Economic developers in Dubuque, IA, conduct in-depth interviews with more than 300 employers every year.
Their goal is to learn what employers are concerned about, and what challenges they face. The full-court press endeavors to keep jobs from leaving Dubuque — and the hands-on strategy is part of the reason some have labeled this riverfront city “the Masterpiece on the Mississippi.”
Rick Dickinson is head of the Greater Dubuque Development Corp., the organization that runs the steady stream of fact-finding missions with local employers. To conduct the interviews, the development group has a team of three employees, one full-time and two part-time. Each interview lasts 45 to 90 minutes.
The interviews aim to go beyond the casual chatter at networking functions and really drill down into an employer’s business.
Dickinson also meets every week with city officials to report on the results of the interviews. Sometimes the meetings reveal CEOs’ frustrations about issues such as parking or traffic lights. When possible, Dickinson passes on those concerns to city officials — and when the feedback leads to an easy solution, business leaders are pleasantly surprised.
“It literally changes employers’ attitudes about government,” Dickinson says.
More on Dubuque’s program to retain businesses appears in the March issue of Downtown Idea Exchange. Click to learn more about Downtown Idea Exchange and other resources for revitalizing downtowns and commercial corridors.