Prospecting by Appointment

By Patrick McConahy If you were to put together a list of the most underpaid and underappreciated job positions out there, I think you’d find economic development professionals a very close second behind public school teachers. The amount of time, effort, and energy...

Farming the Field vs. Low Hanging Fruit

By Patrick McConahy There are basically two main ways in which economic development organizations can pursue leads. One way is to look for those few companies out there that we classify as “low hanging fruit”. These companies have plans to grow immediately and rapidly...

Who's Your Best Local Partner?

By Jim Edmonson Who endorses more investment in research and development? Who favors the expansion of alternative fuels? Who advocates for a 21st Century transportation network? Who embraces innovation? Who wants to reduce urban congestion? Who wants to sell more...

New Target Industries

By Jim Edmonson Good news for U.S. communities looking for new targets and skilled workers looking for work. After the dust clears and the non-competitive companies disappear, a host of emerging multinational companies will have their sights set on America . New York...

Times Like These Require Leadership

By Jim Edmonson Communities across America are in economic and social transition. Productivity gains and competition have turned manufacturing upside down. We have entered the information age, with completely reinvented communication methods and the divide between the...