Surviving the Watt-Com Boom

By Jim Bruckbauer It seems as though we are in the middle of a strange time in the renewable energy industries. Some are referring to it as the Watt-Com Boom. Similar to the Dot-Com boom, there has been a large amount of investment into many companies in a particular...

Smart Business for Tough Times

By Dean Whittaker Not talking about the economy would be like not talking about the 800 lb. gorilla in the room.  The global economy has gone through the equivalent of a myocardial infarction (heart attack), and we’ve been on life-support ever since.   Fear has taken...

Hoovers: A One-Stop Shop

By Jami Miedema Last week, Whittaker Associates gave a webinar presentation on targeting companies for retention, expansion, and attraction. During the webinar, I was able to demonstrate the Hoovers Online system, a company information database that we use for our...

Smart Growth Achievement Winners

By Jami Miedema Earlier this month, the Environmental Protection Agency awarded four entities with the National Award for Smart Growth Achievement. This honor is to recognize remarkable approaches to development that promote smart growth through economic and...