Virgina, Utah Team Up On Mission to California, Asia

Gov. Bob McDonnell, several cabinet secretaries and a team of Virginia economic development officials will embark Wednesday, April 10 on a 16-day job creation and economic development marketing mission to Los Angeles, San Francisco, China and Japan before concluding on April 26.

In California, the governor will partner with Utah Gov. Gary Herbert in California to co-market Virginia and Utah to companies that might be looking to expand in the U.S. Both states have similar assets and target industries, and are ranked the top two Best States for Business according to Forbes.com. This partnership allows Virginia and Utah to jointly offer companies options in their growth strategy, which could include an East Coast or Mountain West location depending on their specific needs. More here.

States Reviving Incentives for Firms to Relocate

With revenues up, state officials are again courting companies considering moving in or expanding. But it'll be tough to prove the lures actually pay off.  More here.

By Karen Mracek

Thomas Jefferson Partnership Rebrands

 by Nate Delesline III

The Thomas Jefferson Partnership for Economic Development on Thursday unveiled a new name, brand and organizational message.

Formed in 1995, the nonprofit economic development organization is now known as the Central Virginia Partnership for Economic Development.

Helen Cauthen, the partnership’s president, explained that she and the organization’s board members did not take lightly the decision to drop the famous statesman from the organization’s name.

“As esteemed as the name Thomas Jefferson is,” Cauthen said, “it is used across the country for schools, for counties, for other governments and [we asked], ‘How are we really differentiating ourselves?’” The new name, she said, clearly identifies the state, region and communities the partnership serves. More here.

Fairfax, Va., economic development chief takes shot at Prince George's

Michael Neibauer
Staff Reporter- Washington Business Journal

Gerald Gordon, president of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, is known to take a swipe or two at neighboring jurisdictions — usually in good fun.

But he left good-natured at the door during an economic development forum Thursday when he told an audience at the Belle Haven Country Club something to the effect of (and I’m paraphrasing here): There is some logic for the FBI going to Prince George’s because that’s where they'll find the people they have to pick up.

“I yelled, ‘out of line,’” said Stewart Schwartz, executive director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth.

Outside of the “competitive, locker room style digs” at Prince George’s and Loudoun counties, Gordon’s presentation was “otherwise professional,” Schwartz said.

“The people in the crowd were audibly taken aback by his statement about Prince George’s County,” said Schwartz, whose organization is promoting a new FBI headquarters near a Metro station, which would include both Fairfax and Prince George’s. More here.

Server farms are sprouting in NC

By David Bracken — dbracken@newsobserver.com

When Google announced six years ago that it would build a $600 million data center in Lenoir, it instantly put North Carolina on the map with data center developers everywhere.

In the years since, both the Triangle and the state have seen a wave of investment in such properties, both from larger corporations such as Disney, Apple and Facebook and now from investors and data center operators that rent space to multiple tenants.

Read more here.

Business tour spotlights a post-shuttle Brevard

Local economic leaders never get tired of showcasing Embraer jet’s North American headquarters at Melbourne International Airport.

They were at it again Wednesday, choosing the site to open a four-day tour of Brevard County’s economic jewels for international journalists and site-selection executives.

The tour includes the area’s substantial defense and aerospace presence, not to mention the area’s beaches and cruise ship industry.

The point local leaders hope to drive home is that while the end of the space shuttle program in 2011 hurt the area, it wasn’t the fatal blow that some contended it might be. More here.

Brampton Launches the New Economic Development Brand

BRAMPTON, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - March 26, 2013) - The City of Brampton today officially launched its new Economic Development Brand. A new marketing video, print campaign details, the 2012 Annual Economic Report and the new Brampton Economic Development Map were presented at the launch event.

"As Brampton continues to grow, our priorities and strategy evolve in keeping with the changing business environment and community," commented Mayor Susan Fennell. "The new marketing strategy rebrands and repositions Brampton's Economic Development brand as a forward-thinking, creative, dynamic catalyst for business success. The new brand identity will drive our business development tactics in the coming years." More here.

Conflicting accounts of economic development strategy surface

By Ryne Dittmer

The Clay County Economic Development Council has raised questions about an alleged request from the Clay County Commission to the Kansas City Area Development Council to direct its business recruitment work within the county exclusively through the Clay County Economic Development Alliance.

The Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, meanwhile, refutes claims from the county commission that EDC-KC has made a commitment to the alliance.

The alliance was created by the Clay County Commission to promote economic development for county communities and replace the county’s previously held agreement with the Clay County EDC. The new organization has been led by consultant Greg Martinette since his contract was approved by the commission on Feb. 19. More here.

Consultants’ message to BDB: Palm Beach County’s perception has room for improvement

By Carolyn DiPaolo

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

BOCA RATON -When it comes to luring businesses to Palm Beach County, the next step is to shape the perception of decision makers.

That was the message from 10 site selection consultants who are spending three days visiting the county and meeting with business and government leaders.

The consultants are here on an annual tour organized by the Business Development Board to familiarize them with Palm Beach County, to promote it as a site for business and to get feedback on how it stacks up against competitors. More here.

Miami-Dade economic development chief faces bruising fight

The Beacon Council, a non-profit that relies on tax dollars, is contending with a threat to its public funding, lukewarm support from County Hall and a rift within its own leadership. CEO Frank Nero faces a revolt from some board members, and the full board this month opted not to pass a motion expressing confidence in the Beacon Council’s management, according to several participants. More here.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/02/27/3257746/economic-development-chief-faces.html#storylink=cpy