BLUE EARTH - Faribault County commissioners have been questioning how the area is benefitting from the county helping support a private economic development agency.

Some of commissioners' concerns about Go Minnesota may have been addressed Tuesday when the program's new director paid them a visit.

Doug Uhrhammer has been on the job for two months. He has been out and about, meeting many of the industries, real estate agents and government bodies in Faribault County.

"This breaks down what I've done in the past 20 days," said Uhrhammer, handing commissioners a long list to review as he introduced himself and shared his goals.

Go Minnesota was formed in 2008 as the Faribault County Regional Development Corporation, as a result of a group of business leaders interested in the economic future of the county, according to the nonprofit corporation's Web site, www.gominnesota.net

"I'll be honest with you, businesses out there right now - and it's no surprise - their volume is down substantially," Uhrhammer said.

To help these firms help themselves, he would like to set up an informal industry network, but he warned the buy-in process won't be easy.

So why would businesses participate? Networking can give smaller industries access to the experience and know-how of larger industries, Uhrhammer pointed out. Participants also could take advantage of employee sharing if one business needs to temporarily lay off a worker and another needs to hire someone on a short-term basis. The practice would help the employee maintain steady income and the employer wouldn't have to find and train someone new if the laid-off employee found work outside the region.

"The worst thing in the world is when the market recovers, and all the qualified people are gone," Uhrhammer said.

Another project Uhrhammer would like to tackle is convincing an association of Minnesota commercial real estate agents to expand their coverage area on their Web site to include south-central Minnesota.

"It is the site most companies use to find properties in this part of the world," he said.

Commissioner Butch Erichsrud was impressed: "I really like the concept you have ... and you've got very successful people throughout the county with Go Minnesota."

Besides helping existing industries and recruiting new ones, Uhrhammer talked about ways to keep businesses downtown.

When he was city administrator in Windom during the farm crisis of 1982, Uhrhammer set up a system to unite people going out with business - who are often interested only in silent sales - with people who want to acquire a small business.

As a farmer, Commissioner Tom Warmka wanted to know how Go Minnesota's plans help ag-related industries. Warmka said he'd like to see more available for heavy truck repair, implement dealers and even small-town bakeries or cafes where farmers can gather early in the morning before heading to the fields.

"We're consumers too," he said. "We've got the checkbook and we need the services."

One way to capitalize on agriculture could be to look to Faribault County's neighbors to the east and west. As Uhrhammer has researched the history of the county, he has noticed to the west the talk centers on energy biosciences, like wind power and ethanol. To the east are medical biosciences.

"This county is almost divided," he said. "... Which one are we? Or maybe can we be both? That doubles our chance for success."

No mention was made Tuesday of the pending contract between the county EDA and Go Minnesota. Commissioners still must decide if they want to renew the contract and continue supporting the corporation, which also has a contract with Blue Earth's EDA.

Last year, the county gave $50,000 to Go Minnesota. This year, the Faribault County Economic Development Authority has budgeted only $25,000. Commissioners also have discussed making payments on a project-by-project basis.