The following is his presentation from his visit with us at the Chamber of Commerce as part of the monthly Future Economy Council meetings. This is the second such meeting that Scott has held with us over the last couple of years. I call it a lesson in "Catawba County Economics 101," because from nearly the beginning this discussion went into critical thinking mode. I appreciated the way that Scott acted as a mediator and professor in allowing the people of the group to ask candid questions and express concerns with issues and the direction of the area's economy. If you listen to this meeting, then you will understand why we all walked away from this meeting feeling better about the direction we are headed and the steps we (all of us) need to take to move our area forward.
Part 1 - Intro and discussion about long term economic objectives.
Part 2 - Attracting and growing Small Businesses versus recruiting established major corporations. Success and failure of start-ups and complaints about competition from existing businesses.
Part 3 - Why do businesses we recruit go elsewhere? Developing and Marketing Assets... Breaking down Silos...Vision and Credibility
Part 4 - Perception is Reality... Scott talks about the Apple facility... and about Turbocoating
Part 5 - Energy, Information, and manufacturing possibilities... Why companies come to Catawba County... Developing specific opportunities that are fertile for targeted market centers... Utilizing existing vacant infrastructure.
Part 6 - Problems with the existing regional Economic Development Partnership... and the positive developments of the Regional Partnership to the west... We will sell where we can sell... Opportunities and needs to watch developments... Makers and Doers... A Life Well Crafted... The Big Elephant Issue... Attracting 20 to 44 year olds... State Incentives and the problems with the tier system... Danny Hearn talks about strategies and hiring someone from the outside a leader, that can help get a collaborative investment action plan.
