High Impact Program
The High Impact Program is a unique economic development approach that identifies and serves fast growth companies, those with the potential for fast growth and those that enable fast growth in other businesses. All are locally headquartered in the Louisville region and must meet specific criteria to be selected to this Portfolio.
The High Impact Program is funded by Metro Louisville and administered by GLI through its EnterpriseCorp. Through a varied array of client solutions, our objectives are to establish a firm relationship with these rapidly growing firms; assess their challenges and opportunities; and provide assistance and support to help them meet their growth plans. Our mission is to make it easy to grow a business in Metro Louisville.
To access information on the 2012 High Impact Social Series - click here
To access photos from the 2012 High Impact Social Series - click here
We want to know "How can we help you grow your business?"
Selection Criteria:
Each company selected to the High Impact Portfolio must meet the requirements of one of the following categories:
- “Gazelle” category -- businesses that are at least four years old; have an annual growth rate of at least 20% for each of the last three years and have at least $1 million in annual revenues for the last three years with a positive operating profit.
- “Renaissance” category -- businesses that are at least ten years old; have been in a state of rapid growth of at least 10% within the last four years; are undergoing significant change in management or leadership structure, or gaining a large new client, or entering into a new market, or launching a new product or service.
- “Enabler” category – businesses that are strategically important because they provide a vital product or service that has the proven ability to enable fast growth in other businesses. They can be in the form of a guidance center or business incubator for entrepreneurial companies and start-ups; investment firms of operating businesses; and technical solution providers, as examples.
Community Benefits:
Investing in resources to support High Impact companies in our community yields valuable results:
- Job creation
- Diversified economy
- Desirable community
- Opportunity to keep young professionals and their talents in the region
- Stimulated growth in other businesses and personal spending
Client Services:
Through extensive, one-on-one interviews conducted with each high impact CEO, we learn a wide array of information about the portfolio businesses. This information is used to strengthen or form a strong relationship with portfolio companies and to determine each company’s growth potential, value within the community, satisfaction level and risk factors. A High Impact Company Report is delivered back to each CEO providing a unique business evaluation and identifying areas where the program can provide growth assistance. Although growth issues can be quite varied for high impact companies, assistance tends to fall primarily among the areas of:
- access to growth capital and with tax incentive application
- assistance with workforce and talent attraction
- expansion and site selection
- introductions and relationship building; and
- market exposure and local awareness
Program Services:
Overseeing the High Impact Program, EnterpriseCorp provides a full range of complimentary community building services to nurture the further leadership of these growth firms:
- High Impact CEO Roundtables – led by a facilitator, these offer a unique setting to gain the collective wisdom of other high impact CEOs while developing lasting relationships. The High Impact CEO Roundtables are completely confidential and consist of a small, select group of CEOs or owners who meet on a monthly basis.
- High Impact Report Series -- allows us to provide research, survey data and business information on various topics of interest relative to the life cycle of a growth business. Research is conducted among national business leaders, authors, theorists and then combined with the actual activities and experiences of high impact leaders – to offer valuable perspectives for their consideration in their business leadership. Some of the Reports in the series to date include “Succession Planning and Exit Strategies,” “Building a High Performance Management Team,” “Partnering for Growth,” and “Intrapreneurship.”
- High Impact Social Series – an exclusive series of social gatherings allowing executives of High Impact companies to get to know one another, form a network of fast growth leaders and utilize each other’s services if appropriate. To access event photos, click here!
- High Impact Newsletter -– Amplitude is distributed on a quarterly basis to all portfolio companies and those interested in our High Impact community
Portfolio Results :
| Total Number of Portfolio Companies |
170+ |
| Portfolio Category Breakdown |
65% Gazelles, 21% Renaissance, 14% Enabling
|
| Total Company Revenues in Portfolio |
$2.7billion |
| Average Employee Salary |
$50,000 |
| Expansion Investment by High Impact Cos. |
$500 million |
| New Jobs Created Since 2005 |
3,600 |
| Average Revenue Growth |
34%
|
| Average Employee Growth over 3 Years |
30% |
| Percentage of Woman-owned Businesses |
19% |
| Percentage of Minority-owned Businesses |
5% |
Funding:
The High Impact Program is a private/public partnership between Metro Louisville and
Greater Louisville Inc’s EnterpriseCorp.
Partners:
Events, recognition and publications are generously sponsored by community business partners including University of Louisville College of Business, Strothman & Company, Chrysalis Ventures, Frost Brown Todd, and Mountjoy Chilton Medley.
Recognition and International Acclaim:
The High Impact Program has received the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Excellence in Economic Development Award; was a finalist for the CoreNet Global Economic Development Leadership Award; and received Honorable Mention from the International Economic Development Council's Excellence in Economic Development Award.