Lakeland Economic Development Council Inc

THE LAKELAND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL (LEDC) IS A PRIVATE, NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION WITH APPROXIMATELY 135+ MEMBER COMPANIES. THE LEDC'S PRIMARY ROLE IS TO HELP CREATE JOBS AND CAPITAL INVESTMENT BY ATTRACTING NEW COMPANIES AS WELL AS FACILITATING THE EXPANSION OF EXISTING COMPANIES IN THE LAKELAND AREA.

LEDC STAFF IN JANUARY 2022, THE LEDC BROUGHT ON SENIOR VP, KATIE WORTHINGTON DECKER. IN HER ROLE SHE MANAGES SPECIAL PROJECTS AND THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TEAM, WHILE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE PRESIDENT ON GOVERNMENT AND INVESTOR RELATIONS. IN MAY 2022, LEDC LOST A VALUED MEMBER OF OUR TEAM, ASHLEY CHEEK, WHO LEFT TO PURSUE A PART-TIME JOB THAT ALLOWED MORE FLEXIBILITY WITH THE BIRTH OF HER DAUGHTER. IN JULY 2022, THE LEDC HIRED VP OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, ABBAS JAFFER WHO JOINED US AFTER 8 YEARS WITH THE CITY OF LAKELAND, MOST RECENTLY IN THE ROLE OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT. LEDC BOARD & STAFF HELD ITS 10TH ANNUAL RETREAT IN 2022, WITH AN AGENDA THAT INCLUDED: -BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CATALYST PLAN INCENTIVES MULTI-FAMILY REPORT EAST MAIN -CITY OF LAKELAND CATALYST PLAN FUNDING MAYOR'S 2ND TERM PRIORITIES RP FUNDING CENTER WASTEWATER LAKELAND ELECTRIC RATE STUDY BODY CAMS - PUBLIC SAFETY PROPOSED MILLAGE INCREASE PENSION -CATAPULT BUSINESS UNIT EVALUATIONS MISSION FIT PROGRAM EVALUATION COVID FUND PROGRAMS -DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY -PRIORITIES

REGULAR MEETINGS: LEDC WAS AN EARLY ADOPTER OF IN-PERSON MEETINGS FOLLOWING COVID, STARTING IN JANUARY 2022, RETURNING TO MEETING SCHEDULE OF EVERY MONTH, WITH SUMMER MONTHS HAVING A HIATUS. HIGHLIGHTS OF MEETINGS INCLUDE: -NEW MEMBER/MEMBER REP PRESENTATIONS - ADENA, PRIME MERIDIAN, CRITERION CALIBRATION, BAYCARE BARTOW REGIONAL, FARM CREDIT, RODDA CONSTRUCTION, GREAT IMPRESSIONS, WATSON CLINIC, LAKELAND ELECTRIC, LAKELAND REGIONAL HEALTH BEHAVIORIAL HEALTH, LAKELAND CRA, TRIZ ADVISORY, LAKELAND SQUARE MALL, BLUE STEELE, SUMMIT CONSULTING. -VARIOUS GOVERNMENT/LOCAL OFFICIALS - BILL MUTZ, LAKELAND MAYOR; SCOTT FRANKLIN, US REPRESENTATIVE; AMY WIGGINS, LAKELAND CHAMBER PRESIDENT; THIBAULT MANEKIN, DEVELOPER AND AUTHOR. COMMUNICATIONS: ONGOING COMMUNICATIONS WITH OUR MEMBERS AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS CONTINUED THROUGH: NEWSLETTER - LEDC CONTINUED TO PROVIDE A HIGH-QUALITY ONLINE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER THAT HIGHLIGHTS GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, LEDC MEETINGS, ETC. BLOG - THE LEDC PERIODICALLY WROTE BLOG POSTS TO GIVE MORE IN-DEPTH DETAILS TO THE PROJECTS WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS YEAR. IN FEBRUARY, WE TOOK A DEEP DIVE INTO THIBAULT MANEKIN'S SPEECH AND BOOK LARGER THAN YOURSELF. FOLLOWING OUR CITY COMMISSION RETREAT PRESENTATION, WE ANNOUNCED THE CATALYST 2.0 APPLICATION PROJECT ON THE BLOG. AFTER A JAMMED SEPTEMBER INVESTOR MEETING, WE WROTE A BLOG POST TO CAPTURE THE ANNOUNCEMENTS MADE TO SHARE WITH OUR INVESTOR IN THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER. OUR SUMMER LEADERSHIP PROGRAM INTERNS ALSO WROTE 8 WEEKLY RECAPS OF THE PARTICIPANTS' EXPERIENCES TO SHARE WITH THEIR MANAGERS AND SPONSORS. MEDIA - THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, THE LEDC WAS FEATURED IN MULTIPLE MEDIA ARTICLES WHICH INCLUDED ARTICLES ON THE CATALYST APPLICATION, THE EXPANDING LEDC TEAM, PROJECT HORIZON, AND SEVERAL TAMPA BAY BUSINESS JOURNAL ARTICLES ON THE LAKELAND BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT.

EXISTING INDUSTRY VISITS THE PRESIDENT, SVP, MAYOR AND CITY MANAGER EMBARKED ON A ROUND OF EXISTING INDUSTRY VISITS THAT BEGAN IN MARCH 2022 AND WERE COMPLETED IN AUGUST 2022. THEY MET WITH 68 EXECUTIVES FROM THE 14 COMPANIES BELOW WHICH REPRESENT 26,114 EMPLOYEES AND 15.4M SF IN LAKELAND. THE 1 MOST PRESSING ISSUE FOR EACH COMPANY WAS TALENT RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION IN THIS POST COVID ENVIRONMENT. OTHER TOPICS THAT WERE THEMES THROUGHOUT OUR MEETINGS WERE POSITIVE AND SOMETIMES EXPONENTIAL COMPANY GROWTH THROUGH COVID, IMPROVING PERCEPTION OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND NAVIGATING ACCESS, AVAILABILITY OF INFANT-PREK CHILDCARE, AFFORDABILITY OF HOUSING AND THE DIVERSITY OF INVENTORY, MANAGING COMMUNITY GROWTH AND INFRASTRUCTURE, AND A GENERAL POSITIVITY AROUND THE CITY OF LAKELAND GOVERNMENT AND THE DIRECTION THE COMMUNITY IS HEADING. COMPANIES VISITED INCLUDED - AMAZON AIR, PUBLIX, GEICO, ROOMS TO GO, IGT, SADDLE CREEK LOGISTICS, LAKELAND REGIONAL HEALTH, SOUTHERN GLAZER WINE & SPIRITS, LOCKHEED MARTIN, SUMMIT, PEPPERIDGE FARMS, TAMPA MAID FOODS, PRIMO WATER, AND WATSON CLINIC. TALENT RECRUITMENT & RETENTION THE CHALLENGES WITH THE LABOR MARKET WERE AMPLIFIED FOR OUR MEMBERS IN THE POST-PANDEMIC ENVIRONMENT. NOW MORE THAN EVER, INITIATIVES TO SUPPORT OUR EMPLOYERS AS THEY RECRUIT AND RETAIN EMPLOYEES WERE REQUESTED. THINGS WE ADDRESSED: SUMMER LEADERSHIP PROGRAM - LEDC BROUGHT BACK SLP AFTER A 2-YEAR HIATUS DURING THE PANDEMIC. TWO SESSIONS WERE HELD FROM JUNE THROUGH AUGUST THAT HOSTED OVER 80 PARTICIPANTS FROM 32 COMPANIES. THIS YEAR'S PROGRAM WAS LED BY TWO INTERNS, KELSEY ELMHORST (FSC) AND CHARLOTTE ROBERTS (UF). AS A PART OF KELSEY'S INTERNSHIP, SHE CONDUCTED AN IN-DEPTH SURVEY OF PAST SLP GRADUATES TO DETERMINE WHETHER THEY STAYED WITH THE SPONSORING COMPANY OR IF THEY STILL LIVED IN LAKELAND AS WELL AS THEIR REFLECTIONS ON THE PROGRAM AND THOUGHTS ABOUT LAKELAND. FUTURE LEADERS - IN EARLY 2022, THE HSHW FUTURE LEADERS GROUP AND THE FUTURE LEADERS BOARD MET TOGETHER TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT WERE OF GREATEST INTEREST FROM THEIR 2021 RETREAT. THEIR MEETINGS INCLUDED THE TOPICS BELOW. THE BOARD (SELF DUBBED THE KIDS TABLE) BEGAN TO MEET SEPARATELY FOR THEIR BOARD MEETINGS, CONDUCTED BY THE LEDC SVP, WHICH ARE DONE EVERY OTHER MONTH IN A SIMILAR FASHION TO THE LEDC BOARD MEETINGS. 1. ENTREPRENEURS & VENTURE CAPITAL 2. CHRISTMAS SOCIALS 3. HOMELESS TOURS & PANELS 4. TALENT RECRUITMENT & RETENTION FOCUS GROUP/RESEARCH DEBRIEF EXISTING INDUSTRY FEEDBACK - AS MENTIONED ABOVE, TALENT RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION ONCE AGAIN DOMINATED THE CONVERSATION AMONGST THE C-SUITES OF OUR MAJOR EMPLOYERS, BUT IN DIFFERENT WAYS THAN THE LEDC'S INDUSTRY VISITS IN 2016 AND 2020 CEO SURVEYS. EXPANSION OF REMOTE WORK HAS INCREASED NATIONAL COMPETITION FOR LAKELAND-BASED EMPLOYEES AND WAGE AND BENEFIT COMPETITION HAS ACCELERATED EMPLOYEES LEAVING FOR MINOR IMPROVEMENTS IN EITHER. EMPLOYEE'S EXPECTATION OF IMPROVED WORK-LIFE BALANCE HAS GROWN BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC AND HAS DRIVEN MANY EMPLOYERS TO EVALUATE THEIR SCHEDULES, REMOTE AND HYBRID WORK POLICIES, AND COMPANY CULTURE. FOCUS GROUPS - TO ENSURE OUR EFFORTS ON A TALENT RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION INITIATIVE WOULD BE MOST IMPACTFUL TO LEDC MEMBERS AND THE LARGER LAKELAND BUSINESS COMMUNITY, WE HELD FOCUS GROUPS WITH TWO STAKEHOLDER GROUPS - THE HSHW FUTURE LEADERS AND A GROUP OF HR AND CEOS FROM THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SECTOR. THE HSHW FUTURE LEADERS WERE ASKED TO SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS ABOUT LAKELAND AS A COMMUNITY AND THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH LIVING AND WORKING HERE. THE IT ROUND TABLE FOCUS GROUP WAS FOCUSED ON THE CHALLENGES IN RECRUITING IT EMPLOYEES TO LAKELAND AND WHAT TOOLS THE CEOS AND HR DIRECTORS WOULD USE TO BOLSTER THEIR RECRUITMENT EFFORTS. LAL PARTNERSHIP - NEW TO LAKELAND WEBSITE - IT WAS CLEAR TO THE LEDC THAT COMPANIES NEEDED AN EASIER WAY TO COMMUNICATE LAKELAND AS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE AND WORK IN ADDITION TO ANSWERING THE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FROM CANDIDATES ON THE OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES THAT COME FROM LIVING IN LAKELAND. THE LEDC REACHED OUT TO THE PARTNERS AT 6AM CITY (LALTODAY) TO SEE IF THEY HAD EXAMPLES OF BEST PRACTICES OF THIS IN THEIR 25 MARKETS AND THEY SAID THAT THEY DID NOT AND THEREFORE WERE WORKING ON A NEW PLATFORM TO DO JUST THIS. THE LEDC ENTERED A CONTRACT TO BE THEIR FIRST LOCATION FOR A NEWCOMERS/CITY GUIDE. AS A PART OF THE PROJECT, 6AM BUILT NEWTOLAKELAND.COM WHICH HAS OVER 50 PIECES OF CONTENT. A 1.0 VERSION WAS SOFT LAUNCHED WITH CONTENT IN LATE AUGUST WITH A FULLY DESIGNED VERSION TO BE LAUNCHED IN DECEMBER 2022. PRINT MATERIALS - IN ADDITION TO DIGITAL CONTENT, EMPLOYERS DO OCCASIONALLY HAVE A NEED FOR A PRINT VERSION OF A RELOCATION GUIDE. THE LEDC HAS DEVELOPED TWO, ONE-PAGE FLYERS THAT CAN BE CUSTOMIZED FOR THE EMPLOYER TO INCLUDE IN PHYSICAL OR DIGITAL RECRUITMENT PACKETS AS WELL AS NEW-HIRE ONBOARDING PACKETS. THERE IS A DESIRE IN THE FUTURE TO DEVELOP INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC RECRUITMENT MATERIALS, SUCH AS BUILDING A NARRATIVE AROUND LAKELAND AS A DESTINATION FOR IT PROFESSIONALS. ONGOING OUTPUTS - TO COMPLIMENT THE WORK ABOVE, IN 2023 LEDC WILL DEVELOP A NEW LAKELAND PHOTO LIBRARY, COMMUNITY VIDEO, AND REALTOR/RECRUITER TRAINING VIDEO. INCENTIVES -EDIFM WAS EXTENDED ANOTHER 5 YEARS WITH A COUPLE OF CHANGES -ATVE - COUNTY TAX ABATEMENT PROGRAM WAS EXTENDED FOR ANOTHER 10 YEARS WITH CHANGES -MANUFACTURING INCENTIVE - FIRST TWO APPLICATIONS FOR KEYMARK & FRINSA ARE SCHEDULED TO BE HEARD AND APPROVED BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR. CATALYST PLAN FINANCING THE PLAN - LEDC'S BOARD APPROVED AN EXPENDITURE OF 100,000 IN 2022 TO CREATE THE FRAMEWORK AND COMMUNICATIONS TOOL FOR A CATALYST PLAN. AFTER THE LEDC PRESENTED A BETA OF A 3D, INTERACTIVE MODEL OF A DIGITAL TWIN OF DOWNTOWN LAKELAND CREATED BY LEDC MEMBER THE APIARY AT THE CITY'S FEBRUARY RETREAT, THE LAKELAND'S CRA AGREED TO INVESTING 280,000 IN 2022 AND ANOTHER 100,000 IN 2023. EXPANDING THE PLAN - THE CRA IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING STUDIES OF DIXIELAND, DOWNTOWN WEST AND EAST MAIN WHICH WILL INFORM EXPANSIONS OF THE CATALYST APPLICATION INTO THOSE AREAS. NEXT STEPS - CREATING CERTAINTY - THE CATALYST APPLICATION, NOW CALLED CATALYSTLAKELAND.COM, CREATES A WEB-BASED APPLICATION THAT GIVES TRANSPARENCY TO DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY AND OPPORTUNITY TO CITIZENS, ELECTED OFFICIALS AND DEVELOPERS. IT IS A COMMUNICATIONS TOOL THAT WILL HELP COMMUNITY PARTNERS DEVELOP A VISION FOR VARIOUS AREAS OF LAKELAND'S CORE TO IGNITE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC INVESTMENT. ONCE LAUNCHED, THE INITIATIVE TURNS TO CREATING CERTAINTY FOR DEVELOPERS THROUGH: 1. INCENTIVES - TAX INCREMENT FINANCING, STRUCTURED PARKING 2. PROCESS & POLICY - RFP'S, HEIGHT LIMITS, PARKING REQUIREMENTS, SETBACKS, METERING, PERMITTING, UTILITIES, AND TRANSPORTATION 3. SITES - IDENTIFY AND ENTITLE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SITES HIGH SKILL HIGH WAGE AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF DELAYS DUE TO COVID, TWENTY HIGH SKILL HIGH WAGE INVESTORS COMPLETED THEIR CITY VISIT TO BOISE, ID. BOISE HAS ROUTINELY BEEN TIED WITH LAKELAND AS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING MSAS IN THE COUNTRY. DURING THE VISIT THEY MET WITH OVER 60 BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS AND FOCUSED ON HIGH SKILL-HIGH WAGE EMPLOYMENT, AVIATION, DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AND REDEVELOPMENT, K-12 AND HIGHER EDUCATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP. TWENTY- THREE "HOW MIGHT WE" QUESTIONS ARE CURRENTLY BEING CONTEMPLATED BY THE HSHW GROUP. FOCUS AREAS WERE TO BE SELECTED AT THE SEPTEMBER 29TH HSHW RETREAT THAT HAD TO BE POSTPONED TO JANUARY 2023 DUE TO HURRICANE IAN. LAKELAND LEADS A PROJECT BIRTHED OUT OF THE LEDC, BUT NOT TECHNICALLY AN LEDC PROJECT, LAKELAND LEADS WAS FOUNDED IN JANUARY 2019. LAKELAND LEADS IS A 501C3 CREATED TO SERVE AS THE VOICE OF BUSINESS FOR LOCAL EDUCATION POLICY AND VISION. LAKELAND LEADS IS ORGANIZING CITIZENS AROUND VALUES OF MORE CHOICE AND ACCOUNTABILITY, CATALYZING REFORM AT A LOCAL LEVEL. LAKELAND LEADS TOOK A BIG STEP IN MID-2022 BY HIRING A FULL TIME CEO, MELODY RIDER. MELODY IS CURRENTLY IN THE LEARNING STAGE. LEDC HAS OFFERED TO SPONSOR A VISIT FROM THE IDAHO BUSINESS FOR EDUCATION EXECUTIVES TO FLY TO LAKELAND TO MEET WITH THE LAKELAND LEADS BOARD, SUPERINTENDENT HEID AND OTHERS TO DISCUSS BEST PRACTICES, ETC. WE BELIEVE THIS TRIP WILL OCCUR IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2023. CATAPULT ALTHOUGH CATAPULT GAINED ITS INDEPENDENCE FROM THE LEDC IN EARLY 2022, THE LEDC CONTINUES TO SERVE CATAPULT IN SEVERAL CAPACITIES INCLUDING: OLEDC PRESIDENT SERVES ON THE CATAPULT BOARD OLEDC PRESIDENT SERVES AS AN EXPERT IN RESIDENT AND LEDC SVP SERVES IN A COUNSELING ROLE WITH CATAPULT MEMBERS. OLEDC PRESIDENT MEETS WITH THE CATAPULT PRESIDENT ON A WEEKLY BASIS TO MENTOR HER. THIS INCLUDES ADVICE REGARDING STAFF, FUNDRAISING, BOARD MEETING PREPARATION, EVENTS, MEMBER ISSUES, ETC. OLEDC VP OF OPERATIONS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CATAPULT'S BUSINESS MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS, INCLUDING ACCOUNTING, INSURANCE, GRANT WRITING, ETC. OCATAPULT PRESIDENT IS GIVEN TIME AT LEDC BOARD MEETINGS TO UPDATE ON INITIATIVES OF CATAPULT'S BUSINESS