Outreach campaign aims to connect with 1,000 businesses
TIFFIN, OHIO – June 24, 2016 – The INSIGHT Consortium, a group of local and regional nonprofit business service providers, announced today that they are starting an intensive outreach effort to connect Tiffin, Fostoria, and Seneca County businesses with resources to help them grow and expand. The first phase of the effort is scheduled to run through the end of 2017.
Established at the end of 2014, the INSIGHT Consortium is made up of the Seneca Industrial and Economic Development Corp. (SIEDC), the Fostoria Economic Development Corp. (FEDC), the Seneca County Department of Job & Family Services, Terra State Community College, Sentinel Career Center, the Seneca Regional Chamber of Commerce of Visitors Services, Regional Growth Partnership, the Northwest Ohio Manufacturing Extension Partnership, and the Seneca Regional Planning Commission. The mission of the group is to work together to reach more businesses with more resources, and they meet monthly.
The program’s name comes from the main types of resources it seeks to provide (Information, New Business, Space, Investment, Government, Hiring, Training), and the group has identified more than 200 free or subsidized financing, grant, tax credit, consulting and other services that are available. What they want to do is make more Seneca County companies aware of those resources and help them take advantage of them.
The 2016-17 outreach blitz will be conducted by a team of more than 25 individuals, including the INSIGHT consortium members, as well as members of the Tiffin Downtown Main Street program, professional outreach firm COACT Associates, as well as a university intern. All information gathered will remain confidential within the respective agencies. Aggregate data and trends will be used for program development, planning, and policy.
Carol Owen Kern, Business Services Liaison with the Seneca County Department of Job & Family Services and a founding member of the consortium, is glad to see the group move forward with the blitz: “Seneca County JFS and Ohio Means Jobs have dedicated significant resources to helping companies recruit the workers they need, and this will help us all reach more businesses with our services.”
Beth Hannam, Manager of Business and Industry Training with Terra State Community College, likes the aggressive approach, “All of us on the INSIGHT team are excited about meeting the needs of more and more companies in Seneca County and about connecting businesses with hundreds of resources that are available. It's truly win-win," Beth Hannam said.
John Detwiler, President of the Seneca Regional Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Services, is pleased with the INSIGHT blitz: “Supporting our local businesses is our first priority, and this helps us reach more of them. It complements and supports the work we've been doing through the Industrial Management and Safety Councils, our partnership with the Small Business Development Center, our networking and business events, and member discounts.”
Fostoria Economic Development Corporation President Renee Smith expressed similar support: "Business retention and expansion is a key focus of ours, as most of the new jobs and investment comes from existing companies. INSIGHT provides me and Fostoria area companies better access to more resources, which is really beneficial.”
SIEDC President & CEO David Zak also thanked people for their support: “I appreciate the entire INSIGHT consortium for their passion for local businesses and support of this program. I also want to thank the Regional Growth Partnership for providing additional team members through their relationship with COACT, the City of Tiffin for supplying an intern, and AEP supporting us the initiative through Local Economic Assistance Program (LEAP) grant.”
About SIEDC
Started in 1983, the Seneca Industrial and Economic Development Corp. (SIEDC) is a private, non-profit corporation dedicated to driving positive economic, downtown, and community development in Tiffin and Seneca County, Ohio, which consistently ranks among the top communities nationally for economic development. Learn more about the great things going on at the company’s blog at www.senecasuccess.com.
TIFFIN, OHIO – June 24, 2016 – The INSIGHT Consortium, a group of local and regional nonprofit business service providers, announced today that they are starting an intensive outreach effort to connect Tiffin, Fostoria, and Seneca County businesses with resources to help them grow and expand. The first phase of the effort is scheduled to run through the end of 2017.
Established at the end of 2014, the INSIGHT Consortium is made up of the Seneca Industrial and Economic Development Corp. (SIEDC), the Fostoria Economic Development Corp. (FEDC), the Seneca County Department of Job & Family Services, Terra State Community College, Sentinel Career Center, the Seneca Regional Chamber of Commerce of Visitors Services, Regional Growth Partnership, the Northwest Ohio Manufacturing Extension Partnership, and the Seneca Regional Planning Commission. The mission of the group is to work together to reach more businesses with more resources, and they meet monthly.
The program’s name comes from the main types of resources it seeks to provide (Information, New Business, Space, Investment, Government, Hiring, Training), and the group has identified more than 200 free or subsidized financing, grant, tax credit, consulting and other services that are available. What they want to do is make more Seneca County companies aware of those resources and help them take advantage of them.
The 2016-17 outreach blitz will be conducted by a team of more than 25 individuals, including the INSIGHT consortium members, as well as members of the Tiffin Downtown Main Street program, professional outreach firm COACT Associates, as well as a university intern. All information gathered will remain confidential within the respective agencies. Aggregate data and trends will be used for program development, planning, and policy.
Carol Owen Kern, Business Services Liaison with the Seneca County Department of Job & Family Services and a founding member of the consortium, is glad to see the group move forward with the blitz: “Seneca County JFS and Ohio Means Jobs have dedicated significant resources to helping companies recruit the workers they need, and this will help us all reach more businesses with our services.”
Beth Hannam, Manager of Business and Industry Training with Terra State Community College, likes the aggressive approach, “All of us on the INSIGHT team are excited about meeting the needs of more and more companies in Seneca County and about connecting businesses with hundreds of resources that are available. It's truly win-win," Beth Hannam said.
John Detwiler, President of the Seneca Regional Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Services, is pleased with the INSIGHT blitz: “Supporting our local businesses is our first priority, and this helps us reach more of them. It complements and supports the work we've been doing through the Industrial Management and Safety Councils, our partnership with the Small Business Development Center, our networking and business events, and member discounts.”
Fostoria Economic Development Corporation President Renee Smith expressed similar support: "Business retention and expansion is a key focus of ours, as most of the new jobs and investment comes from existing companies. INSIGHT provides me and Fostoria area companies better access to more resources, which is really beneficial.”
SIEDC President & CEO David Zak also thanked people for their support: “I appreciate the entire INSIGHT consortium for their passion for local businesses and support of this program. I also want to thank the Regional Growth Partnership for providing additional team members through their relationship with COACT, the City of Tiffin for supplying an intern, and AEP supporting us the initiative through Local Economic Assistance Program (LEAP) grant.”
About SIEDC
Started in 1983, the Seneca Industrial and Economic Development Corp. (SIEDC) is a private, non-profit corporation dedicated to driving positive economic, downtown, and community development in Tiffin and Seneca County, Ohio, which consistently ranks among the top communities nationally for economic development. Learn more about the great things going on at the company’s blog at www.senecasuccess.com.
