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"In today's fiercely competitive, global battle for business, communities that are stuck in the old model for economic development will wither and die. Those that embrace change and initiate their own version of Community Capitalism – in whatever form it might take – are on the road to relevancy and being able to compete in this century."
Community Capitalism: Lessons from Kalamazoo and Beyond, has been published to put the groundbreaking economic development strategies employed by Kalamazoo, Michigan to revitalize its economy during recent years in the national spotlight.
Written by Ron Kitchens, Chief Executive Officer of Southwest Michigan First, in conjunction with Newsweek columnist Daniel Gross, the book details the region's long-term strategy for economic growth by focusing community resources into five key areas: place, capital, infrastructure, talent and education.
Heather Smith, Vice President of Communications at Southwest Michigan First, also contributed to the book, including penning more than a dozen compelling case studies scattered throughout the book that illustrate Community Capitalism at work in companies, communities and organizations around the world.
Published by AuthorHouse, the book is now available at Kazoo Books, Amazon.com, AuthorHouse.com, Barnesandnoble.com, Borders.com, Target.com, Walmart.com and Booksamillion.com. Copies may be purchased at Southwest Michigan First, 241 E. Michigan Avenue, Kalamazoo, MI 49007 or directly from the authors for $19.95 (using the Buy Now link to the left).
About the Book
"What Kalamazoo has accomplished by pulling itself up by its own bootstraps during the past decade is truly extraordinary," said author Ron Kitchens. "The city has simply refused to become another dying Rust Belt town and its initiatives can inspire other communities to dig deep and mobilize their own resources. We believe that the principles of Community Capitalism can be replicated globally."
Advance praise for the book has been strong. CNN correspondent and co-author of the best-selling business book, Mavericks at Work, said, "Community Capitalism offers up a disruptive point of view on economic development – one that has not only reshaped the sense of what's possible for the citizens of one community (Kalamazoo), but also has the power to help leaders of all stripes re-imagine a better future for their communities and organizations."
Eric Canada, Founder of Blane, Canada, Ltd., a leading economic development consultant, noted: "Kalamazoo has a fantastic one-of-a-kind story. It deserves, no demands, the attention that this book will bring to it. The time is right for Community Capitalism."
Kate McEnroe, who graduated from Kalamazoo College and went on to establish her own consulting firm in Atlanta that specializes in site selection and location analysis, commented, "Community Capitalism should encourage leaders to resist copy-cat "silver bullet" strategies and focus on leveraging community resources and spirit to build a strong foundation for economic development."
Coined by Ron Kitchens, the term Community Capitalism gained traction when it was used by Fast Company magazine in naming Kalamazoo to its prestigious "Fast 50" list in 2007. Kalamazoo's economic development strategy was also featured recently in The Economist and has won several prominent economic development awards, including the 2007 "Economic Development Leadership and Innovation" Award from CoreNet Global, the nation's leading trade association of corporate real estate executives and related professions.
Written over the course of the past year through a series of personal interviews and research conducted by the authors, the book begins by highlighting the revival of downtown Kalamazoo through investment in new and refurbished facilities for the Radisson Plaza Hotel, Bronson Hospital, the Arcadia Commons Campus of Kalamazoo Community College, the Kalamazoo Valley Museum, Arcadia Creek Festival Place and numerous other "places."
The chapter on capital, subtitled "Show Me the Money," details Kalamazoo's response to the lack of venture capital to encourage business start-ups. It highlights the success of the region's $50 million Southwest Michigan First Life Science Fund, which has now attracted eight life science companies to the region. Several other regional capital sources, the Apjohn Ventures Fund and First Angels, are also featured.
The book's chapter on infrastructure talks about Kalamazoo's forward-thinking approach to investing in the "bricks and mortar" companies need to flourish in the area. It recounts the challenges and rewards of numerous entities coming together to build the Business Technology and Research Park at Western Michigan University, the Southwest Michigan Innovation Center and the Midlink Business Park. The Innovation Center has launched more than 14 life science companies since it opened in 2003; the Business Technology and Research Park has emerged as an important new business center, with a total of 30 companies employing about 600 people; and Midlink Business Park is now about 70 percent occupied having recently leased 435,000 square feet of its 1.9-million-square-foot facility to Kaiser Aluminum.
In the book's chapter on talent, the authors explain how Kalamazoo has become America's leading example of a "talent-driven community." More than 20 organizations and companies across a range of industries – from recycling, insurance and construction management companies to the local community college, hospital and newspaper – have embraced the methodology, which focuses on placing people in jobs in which they are "wired" to succeed.
The book's final chapter is devoted to Kalamazoo's education-enhancing initiatives. It highlights how the Kalamazoo Promise, a fund established by anonymous donors in 2005, has had a rapid and profound impact on the city by paying 65 to100 percent of the tuition of every Kalamazoo public school graduate that enrolls in a Michigan state college or university. The narrative also tells of the success of the Monroe-Brown Internship Program in building the local talent pool since it was launched in 2006.
Studded with quotes from both famous people throughout history and residents of the Kalamazoo region, the 128-page book contains fascinating case studies on the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls; Boise, Idaho; Gorongosa Park in Mozambique, Africa; The Cheesecake Factory; Celebration, Florida; WomensTrust, Inc.; Untours and others.
About the Authors
Ron Kitchens
Ron Kitchens serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Southwest Michigan First, as well as the Managing Partner of Southwest Michigan First Life Science Fund. With more than 25 years of experience in economic development, he has been a businessman, city administrator, elected official and staff member to United States Senator John Danforth. Kitchens, who is a graduate of Missouri State University and the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute, is a certified economic developer and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Fast Company and dozen of other regional and national media.
Daniel Gross
Daniel Gross, the long-time "Economic View" columnist for The New York Times and "Moneybox" columnist for Slate, and has contributed to dozens of magazines and newspapers, including Fortune, New York, Wired and the Washington Post. His books include the best-selling Forbes Greatest Business Stories of All Time and Pop! Why Bubbles Are Great for the Economy. Gross was educated at Cornell University, and holds a master degree from Harvard University.
Heather Smith
As Vice President of Communications at Southwest Michigan First, Smith focuses on aligning the organization's communications strategy with the business and community environment. She is a graduate of Yale University, with a Bachelor of Arts in History with honors, and worked previously at Accenture.
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