Not long ago, I noted that our local economic development association was doing very little in the way of recruiting new businesses to our area. They had worked hard to get an enterprise zone in place, as well as a Foreign Trade Zone to attract businesses. Yet, they did nothing to encourage or actively recruit, there was not economic development recruiting team, only nice beautiful brochures that had been printed.
Then, a couple of people tried to recruit me to helping use my expertise to recruit business to the area. Unfortunately, after doing more research, I thought to myself; Am I quite positive that we are actually helping those folks we call upon? I mean I am wondering why anyone would bother to build a business here. One type of industry on the list to be recruited was light manufacturing.
Light manufacturing doesn’t make sense, and we really do not have a skilled workforce or college degreed folks except for a few industries, and those industries need more people, not more companies; (health care for instance). Supply is more or less equal to demand, and quality labor supply is the issue there.
I guess what I am getting at is; I, myself do not see the point in starting a business here, and if given the choice, I probably wouldn’t pick this area over another city, in a completely different state. It’s a great place to live, but it’s hostile to business. And the Enterprise Zone is outside of my own city limits, most is either developed with lots of empty space or totally undeveloped. Anything developed will compete against existing adjacent space on this side of the freeway that does not have the Enterprise Zone advantage.
Additionally, all of a near bye city, which has a crime problem and low-income-level population is an Enterprise Zone, but, personally, I do not wish to focus on those areas, nor would I recommend a company move into those areas, the labor is problematic, uneducated, dishonest, often with drug issues and it really looks like a little Mexico.
Adding more companies there, does not solve problems for our future in the Valley, adding more retail only allows the money to leave local circulation quicker. With the Enterprise Zone competing against the nicer areas of my own city and our higher-end office space, it’s a difficult job to recruit to my city.
To make matters worse, most of the commercial real estate people are protectionists, not in it to win it for the community, more or less just to close a sale. Which is understandable, but most do not have any real desire to better the community.
Working around them is difficult, but possible. Working around the status quo, is possible but difficult and will upset those who have granted themselves power by committee. So here is my question; “If nobody wants my help, everyone will be fighting against my efforts, can you remind me again, why I should press on?”
I think these are the types of things you should consider prior to assisting the economic development association in recruiting businesses for your city. Please consider all this.