Strategic Plan
Strategic Plan
Battle Creek Unlimited (BCU) is pleased to share its new 2030 Strategic Plan. For more than 50 years, BCU has served the City of Battle Creek, bringing jobs and investment to our community. The 2030 Strategic Plan builds on the success of our previous Strategic Plan while expanding our focus to better serve the needs of our community.
GLOBAL INNOVATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS EVOLVING AT A RAPID PACE, SO MUST BCU.
In alignment and recognition of the ever-changing landscape within economic development, BCU will be shifting its historical focus from 100% primary job-creating efforts (industrial economic development) to a split between community economic development (60%) and primary job creation efforts (40%). The increased focus on community development is directly aligned to meet the needs and opportunities that will position the City of Battle Creek for success. Successful community development will not only help capture current economic opportunities but will help to attract new prospects. But most importantly, it will benefit our existing employers by helping elevate present impediments facing employers in Battle Creek. A shift in prioritization of focused efforts also creates a need to diversify operational funding streams that align. This can be accomplished in multiple ways, including dedicated fundraising, continued development of assets that generate revenue, public private partnerships, and philanthropic contributions.
BCU will lead on this front and develop a reputation as a state, regional, and national leader and serve as an example of community and economic leadership.
As BCU works toward accomplishing the many goals set out by 2030, the community should see improvements in the labor participation rate, median household income increase, population growth, poverty decline, wage growth, educational attainment improvements, health improvements, and increased vibrancy as well as improved perception of Battle Creek, leading to an emerging community of choice within the state and region.
Over the next seven years, BCU will measure its progress by tracking several key metrics, including jobs impacted and associated wages, capital investment, new company attraction, and raised private capital. Meeting the targets associated with these metrics will define success for the organization within Battle Creek’s economic development ecosystem and will impact outcomes of labor participation rates, median household income., population growth, poverty, wage growth, educational attainment, health, increased vibrancy and perception of Battle Creek – all which will be tracked internally as well.
The new strategic plan will help BCU prioritize its human and capital resources to have the greatest impact on Battle Creek. Although this is a strategic plan for BCU, it should be viewed as a comprehensive plan/playbook that many can utilize to advance Battle Creek as there are currently many efforts and services led, managed, and operated by other entities and groups within the City of Battle Creek. Roles and responsibilities will need to be defined with many stakeholders throughout the City of Battle Creek and will be key to having the greatest impact on Battle Creek.
