BUTTE - Butte has hired a Texas-based agency it hopes will help the Mining City recruit the right businesses to town.
“Where we can actively recruit businesses that fit what our spending is and are going to be successful knowing that coming in they have their market already here,” said Butte Local Development Corp. Director Joe Willauer.
The BLDC will pay Buxton Solutions $50,000 to monitor and collect the spending habits of consumers in Butte and use that information to direct the city on which businesses that would be a good fit in this market.
“It really does narrow down to businesses that fit our demographics and through analytics you can come up with that information and make very informed decisions,” said Willauer.
It will take time for the agency to collect the information, and then it’s up to Butte to seek out potential businesses.
“They walk you to the doorstep, they knock on the door and then it’s up to you to make the pitch and get them to town,” said Willauer.
One major goal for economic leaders in Butte is to try to recruit a large retail store after Butte lost Herbergers and JCPenney in recent years.
“And so finding a large retailer who willing to fill that gap, willing to take a risk knowing that maybe nationally things are difficult, but locally here in Butte, they are going to come to a community that’s going to support them. That’s the type of business we’re trying to recruit,” said Willauer.
The BLDC raised the money to hire Buxton Solutions through grants and local contributions and not local taxpayer money.
