SUCCESS STORIES
BUSINESS
RETENTION
& EXPANSION
EXPANDING & STRENGTHENING
BUSINESSES
We and our partners are committed to providing companies with support long after they’ve settled in Erie County. Our business retention and expansion work is designed to help existing businesses across the County as they expand, grow and strengthen their market position.
Continuous outreach to capture businesses’ thoughts, ideas, concerns, future plans and insights into the local community. Our staff then responds quickly to your company’s immediate program and resource needs. Your company’s feedback provides actionable data that helps guide ECEDC’s economic development polices and activities.
We take a proactive approach to learn more about the needs and barriers of the existing business community. Making sure that businesses are operating at optimum capacity and are happy with the local business environment is our priority for economic development.
By learning about your business, we can support you with customized services for expansion, recruitment, training, financing and supply-chain management.
MENTORSHIP AND ASSISTANCE
TO GROW YOUR SMALL BUSINESS
Our business advisors help you to wrap sound business practices around great business ideas and get your idea up and running. Through one-on-one advising, networking, and technical assistance, our RISE advisors become an extension of your small business’ team.
If financing or grants are what you’re looking for, we can help you understand what’s available through banks, non-profits, or other support organizations. Programs are highly competitive with limited funds, but our one-on-one advising and milestone mentoring can help you with your financial planning and management, regardless of grants or loans.
PORT
AUTHORITY
OFFERING COMPETITIVE
FINANCING & SAVINGS
As administrators of the Erie County Port Authority (ECPA), ECEDC can structure deals to bring savings to your project. With tools including bond financing, sales tax savings incentives, and the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Program, ECPA & ECEDC can bring tangible benefits to your large expansion or construction project.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
BUILDING TOGETHER
Real people, working to help you make connections and get the information and access to resources you need. We're building up the county in a way that benefits the entire population, and not just a single segment of it. This is what it's all about.
SERVICES
Economic and Demographic Research
Resource Connections
Financing
Tax Credits, Abatements and Grants
Roundtable Discussion Groups
Training Seminars
Infrastructure Development
Help with Regulatory Issues
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
DEVELOPING SKILLS
CONNECTING TALENTED INDIVIDUALS
TO EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES
In partnership with businesses, community, and schools, we're working to create a pipeline of refined minds ready to do great things in this community. Striving to build a region that effectively manages their talent to be more competitive in business retention and attraction and the development of jobs that people need to support themselves and their families.
FIRELANDS FORWARD
REGIONAL COLLABORATION
TO ADDRESS WORKFORCE CHALLENGES
Our labor shed is regional, our solutions to labor problems should be too. Firelands Forward is a multi-county workforce development initiative led by ECEDC. Firelands Forward aims to produce an agile workforce system and skilled workforce for all sectors of the economy. Through a collaborative approach, Firelands Forward brings together business and community leaders in Erie, Huron, and Ottawa counties to align services and drive workforce solutions.
BUSINESS ADVISORY
COUNCIL
ACADEMICS, BUSINESS, COMMUNITY ALIGNED
Comprised of all school districts in Erie County, private businesses, and community partners, and led by ECEDC and Firelands Forward, the Business Advisory Council aims to empower businesses, students, and communities so their futures can thrive together.
We are cultivating relationships and enhancing connections between the business and education communities to understand ongoing opportunities and implement support strategies with our 48 partners. Projects and activities have included things like student workplace tours, a teacher business bootcamp, virtual career exploration tools, and more.
SERVICES
Pipeline Development
Collaborative Solutions
Business & School Partnerships
Workforce Retention & Attraction Training Grants
REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
PRIORITIZING OUR ECONOMY
REGARDLESS OF BOUNDARIES
Expanding opportunities in Erie County from which the community can benefit. It's more than just helping and attracting businesses. It's about advocating on behalf of North Central Ohio’s economy, and bringing the right partners to the table to do so.
ADVANCING NORTHEAST OHIO
As a regional JobsOhio Network Partner, Team NEO accelerates the pace of growth and equity relating to business development outcomes throughout the 18 counties of Northeast Ohio, including Erie County. ECEDC’s partnership with Team NEO directly benefits local companies with streamlined access to state incentive programs, robust regional data, and technical innovation insights. An ECEDC & Team NEO partnership draws on the combined strength of a region to accelerate economic growth in Northeast Ohio.
A NETWORK OF CAREER-FOCUSED INDIVIDUALS
LOOKING TO BETTER THEMSELVES, THEIR CAREERS,
AND THEIR COMMUNITY
Grooming next generation leaders for your company? Recruiting out of area talent? The North Coast Young Professionals (NCYP) can be a tremendous asset to your organizational development. NCYP is open to professional individuals, under the age of 45, who work or reside in The Lake Erie Shores & Islands region and provides the opportunity to network and socialize in a relaxed and professional environment.
ECEDC partners with NCYP through committee collaboration on various talent-driven initiatives including our signature talent attraction event, Young Professionals Week.
EMBRACING THE TOURISM ECONOMY
Tourism plays a critical role in Erie County’s economy, and in attracting a competitive workforce and industry base. ECEDC partners with Shores & Islands Ohio, the official destination marketing organization for Erie and Ottawa Counties, to support the existing tourism industry.
The partnership also leverages our region’s natural assets to attract and retain the best and brightest companies and individuals.
SERVICES
Team NEO County Partner
JobsOhio LEDO Partner
Collaborative Leaders
Mission-Driven Advocacy