RACINE COUNTY - Organizers of the first Racine County Business Summit are hoping to use the event to help pull companies here out of the recession.

The summit is set for the morning of Nov. 17 at the Racine Marriott. The two primary organizations behind it are Racine County Economic Development Corp. and Racine Area Manufacturers and Commerce, along with area chambers of commerce.

"We're concerned about the employmentless recovery," said RCEDC Executive Director Gordy Kacala.

He said the county Economic Development Plan, adopted in 2002, has been updated every two years, "But so much has changed."

The summit's stated objectives are:

- To provide county businesses information about resources available to help them compete and grow.

- To give companies a mechanism to talk directly with government officials about their needs. Organizers said many local heads of government and state lawmakers will be present for the listening session, and federal officials have been invited also.

- To give RCEDC and its economic development partners feedback to help them prioritize their business development goals and strategies.

The summit's guest speaker will be Jon Roberts of TIP Strategies, an Austin, Texas-based economic development consulting firm and RCEDC's economic development consultant. His talk, at 8:30 a.m., will be called, "Racine County: Poised for Growth, Poised for Action."

Eight breakout sessions will be held simultaneously from 9:30-10:45 a.m. including the government listening session. Other topics include: financing for business expansion; the role of export sales; selling to the government; and customer-focused technology and innovation.

An exhibitors' showcase from 8:30-9:15 a.m. is designed to show companies some of the resources available to them. Kacala said sometimes it's as simple as meeting someone - for example, an RCEDC official - and knowing who to call later for financial help.

Jim Beere, current RCEDC chairman and president of Pioneer Products, said the challenge is to get business executives who are fighting for survival every day to stay abreast of opportunities available to them.

"People cut back at this time," he said. "They don't do training."

Kacala said this is being considered the first annual economic summit.

He said RCEDC hopes to be finished with its follow-up plan by the end of January; it will go to the RCEDC board for adoption and then the Racine County Board.

To register online, visit http://www.racinecountyedc.org.

For more information contact Karen Frost at kfrost@racinecountyedc.org or (262) 898-7432.