what is local economic development

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Suwannee CountyFlorida’s New

Frontier

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What is Local Economic

Development The purpose of Local Economic

Development (LED) is to build up the economic capacity of a local area to improve its economic future and the

quality of life for all. It is a process by which public, business and

nongovernmental sector partners work collectively to create better conditions for economic growth and employment

generation.

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Building the Right Culture

We must focus on…

• Competitive business climate• Tools to sell Suwannee County• Partnerships with Cities, Chamber, SCIDA,

Private Sector• Relationships with CEOs/Site Selection

Consultants

Economic Development Process

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Project Confidentiality (F.S. 288.075)

Critical issues for most projects• Disclosure of information may…

o Jeopardize a real estate transactiono Lead to employee departures and uncertaintyo Allow another state to enhance their deal

• §288.075, F.S. protects…o Project “plans” for 12 months, or 180 days after an

incentive agreement is signed, or until disclosedo Proprietary confidential business information

indefinitely

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Suwannee CountyEconomic Development

Office

Our Purpose

The Suwannee County Economic Development Office purpose is to drive the economic vitality of Suwannee County by fostering an environment conducive to the creation and retention of business increasing an enhanced quality of life for Suwannee County residents.

The Suwannee County Economic Development

Office Approach

The Suwannee County Economic Development Office programs will strategically expand and diversify the county’s economy through the creation of sustainable jobs, and cultivate and expand existing businesses as well as promote commercial real estate to attract new business to Suwannee County.

We will market county assets such as proximity to Interstate Highways I-10 & I-75, established rail system, its infrastructure and available affordable land cost.

We will advocate for development projects to ensure the growth of our County’s tax base and the creation employment opportunities for the residents of Suwannee County.

We will strive for a balanced economic environment that will enhance the economic prosperity and quality of life throughout the County to meet the needs of our broad audience, while preserving friendly, small town atmosphere with many scenic and recreational opportunities, including our world recognized springs and rivers.

Overall Goal

Diversified and Stable Economy

Suwannee County shall promote balanced and orderly economic growth that will provide increased economic

opportunity while reducing dependence on any one employment sector.

Objective 1

Create desirable business environment to attract and retain businesses by:

1. Fostering an attitude that welcomes new industry

2. Providing necessary infrastructure for development

3. Eliminating unnecessary regulation and streamlining the review process

4. Maintaining competitive tax and fee structure

5. Making business incentives available

6. Supporting employee training and education programs

Objective 2

Create desirable living environment to create and maintain the quality of life that attracts and retains business by:

1. Protecting natural resources

2. Promoting excellence in education

3. Expanding recreational and cultural activities

4. Ensuring planned and aesthetically pleasing development

5. Maintaining public safety

Objective 3

Maintain Economic Development Program by:

1. The county shall maintain an economic development program that serves the needs of existing businesses and actively markets Suwannee County to recruit new business and industry.

2. Suwannee County shall continue to participate in the regional economic efforts and partner with Enterprise Florida Inc. and North Florida Economic Development Partnership.

Objective 4

Ensure environmentally safe business and industry by:

1. Suwannee County shall ensure that future business and industry practices will contribute toward a safe, clean, and healthy environment and will have no significant adverse impacts on the environment.

Objective 5

Market the “ Suwannee County” business industry and brand by:

1. Developing a positive Marketing Program to attract businesses and industry that will create jobs and increase the tax base.

2. Promote Suwannee County as the best place to live, work and play.

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Economic DevelopmentAction Plan

Vision: A prosperous local economy supported by a wide range of career opportunities, a diversified tax base, and an exceptional quality of life.

Mission: To aggressively retain, attract and grow jobs in Suwannee County, in partnership with others, while protecting and improving Suwannee County’s quality of life and unique character.

Goals

A. Create a “business friendly” environment, simplify the governmental permitting process, and always be mindful of the impact of governmental regulation on the success of the private sector to retain and create jobs.

B. Create a brand that communicates to the World that Suwannee County is the best place to live, work, play and locate a business.

C. Develop a healthy community self- image and community spirit conveyed by businesses, residents, government and the media.

D. Work directly with willing municipalities to assist with the implementation of each city’s economic initiatives, and promote cooperation and coordination between the cities and Suwannee County.

E. Assure that we have an available and well-prepared workforce for existing, emerging and prospective businesses, and collaborate with Suwannee County educators to meet workforce needs and achieve educational excellence.

GoalsF. Establish policies and programs that promote the retention,

success, and expansion of existing businesses.

G. Establish policies and programs to assist start-up and developing businesses, and encourage entrepreneurship.

H. Attract and recruit new businesses to Suwannee County by targeting specific industries, drawing upon regional partnerships and using proven business models.

I. Work directly with the business community, cities, and other stakeholders to promote eco-tourism, recreation, sports, entertainment and cultural arts.

J. Protect and improve our quality of life, and maintain the proper balance between job creation and the protection of our natural resources and unique small town “Suwannee County” character.

K. Establish specific targets and track progress of our economic development efforts and programs, and maintain a sense of urgency as we seek to realize our economic Strategic Objectives.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE #1

Create a “business friendly” environment, simplify the governmental permitting process, and always be mindful of the impact of governmental regulation on the ability of the private sector to retain and create jobs.

STRATEGIES Identify County policies, situations and regulations that adversely affect our economic

vision and mission, and implement strategies to correct them (e.g. fees, conflicting regulations, duplicative regulations, lobbyist provisions that impede inquiries from new business prospects, etc.).

Identify proven models for streamlining and simplifying the permitting process, and revise current process (e.g. online permitting).

Utilize EDO as permitting “advocate” or “Ombudsman” to “walk” business owners and prospects through the permitting process and coordinate with Cities and other reviewing agencies.

Explore opportunities to create “regulatory” uniformity between Suwannee County and the cities, and aggressively work with willing cities to implement coordinated procedures.

Aggressively pursue the settlement of all Comprehensive Plan challenges in order to achieve certainty and “closure.”

Initiate a review of the Comprehensive Plan to identify policies or land use designations that impede job creation and positive economic activity and pursue solutions to rectify such provisions.

Continually evaluate the development process for increased efficiencies, and immediately evaluate and respond to internal and external feedback in an effort to improve existing procedures.

Reinforce a positive “customer service” attitude at all levels of County government through training and internal policies.

Evaluate/develop investment incentives to give Suwannee County a competitive edge in recruiting for new businesses, targeted industries and existing industries expansions.


To develop a set of initiatives with businesses, residents and media to create a brand that communicates to the world that Suwannee County is the best place to live, work, recreate and locate a business.

Strategies

Through various methods (media, publications, community-dialog) increase public awareness of positive aspects of the community.

Develop a positive Suwannee County “brand” to enhance the area’s image.

Hold periodic public forums to provide citizen information, receive feedback, and gain buy-in on major community programs and projects.

Publicize the positive economic impact of the community’s existing industries. Utilize Industry Appreciation Week as an opportunity to inform citizens, the media, businesses, and local governments and employees of the importance of business retention and expansion to the community.

Develop a coordinated, well-funded promotion strategy.


Work directly with willing municipalities to assist with the implementation of each city’s economic initiatives, and promote cooperation and coordination between the cities and Suwannee County.

STRATEGIES Become familiar with Live Oak and Branford economic visions and specific

projects (e.g. infrastructure projects, targeted industries), and to identify opportunities to assist Cities with implementation of their economic initiatives.

Assist Cities with improving or streamlining the development review process and request their support for monthly meetings between County and City planning and zoning directors to identify ways to align the development process across jurisdictional boundaries.

Utilize Joint Planning Agreements, Inter-local Agreements or less formal initiatives such as Joint Resolutions to assist Cities with implementation of their economic initiatives.

Create an inventory map and matrix for each region of the County identifying improved and vacant parcels that are available for targeted industries which have specific needs regarding acreage, location and building specifications (e.g. light industrial, manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, high technology, agri-business), and provide maps and related information to cities to use as a planning and recruiting tool.

Create a county-wide map showing existing and emerging industry clusters and to use as a planning and recruiting tool.

Share economic analysis, forecasts and similar technical information to the cities and promote cooperation and collaboration through regular communication (e.g. monthly meetings, emails, workshops).


Assure that we have an available and well-prepared workforce for existing, emerging and prospective businesses, and collaborate with Suwannee County educators to meet workforce needs and achieve educational excellence.

STRATEGIES Meet with each education “partner” (e.g. School Board, Suwannee-Hamilton Tech)

or conduct an Education and Economic Summit with all partners to:

Discuss our economic vision and mission:

Share specific Strategic Objectives related to education and workforce needs;

Review existing programs and explore possibility of expanding programs that have been well-received and adding new programs to address targeted industries;

Discuss ways to showcase existing strengths and positive statistics;

Identify new procedures to facilitate ongoing communication and collaboration; and

Propose the adoption of a joint resolution emphasizing our desire to cooperate and work together on specific education and economic-related Strategic Objectives.

Utilize economic development staff and North Florida Workforce Development to identify existing and emerging workforce needs and to coordinate and communicate with education partners and the business community.

Identify successful education and training models which address existing and emerging workforce needs, and share these opportunities with our education partners and facilitate implementation of such programs (e.g. High Tech Corridor teacher training and curriculum; mentoring and apprenticeships).


Establish policies and programs that promote the retention, success, and expansion of existing businesses.

STRATEGIES

Create a mechanism for communicating with existing businesses, and collect pertinent data to provide to business owners and operators (e.g. tradeshow information, Technical Assistance programs, etc.).

Conduct weekly “business” site visits (EDO and Chamber).

Evaluate successful models for Business Retention and Expansion Programs and consider implementation of new, revised or expanded programs (e.g. revolving loan fund for equipment purchases, building renovations or construction).

Evaluate successful models for Technical Assistance Programs and consider implementation of new, revised or expanded programs, and offer services of Technical Assistance Programs to all Suwannee County businesses through the Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

Build relationships with the Chambers and other business-related organizations to assure communication and coordination, and to identify needs and opportunities for collaboration.

Identify workforce needs of existing Suwannee County companies and collaborate with North Florida Workforce Development, Suwannee-HamiltonTech, and Suwannee County School Board to develop programs to address existing and emerging workforce needs (e.g. specialized training, additional subjects, and workforce readiness).

Explore ways to connect local students to existing Suwannee County companies through mentoring or apprenticeship programs.


Establish policies and programs to assist start-up and developing businesses, and encourage entrepreneurship.

STRATEGIES

Evaluate successful models for Start-Up and Developing Business Programs and consider implementation of new, revised or expanded programs, including particularly the need for sub-regional programs and accessibility throughout Suwannee County (e.g. economic gardening, incubators, Entrepreneurship programs, etc.).


Attract and recruit new businesses to Suwannee County by targeting specific industries, drawing upon regional partnerships and using proven business models.

STRATEGIES Formalize targeted lists:

Continue to utilize Enterprise Florida, Inc. and North Florida Regional Economic Development Initiative as a national and international marketing tool, and attend target industry tradeshows to market opportunities in Suwannee County to national and international companies.

Notify local companies of tradeshows that would be beneficial to their business.

Work with the Enterprise Florida, Inc. and North Florida Regional Economic Development Initiative to establish measurable targets and Strategic Objectives; assure regular communication with County Commissioners on pending prospects and marketing efforts.

Work closely with our Cities on their economic initiatives and identify opportunities to connect our Cities to the Enterprise Florida, Inc. and North Florida Regional Economic Development Initiative staff (e.g. assistance with RFPs, responding to prospects, technical support).

Respond to RFI and RFP from Enterprise Florida for companies seeking to expand or relocate to Florida.

Participate in regional planning and collaboration, and identify specific opportunities for sub-region planning (North Florida Region) and emerging industry-clusters (e.g. existing Suwannee County business; private-sector Enterprise Florida, Inc. and North Florida Regional Economic Development Initiative partners and investors).

Encourage County Commissioners to take a direct role in the process of attracting and recruiting new businesses (e.g. meeting with prospects, traveling if necessary to meet prospective companies, attending trade-shows and economic workshops).

Compile a list of ambassadors willing to assist when prospects visit Suwannee County (e.g. hotels, restaurants, transportation, tours, education and business leaders)

Conduct periodic workshops for our residents, businesses and all partners as a mechanism to providing information on our progress and receiving feedback (e.g. “marketing” Suwannee County for economic prosperity must be a community-wide effort).

Build relationships between economic development office and our local real estate community by conducting regular meetings to exchange and update information so that we are able to connect prospects to available sites.

Assure that our economic development website is dynamic and easy to use (e.g. information regarding incentives is easy to find, “available site” information is regularly updated and comprehensive).


Work directly with the business community, cities, and other stakeholders to promote eco-tourism, recreation, sports, entertainment and cultural arts.

STRATEGIES

Target new events that generate overnight purchases in Suwannee County.

Support existing events that bring tourists to Suwannee County through marketing and financial support, and constantly look for new opportunities to bring tourists to Suwannee County (e.g. marketing, cooperation between private and public sector, cooperation between cities).


Protect and improve our quality of life, and maintain the proper balance between job creation and the protection of our natural resources and unique hometown “Suwannee County” character.

STRATEGIES

Identify infrastructure needs (water and sewer system) that enhance our quality of life and evaluate their financial viability, including the ongoing costs of operation and maintenance (parks, recreation, trails, sidewalks, transportation, stormwater) and prioritize projects.

Adopt policies that encourage the redevelopment of existing buildings and sites (e.g. evaluate “change of use” provisions to determine whether present regulations deter use of existing sites and provide for waivers and incremental site upgrades).

Support existing CRAs within Suwannee County and maximize their impact.

Support programs and identify opportunities for improving the water quality of our Suwannee County Rivers and springs.


Establish specific targets and track progress of our economic development efforts and programs, and maintain intensity level and sense of urgency regarding economic prosperity emphasizing the connection between government and the private sector.

STRATEGIES

EDO should establish targets and present to the BCC for discussion.

EDO should provide regular reports regarding economic activity, implementation of new programs, employment trends, new suggestions from businesses community, feedback, progress with cities, etc.

EDO should provide updates on business visits and provide County Commissioners with the opportunity to participate in visits that are related to business retention and expansion.

EDO should invite County Commissioners to meet with businesses prospects.

EDO should provide regular updates on “simplifying” the permitting process and creating a business friendly environment, including time-frames for implementation and feedback from the public and the business community.


Track progress of economic development efforts and programs.

StrategiesSuccess Indicators:

Number of new business/industry leads.

Number of new businesses recruited

Number of existing business/industry assisted and/or retained.

Number of new commercial and industrial projects under construction

Number of new jobs created.

Dollar amount of gross capital investment.

Dollar amount of payroll created.

Dollar amount of incentive granted.

Gross ad valorem increase.

Number of local vendors utilized.

Value dollar amount of incentives invested and Return on Investment.

Overall Economic Impact: Total Employment (cumulative effect), personal Income, Deposable Personal Income, Gross Regional Product (GRP), and Total Output.

Targeted Industry Sectors

While Suwannee County is attractive for nearly all types of economic development, the EDO has identified seven (7) targeted industry sectors that match the region’s strengths, goals and assets, as well as provide for a diversified and sustainable regional economy.

These targeted sectors were chosen based upon the opportunity for growth, creation of quality jobs above the average wage, role in regional development and their connections to other industries.

Transportation & Logistics

Agri-business

Light Manufacturing

Ecotourism & Agritourism, Sports & Recreation

Clean-tech

Music & TV/Film Production/Cultural Arts

Retirement Services

what is local economic development

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