ALEDA and Chamber to Share New Office Location Downtown
The offices of Albert Lea Economic Development Agency and the Albert Lea – Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce will now be located together in the heart of Albert Lea. The new location for both organizations will be 132 North Broadway in downtown. Over a year of planning and consideration between the organizations has led to the organizations deciding to share office space and resources in order to reduce costs and increase collaboration between the organizations.
As organizations with similar goals – the support and growth of businesses in Albert Lea and Freeborn County – the move will enable a stronger relationship as they pursue their missions to the benefit of the community they serve. Many benefits will be realized to local businesses and the community such as the ability to access the staffs of the organization at the same location, access business support tools from both organizations, shared initiatives and projects, and more.
When asked about the new space and its benefits, ALEDA Board President Sarah Nelson said,
“Many resources for business owners and community members will now be within one location. Organization leaders and staff will be across the hall from each other, or across the street (in the case of the CVB), rather than across town. While this will lead to better use of time and a more efficient use of resources, it’ll also naturally lead to more collaborative projects.”
In good timing is the Strategic Planning Process which involves ALEDA, the Chamber, the CVB, the City of Albert Lea and Freeborn County.
“We know that through upcoming the strategic planning process, we will identify even more opportunities for partnerships. Albert Lea and Freeborn County are moving into the future with great ideas, new leaders and a focused plan. This shared space is just the first step of many we’ll take to keep moving our community forward,” said Nelson.
Chamber Board Chair, Tricia Dahl, also expressed anticipation for the move,
“It has been the desire of The Chamber to be in the downtown area for several years so we can increase our visibility and access to our community. We expect that being co-located with ALEDA and across the street from the CVB is will greatly improve collaboration, particularly as we work on developing a strategic plan for the community. The timing couldn’t be better as we are actively working toward becoming a designated Main Street community. “
The staff of the organizations will be busy during the next several weeks moving into the new space and continuing to work on current projects and initiatives simultaneously. The organizations expect to be available to the public in the new space on October 14th. ALEDA is the local economic development organization made up of two separate entities – the City of Albert Lea Port Authority and Greater Jobs, Inc. If you are a new or expanding business looking for assistance, please contact ALEDA at 507-373-3930 or visit www.growalbertlea.com.