This is one strategic area where approaches focused on county-level involvement are critical to ensuring success. One of the performance measures used to evaluate local chamber executives is their ability to engage existing industry and retain and grow jobs within their individual communities.

The following strategies are recommended:

Develop Relationships and Provide Solutions: Each county will continue to communicate directly with its existing businesses to identify opportunities for improvement and utilize ECD, development district and other resource providers as necessary to address existing business opportunities and concerns. Strategies for existing business outreach focus upon a multi-step approach of initiating contact, developing relationships, maintaining relationships, identifying needs and addressing issues effectively through a coordinated use of available resources.

Identify and Develop Supplier Opportunities within the Region: Industry clustering and supply chain partnerships within regions or even with nearby regions or states create opportunities to connect manufacturers with underutilized supply chain resources that may exist within the region. During visits, local chamber officials will seek to understand these opportunities and search for opportunities within the region.

Develop Relationships and Drive Engagement: ECD’s regional staff will host annual events such as Industry Roundtables with state legislators and ECD officials to create opportunities to build relationships and enable industry to share issues impacting success that may be capable of being addressed at the state level.