The Wyoming Business Council is a state agency governed by WS 9-12-103. The statute clearly tells the Business Council what it is authorized to do. In any other state it would be called the Department of Commerce.
Wyoming Constitution article 16 section 6 forbids any state government agency from giving money to any person or business.
The primary focus of the Business Council has been to help communities and businesses start, grow and succeed. Almost the entire budget is focused on this.
Only a small portion is devoted to recruiting new businesses because the idea is if we can grow our existing businesses across the state, that helps the families that are here who support and love what Wyoming offers.
How are communities helped? For years Wyoming did not have the infrastructure to help grow or recruit businesses. They need water, sewer, power, roads and broadband.
Without these in place which was the case for years, Wyoming was just not in the game. The Business Ready Community statute was instituted to use state money to provide this needed infrastructure.
The money went to cities, towns and counties that went through a rigorous vetting process.
Proposals were worked up by the communities in partnership with the Business Council staff to flesh out reasonable infrastructure improvements, then the Business Council Board of Directors voted for or against the proposal and then it went to the State Loan and Investment Board (Governor, Secretary of State, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Treasurer and Auditor) for a final vote.
Communities large and small have been helped, I guarantee there was no favoritism nor political intrigue.
How are existing bushiness helped? Again, the Wyoming Constitution forbids a government entity from giving money to a business.
The Business Council solution was to provide services that many small businesses could not afford.
For example, floor space was bought at major conventions like the yearly Shot Show in Las Vegas. Then Wyoming businesses that sold outdoor sports equipment could show their wares and develop contacts for sales.
The Business Council contracted with Manufacturing Works that provides expertise to manufacturers with R&D, sources of raw material, marketing and professional advice.
The Council has a partnership with the University of Wyoming called the Research Products Center. This provides assistance with technology transfer from research and development to products for sale and distribution.
The Procurement Technical Assistance Center helps companies with training and counseling to help businesses compete for government contracts. It provides assistance with finding opportunities, navigating contract rules and assisting with registrations.
The Small Business Innovation Research program helps Wyoming businesses compete for R&D funds from federal agencies.
For years Wyoming never had an award. With this assistance Wyoming companies are receiving Phase 1 and Phase 2 awards. For example, a Phase 1 award from the Department of Energy is $200,000- $250,000 and Phase 2 is $1.1 to $1.6 million.
Companies in Wyoming are now competing and winning Phase 1s and Phase 2 awards.
These and others are how the Business Council accomplishes the mandate in the statute that created it.
The work by all these entities is not sexy but it is growing businesses by directly helping communities and providing needed services for businesses to start, grow and succeed.
If you hear phrases like,” they pick winners and loser,” “they compete with businesses” that is flat wrong.
In each section of the state there is a Business Council Regional Director.
These men and women are the direct conduit for communities and businesses in their area. They know of all the programs that can help grow the economy.
If you actually believe the Business Council has not been helping our economy, please contact the nearest Regional Director and they can put you in contact with those who have been helped.
They have their ear to the ground and are well known by mayors and county commissioners throughout the state.
Retired Air Force Colonel Tucker Fagan is the former head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Nuclear Section under President Ronald Reagan and the former Commander of F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne. He also ran the Wyoming Business Council in the mid-1990s.
