May 2018
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE ABOUT INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT,  EVEN IF YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
 
In March, an anonymous group in Atlanta began plastering flyers throughout town lamenting the city's quest to land Amazon's HQ2. In addition to the flyers, graffiti critical of Amazon popped up in several locations throughout Atlanta. On their website, the activists railed against the Amazon search process, likening it to "a televised Hunger Games death-match." According to a survey conducted by the Business Journals, a majority of residents in just three of the 20 finalist cities strongly support Amazon locating its second headquarters in their communities (somewhat surprisingly, this includes Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Indianapolis).
 
THE ROLE OF BUSINESS RETENTION PROGRAMS
 
According to the ED Index, Avalanche's annual survey of 115 EDOs, activities related to expansion prospects accelerated the most in 2017 over their 2016 levels. 60% of EDOs experienced an increase in expansion prospect activity (a jump of nearly 24%) compared to only 35% experiencing growth in relocation project activity (up 12% from 2016).

 


WHICH CRM TOOL WORKS FOR YOUR EDO?
 
Avalanche's Chief Sherpa (aka President + CEO Amy Holloway) recently posted the following question to LinkedIn:


The post generated thousands of views and great responses from economic development professionals across the nation and Canada. The input was so valuable, we thought it would be helpful to summarize them for our readers.  Learn more about our findings on CRM tools here.

CELEBRATING OUR CLIENTS

May was a busy month for our clients, with lots of great news to share. Keep up the good work!

JAXUSA Partnership's Cathy Chambers receives statewide economic development award - Cathy Chambers, the Vice President of Strategy and Business Development for the JAXUSA Partnership, was given the  Eunice Sullivan Economic Development Professional of the Year Award at the  2018 Florida Economic Development Council Annual Conference . Congratulations Cathy! What a well deserved honor!

Report details ways to get 25,000 more housing units in Sonoma County  - Our economic development strategy for the Sonoma County EDB was covered by the North Bay News, including strategies to address housing challenges.


  Amarillo council approves AEDC funding pledge for Texas Tech vet school  - The Amarillo City Council recently approved funding for the construction of the Texas Tech Veterinary School of Medicine, which is expected to have an annual economic impact of $76 million when fully operational.

Rollout of Triad talent alignment reveals timing, touts sector councils  Action GSO and the Piedmont Triad Partnership unveiled their Triad Talent Alignment Strategy this month. We look forward to seeing the positive impacts of the strategy on the Triad!

UNT, Frisco to announce big plans for a new university campus - The University of North Texas announced this month that it plans to open a new university campus in Frisco, TX.

If you have news that you would like to share with our network,  email us a link  and we'll help you spread the word.

AVALANCHE IN ACTION

What a great time of year to visit Sonoma County CA and Asheville NC! Our two big trips this month included a final visit to Sonoma to present Strategic Sonoma, our new economic development strategy for the Sonoma EDB. Next, Avalanche flew to Asheville for the second annual NextGen Talks, a conference focusing on future industry changing perspectives in site selection, where Amy led a workshop on workforce development (and enjoyed a few brews with the group at the fabulous New Belgium Brewery - what a treat!). Here are a few snapshots of our team in action:


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OUT AND ABOUT IN 2018 
 
We just updated our events listing to include IEDC's Annual Conference later this year. If you're attending any of these events, please let us know. We would love to connect with you.
  • ACCE Annual Convention Des Moines, IA, on July 18 - Avalanche will moderate a discussion on chambers' roles in re-engaging displaced and disengaged workers. 
  • Ag & Animal Science Conference Willmar, MN, on September 25 at the MinnWest Technology Campus - Tony DeLisi will speak about economic development trends and innovation in the animal and food manufacturing industries.
  • IEDC 2018 Annual Conference Atlanta, GA on September 30 - October 3 - Amy Holloway will be leading an ED Talk on Monday, October 1, and hosting an idea exchange brunch for clients on Sunday, September 30.
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AVALANCHE:  RESEARCH, MARKETING, STRATEGY
Avalanche Consulting  is the nation's premier economic development strategist. We are the best in the business at translating complex information into strategies, marketing messages, and motivation for action. We are deeply driven to make a positive impact and seek clients who are equally inspired to energize their economies. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Avalanche was established in 2005 and has assisted more than 150 communities across the US and abroad. 

LET HEADLIGHT ILLUMINATE DATA ON YOUR REGION
Headlight is Avalanche's award-winning online data system that enab les economic and workforce development organizations to produce data-intensive websites on their region's economy and workforce, allowing them to better serve prospects, site selectors, and their community. Data can be aggregated into one central website or  embedded into your organization's existing website.


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