Business Resource Network Facilitates Collaboration

BOARDMAN – The Business Resource Network has helped more than 300 companies in the three-county region during its 13 years of existence, says Cyndy Bresnahan, network manager. 

The collaborative of 35 workforce, development, education and government agencies provides a single point of contact for business services that include financing options, employee training and technical assistance. During a personalized interview, a BRN account executive learns about a company’s challenges and opportunities, Bresnahan explains. Partner organizations use that information to propose services customized to needs.

The BRN has been recognized over the years by government and private entities as a model of how workforce and economic development can effectively collaborate and leverage resources.

Clients have ranged from single owner-operator companies to those with hundreds of employees and from service providers to heavy manufacturers, Bresnahan says. BRN expertise ranges from real estate to worker safety, from succession planning to exporting, from government contracts to employee training, she notes.