Community, Natural Resource, and Economic Development

TOOLS OF DEVELOPMENT

Polk County Labor Market Survey

Beginning this week, Polk County area business people will be given an opportunity to voice their concerns about the labor market, the economy and local government as part of a comprehensive business retention and expansion effort undertaken by the University of Wisconsin - Extension, Polk County and the Polk County Economic Development Corporation.

The Polk County Labor Market and Business Retention and Expansion Program officially begins this week as trained volunteers meet with local industries to identify their needs and concerns, ask their opinions about local and state government and determine in what ways the local business climate can be improved.

The visits with local firms have four purposes. First, it is an effort to improve communications with local businesses and to demonstrate that we appreciate the contributions they are making to our local communities. Second, to determine if they have any local concerns, and if so, if there are ways in which we can assist them. Third, we will be offering to help our local firms take advantage of state and federal business development programs. Finally, we want businesses to help set priorities on future directions of local economic development efforts.

This in-depth survey of Polk County firms will be conducted under the sponsorship of Xcel Energy, in cooperation with Polk County UW-Extension and the State of Wisconsin Department of Commerce.

Trudy Popenhagen, Project Manager of the study, sais that seven local business people have been recruited to conduct interviews with the 50 firms targeted for the study.

Since 1986, at least fifteen states have developed similar programs similar to this one. The Business Retention and Expansion model was initially designed by Ameritech Wisconsin in 1984. A revised and updated version of the model is implemented today by the Wisconsin Department of Commerce. The Polk County study is part of a statewide initiative.