Minneapolis St Paul Regional Business Plan
I recently attended a forum on restoring job growth in the Minneapolis St Paul region that was sponsored by The Itasca Project which is an employer led civic alliance focused on building a thriving economy and improved quality of life for the Minneapolis- St. Paul metro region. Some of this work can be found at www.metromsp.org where you can search all available commercial properties that are for sale or for lease. It is a joint public-private
partnership with DEED and MNCAR. MSP has long had a history of stable growth, not boom or bust like some other cities. “Steady success over recent decades renders the region less prepared to deal with data suggesting a pattern of decline. MSP’s growth rates over recent years for productivity, incomes and employment have all trailed national averages.” Venture capital firms and new business start up rankings have also declined. However, for homegrown Fortune 500 businesses, Minnesota ranks at the top.
According to the executive summary, the time is NOW to bring together multiple regional efforts utilizing 6 critical leverage points:
1) Cluster concentration of industries, functions and occupations
2) Develop and deploy human capital for economic growth
3) Develop an infrastructure of innovation and entrepreneurship
4) Increase spatial efficiency
5) Create effective public and civic culture and institutions
6) Develop and deploy information resources
The four main industry clusters include food, health, design and the arts as identified by 4FRONT, a non-profit organization established to identify, attract, nurture and recognize world-class inventors, entrepreneurs and artists.
All businesses start out small in some shape or form. Now is the time to position your business for the 21st century. Taking advantage of a buyer’s real estate market is one way to help your business grow as we see improvement in our economy. Contact us at 952-469-9444, www.cerron.com or email me at rozp@cerron.com to learn more.
