Diverse, Forward-Thinking Economy Issue Work Group Explores Incubators, Investor Networks, and Innovation

Group Tours Chattanooga Incubator 

            Over the past several months, a combined group of professionals and citizen volunteers has been meeting under the leadership of Archway Executive Committee members Don Cope and Elyse Cochran to specifically address how we as a community can diversify and support our entrepreneurs and innovators.  As part of its work, this group has been exploring tools that may be useful to entrepreneurs and innovators, such as a business incubator.

            As a result, Issue Work Group members Larry Johnson, Associate Dean of the Dalton State College School of Business, and Donna Mayo, Dean of the Dalton State College School of Business, arranged for a local delegation to visit the Chattanooga/Hamilton County Business Development Center on March 25 to learn about how that incubator operates. 

            At the incubator, Dalton representatives were greeted by Kathryn Foster, Director of Small Business and Entrepreneurship at the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce; Dan Saieed, Director of the Hamilton County Development Department; and Cheryl Millsaps, CFA of the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce.  Kathryn, Dan and Cheryl were able to give our local representatives an overview of the incubator’s history, funding, and success rates.  In addition, the Chattanooga staff shared the benchmarks (available at http://www.chattanoogachamber.com/PDF_Files/bdc_lease_09_10_08.pdf) that incubator tenants are expected to meet for the 3-4 years that they participate in the program.

            At an April 4, 2011, issue work group meeting, tour participants reported on what they learned.  As a result of questions asked at that meeting, plans are underway to have a representative from Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute come speak at the May 9th meeting of the group about funding vehicles for incubators.

            If you would like to be a part of these discussions, mark your calendar for the Issue Work Group’s next meeting at the Dalton Utilities Auditorium on May 9 at 4:00 PM.

            Group Explores Possibility of a Local Investor Network

            In addition to exploring the possibility of a business incubator, the Diverse, Forward Thinking Economy Issue Work Group has also begun considering how to assist those innovators and potential start ups in need of unconventional financing.  Issue Work Group members Dawn Sanders, Community Banking Relationship Manager and City President for the Dalton market of Regions Bank; Robert Varner, Senior Vice President and Business Services Officer at BB&T; and Rand Riedrich Northwest Area Director for the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center, are currently working together to identify the criteria that potential investors might require of applicants.  As this group’s work progresses, the Small Business Development Center can assist candidates with developing a business plan, and provide information on financing.  

            Ultimately, this group will need the expertise of attorneys and CPAs as it attempts to work with due diligence issues.  If you are interested in this topic and have expertise to offer, please join us at our 4:00 PM meeting on May 9, 2011, at Dalton Utilities to learn more. 

            Group works to Spotlight Dalton-Whitfield as an Innovation Hot Spot

            In March and April, the Diverse, Forward-Thinking Economy Work Group continued to compile an inventory of “innovation” currently occurring in this community.  The group has a robust inventory but is always looking for more information to highlight.  If you are an innovator with something to share, please contact Melissa Lu (mdlu@uga.edu) or Sue Chapman (chapmans@uga.edu) so we can put you in touch with the right people.  The group hopes to use non-confidential information from the inventory to market our community to outsiders as an innovative place of business.  In addition, the information will be used in determining how our current initiatives can be a launching pad for diversification.

Successful, Sustainable Industries Issue Work Group Explores Local Perceptions of Floorcovering Industry

          Over the last two months, UGA Candidate for Masters in Business Administration (MBA) student, Charles Simpson, has worked under the direction of the Successful, Sustainable Industries Issue Work Group to articulate the difficulties that our local industries face in attracting a qualified workforce, and to begin to develop a marketing campaign to address those difficulties.  To date, Charles has interviewed many vice presidents, human resources directors, and plant managers in the floorcovering industry.  In addition, he has conducted a focus group of Operations Management trainees, toured a local research and development facility, and attended a communications and marketing conference with the purpose of bringing back new strategies to impact our local industries.      

Arts and Culture Issue Work Group Creates Inventory and List of Priorities

          Efforts to compile a comprehensive inventory of arts and cultural assets are underway.  While this inventory will require constant updating, the goal is to establish a baseline of opportunities that can guide marketing efforts targeting both residents and visitors.  The inventory includes galleries, studios, festivals, markets, performances, arts and music instruction, dance, exhibits and displays, tours, literary events, lectures, theater, and many other community assets.

            Over the past few months, the Arts and Culture Issue Work Group identified eight potential community needs related to the arts and culture.  This “wish list” includes:

• Children’s Fine Arts Museum
• Outdoor Venue
• Arts and Culture Consortium (for coordination and marketing purposes)
• Public Arts Program available to all
• “State of the Art” Performing Arts Center
• Marketing Specific to Holiday Shopping
• More Tours of Manufacturing Facilities/Carpet Museum (with focus on both the heritage and the future of floorcovering industry)
• Organized Approach to Preserving Land

Over the summer, the group will focus their efforts on gathering information to support their top priorities from the “wish list”:  Performing Arts Center, Arts and Culture Consortium, and Industrial Heritage and Future.  A number of studies from earlier efforts to establish a performing arts center in the community are available and will need updating based on current desires for uses of the center, funding options and other factors.  The work group also plans to gather best practices related to the establishment of a consortium to support arts and culture.  This consortium is not expected to include fundraising as a responsibility; rather it will focus on marketing and coordination of efforts among community entities.  Acknowledging that other Archway Partnership efforts are focusing on the floorcovering industry’s image, history and future, the group will work cooperatively with other established work groups to determine shared action plans.

David Aft and Linda Blackman, co-chairs of the Arts and Culture Issue Work Group, have met with a sub-group interested in heritage tourism.  This group’s goals over the next few months are to develop a complete inventory of historic and heritage-related assets and a narrative that forms a basis for future marketing efforts.  A set of geographic parameters were determined and initial focus areas were defined as Civil War historic sites; sites related to the Cherokee Indians; sites and attractions related to the textile industry; sites related to historic structures, landmarks and downtowns; and sites and attractions related to trains and the railroad.  Once completed, the inventory will form the basis for marketing efforts to destination tourists, local enthusiasts and historians and other interested groups.  

Downtown Dalton Issue Work Group Visits with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs

          Members of the Vibrant Downtown Issue Work Group met on March 14, 2011, with Leamon Scott and Billy Parish from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) to request assistance with several needs related to the “top 3” priorities:  (1) Developing North Hamilton Street, (2) Revitalizing Planet of the Grapes building; and (3) Developing Crawford Street based on streetscape designs.  DCA has identified numerous resources that are available to assist with the efforts and will begin gathering specific information regarding best practices across the state.

            Two students from the UGA Terry College of Business are currently working on three informational components needed by the Issue Work Group.  First, the students are researching the specific businesses/types of businesses that can be financially feasible and successful in a downtown area, and identifying how similar communities have recruited those businesses.  Second, the students are comparing our downtown to others in terms to identify potential obstacles to recruitment, such as zoning restrictions and operational policies.  Third, the students are studying how successful non-chain businesses can be maintained in downtowns.  A report of these findings and recommendations is expected in early May. 

Greenways, Parks and Trails

          Currently there is not an Archway Partnership work group addressing greenways, parks and trails specifically.  However, we are pleased to report that some of the trails mapped last summer by the UGA College of Environment and Design student interns are now open.  Many community members were engaged in clearing and marking these trails, including Dalton State College faculty and students and Scout troops.  

As reported in the Dalton Daily Citizen on April 16, 2011, the city of Dalton announced receipt of “…a $100,000 grant from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to create five miles of hiking and mountain biking trails on Mount Rachel.”  An additional trails grant from the Georgia Department of Transportation is pending.  This project, if funded, would “…link Mount Rachel with the Haig Mill lake, Mill Creek and the Crown Mill area.”  The Archway Partnership anticipates placing student interns in the community this summer to continue this work. 

If you have interest in greenways, parks and trails and would like to get involved in these efforts, please contact Melissa Lu (mdlu@uga.edu) or Sue Chapman (chapmans@uga.edu) so we can put you in touch with the right people.