Saturday, March 29, 2014

Economic development leaders hope to sell companies on former home of deadly chemical weapons

By HAYLEIGH COLOMBO Journal & Courier

NEWPORT, Indiana — When Bill Laubernds tours the 7,000-acre Newport Chemical Depot — complete with abandoned structures, old cemeteries and derelict signs of the country's chemical history of producing chemical weapons — he doesn't see an old chemical plant site. He sees potential.

Laubernds, executive director of the Newport Chemical Depot Reuse Authority, has since 2009 been trying to build a new future at the Newport site, complete with businesses, industrial investment and natural, open space in the confines of the fenced-in expanse that used to house part of the country's chemical weapons stockpile.

The last truck filled with VX left the depot in 2008.

You can truck the chemical weapons away, but can you ever really separate the depot from the weapons? More here.

IEDC rolls out 'Stillinnoyed?' campaign

Three years after launching its "Illinnoyed" marketing campaign, the Indiana Economic Development Corp. is making another push to attract companies dissatisfied with Illinois' business climate.

The new campaign — called "Stillinnoyed?" — was launched this week on billboards and digital signs throughout the Chicagoland area, the IEDC said in an announcement. The ads are scheduled to run for eight weeks.

The push complements Indiana's "A State that Works" campaign that began last year and is focused on reaching businesses in high-tax states.

“In an increasingly competitive marketplace, companies are seeking to maximize their competitive advantage,” Indiana Secretary of Commerce Victor Smith said in the IEDC announcement. “Indiana offers companies the ultimate upper hand, with lower taxes and more affordable business costs just minutes away from downtown Chicago. When comparing Indiana to high-tax Illinois, the difference is clear.”

Monday, March 24, 2014

McGraw: CEO, civic engagement key to creating jobs

Josh Pichler, jpichler@enquirer.com

Jim McGraw has worked with thousands of CEOs in more than 100 cities, helping business clients find the right communities to locate, expand and create jobs.

The CEO of Downtown-based KMK Consulting Co. LLC has seen deals blow up because of indifferent public officials and executives. He’s seen deals happen because elected leaders and CEOs were passionate, prepared and unwilling to take no for an answer.

So it should be no surprise that some board members of REDI Cincinnati, the region’s recently overhauled economic development arm, plan to informally pick McGraw’s brain as they work to take recruiting and expansion to new levels.

McGraw knows well that successful recruiting isn’t just about a region touting its economic incentives or measurable attributes – its universities, attractive urban core, available land and office space. It’s also about intangible assets like engaged, enthusiastic public officials and civic and business leaders.

Nor should economic development be limited to pursuing high-paying jobs. It also means matching jobs with workforce needs so every citizen has employment opportunities. More here.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Alabama looks to revamp economic development incentives as state faces increasing competition for new jobs, investment

By Dawn Kent Azok

MONTGOMERY, Alabama – There's an effort underway to retool Alabama's economic development incentives structure, and it comes as the state faces more competition than ever for new jobs and investment.

For years, the South has led the U.S. in enticing companies with tax breaks, cash and perks. But other states are upping their game. For example, in New York, one much-publicized incentive is a tax-free zone that exempts startups and expanding businesses from property, sales and other taxes for 10 years.

"It used to be that Southern states had the reputation of being the most aggressive on incentives, but that's changing," said Dennis Cuneo, a former Toyota executive who serves as a site selection consultant for companies scouting new U.S. locations.

The practice of paying companies to put down roots is also the subject of debate and division: Is all that gift-giving necessary to land jobs and foster prosperity? Or is it corporate welfare that merely drains public budgets? More here.

Absopure And Pure Michigan Announce Partnership

Michigan-based water company to showcase Pure Michigan packaging and marketing throughout the Midwest, launches social media contest to celebrate

PLYMOUTH, Mich., March 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Plymouth, Mich.-based Absopure, a family-owned company that has been bottling and delivering fresh, all-natural Michigan spring water for more than 100 years, announced today a new partnership with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and the award-winning Pure Michigan campaign. Absopure's Director of Marketing, Frank Zolenski, made the announcement.

Beginning this month, 24 and 35 packs of Absopure Natural Spring Water—available at retailers throughout the Midwest, including ACO, Gordon Food Service, Meijer, Spartan Stores and hundreds of others—will carry new packaging co-branded with Pure Michigan that will celebrate Michigan's natural beauty and recognize Absopure's century-old Michigan roots. In the coming months, additional Absopure products in markets nationally will adopt the Pure Michigan co-branded imagery.

"As a Michigan-based company producing a Michigan product, Absopure embodies the entrepreneurial spirit of our great state's history. We see this as a perfect partnership 100 years in the making," said Zolenski. "We are excited to promote the unique and beautiful state of Michigan as a great place to live, work and play through this powerful, highly-visible collaboration with the MEDC and Pure Michigan."

Absopure and Pure Michigan will also release co-sponsored billboards, radio and TV advertisements, as well as social media initiatives including a "Pure Michigan Moment" Facebook contest . The contest, launching today and running through April 7, invites consumers to submit photos of what represents Michigan to them for a chance to win a weekend getaway to one of the state's greatest vacation destinations, Grand Traverse Resort and Spa in Traverse City. The winner will receive a family fun package that includes two nights of free accommodations, four complimentary breakfasts, sweet treats from Dylan's Candy Bar, 20 arcade tokens and an additional $100 gift card to spend at the resort.

"This partnership brings together two terrific Michigan brands—Absopure and Pure Michigan—and provides an opportunity to expose a new national audience to our state," said George Zimmermann, Vice President of Travel Michigan, part of the MEDC. "This co-branding reinforces the Pure Michigan messaging delivered by our regional and national advertising."

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Atlanta 'Southern Fried' group travels to annual festival with focus on recruitment, marketing

Phillip Lucas, Associated Press

ATLANTA — A group of Atlanta entrepreneurs, economic development officials and others are at the annual technology and entertainment festival South by Southwest Interactive to market the region as a startup and mobile media hub

The group — dubbed Southern Fried — wants to sell Atlanta and Georgia as a destination for those looking to establish themselves in the technology and entertainment industries.

The conference runs from March 7 through 16 and its three components include music, film and emerging interactive technology.

Aside from luring new businesses to the metro Atlanta area, one of the Metro Atlanta Chamber's goals during the festival in Austin, Texas is to help companies that are already operating in the region find ways to expand, said MAC Director of Technology Industry Development, Gregg Simon. More here.

Lake sees ties with Orlando marketing effort

Seeking to bring attention to strengths beyond tourism and hospitality, the Orlando Economic Development Commission (EDC) recently launched a new business brand, “Orlando. You don’t know the half of it.”

Lake County’s new “Real Florida. Real Close.” branding campaign ties in perfectly with this regional marketing initiative, county officials say.

“To us, Lake County represents ‘the other half,’ with our untouched natural resources, historic downtowns and award-winning sports facilities, all within a short driving distance of Orlando’s theme parks and airport,” said Robert Chandler, director of Lake County’s Economic Development and Tourism Department. “From state-of-the-art manufacturing companies like CaptiveAire to the advanced medical facility NeuLife, Lake County is also becoming a premier business location for creating higher paying jobs in the Central Florida area.” More here.

Dorchester County Unveils the Seven Business Faces of Their New Marketing Campaign

Dorchester, MD, March 05, 2014 --(PR.com)-- “More than a logo or a tagline, branding unifies and strengthens our economic development marketing efforts,” Keasha Haythe said, “it gives us a solid foundation to build clear, consistent and compelling messages to communicate our many assets.”

Developed by DCED, “water moves us” serves as the department’s new brand identity as well as a multi-platform, cooperative marketing campaign to promote Dorchester’s assets and opportunities. Today the seven business faces were unveiled on large colorful banners that featured their industries.

The industries and companies featured in the 2014 campaign are: Jennifer Layton from Layton’s Chance Winery; Johnny Shockley and Ricky Fitzhugh from Chesapeake Gold Oyster; Mickey Love from the Dorchester Center for the Arts; Tom Powley from GKD; JT Merryweather and Chris Brohawn from Realerevival Brewing; Jermaine Anderson from TNT Moving & Cleaning and Cherie Butler from Harriet Tubman State Park. More here.

Colorado makes an economic development investment in music industry at SXSW

Among the thousands of bands, bloggers, CEOs, celebrities and consumer brands heading to Austin, Texas, this week for the annual South By Southwest Music Festival will be a couple of state government employees looking to drum up interest in Colorado's music industry.

One visit won't turn Denver into the next Nashville, but Colorado Creative Industries' chief Margaret Hunt and her colleague Christy Costello do hope to pitch the potential of the state's already bustling music industry to musicians, record labels and recording studios, and, perhaps, attract another major national festival.

Pseudo hip-hop band Wheelchair Sports Camp. (Denver Post file)

They have success stories to tell — nationally known acts including The Lumineers, One Republic and The Fray hail from Colorado — and can tout major performance destinations, including Red Rocks Amphitheatre and the Telluride Bluegrass Festival.

Poll: Were the thousands Enterprise Florida spent wooing location consultants worth it?

Abraham Aboraya, Reporter- Orlando Business Journal

Integrity Florida wants the state chief inspector general to investigate claims that Enterprise Florida spent $431,100 in taxpayer money on lavish trips and expenditures while wooing consultants hired by companies to find new locations for them.

That includes $2,000 on 4 Rivers Smokehouse barbecue and $22,000 on Yankee luxury suites (check here for the full list of fun expenditures).

Enterprise Florida is in a tough position. Nancy Blum-Heintz, vice president of communications for Enterprise Florida, isn't denying that the public-private entity spent the money. Their position is, simply, that Enterprise Florida didn't break any laws by doing so.

"To be successful in economic development, [Enterprise Florida] must build and maintain strong relationships with site selection professionals across the country," Blum-Heintz wrote in a response, which you can download here. "Stadium expenditures were for site selection consultant events, key to building relationships with corporate decision makers while promoting Florida as a premier state for business."

Site selectors hold a lot of power when it comes to bringing jobs to the state, pitting states and municipalities against one another to get the best deal for companies looking to relocate.

So what do you think? Hit the poll and vote to weigh in.

Do you think the thousands Enterprise Florida spends wooing site selectors is worth it?

Yes, it pays off with new companies and jobs 55%
No, that's too much money for unknown return 42%
Don't know, don't care 3%

Chamber, Austin split on economic development focus

Austin's Economic Growth and Redevelopment Department and the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce are at odds over whether recruiting distribution and logistics companies should be a priority.

At the Feb. 13 City Council briefing on economic development, the Chamber outlined a list of target industries it's trying to attract to Austin. The list hasn't included distribution and logistics since 2004. At the same meeting, though, Kevin Johns, the city's economic development director, described the distribution and logistics sector as a great opportunity for potential growth.

Chamber officials said they have been hesitant to devote resources to recruiting companies in an industry that hasn't borne as much fruit as others in Austin.

"When it was initially put in there in 2004, we worked pretty hard for couple years and were not having a lot of success at it," said Mike Rollins, Austin Chamber president. "We refocused the resources around some of the industries we could have more success in." More here.

'We Are Albany' campaign to arrive soon

ALBANY — What is Albany? That’s a question apparently that citizens and leaders have been trying to figure for quite some time. In the age of mass marketing and everyone trying to establish an identity in an increasingly homogenized world, at least one group has decided to take on the task of not only figuring out what Albany is and who its residents are, but how the groups want to present themselves.

Starting in 2012 the Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission began working on an extensive campaign to re-brand the community and introduce a new vision of the city. After input from various segments of the population and careful analysis from a variety of sources, the EDC is set to unveil the city’s new brand in 2014.

Although the official re-branding campaign is still a few months away, EDC Interim Executive Director Justin Strickland and Business Development Vice President Barbara Rivera Holmes are excited, not only about what’s to come but also the process that went into the re-branding campaign. More here.

Placemaking rises as economic development tool

ANN ARBOR — More than a third of local jurisdictions reported using “placemaking” as an economic development strategy in 2013, up from 21 percent in 2009, according to a poll by the University of Michigan’s Ford School of Public Policy.

Placemaking is a community and economic development strategy that attempts to capitalize on local assets to create appealing and unique places where people want to live, work and play.

“In placemaking, communities use what they have whether it’s arts, cultural amenities, parks, architectural design, lakes or walkable streets to create a strong bond between people and the places they live,” said Tom Ivacko, administrator and program manager for the Ford School’s Center for Local, State and Urban Policy (CLOSUP). More here.

Hamilton County Alliance broadens marketing mission

Written by Diana Penner

For more than two decades, the Hamilton County Alliance has worked with the pooled resources of
communities and businesses

to work on retaining existing employers, training programs and similar efforts.

But beginning in about November, the organization shifted its focus outward. The mission now is to collaborate — financially and logistically — to attract new business

to the county from the outside.

Under the direction of Alliance President Tim Monger, who took the help in April 2013, the group is refocusing to market Hamilton County as an overall destination for new businesses from outside the state.

Key to the effort is a “tactical economic development group” comprised of economic development experts from Hamilton County communities. The group meets regularly to develop strategies to market the county as a whole, and to mesh the individual strengths of communities. More here.

Firm starts to assess Washington County, Va., economic assets

BY ALLIE ROBINSON GIBSON | BRISTOL HERALD COURIER |

ABINGDON, Va. -- The economic development firm hired by the Washington County Board of Supervisors has started to determine the county’s economic assets with the goal of attracting more industry.

Janet Ady, president and CEO of Ady Voltedge, of Wisconsin, and Phil Schneider, founder of Schneider Consulting, have been in the county this week looking at sites and meeting with businesses and county officials. They gave an update to the county's Board of Supervisors Tuesday night.

"One of the biggest mistakes local and regional economic development groups makes ... is to go full steam into marketing without understanding ... what the assets are, what the audience is," Ady said. "Part of our goal ... is to also bring you along so you know what you've got." More here.

Mayor offers up $1M for a firm's help in branding Jersey City

When he was running for mayor last year, Steve Fulop often told voters he wanted to make Jersey City the “best mid-size city in America.”

Since his election, Fulop has been touting Jersey City in a string of media appearances, including a cameo on TLC’s “Cake Boss.” But now he’s offering up as much as $1.2 million for a marketing firm to put Jersey City on the map.

The mayor announced last week that the city and the Jersey City Economic Development Corp. (EDC) are seeking a firm to develop a brand for Jersey City and market it as a “premier travel destination” for work and play.

“Jersey City continues to attract families, young professionals, and other residents to our city who are seeking a diverse, metropolitan center with vibrant neighborhoods, culture and recreational opportunities,” Fulop said in a statement released by his office. “This branding and marketing campaign will help us refocus the image of Jersey City to the rest of the region, nation and the world to expand on that growth.” More here.

Outdoor Marketing Muscle

An interstate billboard near pewag’s Chicago sales office touts the Austria company’s first U.S. plant in Pueblo. The billboard — one of two in Chicago paid for by pewag — came as a welcome surprise to Pueblo leaders eager to market the community. ‘This is just incredibly effective … coming from an independent source,’ Pueblo Economic Development Corp. President Jack Rink said. Construction is nearly done on pewag’s 55-worker tire chain plant. In April, the company will continue to show its appreciation to its newest U.S. home by hosting its annual 150-person global conference in Pueblo, Rink said.

PHOTO: Outside marketing muscle

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Courtesy photo/pewag

Published: February 8, 2014; Last modified: February 10, 2014 09:21AM

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Does Chiquita merger mean it will violate Charlotte incentives agreement?

Ken Elkins and Susan Stabley
Charlotte Business Journal

The merger of Chiquita Brands International Inc. and Fyffes plc of Ireland sends the combined company’s headquarters to Dublin — which calls into question whether the company can live up to its promise to keep the Chiquita headquarters in Charlotte for 10 years.

Chiquita moved to Charlotte from Cincinnati in 2011 with the benefit of $23 million in city and state incentives. But there were promises made by the banana company in exchange for those inducements.

If those promises aren’t kept, Chiquita must return up to 100 percent of the incentives during the first five years of its move to Charlotte. The company had said it would keep its headquarters in Charlotte for 10 years and have 417 employees here by 2015. Chiquita says it has 310 employees in Charlotte now. More here.

Why Cities Are Chasing High-Tech Manufacturing

Chicago’s new digital manufacturing hub is a good example of how public subsidies are targeting tech—and the economic logic behind it.

By Whet Moser

More here.

Loudoun supervisors defend controversial marketing deal with Redskins

Members of the Board of Supervisors defended Loudoun County’s controversial marketing agreement with the Washington Redskins during a budget work session Thursday, calling it a valuable economic development tool for the county but not saying how it promotes tourism.

The eight-year, $2 million deal gives the county the use of a luxury suite at one game each year, among other marketing tools that brand Loudoun as the corporate home of the Redskins. The county pays the Redskins using restricted funds generated by its hotel tax revenue, which, under Virginia law, may be used only to promote travel and tourism in the county. A $500,000 payment to the team is included in County Administrator Tim Hemstreet’s fiscal 2015 budget plan, which supervisors are reviewing in sessions this month.

But some critics of the agreement say that it does little to benefit tourism and that the hotel tax revenue could be better spent elsewhere. More here.