Megasite ‘coopetition’ rare in economic development

By Valerie Garman // The News Herald

PANAMA CITY — In the competitive world of economic development, cooperation between states is rare.

But “coopetition” is the driving force behind the Tri-State Megasite Alliance, a 10-county effort in North
Florida and South Alabama to lure a major economic development project to Campbellton, a small town in northern Jackson County.

“For the other counties to say ‘we support this site in one county’ is really a show of what we call coopetition,” said Neal Wade, Bay County Economic Development Alliance director and project co-chair.

“It allows both states to go after an automotive project for less than if you went after it by yourself.”
Now two years into the project, the alliance has identified a 2,200-acre site near U.S. 231 in Campbellton with the right ingredients to house an auto manufacturing plant, the targeted industry for the space. More here.