When EV Charge Solutions wanted to expand into new markets earlier this year the company turned to the Greater Rochester Enterprise’s Economic Gardening program for assistance.
The decision paid off, said Jim Donnelly, vice president of sales, service and marketing at the Rochester-based firm.
The company, which participated in the program about five months ago, initially met with the GRE team to talk about its goals and objectives and ways to meet them.
After that, the program’s researchers provided the company with what Donnelly called an unbelievable amount of data that could be used to help it meet its objectives.
Using that data, EV Charge Solutions made several new sales in its target expansion markets in under two weeks, he said.
Additionally, the data provided through the program not only allowed Donnelly and others at the company to continue to focus on day-to-day operations, but it also provided information that he estimates would have cost the business upwards of $100,000 if it had to be done in-house.
“What they did was really incredible,” Donnelly said.
GRE’s efforts are getting noticed internationally.
The not-for-profit economic development organization received a 2023 Excellence in Economic Development Gold Award from the International Economic Development Council.
The award was given specifically for the organization’s work in the Business Retention and Expansion Initiatives category that impacted communities with more than 500,000 residents.
Its Economic Gardening program was highlighted.
“Greater Rochester Enterprise has raised the bar for excellence in economic development with its GRE Economic Gardening program,” said Nathan Ohle, IEDC president and CEO, in a release. “This award is a testament to Greater Rochester Enterprise’s dedication to its businesses and serves as a great example of how economic development can help transform a community for the better.”
Matt Hurlbutt, GRE president and CEO, said the award validates the work GRE does to support business growth in the region.
Since its inception in 2012, over 260 regional companies have participated in the Economic Gardening program.
The program is an effective way to help fast growing, second-stage companies increase qualified sales leads, job creation and revenue growth, Hurlbutt noted.
The program can help companies identify qualified leads, map a geographic area for marketing, review core strategies, apply social media tactics, utilize search engine optimization and build strong teams.
Companies who have participated see, on average, a 30 percent increase in their sales, he said.
To be eligible for the program, companies must be for-profit, privately held firms that have between $1 million and $50 million in annual revenue and employ at least 10 but not more than 100 employees (including the owner).
They must also be headquartered and operate in Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming or Yates County and have maintained principal operations in the region for at least the past two years.
Gretchen Reed is a project manager with Newark, Wayne County-based V Technical Textiles, a manufacturer of RF/EMI shielding and conducive textile products.
The business participated in the GRE program a few months ago, looking for assistance with a new product launch and expansion into new markets.
The Economic Gardening program helped the small business conduct market research and to develop a market strategy, Reed said.
“It was a wonderful opportunity to get connected with experts in areas where we needed support,” she said.
The Economic Gardening program helped VTT with strategies for digital marketing and search engine optimization, she said, adding the interactive data the program provided helped the business “connect the dots” and prioritize its next steps.
Reed would recommend the program to other businesses.
“It was a great ROI for us,” she said.
GRE is currently accepting applications for its Economic Gardening program.
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