Adopt Resolution #20-153 Approving Manufactures Cohort 2020 Renewal 
 

Chamber Background
The City of Ramsey is a member of the Anoka Area Chamber of Commerce.  The Anoka Area Chamber of Commerce has a rich history of success in catering to the needs of retail, food, and professional service industries.  The Chamber specializes in events, marketing, and networking.

Manufacturing Coalition/ Manufacture Cohort Background
In 2015, the Chamber identified the need to better serve the large "manufacturing" sector physically located in the Chamber's service territory.  Commonly, the Chamber's standard "events/ marketing/ networking" opportunities do not provide significant value to manufacturers.  NOTE: the Cities of Ramsey and Anoka share a roughly 1,000 acre business park that includes over 10,000 jobs--most of said jobs are manufacturing (or related to manufacturing).

With this in mind, the Chamber began a "sub-group" known as the "Manufacturing Coalition" about five years ago.  Here is a link to their website: http://www.anokaareachambermanufacture.com/).  The group has now self identified as the Manufacture Cohort.  The mission of the Manufacture Cohort is to: become a catalyst for strengthening community manufacturing; accelerating transformation into a more efficient and powerful engine of innovation, job creation and economic growth.

In summary, the Manufacture Cohort is a group of leaders from local manufacturers that meet periodically to discuss and address issues unique to their industry and identify an ongoing topic list.  In some cases, meetings are purely the exchange of best practices. In other cases, the Manufacture Cohort asks the Chamber to implement and develop a service or product to help the group.  Currently, the #1 topic is addressing is workforce needs and shortages. 

Staff attended a Manufacturing Signing Day event held at Anoka Technical College in February 2019.  This event was well attended by both businesses and high school students.  The event is geared to educate potential future workforce about the manufacturing field and the demand for workers.  Staff also attended a another Cohort event in May 2019. At this event, Mike Mulrooney gave a presentation on the state of manufacturing industry and trends. The businesses in attendance seemed engaged and the event was well attended. Staff has attended other events since and has found them to be engaging and helpful to Ramsey businesses. 

Lastly, the Manufacture Cohort, through Chamber Staff, has routinely facilitated outreach with Legislators, businesses, and school districts to drive initiatives developed by this group. 

Although the Chamber does receive some funding for the Manufacture Cohort via subscriptions from manufacturing businesses, this initiative needs financial support to keep running.  The purpose of this case is to consider continued support of the Manufacture Cohort by providing $5,000 for the 2019-2020 program.  These dollars would be utilized for "facilitation/ operation" expenses related to the Manufacturing Cohort (meetings/communications/ etc.).  NOTE: the City has supported the program in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

 Mr. John LeTourneau serves as the facilitator of this process on behalf of the Chamber and will be available for comments. 

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Due to COVID-19, there has been less programming and events to start of 2020.  Here are the structured events and meetings that City Staff has attended since the EDA approved the 2019 renewal in July of last year
 

• 1/23/20 Rapid Packaging Tour - Champlin
• 10/4/19 – Safety Speed - Tour- Ham Lake- Manufacturing Week - Governor Walz
• 10/23/19 Saints Manufacturing - Saint Francis - Site visit of a high school engineering program

Consistent with the past several years, the City is being asked to consider funding $5,000.00. This expense comes from the EDA 6315. 

Other Trusted Sponsors that have provided past support for the Manufacture Cohort include: Anoka Technical College, Connexus Energy, Anoka Public Utility (City of Anoka), Anoka County, Stepping Stone and Rapid Packaging.

Considering Ramsey's limited internal resources (staff time) to pro-actively and effectively address large regional issues that effect our manufactures, the Anoka Area Chamber Manufactures Cohort provides the City an efficient opportunity to get involved.  The group has a focus on workforce development and this is a pressing issue in today's economy and our local businesses.  Staff recommends supporting sponsorship of this program again in 2020 as this group is providing a service to our local businesses/manufactures (i.e. Building Fasteners, Minnesota Tool and Die, Connexus Energy and others).

The EDA unanimously recommended approval of the attached resolution at the July 16, 2020 meeting.

Motion to adopt Resolution #20-153 Approving Manufactures Cohort in 2020 Renewal.