Called Competitive Intelligence, the pilot year of the program will be anchored by Adrienne Harling, a regional research consultant with a master’s degree in Library and Information Science. She founded the Klamath Salmon Natural History Library in Orleans in 2002, securing a $14,000 grant and supplying a strategic plan and budget blueprint.
Competitive Intelligence is information about a company’s rivals, customers, markets and industries that can equip it with a competitive edge. Businesses learn a great deal about their potential customers and their competitors’ performance in attracting them.
Active support of local, growth-oriented companies with high caliber research is a crucial component of a successful economic development strategy for communities that emphasize building their own entrepreneurial talent, instead of recruiting industry from out of the area. This strategy is called “economic gardening.”
In her new role with the OECD, Harling will assist Redwood Coast businesses with customized research in six industry sectors that have been identified as having the highest potential economic impact in the region: diversified health care, niche manufacturing, specialty agriculture, management and innovation services, investment services, and building and systems construction and maintenance.
“I’ll help our local businesses grow using reliable strategic information,” said Harling, who for five years has been providing natural resources research to agencies, tribes and other organizations in the Klamath River basin. “Our Competitive Intelligence Research Service will strengthen local economic development, helping our entrepreneurs to make informed, critical decisions about their businesses. The research will be customized, concise and actionable so that businesses can address specific issues efficiently. This kind of research is very expensive on the open market, so it’s a wonderful start-up opportunity that HSU is able to provide these services for free this year, and at a reduced cost in future years.”
Financing comes from a $66,000 start-up grant from the Headwaters Fund of Humboldt County, in cooperation with the North Coast Small Business Development Center. Harling will operate out of Humboldt State’s OECD at 707/826-3924.
Maggie Gainer, OECD’s Director, said, “I am thrilled that this new C.I. research service and Adrienne’s expertise will apply the tremendous information resources, databases and research tools at the University to help local firms expand and compete in national and global markets. It’s a perfect role for HSU in the region’s economic development.”
Visit Growing Local Economies for additional information about Competitive Intelligence.