires of elected officials. Increased flexibility in staffing and personnel issues when compared to local government (i.e., freedom to hire aggressive, entrepreneurial staff with substantial experience in the private sector).
DISADVANTAGES
Local chamber of commerce may view the partnership as competing for funding and status as representative of the business community. May be criticized as redundant in communities that already have economic development programs established within local government or the local chamber.
ADD SOURCE
STAGE 1: DEFINING THE TEAM
Specific to Northeast Ohio, Team NEO collaborates with the region's 18 county partners to retain and expand existing business and job growth: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Ashland Area Council for Economic Development Columbiana County Port Authority Erie County Economic Development Corporation Geauga Growth Partnership, Inc. Greater Akron Chamber Greater Cleveland Partnership Growth Partnership for Ashtabula County Huron County Development Council Lake County Ohio Port and Economic Development Authority 10 Medina County Economic Development Corporation 11 Portage Development Board 12 Richland Community Development Group 13 Stark Development Board, Inc. 14 Team Lorain County 15 Tuscarawas Community Improvement Corporation 16&17 Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber 18 Wayne Economic Development Council
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COMMUNITY READINESS These partners have been tasked to establish their BR&E programs around the viability and capacity of the organization, as well as the assets unique to their specific communities. The first part of determining the potential viability of the program is assessing the readiness of the community. A simple way to assess the readiness of a community is by answering a few key questions to determine if the development of a business retention and expansion program is an attainable goal. 1. Is the organization able to clearly state why they want to conduct a BR&E program, and what do they hope to achieve by undertaking the process? It is important for the organization to understand the reason they want to conduct a BR&E project and what they hope to achieve. This will help to focus the project, create common objectives and enable project buy-in from the community at large.
2. Does the organization understand and believe in the BR&E process, and is it willing to commit the time and energy needed to lead the project? The ability to manage and lead projects is essential to the overall success of a BR&E program. Project management skills are required, including: planning and design, implementation and evaluation, delegation, and strong interpersonal skills.
3. Are the other entities in the community willing to form a partnership for the overall success of the program? Collaboration among organizations is important to the success of a BR&E program. If multiple key stakeholders come together and lend their support to the program, businesses and the community overall will see the effort as credible and worthwhile.
STAGE 1: DEFINING THE TEAM
4. Is there municipal support for the BR&E program? Municipal staff and officials are significant influencers of policies in a community. It is important to get their support so that potential barriers to success can be avoided, and the credibility of the program can be developed in the eyes of the businesses community.
5. Does the organization have adequate support and resources to carry out a BR&E program? A BR&E program requires adequate resources and potentially financial support to effectively carry out the process. The resources will vary depending on the size and scope of the specific program.
6. Is the organization willing and able to accept ongoing responsibility for program and resulting improvement strategies? Part of a BR&E program is a strategic planning process to help improve the local business climate. It is critical that the actions of a BR&E program are implemented so the businesses can see the results in the community.
By answering “Yes” to a majority of these questions, you are recognizing that your organization and community is ready to engage in the business retention and expansion process. For questions where the answer is “No” or you are unsure, these may be areas that you need to work on in order to make the process successful. It is important to determine if the organization is prepared and if the resources are available to conduct the business retention and expansion process adequately.
LEADERSHIP OR TASK FORCE: After the organization recognizes the community readiness, the next step is to establish a leadership team that will help drive the objectives of the program. In some instances the leadership team will be the same leader or leaders of the organization that decided upon the community readiness. In other cases, a more focused approach will establish a task force to help drive solutions and participate in critical economic development policy decisions as a component of the program.
A dual role of a task force would be to help market and communicate the outcomes of the program. The task force individuals would act as ambassadors of the program to help promote and connect the resources to the business community. The significance of this point is not to be understated, as the task force ambassadors can be additional boots on the ground to help with capacity concerns.
The establishment and commitment of a task force is up to the individual organization, however, if established, the members should be a diverse representation of the communities business and economic development professionals, as well as key government officials.
*For the purposes of this playbook, it will always refer to the leadership or task force as the Leadership Team
STAGE 1: DEFINING THE TEAM
COORDINATOR REQUIREMENTS: Upon determining your organization is ready to undertake the business retention and expansion process, the leadership would need to identify the RIGHT INDIVIDUAL to coordinate the program. It is important to have a single point of contact for the program in your community, understanding that a successful BR&E program doesn’t just rely on this one individual, but on a host of individuals and resources at the state, regional and local levels. It is equally important to have a single point of contact to administer the program in your community. Identifying the right individual to coordinate the program has been deemed a key step in the overall success of BR&E. The local leadership should develop a job description, identifying clear roles and responsibilities and how they will work together with local leaders as well as the regional system. The Coordinator should have a comprehensive background in business or a strong understanding of business and business processes. In addition, the Coordinator should have an understanding of economic development in general. Some key attributes the Coordinator should possess are as follows: - Creative problem solver
- Sales oriented - Analytical in nature - Project Manager While the Coordinator will have many tasks categorized throughout this playbook, they will serve three primary roles when conducting business outreach: - The Coordinator may be able to provide the resources directly, as in the case of a public agency with financial and technical assistance programs - The Coordinator may act as a broker between the sources of assistance and the company needing them - The Coordinator is frequently thrust into the role of advocate for the business community’s concerns.
Having a thorough understanding of business concepts allows the Coordinator to communicate effectively about the business needs, and to utilize this understanding to take a deeper dive into the expansion possibilities of the company.
The responsibilities of the Leadership Team and the BR&E Coordinator will vary from community to community, depending on the activities conducted within the program. The following is a list of tasks provided as a guideline for Leadership and Coordinators. Leadership Team Roles and Responsibility Checklist: Participate in Leadership Team Meetings Clearly define the objectives of the program, that are achievable, manageable and measurable Approve survey instrument and team development, that fits the local needs Participate in conducting the outreach, if applicable Meet regularly to discuss local concerns and problems Participate in action planning and development Preserve confidentiality Evaluate program and assess accountability Additional items pending activities specific to the community BR&E Coordinator Roles and Responsibilities Checklist: Establish BR&E procedures and policy, including survey and team development Locate Task Force members (if applicable) Manage administration of survey instrument Collect, tabulate and analyze data Translate data into actionable items House and manage database Conduct follow up of key issues/business concerns Develop and implement measurement system Coordinate community communications Additional items pending activities specific to the community
STAGE 1: DEFINING THE TEAM
Step II: Develop Team Strategy The development of a team in a BR&E program is based around the resources available in a community and the capacity of the organization running the process. After the leadership team selects an individual for the Coordinator position, the leadership and Coordinator need to decide on the adequate model that best fits for their particular community. There are four possible approaches to conduct business outreach in a BR&E program:
Paid Staff Depending on the capacity and resources of the organization the Coordinator could hire additional staff to conduct business outreach, if they cannot perform all the outreach themselves. This method would consist of the BR&E Coordinator conducting direct outreach and training staff to do the same.
ADVANTAGES
Staff can greatly reduce response time by putting the CEO or plant manager in direct contact with key decision makers. CEOs and plant managers need not worry that they are sharing critical information with a competitor, and should therefore be more candid in their responses. Establishes an on-going BRE presence; staff should build up large amounts of credibility within the local business community over time. Responses to qualitative questions will be recorded more consistently, since one or a few individuals record them. Over time, staff will develop a good sense of warning signs that a business is in trouble. Even with extensive training, it is difficult for volunteers to have a good intuitive sense that a firm is at risk. No need for time consuming recruitment and coordination of volunteers. Well-trained staff are less likely than volunteers to make promises to CEOs or plant managers that cannot be kept.
DISADVANTAGES
Lacks public relations potential of volunteer model. Responses to quantitative questions have less statistical validity, since they are gathered over an extended period of time. High cost option. Staffing constraints will most likely reduce the overall number of firms that may be contacted.
STAGE 1: DEFINING THE TEAM
Volunteers This involves seeking out volunteers, training the volunteers on the outreach process, connecting them with businesses and collecting information from the volunteer outreach. To make the volunteer approach as effective as possible, the volunteers should be members of the Leadership Team (if applicable) or board, retired or current business professionals from the community or retired economic development professionals.
ADVANTAGES
Responses to quantitative questions will have greater statistical validity since the information is gathered over a short period of time. Local businesses may be more trusting of private sector volunteers than full-time staff from a public or partnership economic development agency. The involvement of a wide range of volunteers provides superior public relations potential, as opposed to a staff-only effort. Wide variety of interviewers may bring special insights that would be missed by economic development staff. Lower costs than programs conducted with full-time staff. This is the tried and true method, used successfully in communities across the nation since the 1970's.
DISADVANTAGES
Wider variation in quality of data gathered, particularly in response to qualitative questions. Generally, provides a "one-shot" picture of the local business community. Some volunteers may fail to complete their assigned interviews. Depending upon the level of training given, it may be difficult for volunteers to respond to specific questions about assistance programs (loan and grant programs, technical assistance, etc.), necessitating follow-up by economic development staff. Also, some well-intentioned volunteers may give incorrect information on these programs. Great care must be taken to ensure that volunteers have no direct business relationship with the company to be visited (i.e., they are not competitors, creditors, or suppliers of the company) When focusing on the "E", this method is not being valued as much, seeing a shift to staff model where a more experienced professional can take a deep dive into the company needs
STAGE 1: DEFINING THE TEAM
Hybrid The organization can provide financial incentives to professional volunteers to conduct business outreach. Typically the paid volunteers would be paid per visit made and would be individuals from the business or economic development community (typically retired professionals).
ADVANTAGES
Volunteers in this approach tend to be retired experienced professionals, and little training is needed With an incentive in place, may increase the number of visits that can be made. Most volunteers will already have some form of involvement in the community and may be better app to build a quick relationship with certain companies.
DISADVANTAGES
May not be cost effective for organizations, and may be limited by the amount of appropriations. Volunteers may manipulate results in order to get the paid incentive. May not be seen by the public as an appropriate use of resources.
Contract Approach the organization can contract the business outreach to a third party. Typically this is done to focus on a specific industry, or with a specific and strategic objective in mind.
ADVANTAGES
The contracted third party would seemingly be expert outreach specialists. There would be no training involved, and little preparation in regards to outreach. The third party could focus on specific industries or outreach strategies, allowing the economic development organization to do additional outreach or focus on other problems. Depending on the expertise of the third party, could be a direct resource for businesses, and businesses would be more willing to provide information.
DISADVANTAGES
Can be a very high cost alternative. Can be disconnect between the third party and economic development organization; need to schedule regular meetings and discuss findings. No relationship is developed with the businesses.
CASE STUDY: DEVELOPING A PROGRAM
Developing a Program, with No Plan and Little Resources Source: University of Minnesota Extension
BACKGROUND: In 1996, the city of Grants Pass, Oregon did not have an economic development plan. A newly hired economic development coordinator, along with the city manager were assigned the task of writing one, and decided that the core of the new plan would be business retention and expansion. At the same time, the local Chamber of Commerce reconvened a standing committee that had been dormant for many years – a committee that happened to be called the Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) Committee. The city’s economic development coordinator was appointed chair of the newly organized BR&E Committee. After looking at a variety of options, the committee decided to pursue the University of Minnesota Extension BR&E visitation model. After training by the University of Minnesota Extension, he was certified by BREI (Business Retention and Expansion International) to manage a BR&E program. He then facilitated the program locally as a joint effort by the city and the local Chamber of Commerce. With a population of just under 80,000, Josephine County’s BR&E program conducted 100 interviews in the first two years. The businesses represented a cross-section of both the Grants Pass Urban Area (about 75%) and the rest of the county (about 25%), as well as a cross-section of business sectors within each.
THE PROJECT: The city of Grants Pass and the local Chamber of Commerce have conducted and completed business visitations every three years since 1999. In 1999, the first round of surveys quantified a pent up demand in the community for additional industrial real estate. Several local businesses needed to expand immediately. The committee used their knowledge of land available in the area, and served as a conduit between the businesses and the landowners to facilitate the development of an industrial park. Because it was a private development, the developers had been hesitant to build without guaranteed buyers.
So the BR&E committee went to the developers with the confirmation that five local businesses needed the land. One half of the 37 total businesses surveyed in 2002 were manufacturers; the median employment size was around 25 workers; over 75% were in the Grants Pass urban area; they ranged in size from four employees to over 600, large retailers to small consulting firms, private corporations and non-profits. The 2005 survey included 66 local businesses and 50 volunteers. The mean employment size of the businesses surveyed was 76, with a range of employees from one to 700. Half of those surveyed were manufacturers, and 77% were located in the Grants Pass urban area. The committee served as an important link between the businesses and the developers – a link that had not existed prior to the project.
Nothing like it existed prior to the BR&E program – an event that truly recognizes the community’s economic success, and particularly the contributions of its businesses.
CASE STUDY: DEVELOPING A PROGRAM
RESULTS: Even though three businesses had purchased land initially, the interest of one major business triggered the rest of the development. A local electronics manufacturer became the first tenant of the industrial park less than two years after the BR&E visits were completed. This manufacturer, which had operated in the community for over twenty years, described its expansion needs during the BR&E visits, and expressed a need for some help in getting the expansion done. The park made their business expansion goals possible. Since their expansion, they not only have a new facility and dramatically increased efficiency, but they have doubled their employment to over 200 workers. The company’s decision to locate in the industrial park allowed the committee to leverage grants to get the necessary infrastructure built. Other businesses began to follow when the economy picked up in 2002 and 2003. In the first two phases eighteen lots have been sold in the industrial park. All of the businesses employ fewer than 200 employees, and now there is a mixture of businesses in the park both new to Grants Pass and previously existing in the community. The industrial park was perhaps Josephine County BR&E program’s most visible success, and it helped the program secure two awards. In 1999, the program won the Governor’s Sustainable Oregon Award, which recognizes community-level, grassroots programs that sustain Oregon’s quality of life. Then in 2001, the Grants Pass/Josephine County program won the Business Retention and Expansion International (BREI) award for Outstanding Community BR&E Program.
CHALLENGES: The incredible growth of the program requires additional funding. The initiative is challenged to reserve more volunteer or staff time to raise these additional funds. Extensive use of volunteers means that Josephine County’s program runs cost-effectively. In the early stages of the program, the biggest challenge facing the committee was deciding how they were going to get where they wanted to be. Even though most of the participants knew what results they wanted, it was less clear how they would get there. Having very little to draw from, everybody in the initial stages solicited ideas and feedback.
In fact, after the months of research, some people who were at the first meetings decided to end their involvement. Luckily, the committee found plenty of others along the way including hundreds of volunteers to conduct hundreds of interviews in the three rounds of visitation to date. Many of the survey volunteers came from the larger partnering organizations such as the daily newspaper, the community college, the city government and the state employment agency. Others came from the business community, recruited through the Chamber of Commerce. Core committee members were each tasked with recruitment of additional volunteers for survey/ visitation work. In the eight years since, very few people involved have questioned the validity of the program. Even after deciding on the visitation model, it took the committee quite a while to discover just how often they would visit the businesses. Figuring out both the culture of the business community as well as the appetite of the volunteers for interviews was a process of trial and error. The committee realized that visiting a business more often than every three years was too much for both the businesses and the volunteers. They found that waiting longer than three years meant much of the data could lose its relevancy. Yet Charlie Mitchell, Grants Pass’ economic development coordinator and chair of the BR&E committee, reminds us that there is no magic to three years, and that different communities will have varying conditions that may allow for more or less frequent visits. Finally, even though the program enjoys consensus among its two sponsors, there are certainly times when a kind of ‘tug-of-war’ develops between them. Even eight years later, it is not always clear who – the city or the Chamber – is responsible for what. Likewise, the program has seen new people coming in and going out, and oftentimes new partners want to take on a bigger piece of the project. But again, Mitchell notes, “That testifies to [the BR&E program’s] value because if people didn’t think it was worth anything, they’d be trying to push it off instead of pull it back.”
CASE STUDY: DEVELOPING A PROGRAM
RESOURCES: Like many award-winning programs, Josephine County’s BR&E team has maintained momentum by meeting regularly. They meet monthly, and then “ramp up” with more meetings and volunteers every three years as the next business visitations draw near. The effort has maintained its cooperation between the program’s two sponsors – the city and the Chamber of Commerce. It is also widely inclusive of the broader community, including a diverse team representing different public agencies, education facilities and private sector businesses. The volunteers conducting the interviews are involved in ongoing local economic development or job/ human resource development. In effect, the people involved in the project had a real “stake” in the outcome of local business growth. Another asset to the success of this program has been the dedication of the economic development coordinator who acted as the committee chair. The only paid staff for the project was the city’s economic development coordinator, and just 10-15% of his time is reserved for the BR&E program. He is largely responsible for fundraising and outreach. After the surveys are completed every three years, he spends the next year making presentations around the entire region on the results of the surveys. He has presented to Rotary Clubs, school boards, the city council, and many other agencies and groups in the region. This committed staff time, along with the efforts of twelve to fifteen volunteers, makes the program happen. Another source of exposure for the program has been the local media. Typically, the attraction of new businesses dominates the press coverage, and retention of existing businesses gets little attention. In Josephine County, however, the press has always been behind the BR&E effort. The higher level of awareness has made business retention and expansion the accepted core economic development strategy, and nobody has really questioned it. When there are local successes, the public hears about it. Consensus on the direction of economic development in the county has been solidified by the community’s wide support – and awareness – of the program.
Another factor in the ongoing success of the program has been the growth of an annual dinner and presentation of the program. What started as a strategic planning and wrap-up meeting costing a few hundred dollars has evolved into a $10,000 annual event. In 2002, 45 business owners, public officials and concerned citizens attended the dinner to review the report and plan strategies for the BR&E program in the coming year. By 2006, the number of attendees had grown to around 130. The growth of the event reflects the growing value placed on it by the community. The dinner serves as a place and time when the community and its businesses hear the same message from a paid professional keynote speaker, learn about everything that is going on, celebrate successes and recognize local businesses with various awards and honors. Six awards are presented each year, and the awards are sponsored by the local natural gas utility. Nothing like it existed prior to the BR&E program – an event that truly recognizes the community’s economic success, and particularly the contributions of its businesses.
In 2002, 45 business owners, public officials and concerned citizens attended the dinner to plan strategies for the BR&E program in the coming year. By 2006, the number of attendees had grown to around 130 In the case of Josephine County, the lack of an existing economic development plan actually was turned into an advantage. The team was able to make BR&E the center of their economic development strategy; in contrast to BR&E programs in other places that compete for a place within an existing core strategy. In this way, any improvement they could make was a great improvement to the community.