How The Greater Springfield Partnership Supports Local Businesses

The Greater Springfield Partnership is the result of collaboration between multiple organizations in Clark County, community leaders, businesses and stakeholders. All of this support is being brought to bear for our local business community. “The Greater Springfield Partnership allows us to leverage resources in a powerful way. This means more programming and support for local businesses and all our residents,” said Mike McDorman, President & CEO.

The Greater Springfield Partnership (GSP) embodies the spirit of  “Forward Together,” the Springfield motto. By being the voice of 800 companies and 15,000 employees, GSP can be the catalyst for regional growth, a thought leader and problem solver.

How does this help local businesses?

The answer is found in the marriage between strategic planning and real-world activities. Where think tanks and community foundations may focus on studies and thought leadership, and chambers will focus on activities like networking events and educational programs, the GSP has the resources to do it all. “By bringing community organizations together under a single banner we are able to combine resources, put talent in the best positions and really drive results for our community,” said McDorman. 

One of the ways this is paying off for local businesses is through expanded workforce development and attraction programming. “At the Chamber we have supported businesses with workforce attraction through posting job openings, pre screening applicants, etc. Now those programs have been significantly expanded to include in-person recruitment,” said Amy Donahoe , Director of Workforce Development for the Greater Springfield Partnership. For example, “We are hosting talent recruitment events at local high schools where employers can connect directly with people looking for work,” said Kendra Burnside, Talent and Education Coordinator for the Greater Springfield Partnership.

Ultimately, GSP’s mission is to lead the partnership of community investors in the advancement of our local economy and quality of life. As a result, programming to help local businesses will be based on the needs of those businesses. “Our goal is to be responsive to the needs of our community. If a business wants to have suppliers located here, our economic development team will try to recruit them. If a business needs workforce training, they can utilize one of our new programs to have a training curriculum designed. We are here to listen and act,” said Horton Hobbs, VP of Economic Development. 

Responding to community needs, and planning for the future, is what GSP is all about. Afterall, the foundation for the organization was laid in 2011 with a small group of community leaders who launched a public survey to better understand what the needs of the community were. Five working task forces came out of this work and ten years later, the focus is the same. “We have made tremendous progress in the past decade thanks to the commitment of our community and the dedication of its leaders. With the Chamber, Tourism and Economic Development combined under one roof, we are in the position to implement our strategy and make the greatest impact for our community,” said McDorman. “We encourage business leaders to get involved, make their voice heard and let us know what their needs are so we can help them to succeed.”