An overview of the Grow! Minnesota Service provided by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. Efforts to support Minnesotans and grow businesses in a "shaky" economy.
2. What Is Grow MN!?
• Private sector economic development…
…strategic links to public sector
• MN Chamber sponsored
• 57 local chamber partners…including Detroit Lakes
• 3 parts to the program:
– Business retention
– Business assistance
– Business expansion
3.
4. Grow Minnesota! Visit – 3 Parts
• Say, “Thank you!”
• Ask, “How can we help your business?”
• Ask, “How to make business environment
better?”
5. Why Is Grow MN! Important?
• No one else says, “Thank you.”
• Businesses have more choices than ever
– Talk directly to the decision maker
– Learn firsthand re issues & plans
• Businesses expect Chambers to help
– 25% would turn to chamber of commerce for
assistance
6. Grow MN! 2010-2011 Results
• 990 one-on-one business retention visits
– 136 in Central Minnesota
• 23% are revisits
– 36 in Central Minnesota
• 122 firms assisted, affecting 4,900 jobs
– Including 18 in Central Minnesota
• BusinessConnection:
– 940 on line searches completed
– 50 email questions answered
7.
8. Sales -- Last 2 Years
60.00%
50.00%
40.00%
Percentage
30.00%
20.00%
10.00%
0.00%
Increased Relatively Stable Decreased Fluctuated Widely
Responses
State (N=582) Central Region (N=97)
9. Profitability -- Last 2 Years
40.00%
35.00%
30.00%
25.00%
Percentage
20.00%
15.00%
10.00%
5.00%
0.00%
Increased Relatively Stable Decreased Fluctuated Widely
Responses
State (N=541) Central Region (N=95)
10. Businesses Creating New
Products in the Last Two Years
100%
95%
90%
85%
Percentage
80%
75%
70%
65%
60%
55%
50%
2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11
Fiscal Year
State Central MN
11. Fastest Growing Markets
What is your company's fastest growing market?
45%
40%
35%
30%
Percentage
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
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Minnesota (N=592) Central MN (N=93)
14. Expected Job Growth, Next Year
(2010-2011 Results)
Expectation for Employment Changes
Minnesota Central MN
Increase 40.8% 48.4%
Stable 51.6% 46.8%
Unsure 5.5% 3.2%
Decrease 2.0% 1.6%
N=488
15. Expected Job Growth, Next Year
70%
66%
60%
52%
50%
Percentage
41%
40%
2009-2010
30%
27%
2010-2011
20%
10%
6%
4%
3%
2%
0%
Unsure Stable Increase Decrease
Responses 2009-10 N = 600
2010-11 N = 488
16. Rating Central MN Business Climate
• What’s working:
– Housing
– Energy reliability
– K12 education
• What’s not:
– Air service
– State taxes
– Health care cost
– Energy cost
17. Expansions – Next Two Years
• 2010: 147 (25%) Current Community 66%
In MN 15%
• 2011: 198 (29%)
– 28 in Central MN Another State 9%
Another Country 2%
• Where: 2011
Don’t Know 8%
18. Why Not Central MN?
• Markets
• Uncertainty, e.g. permitting, energy $s
• Workforce
19. Workforce: A “New Normal”
• Jobs are being created…
• But, they are different…
…Mismatch of current skills & current openings
21. Key Workers – Still in Short Supply
(2010-2011 Results)
Difficulty Recruiting Employees
80%
70%
60%
Percentage
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
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Job Type
% Yes - State % Yes - Central MN
22. Job Creation Agenda: What
Grow MN! Visits Suggest?
• Talk to the “customers”
– They expect it!
– You can help! E.g. Exporting
• Improve economic infrastructure
– More workers – right skills
– Air service: make it an advantage
– Energy: restore your advantage
Locations of Grow MN! partners showing the statewide impact of the program.
Say “Thank you”: Talk about the importance of thanking the business for being located in Minnesota. “ Many times when we sit down with the business owner it’s the first time anyone has thanked him/her for being located in Minnesota and it helps set the tone for the conversation.” Ask “About assistance”: More will be discussed on this topic later on in the presentation, but one of the important purposes Grow MN! has been fulfilling is the follow-up assistance that we can provide to companies across the state. Ask “About environment”: Results of the visits are pulled together at the end of our year and turned into an annual report. The results of this report are used at the state capitol to lobby on behalf of businesses and help set the priorities of the MN Chamber. Locally, we use the results at/to… (e.g. city council meetings, member meetings, etc.).
In an independent survey completed in the summer of 2010, businesses were almost as likely to turn to a chamber of commerce, through the Grow MN! program, for assistance as the Small Business Development centers and DEED.
Business Expansion: ‘09 Results: 12 companies: 6 TC/6 Greater MN Done deals: 5 = 200+ jobs MN Rubber (Litchfield) Sage (Faribault) Goodrich (Burnsville) Detroit Diesel (Hibbing) Behrens (Winona) Dead: 3 = 125+ jobs Pending: 4 = 1,000+ jobs For 2, losing will cost existing jobs & HQ
Of 28 planning to expand: 17 said in this community 3 said another state 3 did not know 1 said elsewhere in MN