Rockingham Partnership looks to higher visibility -
Rockingham Partnership looks to higher visibilityBy Steve Lawson
Published: June 24, 2008
Graham Pervier, president of the Rockingham County Partnership for Economic and Tourism Development, began the board’s meeting last week with a little good news. A new industry project that was previously dropped had been returned to the active column, bringing the combined total of active new and expansion projects to five.
Then came the troubling news. Halfway through 2008, only one project had moved to the completed column.
“When you see our totals for ‘03, ‘04, ‘05, ’06, ’07 and then look at the total for ’08, you have to remember that all of these projects have a gestation period of seven to eight months,” Pervier said. “So anything that’s going to get booked for ’08 needs to show up in a hurry.”
The 2007 project totals included investments of more than $74.5 million and 463 new jobs from seven completed projects. The single completed 2008 project brought an investment of $2 million and 20 new jobs.
“Our average investment for the last six years has been about $54 million, but that average includes three big hits – the Alcan project, the A.F.G. Wipes project and General Tobacco,” said Pervier.
Rockingham County is not alone in experiencing declining numbers for new and expansion projects for industries. Pervier said he hears the same stories from economic development contacts throughout the Piedmont.
“The reason given for canceling expansion or relocation plans is that companies simply want to wait and watch the economy,” Pervier said. “But it tends to be the same with all my colleagues. Economic growth is dragging everywhere.”
Pervier said the Partnership plans to combat that downward trend by concentrating on implementation of its recently adopted work plan. The plan includes both targeted advertising and marketing, and more active contact from Pervier and the Partnership’s vice president of sales and marketing, Wade Taylor.
“Wade and I will have to step up our contacts with existing industries, as well as visits with site-selection consultants and trips to trade shows,” Pervier said.
With existing industries, the focus will be on asking their assistance in recruiting new businesses, as well as seeking their own expansion.
“We know a lot of these industries have customers and suppliers that might be looking to relocate,” Pervier said. “If these local companies have had a good experience here, they could be willing to help us attract some of their contacts in the industry.”
The primary target for new industries has become large water users. Recent losses in the textile field, especially in the dye and finishing areas, placed a strain on the economies of several local municipalities.
“The county’s rivers give us the capacity to handle most industries that rely heavily on water use,” Pervier said. “Of course we wouldn’t be likely to attract the largest users, like steel mills, but we could target other large users like the food processing industry.”
Another focus would be on encouraging developers to get more buildings ready for viewing by potential industry site scouts. Pervier said the recent trend leans heavily toward the use of existing buildings.
“Many of our recent project successes have involved existing buildings and we still have a good selection of those across the county,” he said. “But we could always use a wider selection so we could appeal to a broad range of clients interested in our area.”
While increasing outside contacts through more aggressive advertising and marketing, Pervier said the Partnership also plans to closely track the inquiries received this year. Emphasis will be placed on discovering what type of buildings potential clients most often seek and what factors most influence their positive or negative decisions on relocation.
“We know things could be well below average this year for new investments, but we want to do everything we can to make sure we’re ready to reverse that trend next year,” Pervier said.
News Editor Steve Lawson can be reached at slawson@reidsvillereview.com or at 548-6047.
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