“The business of business is business” and bringing it home

Part 1 of 3

That headline is a quote from the late economist and Nobel Prize winner, Milton Friedman. For a decade City Manager Brad Stafford has made it his business to spread the message to retailers that the welcome mat is out, and the light is on in Navasota. In this three-part series, Stafford and Navasota Grimes Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Johnny McNally, discuss “marketing” the city and the county, and the challenges of meeting retailers’ demographic criteria.

Retail Live!

The city’s marketing efforts began in earnest 10 years ago with attendance at the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). Stafford credits former chamber director Pam Beard with combining city and chamber forces for that event.

Stafford said, “Since Pam Beard, the chamber has worked with the city in our retail recruitment process. We’ve made a good team. At times it’s just Johnny and I, and we’ve walked miles and miles, and talked and talked until we couldn’t talk anymore. We scatter through the room passing out information and having conversations.”

Stafford and McNally recently attended their third Retail Live! trade show in Austin. McNally describes Retail Live! as “a gathering of retailers who are looking to expand their business into multiple markets. They gather in one place and all these communities come and try to find a match.”

Stafford said, “At Retail Live! these are retailers looking at Texas. They’re businesses that want to be in Texas communities.”

On this trip Stafford and McNally were accompanied by the city’s Economic Development Specialist, Jonathan Soseby and Yolanda Fultz, a director on the chamber’s board of directors. Working in teams of two, they manned a booth and visited retailer booths.

McNally said, “We had a game plan – where we’d go, what properties we’d try to market and what we’d try to pitch.”

A glance at the Retail Live! 2019 Trade Show Book reveals a smorgasbord of retailers and quick serve restaurants (QSR) seeking to expand in Texas – familiar names like Arby’s, Cato’s, Party City, Red Lobster, Starbuck’s and Whataburger. Contrary to public perception, the challenge is not a lack of invitation to Navasota but finding the retailer whose criteria matches Navasota’s demographic.

The marketing tool belt

McNally wears many hats. In addition to chamber director, he serves on the board of Navasota’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and is the Economic Development arm for Grimes County.

McNally said, “I’m representing the entire county essentially, and Brad and the EDC director represent the interests of Navasota.”

According to McNally, the EDC has allocated more dollars to assist with printed materials “strictly to generate interest in this area.” An example is the colorful two-page ad in the Go Big in Texas 2018-2019 Texas Economic Development Guide touting Navasota’s predicted 2.8% growth, 3.8% unemployment, proximity to major metro areas, municipal airport, collegiate high school and other positives the city has to offer.

Other marketing tools include the dynamic “Navasota: So Much, So Close” YouTube video launched in January 2019, hosting economic development events that reach out to realtors and businesses outside Grimes County, working with the State of Texas as well as old-fashion cold calling.

Grimes County gets boost

from Austin

According to McNally, the State of Texas has been “aggressive” in sparking an interest in moving to or opening a business in Texas by creating incentives and assisting in a proposal program.

He said, “If someone is interested in coming to a particular region of Texas, the State will put out a Request for Proposal or a Request for Information. If we’re in that region, we’ll get it and we’re able to reply to it.”

Working blind with only basic information like acreage required, square footage, type of business, McNally prepares a proposal that includes available sites meeting that criteria. The proposal provides specific information about each property and the advantages of the location, such as proximity to major highways, airports and airport services, businesses, housing and accessibility to Texas A&M University and Blinn College.

It also includes information on county, state and federal incentives, energy and taxes as well as a community profile.

McNally said, “Ideally that results in a site visit but if you can’t meet the criteria, don’t bother to submit. You can’t change minds but if we meet it, we want to be in the running.”

Stafford pointed to an aspect of marketing often overlooked - taking care of the community. That encompasses keeping the town clean, building nice sidewalks, mowing along the highway, having nice gateway and entrance markers and well-maintained city facilities. All those things impact the impression made on interested retailers and developers.

Stafford said, “They drive in and drive around to see if we take care of this town, and if they stop in our businesses, they’re evaluating our people, too.”

Next week, Part 2: The demographic dilemma