Stating, “Flagstaff is huge on innovation,” Business Retention and Expansion Manager John Saltonstall is involved in the effort to try to have Flagstaff designated as a manufacturing community, highlighting technology and making it eligible for federal funding.
Saltonstall says manufacturing is different from what it used to be. “Today’s manufacturing is not smoke stacks, which people normally think. Flagstaff is very clean and people are aware of community values. The values of community and manufacturing co-exist.”
Previously working with the Flagstaff community on developments such as the Northern Arizona Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (NACET) business incubator, the United States Economic Development Administration (EDA) has invited the city and regional partners to submit an application for funding.
The EDA assists communities that have the best strategic policies for attracting and developing private investments in the manufacturing division. In order to secure broad-based prosperity in a region and continuous economic self-sufficiency, a community must acquire a network among six pillars:
– Workforce and Training;
– Supplier Network;
– Research and Innovation;
– Infrastructure/Site Development;
– Trade and International Investment; and
– Operational Improvement and Capital Access.
Saltonstall says the goal of the application is to show the EDA that Flagstaff’s network of organizations and the people in the community have strong working relationships that grow opportunities and skills in advanced manufacturing. These organizations include the Coconino County Career System, the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce, the Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona (ECONA), W. L. Gore & Associates, Coconino Community College, Northern Arizona University, Nestlé Purina PetCare Company, TGen North and Joy Cone.
“This whole application exercise in receiving designation is extremely valuable,” said Saltonstall. “The goal of the application is to develop and organize, whether we win or not. The application brings industry and community leaders together from across the spectrum of interaction in Flagstaff.”
The application calls for finance, import and export knowledge and marketplace industry expertise. It also asks about areas that are conducive for expansion.
Saltonstall says if the City of Flagstaff receives this designation, it can become a key technology division with “great relevance locally and nationally, creating economic development that brings different public and private entities together in productive and collaborative ways.”
The application is due this month. If Flagstaff is among the cities designated as a manufacturing community, it will receive preferential review from 10 federal agencies that have some $1.3 billion available to fund programs. FBN
By Hillary Hayes