Sec. 20.8. Preference in outreach

The department shall direct its outreach efforts to:

(a) small- and medium-sized individual firms which, because of limited resources, internal capacity and information, require assistance from the State to diagnose and resolve competitive problems;

(b) firms, both large and small, located in State-designated economic development zones or in other economically distressed areas or regions heavily impacted by closings or major contractions of industrial firms;

(c) firms, both large and small, in other than economically distressed areas where assistance will serve an important public purpose, such as helping to save the sole employer in a community or a firm that is essential to a community's overall economic revitalization, or preserving employment for residents of an adjacent economically distressed area;

(d) minority- or women-owned enterprises or enterprises owned by dislocated workers, as defined in the Federal Job Training Partnership Act (P.L. 97-300, as amended);

(e) firms whose competitive disadvantage is caused by special advantages of foreign competition, such as low wages, price-cutting practices to penetrate markets, or government subsidies or supports;

(f) firms with job growth potential;

(g) productivity improvement projects that will serve as a model for other firms in the same industry sector or geographic area; and

(h) local buy outs by employees or managers.