Brunswick Economic Development Corporation
28 Federal
Street
Brunswick, Maine 04011
Strategic Plan Executive Summary
The Brunswick Economic Development Corporation (BEDC) is a quasi-governmental corporation organized for the purpose of promoting economic development in Brunswick. It is governed by a 19 member Board of Directors consisting of representatives from both the public and private sectors.
The mission of the Brunswick Economic Development Corporation is: To foster, encourage and coordinate economic development within the Town of Brunswick, focusing on the diversification of its tax base, the creation and retention of quality jobs, and the betterment of the community.
Toward that end, the BEDC developed this Strategic Plan, including an inventory and analysis of economic and physical conditions, a SWAT analysis, and an action plan. The action plan provides the foundation for the work that the BEDC will do. The action plan is organized around three primary themes:
· Support of local economic development projects and activities and building relationships with the business community,
· The promotion and maintenance of Brunswick as the primary service center community for the region, and
· Developing a creative and effective “tool kit” to assist existing and new businesses in their growth and development in Brunswick.
Supporting Local Economic Development.
The primary role of the BEDC is to promote sustainable economic development in the Town of Brunswick. To do so, the BEDC has established the following goals:
o Create clusters of economic development across several industry and business types that represent a retained or new net value to the community, offer a new or expanded manufacturing process, relate to a distinct professional or cultural base, and will assist in the development of other like businesses.
o Mobilize and nurture project opportunities that further sustainable economic development in Brunswick, assisting in obtaining project support, financial assistance and approval where necessary.
o Link the overarching theme of the creative economy to the arts community in Brunswick through support, marketing, and providing assistance and places in which to expand.
o Develop recreational, business and cultural interests that can grow and expand with a developing and highly sophisticated retirement community.
There are 24 specific action steps for BEDC to take in implementing the four goals above. The action steps include the parties to be involved and the timeframe in which the actions are carried out.
Work to promote and continue the role of Brunswick as the region’s prime service center community.
Brunswick plays host to over half of the region’s employees and accounts for 66% of all regional retail sales. As a result, the BEDC must remain focused on the role of service center provider. BEDC shall work with Town staff, public and private agencies, private enterprise, and neighbors to insure that the there are adequate services and facilities to support existing and future businesses. The primary goals are as follows:
o Develop good cooperation and coordination through consistent communication with businesses, business groups, municipal boards and administration officials that will further economic development in Brunswick.
o Coordinate the development of capital and infrastructure needs that further project opportunities in Brunswick.
o Insure that the regulatory environment is effective in protecting the interests of the community but balanced in terms of process and minimizing the cost of doing business in Brunswick
Create an effective base of tools to assist in business development and expansion
The BEDC has identified a series of tools and activities it believes is needed to assist in business development. These tools must be broad based, readily accessible and available to both existing businesses (retention and expansion) and new business (expansion).
- Market the Town of Brunswick as a place to live for a lifetime, coordinating that effort with local and regional work that insure maximum exposure for the community.
- Work with businesses, labor force providers, area colleges and vocational training centers to insure that Brunswick’s labor force is adequate in supply and skill sets.
- Develop a tool set for BEDC that will permit them to directly assist business development, particularly in the areas of business retention and new construction.
- Develop an information base that will serve as a source of information for new or existing businesses choosing to expand or locate in Brunswick.
The full version of the BEDC Strategic Plan is available to download as a PDF file.
The full version of the BEDC Bylaws is available to download as a PDF file.
The 2005-2006 BEDC Annual Report is available to download as a PDF file.
The BEDC Conflict of Interest Policy is available to download as a PDF file.
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