Case StudyModel Community Initiative

Holland-Zeeland, Michigan

Business Growth through Innovation

Population ~45,000

www.hollandzeeland.us orwww.zeelandholland.us

The overarching question for the area and region was: “How do we work together, to identify and pursue economic development opportunities that will enable the Holland/Zeeland area to innovate, move up the value chain, increase business revenues and profits, grow jobs and generate community resources at the fastest and most sustainable rate possible?”

A planning team of community leaders was formed in order to begin the dialogue around this question and Ed Morrison/PCRD were called into action.

Background

Their Work to Date

“White paper in a brown wrapper”…has enjoyed a successful past, a strong local economy and a uniquely desirable quality of life. A combination of global forces has fundamentally changed the effectiveness of area business models and the way we must approach our future, both nationally and locally…

Supporting Data

The next economy must have four characteristics:

• higher exports, to take advantage of rising global demand

• low carbon technology, to lead the clean-energy revolution

• innovation, to spur growth through ideas and their deployment

• greater opportunity, to reverse the troubling, decades-long rise

in inequality.

Pre Workshop Activities

Analysis of their current situation

Multiple conference calls with key civic leaders

to determine what success looks like

Custom PowerPoint presentation prepared

Pre workshop training held with table guides

Customized Strategic Doing packs prepared

Ed’s presentation

Holland/Zeeland Strategic Doing Workshop Strategic Focus Areas,

Table Guides and Framing Questions

Strategic Focus Framing Question

Economic Clusters(Tim Hemingway)

Activation of clusters involves a focused economic development strategy. Cluster strategies depend on building complex, innovative collaborations quickly. What can be done to develop a repeatable process that allows for the successful creation of new, purposeful economic cluster networks?

Business Expansion and Attraction (Garth Deur)

The strength of any regional economy depends on its existing businesses. How do we develop a support system to accelerate their growth? What could we do to align, link and leverage our resources to support existing companies? How do we develop a reputation for speed, innovation, and responsiveness that would make us attractive to outside companies?

Innovation and Entrepreneurship(Mark DeWitt)

We need new businesses that can leverage the assets we have in our region. How do we build a dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem to support new and innovative companies? How do we engage young people in building businesses in our region? How do we create thick networks of support?

Strategic Focus Framing Question

Talent Development(Janet DeYoung)

How do we build a region that fully embraces lifelong talent development? Where do we start? What initiatives appear most promising and how do we effectively support and leverage them for area--‐wide success and sustainability?

Infrastructure(Dan Bourbon)

Creating quality physical connections requires us to think in new ways about our investments in infrastructure. We also need quality, connected places to attract and keep young people. Chances are traditional approaches to infrastructure planning will not meet our needs going forward. How do we develop new practices to guide our infrastructure investments?

New Narrative(Bob Ellis)

The Midwest suffers from the legacy Rust Belt image. How do we set ourselves apart? What differentiates us from the competition? What are the unique, compelling reasons for companies to choose the Lakeshore to grow, launch or locate? How do we “face forward” and tell the stories of our promising future?

Custom SD Packs

100% of all respondents expressed an interest to stay involved in

action and implementation of outcomes.

Follow up and Outcomes