Our business growth consultants often encourage manufacturers to embrace processes they describe as “force multipliers,” actions or relationships that magnify positive outcomes beyond the expected. In our mission to support the state’s manufacturing sector, our ties with Minnesota’s Initiative Foundations are a real force multiplier.
Enterprise Minnesota performs two primary functions as the key advocate for manufacturing in the state. Our highly qualified consultants work directly with companies to help them grow profitably, and we serve as the “voice” of Minnesota manufacturing, driving a diverse coalition of interests that support manufacturing across the state.
Minnesota’s Initiative Foundations constitute a key partner in that coalition. The six independent entities were established with support from the McKnight Foundation in the mid-1980s to invest in regions outside of Minneapolis/St. Paul. Greater Minnesota was particularly hard hit by the farm crisis, and since their founding, the independent foundations in each area have worked to serve their regions with grants, business loans, programs, and donor services that boost economic strength.
We are grateful for our growing relationship with the foundations and celebrate their commitment to the areas they serve. Maintaining a healthy climate for manufacturing in small towns and population centers across Greater Minnesota is critical to their missions. They recognize that manufacturers bring outsized value to their communities, with high-paying, high-potential jobs that can sustain the vibrancy of small cities and towns.
As Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation president/CEO Tim Penny says in this issue’s “Four Questions” feature, “If there is a longstanding manufacturing facility, one that’s healthy and has a good number of employees, it can keep a small town vibrant.”
That understanding drives all the Initiative Foundations to work closely with Enterprise Minnesota on some of our most valuable programs. Each of the foundations supports our annual State of Manufacturing® survey, helping identify participants and sponsoring our regional focus groups, which add unmatched insight to the results of our annual report.
Every year, Enterprise Minnesota releases the survey results in each of the Initiative Foundation regions, bringing together manufacturers, economic developers, legislators, and industry stakeholders. Supported by the foundations, these events provide a high-profile platform for sharing the survey results and give manufacturers an opportunity to connect with each other and highlight their value in the local economy.
Many foundation leaders also participate in the manufacturing tours we coordinate with elected officials. They are well-known and respected in their areas, and they can share their insight on the value of vibrant manufacturers to the health of their regions. The tours are among our most important outreach efforts as we build relationships with lawmakers whose decisions directly impact manufacturers and their communities.
The Initiative Foundations have also hosted our manufacturing Peer Councils over the years. Held monthly across the state for executives from small- and medium-sized companies, the forums give participants an opportunity to speak candidly and confidentially with their peers about their challenges and opportunities. For many small companies, they serve as an informal board of directors.
In addition to partnering with Enterprise Minnesota’s work, the Initiative Foundations perform a critical role in supporting the underlying health of the economies across Greater Minnesota. They are acutely aware of the workforce issues facing many of their employers, and have taken bold measures to address one particularly challenging aspect of that problem: childcare.
Spurred by concerns voiced by employers, including manufacturers, the foundations have developed programs for communities and childcare providers themselves. By offering training, consulting, funding, and other resources, they are increasing the number and quality of childcare slots available to families. Their work in this area is crucial to stabilizing the workforce in Greater Minnesota.
As we gear up for this year’s State of Manufacturing survey and continue our mission as advocates for Minnesota’s manufacturers, we couldn’t be more pleased with our “force multiplying” relationship with the Initiative Foundations.
