Jefferson City, Missouri

Economic Development Strategic Plan

As the capital of Missouri, Jefferson City is a community characterized by community pride and a stable economy. With one in three jobs in the community in the public sector, Jefferson City-Cole County needed a more diverse private sector employment base to strengthen its ability to weather economic downturns.

 

In 2006, Market Street completed a four-month process with the Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce and other local leaders to develop an Economic Development Strategic Plan. Called “Progress Jefferson City,” the initiative began with a stakeholder input trip. The findings were integrated with an assessment of the area’s demographics, economy, and business climate competitiveness. Market Street also identified the most promising business sectors for leaders to target for growth to diversify and strengthen the economy.

The Competitive Assessment and the Target Business Analysis helped inform the Strategic Plan. The strategy included three overarching goals as well as seven key objectives designed to diversify the economy, attract a quality workforce, and build regional partnerships. Market Street also provided implementation guidelines that estimated staffing and funding needs, and outlined priority action steps. The Chamber retained Market Street’s assistance to jump-start effective implementation and has now identified the funding sources for the five-year effort, hired new staff, and ramped up new programs.

The Strategic Plan was fully “operationalized” by the Chamber as its detailed program of work and its implementation is being directed through an intensive hands-on approach by the entire staff. In 2010, the Chamber held its first business plan competition, a 2009-2010 goal of the Strategic Plan and later in the year, Chamber staff coordinated a series of twelve focus groups with the community over the course of two weeks to engage stakeholders in the Chamber’s ongoing efforts and solicit feedback on key next steps.