THE SHELBYVILLE-BEDFORD Partnership recruits new industries and businesses to Shelbyville and Bedford County, but the Partnership also has a robust program to retain and expand existing businesses. The Partnership recognizes the vital role each company plays in the economic prosperity of Shelbyville and Bedford County. We are fortunate to have a vibrant and diverse in- dustrial sector. We must maintain open lines of communication with each entity to build relationships and provide support.
The Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) program builds relationships between the community and the current portfolio of companies and industries. The BR&E program aims to open communication channels with existing industries for workforce development, infrastructure, and other business development needs. The BR&E meetings allow the company to share its experiences in the community, with the Partnership. The visits provide tangible information on the health of the local com- pany and may reveal any opportunities for the local community and the Partnership to provide support to the company.
The BR&E meetings also allow Shelbyville and Bed- ford County to share opportunities, concerns, and obser- vations from the community, with the local industry. The Partnership sets meetings with local industries and serves as the spokesperson for the community. The Partnership and others invited to attend may know of emerging edu- cational initiatives and other support programs that could provide solutions to industry issues. Periodically, it is help- ful for elected officials, educators, and others to attend the meetings. The free flow of information during a BR&E meeting is beneficial to all parties.
The Shelbyville-Bedford Partnership conducts business retention and expansion visits with existing local industries throughout the calendar year. The frequency of visits varies depending on many factors such as; industry requests, im- plementation of programs, issue resolution, and familiarity. The base goal for the Partnership is to visit each employer at least annually.
Late in 2022, the Partnership observed that many industries in Shelbyville and Bedford County had never interacted with each other. Superficially this may not appear to be unhealthy, but the reality is that local industries may have shareable industry-spe- cific information, employment opportu- nities, and purchasing needs easily solved between each other at the local level.
To facilitate the free flow of informa- tion between large employers in Shelbyville and Bedford County, the Partnership organized the first annual “C-suite Event.” C-suite refers to the executive-level managers in an organization. The top 25 largest employers received invitations to attend. Cooper Steele sponsored the event held at the Nearest Green Distillery. Dwell Interiors and Jesco Construction provided door prizes. The Uncle Nearest whiskey brand presented the guests with tours and entertainment. The event delivered a quali- ty informal atmosphere for c-suite execu- tives to network. “C-suite” also touched the employment leaders by providing jobs to thousands of households in Shelbyville and Bedford County. The employers in atten- dance, afford thousands of households the ability to earn pay for their family’s hopes, dreams, and aspirations.
The Partnership proudly works to strengthen the relationship between existing industry and the community. Strong industry relationships fit the Partnership’s motto, “Pros- perity through Partnership.” -GN
