Employer Resources

Business Retention & Expansion Visitation Program

The Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) Visitation Program is a community-based program to encourage the growth of local business. It has as it goal a healthy local economy and an improved business climate. The program promotes job growth by helping communities identify the concerns and barriers to survival and growth facing local businesses. This approach focuses on existing businesses.

Studies show up to 80% of all new jobs are created by existing firms rather than by attracting new businesses to communities. Moreover, business attraction efforts are less likely to be successful if existing businesses are not happy with the local business climate.

Program Objectives

Short Term

  • Provide community support for local business.
  • Solve immediate individual business concerns.

Long Term

  • Increase the competitiveness of local establishments.
  • Establish and implement a strategic action plan for economic development.

The BR&E Visitation program can make local businesses more competitive by evaluating and addressing their broader needs and concerns. Businesses that stay competitive are more likely to remain in the community, hire additional employees and expand and upgrade their facility. The process creates a broad-based business outreach committee to sustain long-term economic development efforts.

If you are interested in this program please call the Department of Economic Development at 856-384-6930 or email Michelle Shirey, WDB Director to schedule a site visit.