Soaring To Success With Business Retention & Expansion (BR&E)Grady BatchelorPresident, Industrial DevelopmentAuthority of Winston County, Alabamawww.idawinston.org

What I’ve Learned About BR&E

BR&E Can Be Done BR&E Is Key To Success BR&E Opens Doors BR&E Creates Demand & Awareness BR&E Supports Funding Initiatives BR&E Uncovers Facts BR&E Promises Tremendous Future Value

What Is Synchronist®?*

A Tool

A Process

A Foundation for Growth

Synchronist® is a service of Blane-Canada Ltd.

Why BR&E – WIIFM?

Primary Outcomes

Business Retention

Business Expansion

Secondary Outcomes

Introduce Goodwill

Identify Opportunities

Develop Trust

Uncover Niches

Shape Policy

Secure Funding

Show the LoveShow your industries you care and they are important to you

Show your industries you care and they are important to you

Confidentiality People

Planning

BR&E Model

Partners

Key Elements of BR&E Programs

BR&E Begins & Ends With Confidentiality – Vital to Success

No information, written or verbal, concerning the industry shall be shared with any other individuals.

All information is for statistical analysis and is not to be revealed to third parties.

The rules of confidentiality will continue to apply after the interviews are completed.

BR&E Model

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6

Pre-LaunchPlanning

CompanyVisits / Interviews

Post Visit / Red Flag Identification

Data Analysis

Follow Up

Strategic Planning and

Implementation

Post Visit/Red Flag

BR&E Model

Pre-Launch Planning Visits/Interviews

Define Objectives

Leadership

Publicity

Business Selection

Training

Business Contacts

Visits/Interviews

Post-Visit/Red Flag

Data Analysis

Strategic Planning

Implement Strategy

Plan Next Visit

Add clarifying details

Make adjustments as needed

Complete the Post Visit form

Make personal observations

Identify warning signs / Red Flags

Return the survey(s) to the appropriate party

Setup Meeting Time

Accept a Survey by Mail as a Last Resort

Take Two Copies of the Survey Forms to the Visit

Familiarize Yourself with the Survey Forms

Arrive 5 Minutes Early and Allow Timefor Tour

Make Introductions as Appropriate

Synchronist Forms

Company Background Form On-Site Form Post-Visit Form

Interview Dos

Do review the questions before the meeting. Do ensure you are familiar with all of the terminology used

in the survey. Do ask every question on the survey instrument. Do ask questions exactly as they are worded. Do mark answers with “does not apply” (DNA) or “no

response” (NR). Do ask probing questions where appropriate to elicit

information supporting the answer, especially on open-ended questions. (e.g., ask Who, What, When, Where, How and How Much).

Do record comments.

Interview Don’ts

Don’t try to solve a problem on the spot. Don’t make any promises of assistance. Don’t overreact to something said when you know or believe

the facts to be different. Don’t try to market services during the visit. Don’t accept a tour if it will delay your arrival at another visit. Don’t suggest answers even if you believe you know the

correct answer. Allow the executive to respond. Don’t get off the subject. Don’t skip survey items.

Identifying Red Flag Issues

• Handle Red Flag items immediately.

• Dominant Warning Signs– Corporate Warning Drivers

• ___________________• ___________________• ___________________• ___________________• ___________________• ___________________

Red Flags - Continued

– Operations Warning Drivers• ___________________• ___________________• ___________________• ___________________

– Facility Warning Drivers• ___________________• ___________________

– Market Warning Drivers• ___________________• ___________________• ___________________

More Red Flag Items

• Product / Service

• Market

• Industry

• Management

• Workforce

• Others

BR&E Initial Outcomes

New Product Line, A New Facility and 50 New Jobs Retained a Top Ten Industry and 450 Jobs Top Ten Industry, 75 Jobs Retained, 50 Jobs

Gained and 600 Additional Jobs Impacted Gained $450,000 in Community and Economic

Development Funding Identified a Unique Niche Market 2005 BREI Award for Excellence in Small

Community BR&E Programming

BR&E Fast Forward

New Industry Located to Lynn, IDA Approves $2.5M Bond Issue, 25-50 New Jobs

New Industry Locates in Haleyville, $1.5M Capital Investment, 30-50 New Jobs

Industry Expands in Double Springs, $2.5M Capital Investment, Water Infrastructure Grant for Industrial Park, 50 New Jobs

Cooperative Improvement District, Countywide Industrial Park Development, Site Selection Based on Key Economic Development Factors

Transorganizational Development

TransorganizationalDevelopment

Transorganizational Development

Planned change in the collective relationships of a variety of stakeholders to accomplish something beyond the capacity of any single organization (Culbert et al. 1972).

Major Positive Change

Major Positive Change

What I’ve Learned About BR&E

BR&E Can Be Done BR&E Is Key To Success BR&E Opens Doors BR&E Creates Demand & Awareness BR&E Supports Funding Initiatives BR&E Uncovers Facts BR&E Promises Tremendous Future Value

Conclusion and Contact Info

• Questions and Answers

• Contact Information– Grady Batchelor– (205) 269-1780– grady@idawinston.org