WILLMAR -- A Duluth consulting group has been hired to help guide the Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission through a strategic planning session this fall.
The joint operations board of the EDC voted Thursday to sign a contract with the Northspan Group.
Northspan's bid, for a cost not to exceed $4,000, was the lowest among proposals submitted by three different firms. The consulting group specializes in economic development and helping economic development agencies strengthen their organizational processes.
The day-long retreat, to be held in October, will give the Economic Development Commission a chance to study and review its mission and have in-depth discussion about what its focus should be.
It's a timely undertaking, given that the EDC has grown and evolved since being established three years ago, said Steve Renquist, executive director of the EDC.
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"We are now a mature organization," he said.
Renquist said he doesn't foresee any major shift in focus as a result of the strategic session. However, it will help the EDC zero in on how it can be productive and cost-effective at promoting economic development in Kandiyohi County, he said.
"It could come out that we're doing what we want to be and we stay the course," he said.
