By Joe Wessels
Post contributor
Cincinnati officials are studying whether a "place-based" approach would be best for the city's future economic development.
In an unfinished report that is part of the "Go Cincinnati" economic development initiative, experts in several urban development and real estate research firms suggest the city should spend money building up specific areas of the city and that would, in turn, spur further development in other areas.
The report - conducted by Washington, D.C.-based Brookings Institution and Social Compact, Cincinnati-based KMK consulting and Bethesda, Md.-based Robert Charles Lesser Co. - cites "existing growth opportunity districts" as downtown, Over-the-Rhine and Uptown, an area around the University of Cincinnati campus in Clifton, Corryville and Clifton Heights.
"New growth opportunity districts" include three areas. More here.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Economic development officials hope to take advantange of Caucus spotlight
Thursday, December 27, 2007, 8:39 AM
By Pat Curtis
Economic development officials are hoping to take advantage of the national spotlight that's focused on Iowa right now because of the Caucuses. A new series of ads are playing on video screens at the Des Moines Airport and on-line at www.IowaCaucus.org.
Shawn Rolland with the Iowa Department of Economic Development says the campaign is designed to encourage families who are looking to relocate to consider Iowa. It's also focused on breaking down stereotypes.
"I think a lot of people come into the state with a preconceived notion of how the state contributes," Rolland says, "and what we want to do is have people rethink what's going on in the state and reposition what it's known for."
There's a 30 second ad and another video titled "The Offer," that runs over six minutes in length. Rolland says the videos are also available to growing businesses in the state. He says companies that are looking for workers can use the videos to recruit individuals to Iowa.
The videos close with a message from Governor Chet Culver, who describes Iowa as a leader in renewable energy, health care and education. Culver says Iowa ranks first in the nation in terms of "quality of life." The ad campaign will run through January 10.
By Pat Curtis
Economic development officials are hoping to take advantage of the national spotlight that's focused on Iowa right now because of the Caucuses. A new series of ads are playing on video screens at the Des Moines Airport and on-line at www.IowaCaucus.org.
Shawn Rolland with the Iowa Department of Economic Development says the campaign is designed to encourage families who are looking to relocate to consider Iowa. It's also focused on breaking down stereotypes.
"I think a lot of people come into the state with a preconceived notion of how the state contributes," Rolland says, "and what we want to do is have people rethink what's going on in the state and reposition what it's known for."
There's a 30 second ad and another video titled "The Offer," that runs over six minutes in length. Rolland says the videos are also available to growing businesses in the state. He says companies that are looking for workers can use the videos to recruit individuals to Iowa.
The videos close with a message from Governor Chet Culver, who describes Iowa as a leader in renewable energy, health care and education. Culver says Iowa ranks first in the nation in terms of "quality of life." The ad campaign will run through January 10.
Friday, December 28, 2007
“Branding Wisconsin’s economic regions comes with promise, and some caution signs”
December 23, 2007
By Tom Still
SHEBOYGAN – This year’s New North Summit drew somewhere north of 500 people to a lakeside resort for a day’s worth of talk about strengthening the economy of the 18-county region. From Gov. Jim Doyle to individual entrepreneurs, attendees at the summit heard from speakers with ideas for promoting the region, nurturing its unique assets and branding it as a great place to live and work.
New North, which is clustered in northeast Wisconsin, is a prominent example of the “New Regionalism” in state economic development circles. Born of discussions seven years ago during the Wisconsin Economic Summits in Milwaukee, the concept is finally coming of age with organizations such as Milwaukee 7 in southeast Wisconsin, Centergy in central Wisconsin, Thrive in the Madison area, the 7 Rivers Region near La Crosse, Momentum Chippewa Valley and more.
The effort has become a centerpiece of Doyle’s economic strategy and a legitimate way for otherwise diverse interests, public and private, to pull together to get things done. While there are advantages to the regional approach, there are some reasons to withhold judgment for a while on just how successful some of these entities might be.
First, here’s why regional economic development makes sense:
By Tom Still
SHEBOYGAN – This year’s New North Summit drew somewhere north of 500 people to a lakeside resort for a day’s worth of talk about strengthening the economy of the 18-county region. From Gov. Jim Doyle to individual entrepreneurs, attendees at the summit heard from speakers with ideas for promoting the region, nurturing its unique assets and branding it as a great place to live and work.
New North, which is clustered in northeast Wisconsin, is a prominent example of the “New Regionalism” in state economic development circles. Born of discussions seven years ago during the Wisconsin Economic Summits in Milwaukee, the concept is finally coming of age with organizations such as Milwaukee 7 in southeast Wisconsin, Centergy in central Wisconsin, Thrive in the Madison area, the 7 Rivers Region near La Crosse, Momentum Chippewa Valley and more.
The effort has become a centerpiece of Doyle’s economic strategy and a legitimate way for otherwise diverse interests, public and private, to pull together to get things done. While there are advantages to the regional approach, there are some reasons to withhold judgment for a while on just how successful some of these entities might be.
First, here’s why regional economic development makes sense:
- We don’t live in a city-by-city, county-by-county world anymore. While that was certainly the economic model through much of the 20th century, the global economy now dictates otherwise. Stevens Point won’t get ahead by competing with Wausau or Marshfield, but all three might profit by collaborating within a region.?
- Regions can be big enough to brand, and thus promote, within Wisconsin and outside its borders. Other than Milwaukee, Madison or Green Bay, most Wisconsin cities are too small to sell themselves effectively outside the state. Branding counties? Good luck. No one remembers county names outside their home states except for a select few, such as Cook County in Illinois or Napa County in California.
More here.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Group hopes to put brand on area's recruiting effort
Goal is to unify message to attract businesses and talent
By Nathan Phelps nphelps@greenbaypressgazette.com
A consortium of Brown County businesses and agencies has launched a new effort to come up with an "authentic brand" for the Green Bay area with the hopes of attracting additional business by showing the region has more to offer than cold weather and football.
The effort is meant to attract and retain businesses in the area, bring in additional tourism and attract young professionals and skilled workers to the community, said Donsia Strong Hill, co-chair for the Greater Green Bay Branding Initiative.
"Recruitment is a big part of this because people don't really know who we are," she said after a news conference Tuesday.
The result of the branding efforts is expected to launch in March, said Michael Hildebrand, group co-chair. The group is working to raise $1 million over two years to cover the initial costs of the branding effort. More here.
By Nathan Phelps nphelps@greenbaypressgazette.com
A consortium of Brown County businesses and agencies has launched a new effort to come up with an "authentic brand" for the Green Bay area with the hopes of attracting additional business by showing the region has more to offer than cold weather and football.
The effort is meant to attract and retain businesses in the area, bring in additional tourism and attract young professionals and skilled workers to the community, said Donsia Strong Hill, co-chair for the Greater Green Bay Branding Initiative.
"Recruitment is a big part of this because people don't really know who we are," she said after a news conference Tuesday.
The result of the branding efforts is expected to launch in March, said Michael Hildebrand, group co-chair. The group is working to raise $1 million over two years to cover the initial costs of the branding effort. More here.
M3 Alliance Forms To Better Market Northwest Miss. Counties
The economic development corporations of four Northwest Mississippi counties - DeSoto, Tunica, Tate and Panola - have joined together with hopes of presenting a unified regional front to any company looking to relocate to the area.
Dubbed the "M3 Alliance" (for "Mississippi, Memphis and Metro Area"), the group will market the region by promoting the benefits of their respective counties as well as those of Memphis - the northern neighbor that boasts global name recognition and robust transportation infrastructure.
"We felt these four counties had so much in common with I-55, proximity to Memphis and many of the logistics advantages that Memphis offers," said M3 partner Jim Flanagan. "We felt it was important to band together as this Northwest Mississippi alliance."
The four leaders of M3 are Flanagan, president and CEO of the DeSoto County Economic Development Council; Lyn Arnold, president and CEO of the Tunica County Chamber and Economic Development Foundation; Janie Mortimer, executive director of the Tate County Economic Development Foundation; and Sonny Simmons, CEO of the Panola Partnership Inc.
The quartet is out to prove that the sum of the region is greater than its parts.
"We've found that the regional concept is the best way to market an area as opposed to trying to market ourselves individually, like we have in the past," Simmons said. More here.
Dubbed the "M3 Alliance" (for "Mississippi, Memphis and Metro Area"), the group will market the region by promoting the benefits of their respective counties as well as those of Memphis - the northern neighbor that boasts global name recognition and robust transportation infrastructure.
"We felt these four counties had so much in common with I-55, proximity to Memphis and many of the logistics advantages that Memphis offers," said M3 partner Jim Flanagan. "We felt it was important to band together as this Northwest Mississippi alliance."
The four leaders of M3 are Flanagan, president and CEO of the DeSoto County Economic Development Council; Lyn Arnold, president and CEO of the Tunica County Chamber and Economic Development Foundation; Janie Mortimer, executive director of the Tate County Economic Development Foundation; and Sonny Simmons, CEO of the Panola Partnership Inc.
The quartet is out to prove that the sum of the region is greater than its parts.
"We've found that the regional concept is the best way to market an area as opposed to trying to market ourselves individually, like we have in the past," Simmons said. More here.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Trip to Hawaii is all business
Friday, December 21, 2007
DAWN KENT News staff writer
Gov. Bob Riley, Alabama's economic developers and other state officials will kick off the new year by playing host to 20 site-selection consultants at a golf tournament in Hawaii.
The "Sweet Home Alabama" event, held in recent years at Hoover's Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa, will coincide with the Mercedes-Benz Championship golf tournament in Maui.
Sponsored by economic development organizations and corporations from across the state, the event is aimed at educating consultants on doing business in Alabama.
Site-selection consultants are key players in landing lucrative projects and the jobs that come with them, said Neal Wade, director of the Alabama Development Office.
"It's probably the most important aspect of our marketing effort, to meet with and network with site consultants, not just in this event, but throughout the year," he said. "Almost all of the major projects we work are initiated by site consultants."
Sponsors requested the venue change this year in an effort to attract some of the most active site consultants from across the country, Wade said.
Such consultants field invitations from many states. The Mercedes Championship, a PGA winners-only event, gives Alabama a competitive venue against states like Georgia, which entertains consultants at the Masters Tournament in Augusta.
The "Sweet Home Alabama" event will run Jan. 2-6, with business sessions planned on two mornings. Speakers will include Riley and two-year colleges Chancellor Bradley Byrne and representatives from Alabama companies, which are some of the state's best ambassadors, Wade said. More here.
DAWN KENT News staff writer
Gov. Bob Riley, Alabama's economic developers and other state officials will kick off the new year by playing host to 20 site-selection consultants at a golf tournament in Hawaii.
The "Sweet Home Alabama" event, held in recent years at Hoover's Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa, will coincide with the Mercedes-Benz Championship golf tournament in Maui.
Sponsored by economic development organizations and corporations from across the state, the event is aimed at educating consultants on doing business in Alabama.
Site-selection consultants are key players in landing lucrative projects and the jobs that come with them, said Neal Wade, director of the Alabama Development Office.
"It's probably the most important aspect of our marketing effort, to meet with and network with site consultants, not just in this event, but throughout the year," he said. "Almost all of the major projects we work are initiated by site consultants."
Sponsors requested the venue change this year in an effort to attract some of the most active site consultants from across the country, Wade said.
Such consultants field invitations from many states. The Mercedes Championship, a PGA winners-only event, gives Alabama a competitive venue against states like Georgia, which entertains consultants at the Masters Tournament in Augusta.
The "Sweet Home Alabama" event will run Jan. 2-6, with business sessions planned on two mornings. Speakers will include Riley and two-year colleges Chancellor Bradley Byrne and representatives from Alabama companies, which are some of the state's best ambassadors, Wade said. More here.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Building Business
New North Summit addressed bringing businesses to the region
By Janet Ortegon Sheboygan Press staff
When Gov. Jim Doyle traveled to Ireland several years ago, he hoped to find out how the small British nation went from being one of the poorest members of the European union to the one of the richest.
Among other things, he found the secret to Ireland's success was a shared vision of the country's goal of economic stability.
Addressing approximately 600 people attending the New North Summit at Blue Harbor Resort and Conference Center Friday morning, Doyle said finding a common goal worked for Ireland and it will work for the New North, too.
New North is a consortium of business people, educators and government leaders from 18 counties in northeast Wisconsin working toward attracting businesses and workers to the region.
"What they were out to accomplish was to upgrade and modernize the Irish economy and that was understood from the person on the street to the person at the highest levels of government and the corporate world," Doyle told summit attendees. "And I applaud the efforts you have made in the New North because it seems to me that perhaps above all else, you have created and worked to build a shared vision in the region of what it is that you need to accomplish." More here.
By Janet Ortegon Sheboygan Press staff
When Gov. Jim Doyle traveled to Ireland several years ago, he hoped to find out how the small British nation went from being one of the poorest members of the European union to the one of the richest.
Among other things, he found the secret to Ireland's success was a shared vision of the country's goal of economic stability.
Addressing approximately 600 people attending the New North Summit at Blue Harbor Resort and Conference Center Friday morning, Doyle said finding a common goal worked for Ireland and it will work for the New North, too.
New North is a consortium of business people, educators and government leaders from 18 counties in northeast Wisconsin working toward attracting businesses and workers to the region.
"What they were out to accomplish was to upgrade and modernize the Irish economy and that was understood from the person on the street to the person at the highest levels of government and the corporate world," Doyle told summit attendees. "And I applaud the efforts you have made in the New North because it seems to me that perhaps above all else, you have created and worked to build a shared vision in the region of what it is that you need to accomplish." More here.
Report slams economic strategy
County's focus should be on new business, not on tourism
By Dave Moller, davem@theunion.com» More from Dave Moller12:01 a.m. PT Dec 19, 2007
Nevada County economic groups need to work together and attract new businesses instead of concentrating on the status quo and tourism, according to a new report that was critical of existing efforts.
The county should target higher-paying businesses such as information services, which has "significant" growth potential, along with professional services and health care, the study said. Tourism should not be a target because the lower wages will not improve the county's standard of living, it said.
"You need to focus on business attraction, and you really haven't done much," said Libby Seifel, author of the 73-page report to the Nevada County Board of Supervisors Tuesday that was ordered last year.
The report's proposed strategies are almost the exact opposite of what is occurring now: The current mission of the county's Economic Resource Council has been to retain, not attract, new businesses. The mission of the area's chambers of commerce has been to attract visitors, not businesses.
The county needs to sharply increase funding to attract new businesses, the report said. It pointed out, however, that money could be redirected from the tourism budget. It also suggested tapping the private sector. More here.
By Dave Moller, davem@theunion.com» More from Dave Moller12:01 a.m. PT Dec 19, 2007
Nevada County economic groups need to work together and attract new businesses instead of concentrating on the status quo and tourism, according to a new report that was critical of existing efforts.
The county should target higher-paying businesses such as information services, which has "significant" growth potential, along with professional services and health care, the study said. Tourism should not be a target because the lower wages will not improve the county's standard of living, it said.
"You need to focus on business attraction, and you really haven't done much," said Libby Seifel, author of the 73-page report to the Nevada County Board of Supervisors Tuesday that was ordered last year.
The report's proposed strategies are almost the exact opposite of what is occurring now: The current mission of the county's Economic Resource Council has been to retain, not attract, new businesses. The mission of the area's chambers of commerce has been to attract visitors, not businesses.
The county needs to sharply increase funding to attract new businesses, the report said. It pointed out, however, that money could be redirected from the tourism budget. It also suggested tapping the private sector. More here.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Study says change essential for Dayton's economic development
Consultants outline six recommendations to help the city's economic development delivery system.
By Joanne Huist Smith
Staff Writer
Friday, December 14, 2007
DAYTON — It's time for change, Dayton. That's the message coming from a study by KMK Consulting Company, LLC looking at ways to improve the city's economic development delivery system.
"We got six pretty significant recommendations and we're certainly evaluating them and devising a plan of attack," Young said.
Five organizations impacting economic development in Dayton were reviewed as part of the study, including the city's Department of Economic Development, CityWide Development Corporation, the Downtown Dayton Partnership, the Dayton-Montgomery County Port Authority and the Greater Dayton Foreign Trade Zone.
The study found the city's biggest inefficiency fell in the area of business retention.
"Everyone does it yet no one is responsible," the study said.
Another obstacle pointed out in the study, "none of the staff of the various organizations, nor any of their board members interviewed, indicated a willingness to give up any of their 'turf' and narrow their current scope of services."
The six recommendations include:
• Creating a specialized agency to direct a new, consolidated business retention and expansion program for the city. The program should be managed by an independent agency on an interim basis until a development authority has been formed.
All business retention activities currently being conducted for the city should be consolidated into the new program.
• Create a government oversight committee to guide the consolidation of economic development services to achieve bold delivery system improvements for the city. The consolidation should be accomplished in six months.
• Launch an initiative to reinvent downtown Dayton. The city, in partnership with the county and the private sector, should hire a national consultant to analyze the Dayton market and recommend ways to transform the city's core into a residential community.
• Form a city development authority or a city/county development authority that would be located at one site and called, the Dayton Montgomery County Growth Center. The collaborative would be governed by a private sector board selected by the mayor and Montgomery County Commission.
• Create a private-sector deal fund. This support finance function would source and manage private-sector equity and debt into the development pipeline. Private sector funds can be raised from investors who are interested in the redevelopment of Dayton.
• Expand support of the Regional Leaders Forum. This collaborative should be engaged in an advisory role focusing on regional cooperation. All the individual members of the Leaders Forum should have a interest in the competitive success of the urban core of the region that is the brand name of the region — Dayton.
By Joanne Huist Smith
Staff Writer
Friday, December 14, 2007
DAYTON — It's time for change, Dayton. That's the message coming from a study by KMK Consulting Company, LLC looking at ways to improve the city's economic development delivery system.
"We got six pretty significant recommendations and we're certainly evaluating them and devising a plan of attack," Young said.
Five organizations impacting economic development in Dayton were reviewed as part of the study, including the city's Department of Economic Development, CityWide Development Corporation, the Downtown Dayton Partnership, the Dayton-Montgomery County Port Authority and the Greater Dayton Foreign Trade Zone.
The study found the city's biggest inefficiency fell in the area of business retention.
"Everyone does it yet no one is responsible," the study said.
Another obstacle pointed out in the study, "none of the staff of the various organizations, nor any of their board members interviewed, indicated a willingness to give up any of their 'turf' and narrow their current scope of services."
The six recommendations include:
• Creating a specialized agency to direct a new, consolidated business retention and expansion program for the city. The program should be managed by an independent agency on an interim basis until a development authority has been formed.
All business retention activities currently being conducted for the city should be consolidated into the new program.
• Create a government oversight committee to guide the consolidation of economic development services to achieve bold delivery system improvements for the city. The consolidation should be accomplished in six months.
• Launch an initiative to reinvent downtown Dayton. The city, in partnership with the county and the private sector, should hire a national consultant to analyze the Dayton market and recommend ways to transform the city's core into a residential community.
• Form a city development authority or a city/county development authority that would be located at one site and called, the Dayton Montgomery County Growth Center. The collaborative would be governed by a private sector board selected by the mayor and Montgomery County Commission.
• Create a private-sector deal fund. This support finance function would source and manage private-sector equity and debt into the development pipeline. Private sector funds can be raised from investors who are interested in the redevelopment of Dayton.
• Expand support of the Regional Leaders Forum. This collaborative should be engaged in an advisory role focusing on regional cooperation. All the individual members of the Leaders Forum should have a interest in the competitive success of the urban core of the region that is the brand name of the region — Dayton.
For New Orleans, report sends a familiar message on growing jobs
In a quest to get New Orleans' post-Katrina economy moving in the right direction, a private research group recently outlined the task ahead for the city.
The recommendations by RAND Corp. weren't radical, at least by the standards of hot-growing economies, but were foreign to usual practice in New Orleans. Much of the report qualifies as common sense - and a large portion fell under "Where have we heard this before?"
Perhaps in countless other studies gathering dust on the shelf.
But more than two years after the hurricane flooded 80 percent of New Orleans, and long after it became apparent big companies won't be running in with fists full of cash, the RAND report outlined a lengthy task. Charitably speaking, the city has a less-than-stellar track record for its business climate, especially since the oil bust of the 1980s.
RAND compiled its recommendations for Horizon Initiative, a civic-business group formed after Katrina, and studied economic development plans in 17 other regions - including some that have been cleaning New Orleans' clock. RAND also talked with locals in business and government. More here.
The recommendations by RAND Corp. weren't radical, at least by the standards of hot-growing economies, but were foreign to usual practice in New Orleans. Much of the report qualifies as common sense - and a large portion fell under "Where have we heard this before?"
Perhaps in countless other studies gathering dust on the shelf.
But more than two years after the hurricane flooded 80 percent of New Orleans, and long after it became apparent big companies won't be running in with fists full of cash, the RAND report outlined a lengthy task. Charitably speaking, the city has a less-than-stellar track record for its business climate, especially since the oil bust of the 1980s.
RAND compiled its recommendations for Horizon Initiative, a civic-business group formed after Katrina, and studied economic development plans in 17 other regions - including some that have been cleaning New Orleans' clock. RAND also talked with locals in business and government. More here.
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