Q: Our company is a thirty-year-old engineering and production company and we definitely need to expand in the next couple of years. As we consider our real estate needs, we are also trying to understand all the economic programs that may be available to us.  Can you give us some guidance?

A: From your brief description of your company, you sound like an excellent candidate for many economic development programs, from low cost financing to tax abatement and energy savings.  Why are towns, counties and states willing to provide these incentives?  Businesses drive economies, particularly businesses with many high-paying jobs, and governments at all levels understand this. All economic agencies are really interested in just one thing...JOBS. Your objective is to leverage your assets (bringing or retaining jobs in a community) in order to obtain the best benefits package.  Here are seven steps that will help you do that:  

1. Start the benefit process early and talk to everyone.The earlier that you start, the more leverage you have. Contact economic development agencies in every area under consideration, and let them all know that a good package is going to be key to your decision. Early knowledge helps you negotiate more efficiently... 

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