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This will be the final version of the Coastal Gateway Regional Economic Development Authority News. Thank you to all of our readers! |
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The Coastal Gateway Regional Economic Development Authority (CGEDA) held their last board meeting on May 5th, 2010. 2010 Board Members were honored with plaques at the meeting as a Testimonial of Recognition for outstanding service and contribution to Coastal Gateway. Yank Lovelace and Chip Harrigan, Co-Chairs of the CGEDA would like to thank the Board members for all of their hard work and dedication.
Top row from left: Wiley Blankenship, President/ CEO of Coastal Gateway Economic Development Authority; Buddy Bedwell, Clarke County; Pete Black, Monroe County; Yank Lovelace, Escambia County, Co-Chair of CGEDA; John Barnett, Escambia County; Greg Albritton, Conecuh County; Chip Harrigan, Clarke County, Co-Chair of CGEDA.
Bottom row from left: Sandy Smith, Monroe County; Virginia Loftis, Choctaw County; Lula Palmer, Conecuh County; and Wiley Salter, Conecuh County
Not pictured: Bob Jones, J.R. Jones, Vince Johnson and Tim Martin of Escambia County; Mark Burgess of Conecuh County; and Sam Covert of Mobile, AL.
Coastal Gateway Regional Economic Development Alliance
The Board of the Coastal Gateway Regional Economic Development Authority concluded their duties as of May 2010 and we thank them for their many years of service to the economic development of the region. The new Coastal Gateway Economic Development Alliance will commence operations during the month of July 2010. The Coastal Gateway Regional Economic Development Authority staff concluded their duties as of May 30, 2010 for the operations of Coastal Gateway Regional Economic Development Authority. Annita Magee and Laurie Swift will remain through the month of June in the role of assisting with the winding down of the Coastal Gateway Authority. The target date for the first meeting of the new Board for Coastal Gateway Alliance is June 29, 2010 with an alternative date sometime in the beginning of July. Further information will be sent out in a separate meeting invitation. |
Coastal Gateway Alliance Partnership Launching!
The inception of the new public-private partnership, the Coastal Gateway Economic Development Alliance is just weeks away.
100% of the new Board of Directors will be investors representing all five counties in the region. Management and staff of the new organization will be hired by the Charter Board of the Alliance at their discretion. The "Diversify" campaign to raise funding for the new partnership is in full throttle.
The fundraising phase of the project began only a few weeks ago. Funding already committed has surpassed $500,000 and is rapidly approaching $1,000,000. The focus of the campaign is to position the Alliance to successfully drive diversified growth into the area in order to build a broader industry base, fortifying the region against substantial declines during future downturns.
A formally prepared document containing the partnership's strategic plan, hard target job goals, and economic outcomes has been developed by Wayne Burns (Project Director) and the National Community Development Services' (NCDS) Economic Strategy Center.
As work to complete the formation of the new partnership rolls into high gear, Board of Directors members, City Council members, County Commissioners, Mayors and business leaders from across the region are rallying around the Coastal Gateway Alliance.
Committed Charter Board members of the new Alliance thus far include: Mayor Richard Long of Jackson, Mayor Ben Smith of Butler, Mayor Sheldon Day of Thomasville, Sam Covert of Alabama Power, Chip Harrigan of Scotch/Fulton/Harrigan Companies, Mayor Ted Jennings of Brewton, Commissioner Karen Bradford of Clarke County, Mayor Pete Wolff of Evergreen, and Bryan Jones of Crowne Management.
Additional investor support for the new partnership has already been committed by Christy Black on behalf of the First National Bank (FNB) Charitable Foundation in Brewton; and by Yank Lovelace on behalf of The Securance Group headquartered in Brewton.
With the help of Broox Garrett and Amanda Hines of Thompson, Garrett & Hines and John Barnett of BankTrust; Chip Harrigan and Yank Lovelace, the transition team of former Authority Co-Chairs; Annita Magee and Laurie Swift; and Wayne Burns are working diligently towards meeting the target transition month of July 2010 and looking forward to the launch of the new public-private partnership, Coastal Gateway Economic Development Alliance. |
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Site Selection: The Decision Making Process
Many people often wonder why their community or site was not chosen over another by a company in the site selection process. The fact of the matter is that there are countless reasons why companies make site selection decisions ranging from lower operating costs, the need to establish a presence in a particular time zone, quality of life, proximity to a port, preparedness of the site, skill sets within a region, community attitude, incentives and so much more. Every industry or company is different. It is the role of community leaders and economic developers to understand a company's needs and to portray the region in a positive way. This is most effectively done by providing ready and available detailed and accurate data about the area. Sometimes the information may speak for itself and the company has an easy decision to make. While other times, the data may be similar between areas and incentives must come in to play.
Coastal Gateway Regional Economic Development Authority (CGEDA) interviewed two state partners regarding what goes into the site selection process and why one community may be chosen over another by a particular company. We hope you find these professional answers instrumental in aiding your understanding of the process.
Interview participants include Greg Sheek, Economic Development Analyst at the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama; and Lee Lawson, Economic Development Representative at PowerSouth.
CGEDA: What goes into the process of site selection?
Sheek: From the local developer perspective, the process entails preparation of product, information on and development of workforce. Another critical element is readiness to be engaged at all stages of the process from the initial contact with a client to the negotiation of the deal. Communities need to have the tools and people in place and ready. When a project is inquiring about your community is not the time to decide who is going to do what. That is the time to execute your plan.
Lawson: The site selection process is a thorough and detailed evaluation of a company's location needs versus what a specific site/building and geographic region can produce to meet the majority of those needs.
CGEDA: What are the most important criteria for a company considering relocation?
Sheek: Workforce is often a top consideration and evaluation of incentive packages.
Lawson: According to Site Selection Magazine's 2009 Corporate Survey the following are the top ten site location criteria according to site location consultants and corporate decision makers:
1. Labor costs
2. Highway accessibility
3. Tax exemptions
4. Energy availability and costs
5. Corporate tax rate
6. Skilled labor availability
7. Occupancy or construction costs
8. State and local incentives.
9. Advanced information and communication technology (ICT) services
10. Inbound/outbound shipping costs
CGEDA: How has this changed as in the new millennium?
Sheek: Today there is a greater emphasis on incentives.
Lawson: Each year the process seems to become more streamlined and timelines for responses to proposals get shorter and shorter. So the communities with the most comprehensive readily accessible information pertaining to the top site selection criteria mentioned earlier will have the competitive advantage over those who do not.
CGEDA: Has Internet changed site location decisions?
Sheek: The Internet has dramatically shortened the site selection process. Companies/consultants have 24 hour access to multiple sources of data both public and private. Today, when communities are contacted to participate in a project, the company/consultant most likely has already narrowed the field of potential locations from a larger list and is requesting information that is not available from Internet sources such as site characteristics and local labor information.
Lawson: Yes, the Internet is the number one communication tool used in the site selection process. If your community/site information is not on the web, then you basically do not exist to the corporate site selection world.
CGEDA: What would you say are some of the top site selection criteria?
Sheek: Often with shorter start-up timelines companies are looking for prepared product (land and/or existing buildings) and workforce availability.
CGEDA: Why does one community get chosen over another?
Sheek: This part of the process is in the hands of the decision maker and requires the company make judgment calls as to which criteria it must have and on which criteria it can accept variation based on a communities best selling points be it land, workforce or other factors.
Lawson: Some location decisions are project specific but most times a location is chosen because it makes the most business sense for the company. At the end of the day it is about the prospects Bottom Line.
CGEDA: Who is usually the decision maker?
Sheek: Ultimately, the companies themselves are making the site location decision but often they will use a site consultant to help identify potential locations and to help cut the list to finalists. The final decision maker can vary by the size of the company from the CEO to another management member to an internal site selection team.
Lawson: Each situation is different. Most times it is the President and CEO or a collection of top executives that make the decision.
CGEDA: How important is it to have accurate and current data on a site on paper or on the web?
Sheek: Project timelines have decreased to the point that if a community does not have the necessary information readily available and on the web they are often eliminated because the company/consultant is making its first cuts before ever giving a community a call.
CGEDA: What is the importance of local incentives in site selection?
Sheek: Communities need to first have a plan as to what if any local incentives it will and won't offer based. This decision should be based on its resources and on the type of businesses, it wants to attract to the community. If a community lacks a clear idea of what type of companies it wants to attract it will have a difficult time deciding when to offer incentives and when to pass.
Lawson: Local incentives are important and come in all forms. Discounted land/building price, abated site preparation costs, extension of utility infrastructure, transportation improvements etc. |
| Did You Know...
 Did you know... Alabama's high school dropout rate is a threat to the state's long-term economic growth?
The Southern Education Foundation, based in Atlanta, commissioned a study that found 59% percent of the state's income gap with the rest of the nation can be blamed on Alabama's lower levels of education.
Steve Suitts, the foundation's vice president said that if the dropout rate is not decreased the penalty is going to be far more severe in Alabama's income and economy than ever.
In recent years, Alabama has ranked near the bottom nationally in its dropout rate, landing between 42nd and 47th in state rankings, according to the study. And the average Alabamian in 2006 earned $5,788 less than the average American.
In 2009, a total of 3,292 Alabama students, grades 9-12, dropped out with total enrollment being 216,941.
The U.S. Department of Labor estimates 90 percent of new high-growth, high-wage jobs will require some level of postsecondary education. Also, jobs requiring a higher skill level are replacing the lower-skill jobs of the past.
It is up to citizens of the Coastal Gateway Region and Alabama "to do what is necessary to increase retention of students in elementary and secondary schools, to ensure that students are learning what they need to know from pre-kindergarten on and to provide support for expanded pathways to college" said Suitts.
For the full study click here: http://www.sefatl.org/pdf/HSD%20Report-Final-2007Appendix.pdf.
For drop out information please click here: http://www.alsde.edu/PublicDataReports/Default.aspx |
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Global Real Estate Convention
Coastal Gateway Regional Economic Development Authority (CGEDA) attended the International Council of Shopping Center's (ICSC) Global Retail Real Estate Convention which is the largest retail show in the world.
CGEDA and other local participants met with selected retail targets during the conference. Other representatives from the region who attended include: Donna Henry and Chairman Tim Martin, representing the Poarch Creek Indians; Marlo Anderson, representing the City of Thomasville; Daryl Harper, representing the City of Evergreen; and Glen Haab, representing the City of Monroe.
The convention kicked off for regional participants at a reception attended by retail contacts and developers. CGEDA along with 12 community sponsors and 6 private businesses from the state of Alabama hosted the reception. Marlo Anderson said, "Over 150 Developers were present, for national and regional development with the State of Alabama. This was a great opportunity to get contacts and provide information on the City of Thomasville".
While there, regional representatives were able to talk to developers who are considering retail projects in the area. Wiley Blankenship, President/ CEO of CGEDA, made fifteen calls to retail developers on behalf of Coastal Gateway communities with a particular focus on restaurants.
Anderson was able to call on eleven different retail development companies. According to Anderson, her primary focus was on restaurants, clothing stores and any retail developments that were a target for the region, according to community studies.
Anderson said, "Coastal Gateway was very helpful with making calls and assisted with other communities to get the Region attention and exposure to retail developers".
Glen Haab said, "As a first time attendee, the ICSC RECON Convention was an eye-opening educational experience. This convention presented a wonderful opportunity for me to get in front of specific retail decision-makers."
According to statistics more than 75% of all retail development deals are made at this show. Past visits to the convention have resulted in some retail announcements in the Coastal Gateway region and provided local individuals with key retail contacts. Communities including Evergreen, Atmore, Thomasville and Jackson have specifically seen results from this convention. Smaller populated communities such as Excel and Castleberry have also seen results from the convention such as The Dollar General.
While official numbers have not yet been released by the ICSC, they reported that attendance numbers are expected to be up from last year. ICSC said approximately 30,000 people attended and around 1,000 retail companies exhibited at this year's convention. |
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Coastal Gateway Alliance Launching!
The inception of the new public-private partnership is just weeks away! Read more in our featured article. |
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