Business Retention & Attraction

Strategy…Over the past year and a half, the York County Economic Development Corporation (YCEDC) has been quietly developing several powerful tools designed to make our retention, expansion, and development activities more effective. Opportunities are emerging to begin integrating those tools with our existing programs as our economy comes out of the recession. YCEDC now has the capability of using our industry cluster analysis, published earlier this year, to focus our Business Retention and Expansion Program (BREP, formerly the Business Calling Program) on targeted industry clusters. With over 8,000 businesses in York County, the ability to effectively target our 146 annual visits in a deliberate and thoughtful way means that YCEDC can offer timely assistance where it will have the greatest impact on the local and regional economy.

The Industry Cluster Analysis examines the relative strength of all industries in York County against the performance of state and national competitors. It also groups industries into clusters defined by supply chain relationships. This approach provides powerful insight into the performance of our local economy over time, and also helps us determine emerging and declining clusters. Such “economic intelligence” can be used to develop growth strategies for emerging clusters, defense strategies against the “off shoring” of jobs, workforce development strategies, and precisely targeted marketing efforts that are much more likely to bear fruit. Using industry cluster analysis to target the BREP will also help YCEDC better understand the qualitative aspects of our industry clusters. These efforts help us plan and market York County more effectively, ultimately leading to greater economic growth, more jobs, higher incomes, and a better quality of life.

Business Liaison…This year, YCEDC Business Liaisons, or interviewers, will conduct 146 business retention visits with local CEO’s, CFO’s, and business owners. A sample of large, medium and small businesses will be visited. Information from these visits provides a knowledge base of current business trends and concerns on which the Commonwealth can build future programs to best encourage economic growth. It is a two-way communication and through the process many business leaders have learned of the available resources which can be brought to bear by State & Federal Agencies, the YCEDC, or many of the other affiliated service providers. These resources can help a business expand, be used to finance facility improvements, fund acquisitions, provide for workforce training, etc. The Business Liaison has the unique opportunity to gain understanding of the particular needs of each business in order to facilitate beneficial referrals.

As a Business Liaison, it is exciting to realize the variety and significance of the businesses located in York County, and is astonishing to learn and understand the capabilities as well as the degree of expertise existing within these businesses. Engineering, machining and metals, welding, paper, plastics, food production, health care, refrigeration, motorcycles and technology are among the industries well represented.

Many of our local companies do business around the world. Best of all, a significant number of companies with headquarters in York County began as small local entrepreneurial efforts and have grown into large international companies. The BREP is an effort to assure this process continues into the future. Customer Action Plan…As provided for under the guidelines of the BREP, YCEDC Business Liaisons make referrals by creating a Customer Action Plan (CAP) when appropriate. Throughout the course of the interview, the company may identify particular challenges that it may be facing or perhaps ideas it may have for expansion. YCEDC staff will develop a CAP that may involve free or low-cost consultation with a variety of service providers, or financial assistance in the form of low-interest loans, tax credits, and in certain cases, grants.

YCEDC is recognized as a service provider for BREP. Business retention calls to York County businesses often result in a referral to YCEDC staff for assistance in areas such as site selection assistance or in the arena of economic development financing. Such responsiveness is not new to YCEDC. The corporation has marketed and administered the Commonwealth’s array of economic development financing programs for over thirty years. In addition to establishing a formalized and consistent state wide business calling program, BREP serves as a marketing venue for economic development loan and grant programs, as well as other economic development tools. These economic development tools, at the disposal of YCEDC, facilitate the retention and creation of jobs for York County.

The purpose…of BREP is to bring resources to existing local businesses in order to facilitate expansion and growth in jobs and the economy.

The program is funded through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED). South Central Team PA, Inc. administers BREP within a seven county region. YCEDC implements the program and provides Business Liaisons in York County. Participating companies are asked to complete a comprehensive survey in conjunction with an in-depth interview with a Business Liaison. Relevant information is entered into a statewide database, and is used in shaping policies at the state level. Company-specific information is held in the strictest confidence. The BREP program has resulted in York County companies receiving assistance for a plant expansion, financing for new equipment, and implementation of Customized Job Training Programs. Through BREP, some companies have also received technical assistance on a range of issues from website development to the implementation of lean manufacturing processes.

While YCEDC will continue to target specific industry clusters, we continue to be a resource for any company seeking assistance. Companies interested in participating in the BREP or seeking specific assistance are encouraged to contact Ellie Lamison at 717.846.8879 x3037 or elamison@ycedc.org.