Anoka County sees set of links to opportunities at golf tourney

The 3M Championship at the TPC golf course in Blaine begins this week, but the folks running Anoka County already feel like they've hit a hole in one.

Hoping that a healthy sales pitch on the green will lead to a different kind of green, the county is using the tournament as never before to sell itself. Come see Arnold Palmer and other legends of golf, visiting corporate executives are being told, with this not-so-subtle afterthought: And while you're here, take a look at Anoka County.

The county sent more than 1,200 business leaders, development and real estate experts throughout Minnesota a series of three invitations -- two by mail and one via e-mail -- extolling Anoka County's virtues: "Low property taxes, plenty of available land, a new state-of-the-art corporate jet facility."

"We are right here, we are right now and we want to do business," said county spokeswoman Martha Weaver. "We're prospecting hard."

With 37 different Fortune 500 companies represented at the tournament in recent years and more than 100,000 spectators to watch throughout the week, county officials decided it would be an ideal time to try attracting new companies while thanking long-established businesses.

It's a strategy that 3M has used for years, said Jerry Maybrey, 3M's director of customer events.

"When we first got into this, we knew it would be an excellent opportunity to get customers to visit us from all over the world," Maybrey said. "We get people from Japan, Korea, Europe, Canada, what have you -- and they all relate to the seniors tour. They grew up idolizing these players. They all know about Arnold and Lee."

A different level

"There was a time that the county and the city of Blaine did a really good job in bringing out companies looking at expansion, wining and dining them," said Hollis Cavner, the 3M Championship tournament director. "But I don't think they've used the tournament as well as they're using it this year."

When Cavner says that "people don't realize the levels of guys who play," he's not just talking about golf luminaries. Cavner, who keeps track of the Fortune 500 companies that send representatives to the 3M tournament, said he has visited with CEOs and presidents from Sony, Samsung and LG at the tournament.

"If they like the area, who's to say that they wouldn't build a plant here?" Cavner said. "These people are big-time. The message we want to get out to them is, 'You need to be here.'"

The setting couldn't be more ideal: beautiful, festive, relaxed and entertaining. With golf's hushed atmosphere, there are few successful hard sells on the course. It's all more meet-and-greet -- with the hope of "expanding our tax base and increasing employment," said Steve Novak, the county's governmental services division manager.

Three chances to RSVP

Treating the event like a potential marriage between businesses and the county, staff members Ruth Bedor, Jessica Brokaw and Erik Thorson designed invitations, which were sent to selected companies six weeks before the tournament. A second -- and different -- invitation was sent about a week later. After that, e-mail invitations were sent.

County webmaster Paul Burtness created a special Internet site, www.AnokaCounty.us/golf. Arrangements were made with Kraus-Anderson to share an 18th green skybox, where guests will receive a gift package that includes maps showing available land, particularly along the Northstar commuter rail corridor, set to open in the fall of 2009.

Two added bonuses: Officials can tell business executives about the $35 million in improvements to the Anoka County/Blaine reliever airport. And Palmer's scheduled appearance in the Greats of Golf Challenge, run in conjunction with the 3M Championship, is the only competitive golf Palmer is expected to play this year.

"The whole tournament is such a great attraction for movers and shakers -- and we have the available space that may interest them," said County Commissioner Robyn West, whose district includes the TPC course and Blaine.