While the Laurens County Development Corporation usually deal with economic development of the manufacturing variety, at Tuesday afternoon’s meeting they turned their attention toward retail recruitment. Retail Strategies is a consulting and recruitment firm based in Birmingham, Alabama. Mr. Matt Petro of Retail Strategies told the LCDC Board that a strategic plan was done in 2009. He said that plan pointed out that Laurens County needed a Market data to help recruit retail, a catalog of all key properties, a study to help figure out what areas to recruit retail to and actual recruitment of retail.
Petro pointed out that really none of those steps had been taken and he said those steps are exactly what Retail Strategies does on a daily basis.
LCDC Deputy Director Jonathan Coleman stated that he had been working with Mr. Petro to develop a funding source that would enable just such a partnership in the near future. “It’s gonna happen” he said.
Last night Laurens City Council also heard from Matthew Petro of Retail Strategies. He suggested the city sign a three-year contract with Retail Strategies for $44,900 that authorizes Retail Strategies to assist in the research and retail recruitment efforts to bring new businesses to the city. Mayor Sharon Brownlee said that Clinton and Laurens County are also interested in what the company has to offer. Mayor Sharon Brownlee said that she and City Administrator Gary Coleman had met with Petro, and she is excited about what the company can do for Laurens. Coleman said that the city has money in the Community Development Fund to finance the project.
Council unanimously approved a resolution to go forward with working with Retail Strategies but no contract has yet been signed.