Hennepin and Carver counties are rife with community garden efforts, but
the counties are now embarking on a whole new kind of growth
initiative. They're hoping to sow the seeds of business expansion, and
they're currently looking for savvy CEOs to benefit from the process.
The
Economic Gardening Network
is an idea that came out of a project in Colorado, according to
Hennepin County senior planning analyst Ron White. He notes that a large
defense contractor there began struggling and was forced into layoffs,
but the community came together in order to prevent widespread
unemployment. They pooled their money to support local businesses in
their second stage of growth.
In a similar move, the Economic
Gardening Network is now looking for businesses with between 10 and 99
employees, with current revenues between $1 million and $50 million.
"Statistics show that companies at this level have the most potential
for job growth," says White. "They have a good chance for steady growth,
and that's what we want to focus on."
Other eligibility criteria
include: having maintained a business presence in Minnesota for at
least the last two years, and growth in employment or revenue in two of
the past five years.
The counties will be selecting 15 companies
for a pilot program that includes technical assistance from a strategic
research team, market research, project management, and other
resources. It's an all-around education program meant to spark growth,
White says.
Already, there's been a very encouraging response,
he adds. The counties reached out to economic developers in various
cities, then broadened their search from there. White is confident that
they'll fill the pilot program, and hopefully keep gardening in the
future, too.
Source: Ron White, Hennepin County
Writer: Elizabeth Millard