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The mission of the
Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development
Commission is to be a catalyst for the economic growth of
the greater Kandiyohi County area.
Economic
Development Boards and Committees
Learn
more about what is happening at the EDC by reading about the
activities of our boards and committees.
Boards Committees
2009 Priorities
- Focus on current businesses in the
area (retention strategies)
Priority or opportunity: Keep business we
have here and grow them; encourage a CAN DO attitude; encouraging
and educating local businesses to sell worldwide via technology
Goal for this priority: Increase market share by
selling worldwide through internet; keep profit and wealth
and taxes local; increase profit and taxes
Short-term strategies (3 months to 1 year):
a. New ways to say “yes we can;” training of
city and county staff
(1) Talk about how to enhance your business through the
internet and technology; start with downtown Willmar; create
exit interview at various steps (5 questions)
(2) How do we measure? Less comments on the exit sheets
in the negative
Long-term strategies (1-5 years):
a. Stability and increased sales—local wealth
(1) Keep it simple—generate excitement from grassroots
Responsible for leading/managing effort: Private
sector, city and county staff/EDC facilitates
Resources or investments needed to accomplish this effort:
Time/experience/sense of community
- Collaboration and support the enhancement
of the local medical community
Priority or opportunity: Collaboration/support
to enhance the medical community
Goal for this priority: To have outstanding medical
care provided at a local level
Short-term strategies (3 months to 1 year):
a. Meet with providers and tell them we appreciate their
service and ask how we can help
(1) Set up meeting
(2) Develop 3-4 key concerns
Long-term strategies (1-5 years): None
Responsible for leading/managing effort: EDC director,
Chairs of Operations Board and Joint Powers Board, Chair
of Kandiyohi County Board and Willmar Mayor
Resources or investments needed to accomplish this effort:
a. Need to decide scope—MDs, Rice, Family Practice
Medical Center, chiropractors and dentists
b. Decide on format
c. New London branch of Morris clinic, Spicer branch of
Paynesville clinic; Family Eye Center
d. ACMC—Cathy Huntley—physician recruitment
- New Willmar airport and aviation
industry
Priority or opportunity: Development of
airport business basic plan and marketing plan
Goal for this priority: Implementation of basic and
marketing plans to attract airport-related businesses to
the new airport location
Short-term strategies (3 months to 1 year):
a. Identify 2 or 3 “our size” successful airports
b. Visit successful airports and incorporate strategies
into basic/marketing plans
c. Identify planning facilitator with airport business background
d. Identify key persons, including EDC Marketing & Public
Relations Committee representatives, community and industry
representatives, elected representatives to be part of the
planning process
e. Conduct planning process to create basic business plan
and a marketing plan
Long-term strategies (1-5 years):
a. Physical development of airport related industries around/close
to new airport
b. Plan now to reserve old airport land closest to the new
airport for airport related industries
c. Implementation of basic and marketing plans in annual
stages
Responsible for leading/managing effort: EDC’s
Business Retention and Expansion/Recruitment (BRE/R) Committee
using a task force or subcommittee and EDC executive director
and assistant director
Resources or investments needed to accomplish this effort:
a. Use part of the BRE/R Committee’s budget
b. Identified champions—Bruce Peterson, Milan Schmiesing
and Ron Erpelding
- MinnWest Technology Campus
Priority or opportunity: Fill the campus vacancies
Goal for this priority: By December 2009 have five
new companies committed to locating at MWTC (currently have
18-20)
Short-term strategies (3 months to 1 year):
a. To spring board from the new bioscience University of
Minnesota relocation
(1) Have presence at bioscience conference
(2) Support existing companies by identifying related entities
b. Continue to refine and expand our marketing materials
to promote successes of present tenants
Long-term strategies (1-5 years): None
Responsible for leading/managing effort: EDC executive
director and assistant director, EDC’s Marketing and
Public Relations Committee and BRE/R Committee
Resources or investments needed to accomplish this effort:
Budgeted
- Renewable energy/value-added agriculture
Priority or opportunity: Renewable energy and value-added
agriculture
Goal for this priority: Create opportunities to open new
markets and enhance efficiencies in energy and agricultural
industries
Short-term strategies (3 months to 1 year):
a. Identify the top resources available for renewable energy
and animal production sites and how to best utilize them
to enhance energy goals and add value to Ag
b. Work on Ag policy and regulatory issues
(1) Meet with city of Willmar and especially Kandiyohi County
on workforce development, cluster housing, feedlot
(2) Host Animal Ag Conference
(3) Explore anhydrous ammonia (NH3) possibilities
Long-term strategies (1-5 years):
a. Capture energy to best utilize efficiencies
(1) Focus on closed loop system in which energy created
is used in most efficient capacity
Responsible for leading/managing effort: EDC’s
Agriculture and Renewable Energy (Ag) Committee and agricultural
specialist
Resources or investments needed to accomplish this effort:
EDC has budget allocated to agricultural specialist
Plain
and simple, we will work with you to make your business a
success in Kandiyohi County. To receive information or assistance
from our Economic Development staff, please send us an email
with your request details. We will respond to you within 2
business days.
Economic
Development Staff
Mailing Address, Phone Numbers, and E-mail Address
Kandiyohi
County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission
333 Litchfield Avenue SW, Suite 100
PO BOX 1783
Willmar MN 56201
Tel:
(320) 235-7370
Toll
Free: 888-815-7370
Fax: (320) 231-2320
Please
send general information requests to: edp@kandiyohi.com
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