During October and November, 2011, APEX hosted a series of "Breakfast Club" meetings with small groups of member businesses, in an effort to better understand the key issues and opportunities our members want us to focus on in 2012. These Breakfast Club meetings, held each year at locations in Duluth and Superior, typically include groups of seven to ten member businesses who sit down over breakfast with members of the APEX Executive Committee and Rob West, President & CEO, for a candid conversation about what APEX is doing well and what we need to improve on over the next year.
In all, five meetings were held this year and 45 of APEX's 60 member businesses represented. Feedback revealed several critical issues facing businesses in northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin, including a growing demand for skilled and/or highly trained workers and a need for APEX to focus more on helping to retain and grow existing businesses in the area. Access to early stage capital was raised as a challenge again this year, although there are still varying opinions as to how APEX should get involved in solving this challenge, if at all.
In other instances, issues that were raised consistently in prior years were seen to have improved in 2011. An example is the sense of provincialism that has often been blamed for creating "turf wars" between neighboring communities, causing some to compete adversely with one another instead of working together toward shared prosperity. Although these problems are perceived to continue in certain areas of the region, most APEX member businesses seemed to agree that these sentiments have weakened in recent years and some credited APEX's regional approach as having played a role in this improvement.
Going forward, the membership challenged APEX staff and leadership to think big and continue positioning the organization as a leader in regional economic development activities. In addition to a dedicated and effective staff, members cited other strengths which bode well for the organization's success, including the engagement of business leaders and economic development partners throughout the APEX network. Our members urged us to call on them more often to add strength and valuable insight to our initiatives. Others focused on the Strategic Resources Group, describing the consulting arm of APEX as vital to the success of business retention and expansion efforts.
Regardless of their individual feedback, it was clear that the majority of APEX members are satisfied with the organization's performance and are ready to pledge their support for another year. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our members for their support now and into the future. Thanks to their investment in the region, APEX will continue to help grow the regional economy.
If you'd like to learn more about how an APEX membership can benefit your business, please contact Sandy Johnson to arrange a meeting with our CEO, Rob West: (218) 740-3667
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