Economic development and improving quality of life always are desirable endeavors.
Thrive, a non-profit group representing the Madison region, an eight-county area which includes Green County, is hoping to do both.
The group formed by leaders in the eight-county area does not recruit new businesses to its area. It leaves that work to city, county and regional economic development groups. Green County Development Corporation is said to be involved in the Thrive effort.
Thrive uses a grow-your-own model based on the needs of its target sectors: Agriculture, health care and biotechnology. It has a number of specific projects ready to pursue, according to Executive Vice President Rafael Carbonell.
"Participants pointed us to these projects," Carbonell said. "We did surveys and interviews. We're not coming at people cold turkey, and these projects will evolve."
Two of the projects could yield valuable results for Green County businesses.
One, called Growers to Grocers, is meant to connect grocers and local farmers for the benefit of both. Grocers get to sell more local food as part of the "Slow Food" movement, and farmers get another avenue to sell their products.
The online result, www.greenleafmarket.com, will connect farmers to grocers, restaurants, schools, hospitals and other food buyers on the Web. The Web site also will permit buyers to post their needs, and let farmers bid on it.
Another project, Badger Boomerang, is meant to augment the talent recruitment efforts of local health care and biotechnology companies. Monroe Clinic is a participating employer.
The project is meant to "boomerang" management and scientific talent back to the Madison region to fill specific company positions. Thrive's efforts would be a perfect complement to Green County-based Future Forward's attempts to bring more professionals to the area.
The projects are real and success is measurable. That will be a key if Thrive is to accomplish its goal of economic development and improving quality of life. Thrive will release a state of the region report in December, comparing the Madison region to peer regions.
A criticism some have shared about Thrive's efforts is that it's too Madison-centric. It's a legitimate concern, especially for the smaller counties in the groups area, such as Green County. But in a way, Thrive must focus on Madison. A significant majority of biotechnology companies are in Madison. Health care and agriculture are more spread out.
Carbonell said in a world where Google is a verb, Thrive needs to use Madison as its region identifier.
"That's something we hear, that we're focused more on Madison, and we've talked about it a lot," Carbonell said. "We're showing with what we're doing that that's not the case."
Hopefully, Thrive continues to pursue projects all over the region, and adapts as the region's needs change. A little extra help never hurts.
Thrive, a non-profit group representing the Madison region, an eight-county area which includes Green County, is hoping to do both.
The group formed by leaders in the eight-county area does not recruit new businesses to its area. It leaves that work to city, county and regional economic development groups. Green County Development Corporation is said to be involved in the Thrive effort.
Thrive uses a grow-your-own model based on the needs of its target sectors: Agriculture, health care and biotechnology. It has a number of specific projects ready to pursue, according to Executive Vice President Rafael Carbonell.
"Participants pointed us to these projects," Carbonell said. "We did surveys and interviews. We're not coming at people cold turkey, and these projects will evolve."
Two of the projects could yield valuable results for Green County businesses.
One, called Growers to Grocers, is meant to connect grocers and local farmers for the benefit of both. Grocers get to sell more local food as part of the "Slow Food" movement, and farmers get another avenue to sell their products.
The online result, www.greenleafmarket.com, will connect farmers to grocers, restaurants, schools, hospitals and other food buyers on the Web. The Web site also will permit buyers to post their needs, and let farmers bid on it.
Another project, Badger Boomerang, is meant to augment the talent recruitment efforts of local health care and biotechnology companies. Monroe Clinic is a participating employer.
The project is meant to "boomerang" management and scientific talent back to the Madison region to fill specific company positions. Thrive's efforts would be a perfect complement to Green County-based Future Forward's attempts to bring more professionals to the area.
The projects are real and success is measurable. That will be a key if Thrive is to accomplish its goal of economic development and improving quality of life. Thrive will release a state of the region report in December, comparing the Madison region to peer regions.
A criticism some have shared about Thrive's efforts is that it's too Madison-centric. It's a legitimate concern, especially for the smaller counties in the groups area, such as Green County. But in a way, Thrive must focus on Madison. A significant majority of biotechnology companies are in Madison. Health care and agriculture are more spread out.
Carbonell said in a world where Google is a verb, Thrive needs to use Madison as its region identifier.
"That's something we hear, that we're focused more on Madison, and we've talked about it a lot," Carbonell said. "We're showing with what we're doing that that's not the case."
Hopefully, Thrive continues to pursue projects all over the region, and adapts as the region's needs change. A little extra help never hurts.
