Anoka Area Chamber of Commerce: Manufacture Cohort: 2021-2022 Renewal
 

The purpose of this case is consider renewal payment for the 2021-2022 Manufacture Cohort Season

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.   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.  This past year the Manufactures Cohort was able to secure a $120,000 Dual Training Pipeline Grant to train incumbent (Current) workers in advance manufacturing related skills related to their employment.  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 operating.  The purpose of this case is to consider continued support of the Manufacture Cohort by providing $5,000 for the 2021-2022 program year.  These dollars would be utilized for "facilitation/ operation" expenses related to the Manufacturing Cohort (meetings/communications/ etc.).  NOTE: the City has supported the program 2016-2021.

Chamber President Pete Turok will be in attendance to provide addional information if needed. Staff has compiled information provided by John LeTourneau in included in the case.  The information includes a 2021-2022 Workplan, Recap of work done, Questions and Answers related to the program and some financial information.  The current focus is on workforce development, education and coordination.  Mr. LeTourneau serves as the facilitator of this process on behalf of the Anoka Area Chamber. 

N/A

Last year, John LeTourneau and the Manufactures Cohort led an initiative to secure a Dual Training Grant from the State of Minnesota. The group successfully procured a $120,000 grant.  This grant is used to train incumbent workers (current) workers in Advanced Manufacturing skills related to their employment. Many Ramsey businesses showed interest in securing dollars for their workers.  Ultimately, ony two Ramsey businesses (Multisource and Intech) followed through and received $6,000 each for the training of one employee. 

Member Scott Cords attended the Cohort meeting on December 28, 2021 (slide show included in Recap Document).  Options relating to the Dual Training Grant presented at the meeting were 1) apply only to getting more training to the folks that completed the first round, or 2) focus on more first round folks and get more people trained, and then help businesses apply for their own grants for progressing their people.  Option (2) was chosen by the Cohort and it will be pursued. Member Cords sent a meeting summary to me afterward stating he found it to be worthwhile, going as far to say having seen this program and the feedback from participants that he was supportive of the $5,000 contribution the EDA makes. 

Alternatives:

1) EDA recommendation to the City Council to pay the $5,000 invoice for the 2021-2022 Manufactures Cohort Season
2) EDA recommendation to the City Council to not pay the $5,000 invoice for the 2021-2022 Manufactures Cohort Season
3) Something else

Consistent with the past several years, the City is being asked to consider funding $5,000.00. This expense has historically come from the EDA Budget.

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 Manufacture Cohort provides the City an efficient opportunity to get involved and provide opportunities for Ramsey businesses.  The group has a focus on workforce development and this is a pressing issue in today's economy and our local businesses.   The Cohort group has provided a helpful service to our local businesses/manufactures (i.e. B & F Fastener Supply, Minnesota Tool and Die, Dynamic Group, Life Fitness, Hoya Vision Care, Intech, MultiSource and others).

Staff is seeking broad policy direction from the EDA at this point as to whether or not to continue our financial contribution to this specific program of the Anoka Area Chamber of Commerce. 

Motion to recommend that the City continue/not continue its $5,000 contribution to the Anoka Area Chamber of Commerce Manufactures Cohort.