The Business Retention and Expansion Committee will have a full schedule of events for 2016. We will continue with our Voice of the Customer Surveys while exploring new options with the Synchronist System where we will not only report on the data received but also report on how the VOC give RAEDC the pulse on businesses that may need economic development assistance.
We are currently looking to hold Supplier Symposiums, Manufacturing Matchmaking events for the region in the Spring and Fall of 2016, host Succession Planning events and conduct Manufacturing Roundtables with Elected Officials.
We will be looking to expand our Foreign Trade Zone Outreach to help companies who can receive benefits from it.
We will also continue to explore how we can impact Education for Workforce Development with our Education Committee. Workforce Development will be at the forefront of our 2016 goals. We are in the early stages of a partnership with United Way to have a Cohesive Plan utilizing the Collective Impact Model to bring all of our Workforce Development Organizations together to help Companies in the area have one destination to find readily available workforce. We will be facilitating programs to help our key Employment Sectors find the workforce they need.
And most importantly we will continue to do Retention and Expansion visits to regional companies helping them with whatever resources they need to be successful, grow and prosper.
Contact Stacy Bernardi regarding Education and Workforce Development at sbernardi@rockfordil.com or 815-969-4263 and Karl Franzen for VOCs and Retention or Expansion visits at kfranzen@rockfordil.com or 815-969-4258.
