Area Development News

Ely Area Development Association Featured In "Shoptalk"
Posted on Feb 09 2007
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The featured company in the January issue of Shoptalk is AMFA's newest member, Ely Area Development Association (EADA) and Project Firefly (TM), an innovative, fledging economic development approach underway in the Ely area.

Pat Henderson, a native of the Warroad, MN area, came on board as Executive Director of the EADA in March of 2005, having spent most of her economic development and marketing/communications career in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area. In addition to her role as Executive Director of the Ely Area Development Association, Henderson is also Executive Coordinator of the Community Economic Development Joint Powers Board (Joint Powers) comprised of a broad array of entities including the cities of Ely, Babbitt, and Winton, Morse Township, Independent School District #696, Vermilion Community College, Ely Bloomenson Community Hospital, and the Ely Chamber of Commerce. Joint Powers funds the EADA and provides expertise and knowledge of the region, its people and its resources.

Henderson's approach toward economic development encompasses more than just the economy; she feels sustainable economic development means that economic development must be a good fit for the people, the place and the economy. From the outset, she sought to answer the question: "Do we have the existing capacity in our area to create our own economic development?"

It didn't take long to conclude that there was potential for people in the region to use existing creative genius in the people, skills, knowledge, and resources to grow the economy. Who are these people? They are inventors, innovators and entrepreneurs who have for years been independently developing solutions to problems. While tourism in the region boomed, these folks have been operating "under the radar" as Henderson would say, by creating problem solving products in their garages using metal working equipment they picked up at low cost when the mines closed in the 1970's and 1980's.

In the spring of 2006, Henderson was successful in securing a $50,000 grant from the Blandin Foundation to be used to explore the potential to build out local innovation, either by developing a community owned job shop, a prototype shop and/or developing local inventions. The Project Firefly (TM) vision stems from Henderson's connection to Roseau, MN where a local invention back in the 1950s led to significant, long-term economic impact for the region with the growth of Polaris Industries. Perhaps the ideas of Ely-area inventors could someday result in a large manufacturing facility in the region, like Polaris Industries, or perhaps several inventions could be developed and manufactured by a number of small companies in the region. Either way, the economy in the region would become stronger and the evolving production would create jobs. Jobs would translate to increased enrollment in area schools.

Henderson came up with a name for the new development efforts: Project Firefly (TM). The glimmer of hope depicted as fireflies flicker around, the challenge of catching them, the way the light becomes brighter when they are pooled together...this combination of images portrays the possibilities the project brings to the region.

With grant funding secured, one of Henderson's first tasks was to hire a project manager. Three candidates were interviewed, and the job went to Dave Kromer, a local inventor with existing knowledge and connections in the region.

With Kromer on board, the next step int he project was fact finding. The fact finding process was completed last summer, resulting in inventories of existing people skills and knowledge, manufacturing equipment, and other assets in the region. It was determined that the region has the most expertise and assets related to metal fabrication, so, for now, Project Firefly (TM) will focus on metal manufacturing. (Wood, textiles, and plastic are possible avenues for the future, since many inventions involve multiple materials.)

Because the inventors/innovators in the region are critical for the project to succeed, an Innovators Circle (TM) was created as the foundation of Project Firefly (TM). The Innovators Circle (TM) provides an opportunity for innovators to come together once a month to solve problems related to design in the invention process. New ideas are introduced and information is shared regarding design, prototypes, testing, marketability, production costs, and more.

With the sharing of proprietary information, confidentiality is critical to the success of the group. Much initial effort has been invested in establishing the necessary nondisclosure agreements and legal documents to provide a strong level of confidence among the Circle's participants and protect the rights of the inventor.

Two inventors have introduced products to the Innovators Circle (TM) so far. A third product will be introduced in March. Currently, fourteen people have agreed to the terms and have been accepted as participants in the Circle. The various inventions are at different stages in the evaluation process. For example, the first product is soon ready for composite analysis and finite element analysis prior to going to prototype development. The second product just entered the pipeline recently and is in the initial design critique stage. Pre-marketing, viability of design, strength of materials, stress points, functionality, prototypes, full production issues, and a strategic process to assess viability at every stage...all of these factors and more must be addressed in evaluating each new invention.

One component that Project Firefly (TM) intends to address in the near future is workforce development and education and the need for local young people to become interested in the skilled technical jobs that the region will likely have to offer. Project Firefly (TM) would like to be a national model for what can happen when technical jobs that the region will likely have to offer. Project Firefly (TM) would like to be a national model for what can happen when technical education and prospective employees are specifically responsive to the workforce needs of a region. Efforts will be made to link high school and college officials across the region and create programs that increase student (and parent) awareness of job opportunities in manufacturing. Career fairs, internships, college credit for technical programs...all are part of the vision to impact technical education in the region.

Although Project Firefly (TM) is well underway, it is still a work in progress, and Henderson and Kromer are learning as they go. They appreciate the many partners who have joined them in their efforts...consultants, finite element analysis experts, composite experts, business development partners, and funders. Continued funding is an existing concern; they haven't yet received word on whether second-year grant funding will be available in March. And, as with all projects that begin with grant funding, ongoing sustainability must be addressed.

In short, the end result of Project Firefly (TM) is unknown since many variables will impact the future of the project. Whatever the outcome, the region can already take pride in what the project has generated to date - a renewed sense of excitement and hope for the future, as well as recognition of the valuable assets and resources existing in the region. Hats off to the many area residents who have volunteered their time and creative genius to try to make a difference!? --By Sandy Kashmark