Chelsea attracts businesses looking to attract businesses

The city of Chelsea is looking to attract new businesses and increase local tax revenue.

The Birmingham-based firm Retail Strategies claimed that it could help Chelsea attract more retailers along the 280 corridor at a city council meeting on March 18.

The company would identify which require residents to leave the city to purchase and then recruit companies that sell those product to move into the city. That way more money would be kept locally.

The company claims to have more than 100 cities signed up for this program and already has a record of attracting businesses such as Home Depot and Piggly Wiggly. The proposed contract would cost the city $80,000 over three years. 

If the city attracts a large enough business, Chelsea could pay Retail Strategies with tax revenue generated by the new businesses, according to Mayor Earl Niven. Niven said he hopes the council will be ready to make a decision by the next meeting.

After the meeting several competing firms contacted the City Council, vying to provide the same services.  

“They’re wanting us too,” said Becky Landers, the city clerk in Chelsea. “We’re being pursued.”

When 280 Living went to press, other consultancies had yet to make competing offers, but Wade Robinett, executive vide president of Retail Strategies, said that while other companies might be able to do the same research at a lower price, his company goes the extra mile to contact retailers.

That way local landowners would have two companies working to fill their vacancies: a real estate brokers as well as Retail Strategies. 

“It’s not a dig on the local brokers at all,” Robinett said. “The local brokers have a lot going on, and there may be retailers that they haven’t contacted that we have. We’re outsiders looking in and we might see different opportunities."

 “No decision has been made about what we’re going to do,” Landers said. “It was just a presentation. Nothing has been decided until we sign a contract."