Half-Way Report

Posted by Amy Clickner on July 13, 2012

So we have come to the half-way point of the year, and as I mentioned last week, the Lake Superior Community Partnership is on pace to assist over 30% more business development clients than 2011, which is more than ever before. As demonstrated by the LSCP Dashboard at Marquette.org, clients we have assisted so far this year account for 749 new jobs (projected), as well as 2,747 jobs retained within our community.

As we have evolved from a Chamber of Commerce to an organization centered on business development services, it will continue to be important for us to remain transparent as to what we do and how well we are doing it. However, I must remind you that there are many aspects of our operations that cannot be disclosed.

Everyone wants to know who is expanding, what businesses are coming to our area, where they will be located, etc. A majority of the time this information is classified. Sometimes clients we are assisting are struggling with working capital, economic issues, trying to avoid lay-offs or other issues which aren’t exactly things a company wants to make public.

How often have you heard of a specific store or restaurant that is rumored to be coming to town, only for it to never come to fruition? The rumor may have come from a seed of truth, but there are so many phases to the project that are sensitive that it’s important to keep things quiet until it’s a “done deal.” In order to control information and avoid miscommunication, many companies require confidentiality agreements with all parties involved before heading into the process.

Although we can’t always give the specifics on the projects and clients we are working with, we will continue to do our best to communicate our contribution to the economic progress of Marquette County.

To take a closer look at the LSCP Dashboard, or for more information on the development services the LSCP offers, visit our website at Marquette.org.