The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Accomplishing its mission
Geauga Growth Partnership takes many approaches to strengthen county’s business climate
One of Geauga Growth Partnership’s specialties is assisting businesses that are aiming to grow in Geauga County.
But amid all of its efforts to help others, it’s also worth noting that GGP has achieved impressive growth in its own right since forming seven years ago.
Whether it’s adding members, increasing its programs, or providing new services, GGP can offer many examples of how it has stepped up its efforts to promote business growth in the county.
Also, Geauga Growth Partnership’s accomplishments have begun to draw attention throughout Northeast Ohio. One highlight occurred last month when GGP earned one of the top awards at a multicounty annual business awards event.
On the right track
GGP received the firstever Lake-Geauga Fast Track 50 Nonprofit Award during the event’s 2017 dinner and recognition program in early November.
The Nonprofit Award was conceived by the LakeGeauga Fast Track 50 Board of Trustees to annually honor a nonprofit organization in the two-county area that has created meaningful and measurable benefits to the community and provides outstanding community service, as well as innovative programming and delivery of services.
Nominations for the inaugural award came in from a wide variety of worthy nonprofit organizations, and after careful consideration, the Fast Track 50 trustees declared GGP as the winner.
Geauga Growth Partnership Executive Director Tracy Jemison said receiving the award was a “wonderful honor.”
“It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our board, members and staff,” Jemison said. “Receiving this award will provide confidence to our donors, confidence that they are investing in a solid organization This is the first part in an occasional series on 2017 Lake-Geauga Fast Track 50 award winners. The Fast Track 50 is an annual event that celebrates the success of the fastestgrowing businesses in the two-county area, along with honoring winners in several other special categories. that is providing the programs our business community needs to compete and grow.”
How it all started
Geauga Growth Partnership, which is based in Newbury Township, was launched in 2010 as a business-led nonprofit organization with a mission to “enhance the business climate, encourage job creation, strengthen economic prosperity and improve the quality of life for all Geauga County residents,” according to GGP’s Fast Track 50 application for the Nonprofit Award.
The idea to establish GGP was proposed by a group of business leaders that had gathered to discuss ways to build a stronger, more vibrant business community in Geauga County. Neighboring counties at that time were achieving success in economic development through organizations such as Growth Partnership of Ashtabula County and The Greater Cleveland Partnership.
These Geauga County business leaders formed a board of directors and began GGP with the help of a startup grant from the Cleveland Foundation.
Under the leadership of its first executive director, Frank Samuel, GGP’s volunteer board of directors laid the groundwork for operations through activities such as establishing bylaws; building collaborations, committees and task forces; and by surveying members to learn what Geauga County businesses needed to prosper.
Pivotal programs
GGP has launched a couple of initiatives which would blossom into major areas of programming for the organization.
First, in 2012, GGP decided to offer eight free programs intended to provide educational opportunities for Geauga businesses. Programs that year focused on topics such as energy management, entrepreneurship and health care reform. GGP continues to offer these programs today, choosing topics based on needs expressed by local businesses.
In 2015, GGP began sponsoring more focused and advanced, fee-based supervisory training programs for emerging leaders. It also provides customized, on-site training programs to serve larger companies.
Turning back to 2012, another key moment took place when GGP kicked off its Youth Workforce Development Program. This initiative was created in response to businesses in Geauga that continually reported to GGP that one of their greatest challenges was fulfilling their need for a well-qualified workforce.
The program started small in by placing nine high school juniors and seniors in paid summer internships at sponsoring companies. Today, the Youth Workforce Development Program serves more than 1,400 students a year and encompasses Career Awareness events for eighth-graders, Career Readiness training for high school sophomores through seniors, and the High School Internship Program for qualifying juniors and seniors.
Impressive numbers
Jemison, a former Geauga County commissioner and auditor who took over as GGP executive director in 2013, marvels at the growth of the Youth Workforce Development Program and other GGP initiatives.
“I never envisioned that in 2016 we would hold 85 events with over 4,000 people attending, showing the need in the business community for our programs,” he said.
Jemison also notes that GGP now consists of nearly 170 members “from all facets of Geauga County,” compared with the 28 charter members of GGP at its inception seven years ago.
In addition to its multitude of programs, GGP prides itself on “serving as a trusted adviser to county businesses and stakeholders to facilitate business retention, expansion and investment,” according to its website.
GGP stated in its Fast Track 50 Nonprofit Award application that in recent years it has shared in celebrating the growth of some Geauga companies that needed additional space, and “with the help of GGP were able to relocate and expand their businesses while staying in Geauga County.”
One company it assisted in finding a new location was Engineered Endeavors, which manufactures steel poles and other structures for the wireless industry and electric utilities.
“As Engineered Endeavors has grown its operations over the past few years, it became clear that we needed a larger footprint for the business,” said Gerry Truax, the company’s chief operating officer and chief financial officer.
Earlier this year, Engineered Endeavors moved into a newly constructed building on Kinsman Road in Burton Township. The company previously was located at a leased site which it had outgrown on Kinsman Road in Newbury Township.
Truax said Engineered Endeavors’ quest to relocate was made easier thanks to GGP.
“GGP and Tracy Jemison in particular have been with us every step of the way,” Truax said. “They have been trusted partners in the site selection and due diligence processes required in a real estate transaction. As a result, our company was able to find our new home in Geauga County. GGP is truly a gem for the community.”
What’s next?
Looking toward the future, Jemison said a major goal for Geauga Growth Partnership is to increase its programming as it relates to workforce training for youth and adults.
“Our companies cannot grow if they do not have a proper workforce in place,” he said.
Another high priority, Jemison said, is for GGP is to work with developers to create more industrial space in Geauga County.
“As our companies grow and exceed their current space, we do not have the industrial buildings for them to move to,” he said.