Village hall an often-overlooked business resource

Your consulting firm is looking for space. Perhaps you're ready to open that bakery. Maybe your distribution center needs wider access streets with better lighting.Talk to Ellen Divita. She's the economic development director for the City of Geneva, and she knows where office and other space is available in her community. To the north, try Jan Murphy, economic development coordinator in Carpentersville. And John C. Melaniphy III knows where space is available in Arlington Heights, where he is the village's business and development coordinator.Virtually every suburb, in fact, has someone designated to help tax-generating businesses find the homes they need. The only problem seems to be that many businesses, especially smaller ones, tend to overlook village hall as a resource.#8220;You should come to me when you're planning an expansion, want to become more invested in the community or are thinking about leaving the village,#8221; Murphy says. #8220;I'm an advocate for our businesses.#8221;Geneva has had #8220;more businesses open than close in the past two years,#8221; Divita says. That's partly a response to Divita's picture-your-business-here signs in vacant storefronts and partly because she is able to help prospective newcomers gather basic information.#8220;I talk about properties,#8221; Divita says. #8220;Can you go there based on the zoning? Is there enough market for what you're selling?#8221;Josh Grodzin's approach is fairly typical. #8220;Whatever a business needs, my job is to find it,#8221; says Grodzin, director of business development and marketing for Elk Grove Village. #8220;My role is to be a resource for the business community.#8221;Grodzin, for example, will put businesses in touch with appropriate state agencies if financing is an issue; he'll ferret out workforce programs when employee training and skill levels are a concern. If you're in the site selection process, Grodzin will share his list of available commercial or industrial space.Sometimes your best move may be to stay put. In the suburban tax receipts game, retention matters. #8220;Most of my time is spent on retention,#8221; Grodzin says. #8220;It's a huge deal to move a business. We want them to stay and expand.#8221;In that context, Grodzin talks to #8220;three or four#8221; Elk Grove Village businesses a week, discussing, among other topics, supply chain costs. #8220;I ask if there's anyone they do business with they'd like to have closer#8221; to their business, he says.That's retention and recruitment bundled.In Arlington, Melaniphy has made 700 retention visits to local businesses in the last two years. #8220;I want them to know how grateful we are they're in Arlington Heights,#8221; he says.Although the village went after United Airlines #8212; #8220;That was chasing rainbows,#8221; says Melaniphy #8212; there is a focus on smaller businesses. #8220;Small business is where most employment growth comes from,#8221; Melaniphy explains.#376; Contact Jim Kendall at JKendall@121Marketing Resources.com.

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