City positions itself to spur private sector growth: Industrial marketing strategy among key components of Sault's strategic plan. (Sault Ste. Marie Special Report).

No disrespect to David Letterman, but the City of Sault Ste. Marie has compiled its own Top Ten List. But instead of cheap laughs, they are out to create viable long-term jobs by encouraging private-sector growth And promoting a "business investment ready" environment.

After spending the last two years taking stock of themselves with what the city has to offer in established businesses, manufacturing processes and expertise, general infrastructure and research and development capabilities, they have decided to bundle all their projects together under one strategy document.

With government funding agencies being more tight-fisted than ever with their development dollars, Bruce Strapp, the Sault's president and CEO of the economic development corporation, says the city needs to present a document to government outlining a cohesive plan for economic growth.

"Every funding agency wants to know what your community strategy is to support a particular project, and we have to demonstrate how it all fits together within a growth mandate strategy and how it creates jobs," says Strapp.

The community's input through the labourious Building an Extraordinary Community process gave them a slew of project ideas they felt the city needed to pursue. A growth mandate steering committee struck by the city last January came up with 10 theme areas to identify and review those projects and choose a more focussed course of action to attract new and complimentary business to the city.

Some of the theme areas include: securing provincial funding for a new hospital and long-term care centre; supporting SuperBuild applications and the construction of an academic-based information technology program; growing the city as a telematics centre; growing tourism and overnight stays; devising strategies to lobby government on each project; supporting and developing a new business environment; attracting and growing business; promoting more positive attitudes toward growth; building on more international growth initiatives; and preserving existing jobs.

One of the more important components in the project list is an industrial marketing strategy in chasing after North American-wide opportunities in value-added steel and forestry, aircraft repair and maintenance, and biotechnology in forest-related companies spun off from the world-class federal and provincial forest research institutes in the Sault.

They intend to hire industrial sector specialists to get out and "pound the pavement" to attract outside business.

Setting aside industrial land for light, medium and heavy industry remains a priority project that is closer to completion. In identifying property west of Algoma Steel and on Black Road, the city is moving forward in determining costs for the acquisition and servicing of these lands, including rail access.

In the telematics field, the city's Innovation Centre has teamed with EDS Canada to attract a customer service call centre with 275 jobs providing roadside assistance for General Motors customers. Now they have plans to build out into higher level operations such as an e-commerce contact centre. The city has rezoned a portion of a 22-acre former Ministry of Transportation property to permit a future technology centre to house computer and information technology-based businesses.

For tourist operators, the city already made mammoth strides in working out a deal with bankers to keep the bankrupt Searchmont Resort ski hill operating this winter under community management. The city is also talking with an undisclosed private developer interested in reviving the dormant Gateway waterfront land project. Strapp says the developer wants to "test" the city's Discover Canada concept to determine the rate of investment return before coming on board.

Building a new $175-million hospital and long-term care facility, Strapp says, would represent an "economic developer generator" with construction jobs over a three-year period, but also provide a great added incentive in their toolbox to attract new industry.

As part of its strategy, the city has also adopted a chamber of commerce resolution to promote a positive attitude toward growth and economic diversity that would make Dale Carnegie proud.

Cognizant that bad press and poison-pen letters to the editor grabs the attention of the Bay Street financiers, the city intends to have a public relations strategy in place to ensure that local success stories and updates on ongoing city initiatives are heard.

"Many in the media focussing on the Algoma Steel story are assuming the worst-case scenario that if the restructuring fails, they shut down, that Algoma will dry up and blow away," says Strapp. "Unfortunately that doesn't help us in our attraction work. It seems we have to work 10 times harder than other communities that are in growth mode with robust economies in attracting new business to our market."

Strapp intends to have a consultant in place by the end of October to examine each project in the 10 theme areas and prioritize them as to what projects should be immediately pursued, what economic benefits can be achieved and the time lines to do it.