Business Retention and Expansion Committee

Mississippi County has revamped a small team of people to support businesses we are calling this the Business Retention and Expansion Committee. Our team is composed of Ammi Tucker- Osceola Chamber Director, Stacey Walker - ANC (Solutions Group) Industrial Training Coordinator, and Tamika Jenkins- Economic Development Project Coordinator (Great River Economic Development Foundation). Tiffny Calloway, Regional Manager, Arkansas Economic Development Commission also accompanies us on our visits.

 

Our Goal of the Mississippi County Business Retention and Expansion Program is to facilitate the retention and expansion of existing industries in Mississippi County, Arkansas. This can be accomplished by:

• Conducting face-to-face company interviews, visiting with Human Resource
• Management and Industry Representatives, engaging them in a discussion about their companies' wellness; and participate in plant tours.
• Assisting company representatives with finding solutions to issues and/or opportunities that may exist
• Developing or building connections between Business & Industry and resource providers to ensure all have adequate resources needed to grow and prosper within Mississippi County.

Typical questions that are asked in these visits include:

• What skills do entry level employees need to be successful? 
• What are two issues in the workplace that prohibit productivity? 
• Where does the company get it's raw material and where does the company ship it's finished product to? 
• What areas do you feel the employees need the most training in?

During these visits we share with the company:

• Information about Customized Training provided by The Solutions Group 
• Great River Economic Development Foundation training assistance money 
• ANC Workforce Orientation & Retraining Keys Program 
• Potential AEDC funding for equipment purchases 
• Work Ready Community & info on the National Career Readiness Certificate 

Now are are moving forward...our plan is to hit four companies per month to make contact and ask these questions. After our initial contact follow up is mandatory. Each member of the committee is going to follow up with the company contact after the visit to target more individualized areas. Our first four visits were done in February. We visited Gilster Mary Lee, REA Wire, American Greetings & Poincette Rice.  Next stop will be on March 14th. We appreciate our local industry and look forward to assisting in the near future!

Tiffny, Stacey & Tamika  @ American Greetings

Blog by: Stacey