NORRISTOWN — Montgomery County recently kicked off a new initiative designed to help grow the county’s workforce by helping businesses innovate to attract and retain employees.
The Business Breakthrough Initiative launched earlier this month and is being run by the Montgomery County Commerce Department. It launched with the first in a series of roundtable discussions, which will bring together business leaders from a variety of industry sectors to talk about trends and challenges in the local economy, according to a press release.
Participants in the roundtables, which will be held bi-monthly, will have a chance to share their insights, strategies, and best practices.
In an emailed response to questions, Neil Makhija, chairman of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, said the roundtable discussions are important because they create space for open discussion and an exchange of ideas among business leaders who are facing similar challenges. The discussion will also allow the commerce department to listen to the challenges and opportunities facing the county’s businesses to help inform policy and develop programming.
“By facilitating dialogue and collaboration among industry leaders, we aim to address current challenges and explore opportunities for sustainable growth,” Stephen Forster, director of the Montgomery County Commerce Department, said in a statement.
“The underlying goal is to ensure Montgomery County remains a place where we have world-class businesses that are creating jobs here while participating in the global economy and innovating across a variety of sectors,” Makhija said in a statement. He added that the initiative is a platform for leaders to share ideas and tools for managing business uncertainties.
The first roundtable was held on Wednesday, April 2, and was focused on workforce retention and attraction. The discussion was led by Craig Edsill, CEO of Clemens Family Corp., and HR Director Keith Stahler, and focused on changes the company made that allowed it to increase the number of employees, reduce turnover rates, and expand its operational capacity, the county said in the emailed response.
The next roundtable will be held in June, although a date has not been determined, according to the emailed response. However, those interested in attending are encouraged to sign up to be notified when event details are available by visiting https://www.montgomerycountypa.gov/businessbreakthrough.
“Montgomery County is home to many prosperous businesses whose owners and leaders bring tremendous expertise to the table,” Thomas DiBello, Montgomery County Commissioner, said in a statement. “We want to make sure we’re doing everything we can to create a collaborative business community where these leaders can share their wisdom while maintaining a competitive spirit.”
The events are designed for business owners, senior executives, and decision-makers from companies across the county.
“The Commerce Department’s Business Breakthrough initiative leans on the county’s convening power to gather entrepreneurs and business leaders who share our goal of economic prosperity in Montgomery County,” Jamila H. Winder, vice chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, said in a statement.
