RECRUTING NEW BUSINESSES

From site selection through move-in, the Irving Economic Development Partnership has the resources to help relocating companies find a home in Irving. Their services include:

Site Selection

The Chamber's Economic Development Team utilizes an extensive database of available properties and its first-hand knowledge of the city's commercial real estate offerings to assist relocating companies with site selection. The team can perform confidential property searches on a prospect's behalf, or prospects may perform their own searches using the Economic Development Team’s Web site, through Xceligent.

Advocacy: Incentives, Permitting and Zoning

The Chamber's Economic Development Team works to target incentives, then maximize their value for qualifying companies. And here the cooperation of the Irving Economic Development Partnership is at its most visible: Led by the Chamber's Economic Development Team, the entities that grant incentives work together to maximize benefits for companies that bring high-quality business projects to the city.

The Chamber's Economic Development Team also serves as an advocate through the permitting and zoning processes, working closely with the City of Irving staff and City Council.

The City simplifies the process with a Business Development Coordinator who works closely with the Chamber's Economic Development Team and the prospect throughout the planning, zoning, permitting and construction processes.

Training Resources

The Chamber's Economic Development Team can work with a relocating or expanding company to target and utilize an extensive array of training resource to help them:

• Obtain skills-development grants. The Economic Development team works with North Lake College to guide and assist companies with grant applications for skills-development funds from the State of Texas and other resources. North Lake provides a professional grant writer, and even pools the resources and needs of smaller companies to maximize grants.
  
  
• Tailor training programs. North Lake College can create training programs to meet the individual needs of Irving companies. Services range from offering an existing class on a company's campus to tailoring an entire program.
  
  
• Coordinate job fairs. The Chamber's Economic Development Team can set up job fairs for new and expanding companies. The Team works with the Texas Workforce Commission to find a site, set up interview suites, and even arrange training facilities. The TWC also can take applications and screen job seekers on the company's behalf.