We wish to acknowledge the time, energy and commitment of all the people who participated in the creation of the Economic Development Strategic Plan process for the Town of Wethersfield. The community has created a vision of its future and developed goals and objectives. This is the companion piece that addresses the marketing apects.

In mid-2000 the Town of Wethersfield began the process of updating its economic development strategic plan, which had originally been prepared in 1995. This document presents the results of that effort, and although it is entitled an Update, it is essentially a new plan.

The plan addresses the Townís primary economic development mission, which is "Öto attract and retain an appropriate mix of business for the purpose of increasing the tax base and improving employment opportunities in Wethersfield."

The Economic Development Steering Committee, which guided the development of this plan, devoted extensive thought, analysis and debate to the fiscal needs and realities of Wethersfield for the future. Based on this discussion, the Committee set as its primary goal "Öto identify a set of actions intended to increase the non-residential portion of Wethersfieldís Grand List by 1% between the October 1, 2000 and the October 1, 2010 Grand Lists (from 15.72% to 16.72%)."

This may not appear to be an aggressive goal, but it is in the context of the realities that define Wethersfield. Three of those realities collide and pose a significant challenge to the residents and government of the Town in expanding the local economy:

• To reach the goal of a 1% increase in the non-residential portion of the Grand List will require a level of business development that is substantially greater than recent historical levels of such development.
• The existing residential character of the Town is very important to its residents, who work hard to protect it.
• There is very little undeveloped land for business purposes left in Wethersfield, and little motivation to "create" more business land through rezoning, so that any extensive business growth must come through the reuse of land that has already been developed.

This Economic Development Strategic Plan provides a series of action items that focus on five major elements:

1. Providing an Appropriately Diversified Economic Base
2. Economic Development Readiness
3. The Need for Community Education
4. Community Quality Improvement
5. Existing Business Assistance and Recognition.

The Plan focuses its attention of the improved development of Wethersfieldís primary business corridors:

• The Silas Deane Highway should be a positioned as a location for additional medical services, offices and facilities. The northern portion will also have smaller, locally oriented retail establishments. The central portion will also serve as the government services center (with development of an improved United States Post Office as a key element). The southern portion, with its access to Interstate 91, will be the location of larger retail and office facilities.
• The Berlin Turnpike should be positioned as a restaurant and entertainment corridor, to take advantage of its high traffic count and continue the recent history of this type of development.

Finally, the Plan recognizes that for Wethersfield to reach its primary goal of expanding the non-residential portion of the Grand List, it must aggressively stimulate adaptive reuse of already developed areas. In some instances, this will be the upgrading of existing properties, while in other instances, it will be the replacement of lower value developments with newer and more valuable forms. The establishment and empowering of a Development Agency as allowed in the Connecticut General Statutes will be a key tool. So too will be the day-to-day efforts of a more active Town Economic Development Office.

This Economic Development Strategic Marketing Plan has been designed to be cost-effective by using current resources and developing new ones. Wethersfield has a tremendous resource in its people and will play an important role in the implementation phase. The quality of education and infrastrucure are both factors in the site selection process and important in the economic development equasion. Communities need to always look for better and more effective ways of operating. Boards of Education need to find out where their school system ranks internationally rather than how they are doing as compared to other communities in the state.

This plan was developed with community input and the participants stand ready to begin implementation. Many of the implementing strategies do not cost money. The Plan has been designed to create momentum and accomplish the easy tasks first in many areas thus causing synergy.

The Town of Wethersfield developed a Vision Statement during the initial strategic planning process in 1995 and was reviewed in the development of the new Economic Development Strategic Plan. The vision is still valid, and reads as follows:

This Mission Statement provided the basis for the prior Economic Development Strategy and the Economic Development Steering Committee reviewed and discussed this Mission Statement and concluded that it remained valid for Wethersfieldís economic development future. Wethersfieldís Economic Development Mission is as follows:

After careful review of the Grand Lists over a number of years and the need for services now and well into the future, the following Primary Goal was established:

Economic Development Readiness is critical as part of the process in preparing a community for economic development to take place and is the second goal in the Economic Development Strategic Plan. The objective is to continue to implement improvements in Wethersfieldís image as a business- friendly community with a high interest in economic development.

Metro Hartford/Economic Growth Council has developed a program to provide periodic training and team-building program for Town elected and appointed officials and board and commission members, Town employees and residents regarding their roles in building and nurturing a visitor-friendly town environment.

Create "Team Wethersfield" which will include all Town Council, Town staff and Board and Commission Members. The recommendation is to provide all members with some memento signifying their participation on the team (e.g., a pin, paperweight, tee shirt).

Input about the item should be sought from the participants.

In order to implement the vision for the corridors, it will be essential to have the input and confidence of the businesses along the Silas Deane Highway and the Berlin Turnpike. It is instrumental to have the merchants especially on the Silas Deane Highway understand the value of cross promoting the historical aspect of the town.

Through the use of cooperative dollars, more advertising can be purchased both in the news media. As a small business, the business is often too small to negotiate in this area. If they join in with others, there are economies of scale resulting in "a bigger bang for the buck".

We recommend that the Town of Wethersfield act as a catalyst in the endeavor to:

• Form/Activate the Silas Deane Highway Merchants Association; and
• Form/Activate the Berlin Turnpike Merchants Association.

Each merchant group would come together, form a Board of Directors, develop a dues structure, and develop a plan.

As a catalyst, the Town of Wethersfield staff could identify the businesses along the corridors, send out notices and set up the first meeting. At this meeting, it would be an opportunity to:

• Meet other merchants and some Town Officials;
• Present the vision for the corridors;
• Discuss the benefits of merchants associations;
• Distribute a flyer on the Wethersfield Express Loan Program; and
• Seek input.

If the merchants wanted to proceed, it is recommended that a request for proposal be sent out asking for an outsource agency to staff the association, help develop a plan, place the cooperative advertising dollars, arrange the programs and other related work. Town officials could help prepare this request for proposal.

It is recommended that the Town of Wethersfield financially participate for the first two years and that a staff person serve as a liaison on the Board of Directors. If the Town of Wethersfield participates, then a reporting system must be set up for accountability.

It would be logical for the Town Planner to serve in this capacity which would also

tie in with his association with the businesses. It is not recommended that staff take on the responsibility of promoting retail, but take an active role as part of the overall program. Working with merchant groups is time consuming and a firm that specializes in advertisement and other promotions is better suited for this program. Successful examples of cooperative advertising are the businesses in West Hartford Center.

There are economies of scale for having a firm work with two associations, which would result in better coordination of the two. A separate telephone line could be designated for each association, but at the same address. Using a 1999 estimate, there are 463 businesses on the Silas Deane Highway and 66 on the Berlin Turnpike yielding a combined total of 529. A dues structure would be established and if every member joined, the cost to each for this outsource agency would be $60 on an annual basis. Even if only half of the businesses joined, the cost for each would be $114.

In Hartford there are area associations such as the North End, Park Street, and Franklin area that work together for purchasing power. The organizations make money off of fees and from programs. Each business cannot be an island unto itself, but must come together and operate on the mall concept.

The Old Wethersfield Shopkeepers Association could also participate if they desired.

At subsequent meetings other ideas could be presented such as doing a Wethersfield retail map, pots and planters and other appropriate subjects.

It is recommended that the Economic Development and Improvement Commission work with the Wethersfield Chamber of Commerce to develop a Buy Local Program in conjunction with the Merchantsí Association. As part of this effort, a program should be developed for Cable Television to be aired on a regular basis.

Teams consisting of two to three people with several representatives from the following categories should be created to visit Wethersfield businesses:

• Town Manager
• Economic Development and Improvement Commissioner
• Town Councilor
• Town Planner
• Wethersfield Chamber of Commerce Member (from Board of Directors)
• Metro Hartford Economic Growth Council (for businesses with a regional impact)

In any case there should not be so many people that it overwhelms the businessperson. Visits are arranged to communicate by setting a stage for dialogue to take place. Visits begin by thanking the business for having chosen Wethersfield as a location. It is an opportunity for business leaders to express concerns and needs in a confidential setting. The business is surveyed about its needs and expansion plans. At this time, referrals and recommendations for appropriate resources may be made.

Appropriate information should be left with the business owner which may include:

• Annual Report/Town Calendar
• EDIC Annual Report
• Town of Wethersfield Brochure
• One sheet summary of Economic Development Strategic Plan
• Wethersfield Chamber of Commerce Membership Packet (if not a member)
• Promotional Seed Packet

If it were desired to meet with all 1,141 businesses in a year, then it would mean that 22 business visitations would need to be done on a weekly basis. There are a total of 38 people from the categories listed above and assuming a team of two visits each business, it would mean that 19 teams would be conducting business visitations on a weekly basis, but in one year each team of two would have to conduct 61 visits. This is an extremely aggressive schedule and not realistic. It would be more realistic to set a three-year time period, which would mean that 7 business visitations would have to be conducted on a weekly basis.

It is also recommended to schedule the visits in blocks of time for efficiency and not have any one team conduct more than three in a day. The blocks of time could be either the morning or the afternoon.

Prior to the business visitation, the following should take place:

• The development of a standardized data form for the program and for making referrals to help the business and follow up; and
• Training for the Business Visitation Team.

Since data collection and follow up is essential to the program, a good reporting system must be in place. Metro Harford/Economic Growth Council has purchased software for tracking and collecting data although the instrument will not be available to the communities individually to use. Since Metro Hartford/Economic Growth Council will only be present for some of the business visitations some system would have to be developed so that the data collected could be then entered into the system. It makes since to utilize a similar format and Growth Council representatives are receptive to working with the town to develop a system.

The following two essential elements are recommended in developing and implementing marketing plan:

• Product improvement efforts needed to make Wethersfield more competitive as a business location; and
• Improvements in organizational structure, efficiency and service delivery.

The community must continue to become organized to make the necessary tools and materials available. The systems required to support marketing must be in place to create a solid foundation for the marketing effort.

Internal marketing is needed to build consensus, support and organizational strength. It also stimulates retention and expansion of the existing business. Internal audiences include: Town Council, Economic Development and Improvement Commission, other commissions, investors (public and private), existing employers, opinion leaders, critics and the public.

A new marketing approach that would be effective in Wethersfield is the Community Network Marketing (CNM). It is a process whereby the resources of an areaís entire community are utilized in marketing. The established networks of local businesses, residents, organizations and associations become the channels used to reach decision-makers at companies throughout the world. This creates a direct and familiar connection with the prospective company from the start.

Marketing a community is, "not a single act but a process of decisions over time". If this local person is aware and a part of an on-going network marketing program, he can pursue the contact on the communityís behalf for years to come. The key is to let the local contact be an integral part of an organized process to market the community instead of being used to collect contact names. Tapping into a communityís networks that extend beyond the locality creates an exponential increase in the reach of a marketing program.

CNM utilizes the resources of the entire community in marketing the area to other businesses. Tapping into existing groups, programs or organizations allows for quicker implementation and less of a time and resource commitment from the economic development organization.

The starting point for building a CNM strategy should be through an existing business retention and expansion program. This provides an extant, on-going base in which to operate the strategy. Through an existing business program, an economic developer can inform and demonstrate to industrial leaders the benefits of being in a community. If the program is successful, the industry leaders should recommend the community to their peers.

Existing business retention and expansion programs are key to developing not only a CNM program, but also the economic prosperity of any community. Itís generally agreed that 65 to 80% of all new jobs come from existing business expansions. Therefore, regardless of its size, a community will want to focus on creating jobs from its existing base. Once the CNM foundation is laid, additional building blocks are needed to develop a successful program.

Press releases and stories should be submitted on a weekly basis or according to the publication schedule to newspapers listed in the chart below. These articles should describe:

The other publications listed in the chart above should receive press releases on special events and when a new business has expanded or relocated to Wethersfield.

Maintain contact with staff at all of the newspapers and publications. Consider them an ally.

The following are a list of collateral materials that should be part of the Strategic Marketing Plan implementation effort. Concentration has been placed on the internal marketing audiences yet these materials will help market to the external audiences.

Be Proactive With Local Media

Wethersfield is a close-knit community and its officials should not assume that the media is aware of its economic development program. While quarterly is ideal, meet at least twice a year with representatives from the local newspapers, radio and television stations. Always return telephone calls immediately. Establishing a good working relationship the media is essential.

The World Wide Web is increasing becoming more important as a tool in site selection. In Development Councellors Internationalís 1999 survey, this tool has more than doubled in importance as a marketing technique since 1996.

Web Site Development & Promotions to include:

• Available sites and buildings
• Business Incentives
• Calendar of events
• Database/Community Profile
• Departmentsí Mission & Annual Reports
• Economic Development Happenings
• Hot links
• Links to Departments with ability to receive e-mail
• Map
• Page on Festivals
• Photographs
• Section on Historic Preservation, building styles and standards and photographs of excellent examples of styles in community

Recommendation to:

• Ensure that the home page is fast-loading and eye-catching
• Ask for feedback from users
• Make site interactive
• Update site monthly at a minimum
• Register on major search engines
• Add hot links to appropriate sources

After detailed information on the community is gathered, consider producing a general-purpose brochure with a long shelf life. Information that changes could be included on slip-sheets. The publication should include information on:

• Market Access;
• Work Force;
• Business Costs & Incentives;
• Business Climate;
• Infrastructure; and
• Lifestyle/Quality of Life.
• Incentives Brochure

Produce a simple Business Incentives Brochure, which highlight the key areas of participation.

Produce a simple brochure with a summary of the Economic Development Strategic Plan for widespread dissemination.

At the present time the Town Planner maintains the inventory of available sites and buildings in town. This data should be in an appropriate form and be readily available to fax or e-mail upon demand.

Site selection consultants, CEOs and CFOs want to know they can go to a single source for a complete, unbiased inventory of sites and buildings available in a community. All available sites and buildings should be listed with CERCís SiteFinder inventory. Any Town-owned site or property listed exclusively with a broker can be included for free. The Town can also list other properties at a cost of $500 for 5 sites; the Town can charge property owners a pro rata share of this expense.

Wethersfield is lacking the database and support information companies or site search consultants expect to find when looking for a location. A priority effort must be to create and maintain the database; an essential tool for responding to contact generated by the marketing program. It is critical to have information readily available in todayís highly competitive environment for company relocations and expansions. The Town of Wethersfield must have a complete database of information and the ability to quickly produce customized reports for prospects.

At minimum, all of the information outlined above should be available in an electronic format that can be manipulated easily and e-mailed to prospects within a few hours, if not sooner.

A Standardized Database system has been developed through the collaboration of several major economic development organizations. The format has been set up which includes 25 tables in 44 pages of information. It is recommended that the Town of Wethersfield utilize this system. Since much of this data will be regional in nature, it is recommended that the Town of Wethersfield officials work with Metro Hartford/

Economic Growth Council to obtain this data at a cost savings. Another partner to seek out in this endeavor is the Connecticut Economic Resource Center.

Develop a working relationship with area real estate brokers and agents. Supply them with information on available sites and buildings. Contact them on a regular basis to include their listings in your database. Confidentiality of potential business is essential and all involved must respect this. Many a deal has been lost to premature disclosure of the name. Invite real estate brokers to a tour of the town. It is recommended to host a program for them.

Space advertising is expensive. A full-page advertisement in the publications listed under Site Selection & Other Publications section of the report range between $2,300 and $6,700. The benefits of this marketing technique is that the advertiser has the control and able to get out the desired message in a visual and graphic way which produces a maximum impact.

In Development Counsellors Internationalís 1999 survey of 427 United States and European business executives, advertising rated second-to last as a marketing technique, with only 20% of those surveyed citing it as the most effective.

One cost-effective way to distribute the newsletter is by saturation/carrier walk sequence by the U.S. Postal Office. A rate of 11.6 ¢ for 3.3 ounces which would be adequate for an 8 page newsletter (two 11 X 17 inch sheets). The newsletter would be distributed to businesses and households.

1,141 Businesses

11,454 Households

12,695 Total

Continue to produce an Annual Report and Town Calendar with information on town services, contacts and meeting dates. The current and the last two publications have been reviewed, all excellent publications. A suggestion is to include staff fax numbers and e-mail addresses. Perhaps a photograph of the department heads and other municipal officials could be included which would serve to personalize the publication. Distribute it to businesses during the Wethersfield Business Visitation Program or seek out cost effective ways of distributing it.

It may be used a marketing tool and given to prospects thus this would utilize this publication in both internal and external marketing.

Exhibiting at trade shows is not recommended at this time until further research is done on targeted companies and databases has been created. Attending specific trade shows is recommended. The Medical Design and Manufacturing Trade Show with 1300 exhibitors will be held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City on June 4-6, 2002. To maximize the value of attending a trade show, contact prospects/suspects that may be in attendance prior to the show, meet with them at the show, meet new contacts at the show, and followñup with all contacts after the show.

We do not recommend videotapes, CD-ROMs, interactive discs or other multi-media materials for economic development marketing purposes at this time. Videotapes are obsolete and CD-ROMs and other approaches are too expensive and really do not get the desired impact.

The Hartford Courant New Britain Bureau

285 Broad Street 40 South Street

Hartford, CT 06115-2510 New Britain, CT 06051

Ph: 241-6200 Ph: (860) 832-5000

Fax: (860) 241-3865 Fax: (860) 832-5032

106 South Street

West Hartford, CT 06110

Ph: (860) 953-0444

Fax: (860) 953-0455

Manual, 1987.

Travel and tourism will enhance economic development of Wethersfieldís existing businesses through increased exposure to visitors. It will introduce Wethersfield to people who may move to the community and/or bring new businesses thus increasing the tax base. It will help market the town as a tourism attraction. According to the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, Travel Industry Association travel and tourism:

• Has become a $5+ billion growth industry in Connecticut with the support of regional and state marketing efforts;
• Is one of the top industries in Connecticut and in the United States;
• Has been identified as one of the industries that will drive job growth into the next century;
• Employs 119,500 Connecticut residents with 15,000 additional jobs projected by the year 2005;
• Generates an approximate $26 return for each dollar invested in tourism promotion and development;
• Visitors to Connecticut spend an average of $500 per travel party;
• Is among those industries having the largest impact on other state industries in its use of local suppliers;
• Is a clean industry based on existing assets;
• Fosters cross-cultural understanding; and
• U.S. travelers spend $1.38 billion daily which translates to $57.40 hourly, $955,800 a minute, $15,900 per second.

The State of Connecticut has developed a 2001 Connecticut Tourism Campaign designed to attract tourists from neighboring states in the Northeast as well as friends and family visitors of in-state residents. The theme is "Connecticut Weíre Full of Surprises" and the primary target markets are the Greater New York metropolitan area including Long Island and northern New Jersey. The secondary markets are Connecticut and the Northeast. The test market is Philadelphia.

Connecticutís heritage institutions are a critical component of the stateís $5.7 billion tourism industry. The desire for "heritage experiences" is the second highest motivator for the more than 15 million tourists visiting the state each year. Wethersfield possesses many of the characteristics for the heritage tourism experience and will need to capitalize on this opportunity.

It is recommended that the Tourism Commission be tasked with identifying means to attract more people to existing tourist locations and events and identifying new events that can be created.

Operations of the Tourism Commission should include:

• Develop a town-wide tourism plan.
• Establish an educational and recreational agri-eco tourism program for the townís farms.
• Create and promote Wethersfield as a "fun place to be" because of its tourism activities and events.
• Develop a hospitality training program for merchants and workers in establishments frequented by tourists.
• Identify necessary improvements of events such as the Wethersfield Festival, Cornfest, Fall Weekend-Scarecrow Contest and other key events.
• Create a walking weekend that exposes visitors to Wethersfieldís tourist attractions.

A tracking system for measurement is recommended. Since investing in economic development represents a return on investment, results are expected. Realistic goals should be established and progress should be benchmarked on an annual basis.

Reporting is critical in this process and must be done on a regular basis. Additional

information is found in the implementation section.

Annual Report/Calendar In place Quarterly Newsletter (4 issues at $4,200) $16,800 Welcome Flags 250

Brokersí Program 500

Economic Development Summit 750 Taxpayersí Breakfast 500

Merchantsí Associations 5,000*

Seed Packet Campaign 4,000

Target Marketing Campaign 15,000

External Marketing

CERC Listings 1,000

Databases 2,000- 3,000

General Purpose/Incentive Brochures 10,000-15,000

Momentos 2,500

Trade Show 1,000

Marketing Assistance $35,000-$45,000

Planning Assistance 16,000

Town Managerís Budget (1/2 cost of newsletter) 8,400

Board of Education (1/2 cost of newsletter) 8,400

Planning Staff Budget 16,000

Economic Development and Improvement Budget $77,500-$95,500 for Marketing

* Estimated cost of Merchant Association Outsourcing Agency is $30,000 for both the

Silas Dean Highway and the Berlin Turnpike. Town participation is recommended at

$5,000 for first two years.

• Newsletter cost to be shared with the Board of Education. Cost estimate includes printing, processing and mailing. The newsletter is an essential vehicle for the dissemination of information and perhaps the Town Government portion could be place in the Town Managerís budget.
• Some Economic Development Summit costs recovered through registration fees.
• CERC listing costs recovered through charging property owners interested in participating in CERCís Sitefinder Program $100 for each property listed.

It is recommended that an annual work program and an annual budget be prepared for economic development staffing and operations.

The implementation process will require both cooperative and collaborative efforts among a large number of people, organizations, and institutions. As public and private sectors continue to work together for mutual benefit, improved working relationships will develop leading to further cooperation. The ideas and recommendations from the economic development strategic marketing plan process will help educate the community in a common vision of the future.

A number of steps will be needed to ensure implementation.

• The Town Council and the Economic Development and Improvement Commission should list the Economic Development Strategic Plan and the Marketing Plan implementation as an agenda item at their regular meetings and devote some time to celebrating the successes and to monitor the progress achieved.
• In a public venue, recognize the participants in the economic development strategic planning process to thank them for their time and input.
• Each member of the Steering Committee should go back to the organization he or she represents and discuss the process and recommendations made.
• A number of programs should take place on cable television informing the public about the process and the intended outcomes.
• A summary of the Economic Development Strategic Marketing Plan should be prepared in appropriate form and distributed to each household. It also should be included on the Townís web page.
• Present the Economic Development Strategic Plan and Marketing Plan to civic organizations and ask for input and invite organizations to participate in implementation.

• Each organization involved in carrying out some aspect of the Economic Development Strategic Plan and Marketing Plan should review their work plan depending on their fiscal year and include the responsibilities assigned to it.
• The Mayor and the Town Manager should meet with key staff to discuss the continuous improvement process and that economic development is a priority of the administration and expected behavior and attitudes. If necessary team-building training should be provided.
• Tactic teams should be formed to utilize the talents of Wethersfield residents and employees to carry out the recommended strategies at a cost savings measure.
• Organization representatives should meet on a quarterly basis to:
• Continue to foster a working relationship
• Discuss successes for the past quarter
• Discuss plans for the next quarter
• Coordinate with each other
• Provide a written quarterly status reports for other members of the group (bullet points sufficient)
• Each organization should designate a representative and designate an alternate to the quarterly meetings.
• Each organization would take turns hosting quarterly meetings.

Evaluation provides a systematic basis for assessing where the organization is in relation to where it wants to be and provides periodic monitoring so that adjustments can be made where necessary.

The evaluation of the economic development effort has three dimensions:

1. To monitor progress;
2. To assess performance; and
3. To determine the level of impact.

The purpose of monitoring is to determine whether specific actions and activities were achieved. Each project should be monitored according to time and expenditures.

Periodic evaluation of those individuals and organizations carrying out the work program is necessary.

The ability to measure the impact of an economic development program is dependent upon the ability to measure change in the community and to relate that change to specific actions that have been undertaken. This change can be measured in the number of new companies attracted, new business formations, the increase or decrease of jobs, the increase in real income levels, or the unemployment rate.

This change should be more than just quantitative. Qualitative change should be measured as well. This could be done through surveys, documented case studies, and specific examples of success.

Gathering this type of information involves a cost in time and staff, but this type of information is necessary during the course of evaluation.