6. EDSR 08-14-2006 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

• Supplier Capacity. Local suppliers will be asked to discuss existing and potential capacity issues. • Networking Potential. Suppliers will be asked about their previous experience with and disposition toward cooperative business arrangements. • Labor Requirements. Target industry experts and manufacturers will be questioned about their labor market concerns. • Opportunities for Recruitment. Target industry experts and manufacturers will be interviewed about issues related to locating new plants. This inquiry will be guided by knowledge of best practice in industrial site selection and prior research. For example, Greg Schrock of MTI found in a 2003 surveys that nearly two thirds of the Twin Cities' manufacturing and technology service companies were planning to invest in a new or expanded facility within a year. He profiled the types of companies most likely to invest in Greater Minnesota and what business climate "improvements" would make them even more likely to invest there. • Opportunities for New Business Development. The Project Team will initiate a preliminary exploration of the prospects for developing a target company in the region. This will involve scouting out local entrepreneurs as well as identifying local companies in a related business that maybe able to expand into the target industry. At the conclusion of Phase Two the Project Team will have identified one or more target company profiles with the best prospects for success. In addition, the team will have identified some options and issues related to actually adding target companies to the region and initiating an enterprise network. Note that it is possible for the feasibility assessment to conclude that there is little viable opportunity for the selected industry after all. C. Phase Three: Enterprise Network Action Plan A significant challenge for many economic development initiatives is in moving from study to action. The purpose of Phase Three is to help bridge the gap between research and implementation. The preliminary feasibility assessment from Phase Two is expected to give rise to possibilities, yet the path ahead will remain full of risks and unknowns. Phase Three is an opportunity to review and integrate what was learned, test the waters of the mast likely opportunities, and determine the next steps for action. Site selection criteria and marketing and recruitment strategies will be addressed. Conclusions will be captured in a planning framework document to facilitate ENSA Workgroup discussion, decision-making, and action planning. Schrock, G. "Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota Connections: A Business Perspective," Center for Rural Policy and Development, (March 2004). Minnesota Technology, Inc. and Knowledge Based Solutions West Metro Fringe Enterprise Network Systems Malysis Project Proposal May 24, 2006 Page 5