EDSP Progress Synopsis

What’s been happening the past 6 months or so with Blue Meets Green?  See below for a brief synposis.

 Also, a NEW feature being established on the website is a Progress Report “Graph” Chart  showing detailed action items and progress per committee.  Currently Practical Innovation, Workforce/Education, and Emerging Markets have been published.  Progress Charts for Existing Industry and Downtowns/Toursim are currently in development and will be posted shortly.    

Education & Workforce Committee -

• Created the St. Clair County Business & Education Council
• Working toward developing a target industry skills panel a least annually to review & measure workforce training & education programs (a skilled workforce is KEY to new business attraction in St. Clair County
• Expand outreach to more students (emphasizing importance of college/degree attainment, providing regional & local familarization tours)
   - Take Your Child to College Day Tours were organized, first round was targeted to 10th graders & parents
   - Saginaw Valley State University – April 20th
  -  Oakland University – May 3rd 
  Next round to include local tours, and target higher grade levels

Practical Innovation

• Developed database of companies regularly engaged in Practical Innovation
• Established the Imagine Works PI Council and have hosted various workshops and events for local & regional collaboration amongst our businesses
• In Development: Venture capital funding pool, developing incubator capabilities in the Blue Water Region, establish partnerships with Automation Alley and Oakland University’s OU Incubator
• Entrepreneurial Resources Survey was published on the website and emailed to regional Chambers, DDA’s, and offices of regional townships,villages and municipalities, as well as numerous businesses to gather and compile a resource list of free and fee based entrepreneurial services, training and/or incubator space. 

Existing Industry

• Established the Blue Water Business Council to analyze the current business environment & work toward enhancements that can help our businesses flourish and our area be competitive to attract additional new quality employers/jobs
• Inspiring businesses to “purchase local” to stimulate our region’s economy through B to B
• Working to establish benchmarking and leverage data to identify opportunities, develop goals, measure progress and drive results

Emerging Markets

• Created the Blue Water Region Economic Development Council to help retain, strengthen & support existing business (including small business)
• Reached out to businesses & educational institutions for trade shows & recruiting
• Met with regional & state staff to discuss selected target industries
• Evaluated (and continue to) evaluate existing buildings and land to determine suitability for meeting demands and needs of the region’s target industry and determine
  transportation/logistics, and infrastructure requirements

Tourism

• Regional Discover the Blue DVD’s have been created (some still in-progress)
• Amtrak DVD promoting the Blue Water Line (Port Huron to Chicago) have been created and will be played at train depots/stops along this route (and possibly others)
• “Save the Date” postcards have been mailed promoting & encouraging attendance at our regional events
• MSU study says day visitors spend $116; overnight visitors spend $366
• Front-line employee training of hospitality and tourism related business employees is planned to ensure our region is as visitor friendly as possible to pro-long stays, encourage longer stays and speak highly of our region to others
• A variety of website updates, video enhancements and other features are being implemented on bluewater.org
• Outdoor graphic panels are being created and will be at various points throughout the community for visitors – detailing interesting facts about our region, including the area they are standing at now

Downtowns

• Regional downtown summits have been organized to be more inclusive  of  all downtowns in the Blue Water Region.  The summits are proving to be very effective means of communication and collaboration    
• Downtown partners are working to learn & promote special amenities, events, etc. in their neighboring communities
• EDA has expanded his website property listings on its website to incude retail storefronts & commercial properties that may appeal to the small business/entrepreneurial
  client.  While this is an on-going process over 20 properties were loaded in the first few weeks of this transition 
• A variety of retail storefronts have opened for business in the Blue Water Region, and Clinton Avenue in St. Clair be receiving an entire new look along Clinton Ave.   The project will go from M-29 to 6th Street on Clinton Avenue, in addition St. Clair now has free Wireless Internet – so you can sit on your boat by the sandbar and ’surf the net.’      

Remember, it’s never too late to be part of this exciting community initiative!  We also encourage you to learn more about the plan and joining our mailing list to stay informed on latest developments and announcements.