Talking about Grow Minnesota!

General Information

Q: What is Grow Minnesota!?
A: A statewide, private sector, ongoing business retention and expansion initiative carried out by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce in partnership with local and regional chambers of commerce.

Q: What are its objectives?
A: Initially: Retain the existing base of employers in the state (with a focus on "export" employers) and grow that base. "Export employers" include all businesses whose customers are outside of Minnesota. The program will also identify, publicize and recommend community and public sector responses to the trends affecting the development of the state's economy.
Over time: Market the state to the nation and world.

Q: How will these objectives be achieved?
A: Local and regional chamber executives recruit volunteer CEO's and business owners to participate in regular retention visits with existing Minnesota companies. Chamber executives and business volunteers thank companies for doing business in Minnesota and find out if there are any problems they can help solve. If a company has plans to expand its operations in the near future, Grow Minnesota! representatives will encourage expansion to take place in Minnesota and offer to assist with the process. If a community can not provide a suitable expansion site for a company, it will direct that company to a statewide lead-sharing pool so that other communities in Minnesota have a chance to make a proposal, reducing the likelihood that the prospect will take its business to another state. Visits are also be used as an opportunity to collect information on Minnesota businesses that will be analyzed for economic trends and guidance on public policy issues. Over time, Grow Minnesota! will refine strategies for publicizing trends and marketing the state.

Q: What is this initiative's relationship to other economic development organizations and efforts in Minnesota?
A: Grow Minnesota! is intended to complement economic development efforts by other entities. It will rely on the cooperation and support of many of these groups (e.g. DEED, local economic development agencies, Minnesota Technology, Inc., etc.) in order to respond to requests for assistance from companies we visit. The state and local chamber will work to expedite the relationship between companies and the appropriate public or private sector professionals that can help them. The objective is to deliver assistance to companies that otherwise might not bother to seek it on their own, or would not know where to look to find it.

Information for Private-Sector Companies

Q: Why should we participate in an on-site visit?
A: The goal of Grow Minnesota! is to help private sector companies in Minnesota. We want to hear about your concerns: What will keep you from growing in Minnesota? What could the state and local governments do to help you be more successful? We will use this information to help you obtain the assistance (technical or otherwise) you need to remain competitive and grow in Minnesota. We will also use your feedback to inform our public policy agenda for the community and the state. Finally, your feedback will help us understand the state's economy better and provide a clearer roadmap to maximizing Minnesota's future prosperity. Help us help you!

Q: How long will the visit take?
A: Visits generally take 45 minutes to an hour. If you have time constraints, please let our volunteers know. We would be happy to work around your schedule.

Q: Will the information I provide remain confidential?
A: Your information will remain confidential. We will not disclose your name in any way unless it is necessary to provide you with the assistance or follow up you request. In those instances, we will ask your permission to disclose your identify and your responses to the survey topics in question. Data from the Grow Minnesota! questionnaire will only be reported in aggregate form.

Q: Will I get anything else for participating?
A: The Minnesota Chamber will send you quarterly updates on Grow Minnesota!'s progress throughout the state. Your local chamber might choose to provide you with periodic updates or an annual report on the data it collected from site visits and/or the impact of Grow Minnesota! in your community. Participating companies will also be able to request the Minnesota Chamber's annual report that summarizes the progress of the initiative, its impact on the state's economy and the economic and public policy trends it has revealed. You will also have the satisfaction of knowing that you have contributed to an unprecedented statewide, comprehensive effort to promote Minnesota's future prosperity.

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