ECONOMIC VITALITY ACTION PLAN
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Help existing employers retain and expand jobs to improve economic vitality county-wide. To do so, the EDC is taking the following actions:
Collaborate with city, county, and state partners to identify and assist local companies with business retention & expansion opportunities in targeted sectors, providing counsel and connecting them with strategic resources
Engage companies and foster growth in Foreign Direct Investment and export opportunities in the region
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Recruit growing companies, especially those that improve regional supply chains in targeted sectors. The EDC works quickly and aggressively to respond to company and site selector requests and identify high-growth “gazelle” companies and gaps in supply chains to target for recruitment.
Proactively market the region globally in collaboration with other economic development partners utilizing enhanced recruitment materials and website content
Conduct recruiting missions and attend trade shows in collaboration with regional partners
Host and foster business development opportunities with delegations, both U.S. and international
Respond to requests for information from clients and partners timely and aggressively
Update and maintain market intelligence data, including demographics, employment, economic and real estate information, including top available sites for Mason County and its 39 cities
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Cultivate Mason County’s next generation of businesses and entrepreneurs. To increase the chances of business success, the EDC will support and promote a variety of opportunities for startup and entrepreneurial assistance.
Counsel individual entrepreneurs and connect them with strategic resources
Coordinate with other strategic partners to conduct group training workshops for entrepreneurs and startups
Continue to strengthen the EDC’s comprehensive web portal of resources available to entrepreneurs throughout Mason County
Partner with other agencies and organizations to reach target audiences, particularly in parts of Mason County that have been underserved by existing startup resources
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Fortify key sectors to create a robust and diverse economic base. The EDC’s unique value flows from our cluster-driven, client-focused approach to business development. This in-depth approach provides an avenue for our team to partner with key industry associations to identify steps that can be taken to strengthen the sectors themselves, allowing for a more robust and diverse economy and more intentional marketing efforts.
Develop industry snapshots to provide an annual look at industry-specific data for our seven target sectors
Identify gaps and needs related to supply chain and/or the local ecosystem
Work with public sector to support strategic clusters
Help identify industry-specific workforce training and development needs
ORGANIZATION VITALITY
Create a strong organization led by a dynamic Board and staffed by forward-thinking economic development professionals. The EDC is a small but impactful organization staffed by dedicated professionals committed to its mission and lead by a Board of Directors that includes some of the county’s top leaders. To meet these objectives and grow the local economy, the EDC must also work to strengthen the organization from the inside out.
Increase communication with the Board of Directors and improve Board engagement
Implement a communications strategy that increases brand awareness and positions the EDC as the “go-to” economic development organization
Recruit high-performance business development specialists and provide on-going professional development opportunities for the entire team
Improve communications with stakeholders to raise awareness of the organization’s position as the only public/private partnership focused on retaining, expanding and recruiting businesses across Mason County