Seneca Fortune 500 initiative has already reached out to 513 businesses
TIFFIN, OHIO – June 16, 2021 – The Tiffin-Seneca Economic Partnership (TSEP) announced today that it has broken the previous record for business outreach (322) and surpassed the goal of 500 set when the Seneca Fortune 500 initiative was launched in January. The economic development nonprofit plans on continuing its efforts throughout the year.
The formal Business Retention & Expansion program is designed to connect with more businesses, see how they are doing, and quickly assess if those businesses can take advantage of any of the available local, state or federal economic development programs that could support their growth. If any potential resources are identified, a TSEP team member will either assist them in accessing the resource directly or connect them to a resource partner.
Resources include various financing, grants, and tax break programs. They include free organizations, services, and initiatives that provide technical assistance in small business growth, workforce development, operational improvement, and sales and marketing.
So far, TSEP has reached out to 513 business establishments, of which 142 have been in rural Seneca County, 51 in downtown Tiffin, and the rest are elsewhere in the city of Tiffin. They have been able to assist 115 businesses access resources to help them grow.
TSEP President & CEO David Zak explained the reason for the increase: “The key to this year’s success has been our partnership with COACT Associates in Toledo. Chris Farkas and Brooklyn Ross have been able to do a lot of the initial outreach on our behalf thanks to a grant Carol Owen helped us obtain. We have developed a great system together, and it’s working.”
There are about 1,400 business establishments located in Tiffin and rural Seneca County, and TSEP typically interacts with about 250 businesses annually. Previously, a record 322 business establishments were connected in 2020.
Tiffin Mayor Aaron Montz said he is pleased about the announcement, “We continue to be one of the national leaders in economic development, and our outreach to local businesses is the key to that success. We don’t plan on letting our foot off the gas any time soon.”
Seneca County Commission President Mike Kerschner agreed, saying, “I couldn’t be more pleased with the effort to reach all of the businesses in Seneca County, including those in the villages and townships. We continue to increase our impact year over year.”
About the Tiffin-Seneca Economic Partnership
Started in 1983 as the Seneca Industrial and Economic Development Corp. (SIEDC), the Tiffin-Seneca Economic Partnership 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 in Tiffin and Seneca County at www.tiffinseneca.org.
