Vicksburg-Warren Partnership
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Service Strategic Economic Development Plan
Location Mississippi
SITUATION: To move Vicksburg-Warren County forward and reinvigorate economic development efforts, the local chamber was combined with the local economic development organization to form The Partnership. The new organization selected VisionFirst to develop the first ever economic development strategic plan for the county.
SOLUTION:VisionFirst developed a comprehensive yet implementable plan with The Partnership serving as the lead to implement the strategic initiatives, goals and strategies and as a catalyst for long-term action. VisionFirst offered tactics for retaining and encouraging expansion of existing business and industry, upgrading the area’s economic development product, addressing employers’ workforce needs and concerns and reimagining the area to better take advantage of the area’s creative assets and resources.
SUCCESS: Given the confidence of community leadership, The Partnership has been steadily implementing the plan. Progress has been seen through certified sites, new project announcements along with community initiatives taking off such as coding academies and increased coordination on education and workforce initiatives.
“At the heart of any prosperous community lies long-term strategic economic development planning and implementation. The team at VisionFirst understands this principle and draws on decades of expertise in the economic development field to steer communities through the vital work necessary to identify their true north star. In 2018, VFA listened to our stakeholders, accurately identified our community’s potential and delivered a genuinely measurable plan that brought success to our region, culminating in the announcement of over 950 jobs in the first few years of implementation. Having achieved all our objectives in that inaugural plan, we once again enlisted VFA’s expertise to help us cast a broader vision for the future with a second plan, now underway. Securing a prosperous future is the paramount responsibility of a community leader, and it cannot be undertaken haphazardly. In doing this critical work, we see VFA as a tested and proven partner that consistently contributes to our community’s long-term success.”
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