4 C's of making Battle Creek more attractive to young entrepreneurs

Complacency is not one of the 4 C’s Ken Faris highlights when he talks about what needs to be done to make Battle Creek an attractive living option for young people.

"If I had to sum up what we need to attract young people and create a dynamic community I would say culture, connectivity, capital, and combinatorial innovation," says Faris, a Battle Creek resident who sits on the board of Battle Creek Unlimited.

Although people think of "innovations" as brilliant new devices or processes that are a quantum step better than anything that currently exists, there is another class of innovations -- putting tried and tested components together in a new combination -- that defines combinatorial innovation.

At 36, Faris is one of the youngest members of the board of BCU, which is the City of Battle Creek's economic development organization. He says he has spoken with those in leadership positions about shifting the focus and role of BCU to more of a business intelligence operation that will look at leveraging common data, infrastructure, and goals to find efficiencies and opportunities for existing businesses in the area.

Faris says leaders from all sectors need to take a critical look at where Battle Creek is in the global economy.

"Then we need to look at what combination of existing things could we do to address economic megatrends in areas like information technology or material science and see how we could serve that demand," he says. "We need to combine existing capabilities in new ways to create the types of jobs, infrastructure, and quality of life that will keep and draw young people."

Those jobs should include manufacturing, says James Hettinger, interim Chief Executive Officer for BCU.

"There’s misinformation that jobs at Fort Custer aren’t strong enough to sustain a family," Hettinger says. "The reality is that there are several hundred good jobs that aren’t being filled. They’re primarily production jobs, but they’re good-paying production jobs."

The last two generations of young people have been talked out of seeking careers in manufacturing, which still drives 50 percent of research done in the United States, Hettinger says. With more and more manufacturing coming back to the United States, he says, there is a lack of people trained to fill those jobs.

"We’re not at this point structured to accommodate that re-shoring effort," Hettinger says. "The replacement mechanisms they have in Europe are barely existent here."

Faris says he thinks there’s a huge opportunity to capitalize on the manufacturing in Battle Creek and the region. He says it starts with connectivity and data and weaving an ecosystem together with 24/7 internet access.

Battle Creek has a fiber optic system that has been in place for eight years. With the increase in mobility and the number of people who use smartphones, Faris says now is the time to use that network to make seamless connectivity.

"If we can provide that connectivity seamlessly across the entire municipality and other areas, the implications for people and businesses are tremendous," Faris says. "Closing the digital divide gives people access to information, jobs, and education that they didn’t have before.

"We can use that dome of connectivity to make Battle Creek a living lab for the internet of things -- a $14 trillion business that’s ready to take off."

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a scenario in which objects, animals, or people are provided with unique identifiers and the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction.

"Some of the biggest opportunities are in companies that are already here like Ford or General Motors," Faris says. "Battle Creek is an old economy that’s becoming new again. We can leverage the data and analytics and IT structure we already have in place and participate in the megatrends.  I see us becoming a global player in the Internet of Things."

Hettinger says the city needs to do a better job of fostering this type of creative and forward thinking and cultivating future leaders who will create job growth in all sectors to attract young people to Battle Creek. He says he thinks leadership in the old guard is reluctant to pass the reins on to younger people.  He also says it's challenging to create positive and meaningful change when you have the same people sitting on multiple boards as is the case in many communities, including Battle Creek.

"We’ve got some good young blood interested in joining the BCU board. There’s no reason why a guy like Ken Faris shouldn’t be on the board," Hettinger says. "I think BCU needs to go from a 40-person to 20-person board.  This board will need to shift from focusing on diversity of community interests to focusing on four or five community interests and one of those better be driving the economy."

Faris is part of a core group of young people in Battle Creek who Hettinger describes as very well-qualified, motivated and invested. He says they are actively involved in projects designed to diversify the city’s economy and create a more inviting atmosphere for young entrepreneurs.

One such project is Inge’s Place, a business incubator in the city’s downtown, started by Atlee McFellin, a Battle Creek native currently living in Cleveland. The business incubator occupies space in a building owned by his family who operate Ermisch Travel, one of the occupants. Space is rented out to the owners of start-up businesses who require a brick and mortar presence.  Rents include such necessities as wireless internet access and a dedicated space to work.

Faris says he's collaborating with a local entrepreneur to figure out how to re-package blighted buildings that would be marketed to young entrepreneurs who want to set up their businesses in Battle Creek. Efforts like this will open up opportunities to work with third-party venture capital, business accelerators and seed development funds.

"We’re talking about companies with five to 10 people that could grow to 20 or 30 people to feed into large businesses to take them to a new level and create wealth for individuals in the community," Faris says. "If we find the talent here and incorporate with outside talent, there is the likelihood that there will be reinvestment. We need to have this partnership in order to accelerate the process, but we need to create a platform for them to be successful and bring them here."

Hettinger says communities throughout the U.S. are finding creative ways to attract people such as paying off student debt to attract physicians.  He says offering incentives to purchase and rehab aging housing stock in Battle Creek could be part of a comprehensive package to entice younger people.

Faris, who works for Accenture, a management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, and his wife, who was born and raised in Battle Creek, moved back five years ago and bought a house on the city’s north side because they wanted to be closer to family. They are slowly fixing up their house and would like to make Battle Creek their home.

"We want to be part of the growth and rebirth," he says.  "There’s a huge opportunity for people who are really motivated to jump in at a higher level.

Jane C. Parikh is a freelance reporter and writer with more than 20 years of experience and also is the owner of In So Many Words based in Battle Creek. 

Photos by Susan Andress