Northern Lakes Economic Alliance • 231-582-6482 • info@northernlakes.net
NLEA Business Retention & Growth specialist, Buck Love, enjoys his log cabin in the woods of Bliss, MI.
Our Business Retention & Growth specialist, Buck Love, has lived in Emmet County and worked throughout Northern Michigan since 1983 as an entrepreneur business owner, financial services recruiter, workforce development specialist and business consultant. When he isn’t working on projects for the NLEA, he can be found enjoying his time back in his log cabin in the woods of Bliss, Michigan. He lives with his wife of 45 years and their dog, making plans to plant their vineyard to grow cold-hardy grapes in retirement.
This simple diagram above helps in visualizing the mission of the NLEA staff, which is to enhance the economy in our member county service area by acting as a resource to help communities and entrepreneurs retain and create quality jobs. As the Staff Director for Business Retention & Growth, no two days are the same depending on the various projects, deadlines and employer needs requiring action. The goal is to keep every company that provides year-round, family-sustaining jobs strong and prepared for continued growth and hiring or to mitigate any economic upheavals beyond anyone’s control.
A summary of the responsibilities is to work with growth stage companies to identify resources that will take their business to the next level. A key component is matching businesses with programs designed to support and encourage investment, job creation and job retention.
These are the essential functions:
- Establish relationships with growth stage company leaders throughout the NLEA service area.
- Implement formal and informal retention visits with targeted companies.
- Provide one-on-one business support to growth stage companies.
- Utilize the NLEA partner network to provide additional services to companies.
- Identify and provide various educational and networking events relevant to business leaders.
- Working knowledge of local, state and federal incentives to facilitate business retention & growth throughout our service area such as STTF / Going Pro Training Funds
- Maintain positive relationships with local financial institutions.
- Serve as the Great Lakes Energy Revolving Loan Fund (R.L.F.) point person.
- Identify and develop relationships with other “alternative funding” sources that could be used to assist entrepreneurial growth.
- Serve as a liaison to staff counterparts at state and regional partner organizations/agencies such as MEDC, Michigan Works, SBA, USDA, Chambers, PTAC, NCMC, MCDC
- Stay current on public policy that may impact local businesses.
- Actively participate in on-going professional development
To borrow from an agricultural example, before you can expect any harvest, it takes a lot of soil preparation, seed planting, watering, new growth monitoring, disease and, pest control, a little help from the weather (community) and help to bring in the harvest (workforce).
Economic development is more akin to planting fruit orchards than soybeans or corn. Much of it takes time and patience and often will go unnoticed…which makes it even more important that someone pays attention to it.
Interested in what NLEA can do to help your business thrive? Call 231-582-6482 or email buck@northernlakes.net.
