|
|
|
|
The Numbers Don't Lie
By Jay Garner, CEcD, CCE
President, Garner Economics, LLC
Further in this newsletter, you will see a list of strategy projects Garner Economics has been recently selected to undertake. We are proud to have been engaged by the City of Atlanta and its economic development agency, Invest Atlanta, to craft a brave and bold economic development strategy for the City and branded as "What's Next for Atlanta?" In turn, Garner Economics selected some external experts in the economic development arena to complement our expertise and provide different perspectives to help Atlanta enhance its global competiveness. Those firms include Deloitte Consulting, Brookings and EANI. Each firm offers a unique perspective in crafting a holistic approach to a well-rounded economic development effort. Brookings is distinguishable because they are a nonprofit research think tank. One area they are focused on is in the competitiveness of metros. So where does this fit with the title of the article? It's about labor.
We hear whether we are working corporate projects or strategy efforts, whether it's Appleton or Atlanta - how difficult it is to find a skilled workforce. It's a sensitive topic, but our immigration policies are broken. In the US, according to Duke University, we graduate about 222,000 engineers annually. Some are foreign students that must return to their country since they are on a student visa. China and India combined graduate about 850,000 engineers annually. That's hard to compete with. With growing demand for high-skilled labor, businesses in the United States are using the H-1B visa program to employ foreign workers in key positions to stay competitive. Brookings has a good read on this program, the numbers and its process. Read more from the Brookings H-1B visa program by clicking here. |
Cold Storage Facilities as an Industry Target
 By Tony Pitrone
Vice President
Primus Builders, Inc.
(A Garner Economics strategic partner)
As virtually every segment of the construction industry shrunk during this recession, the cold storage industry not only remained stable, it grew. A recent report by the United States Department of Agriculture stated that refrigerated warehouse capacity in the U.S. totaled 3.96 billion cubic feet on October 1, 2011. This is a two year-increase of nearly 4%, mostly attributed to new construction. As a specialist in the design and construction of these facilities, Primus Builders alone constructed over 5,000,000 SF of cold space during this same period. See the full article by clicking here. |
Northeast Opelika Industrial Park Receives  Primus/Garner Certified Food Site Designation
A 67-acre parcel of the 2,200-acre Northeast Opelika Industrial Park has received the Primus/Garner Certified Food Site designation. Lori Huguley, Opelika Economic Development Director stated, "We are very excited to have been able to certify a site in our park that will indicate our ability to meet the needs of a food/beverage manufacturer. This industry has remained fairly stable during the economic downturn and this certification will let those companies that are looking for a new location know that Opelika is ready for them." The Primus/Garner Certified Food Site program requires that community economic development organizations provide documentation specific to a proposed industrial site, including a set of standard data related to ownership/ control, environmental and geotechnical conditions, and infrastructure status. Read more by clicking here. |
|
Here's where we are currently working or recently complted strategy and implementation projects for economic development organizations (EDO's).
 |
Comprehensive economic development strategy for the City of Atlanta and its economic development office |  |
Business planning |  |
Competitive Realties Report and Industry Targeting Recommendations |  |
Comprehensive economic development strategy | |
Northeast Arkansas Economic Development Commission |
Regional economic development strategy and organizational plan |
|
Tina Valdecanas Joins Garner Economics as a Senior Associate for Strategy
Garner Economics is pleased to announce the recent hire of Tina Valdecanas as a Senior Associate. Within this role, Valdecanas will work with clients (both corporate and EDO's) to identify and evaluate critical issues facing their long-term business goals and help translate high-level strategic concepts into clear, actionable business recommendations.
"We are delighted to welcome Tina as part of our team. Her experience is a great match for our strategic direction, and her collaborative style and ability to distill a broad range of economic and industry information into salient points will further strengthen our ability to address our clients' individual needs," said Jay Garner, President and CEO of the firm. Learn more about Tina by clicking here. |
Upcoming Speaking Engagements
- Acadiana Economic Development membership meeting, Lafayette, LA, September 11
- IEDC Annual Meeting, Houston (2 presentations) October 2-3
- Winnipeg, Canada Office of Economic Development (as part of a Site Selectors Guild event) October 9-11
- Economic Development Institute (EDI) November 11-15
If we can be of service to you as a speaker on site location or economic trends, or in helping elected officials and high level volunteers understand the economic development process, please call us at 770.716.9544. One of our experts from the Garner Economics team would be happy to assist. Click here to see our team of professionals. |
The Site Selectors Guild Announces Upcoming Annual Conference
New Orleans Selected as Location for Guild's 2013 Conference -
Dates Set for February 25-27
August 6, 2012 (Chicago, IL) - The membership of The Site Selectors Guild (Guild) today announced that New Orleans has been selected as the location of its 2013 Conference. The dates selected for the conference are February 25-27th. The Guild Conference will begin on the evening of February 25th, with a welcome reception and run through midday on February 27th.
Attendees participating at the Conference will have unprecedented access to some of the top site consultant professionals in the world, as well as programming which caters to an economic development professional audience. In a series of general sessions and workshops, Conference attendees will gain insights into the corporate mindset and business trends driving investment decisions in today's economy.
Jay Garner is a founding member of the Guild and a member of its Board of Directors. Learn more about the Guild and Conference registration information (which will be posted later in August) at siteselectorsguild.com.
|
|
|
From site location assistance and locational audits to economic assessments, comprehensive economic development strategies, industry target identification, food site certification, workforce evaluation, implementation assistance and more, our talented team of experts offers a full range of economic development services and solutions.
Jay Garner, CEcD, CCE, President 715 Birkdale Drive, Atlanta, GA 30215 | 770.716.9544 (p)
|
|
|
|
|
|
