Fostering Resilient Places: Sources of Economic Strength in Nonmetropolitan North Carolina – Project Update | Community and Economic Development


Community and Economic Development – Blog by UNC School of Government https://ced.sog.unc.edu Fostering Resilient Places: Sources of Economic Strength in Nonmetropolitan North Carolina – Project Update By CED Guest Author Published February 16, 2011 Emil Malizia is a professor and chair of the Department of City and Regional Planning at UNC-Chapel Hill and CCP small-grant recipient working in Lenoir County. “Fostering Resilient Places: Sources of Economic Strength in Nonmetropolitan North Carolina” is a CCP small-grant funded project that aims to identify community assets and policies contributing to the success of companies in traditional industries in the state, despite a struggling economy and shrinking markets. Over the past several months, I have been trying to identify companies that meet the following criteria: located in a Tier 1 county and part of a traditional industry with emphasis on food, textiles/apparel, and furniture. To date, I have identified 4-5 companies worth contacting, and I hope to identify at least 20 more this month. In addition to this work, I have contacted the directors of the regional partnership directors, the Rural Center and the SBTDC as well as individuals who may have knowledge of prospective companies. I have been struck by how difficult it has been to find prospects. I believe this reflects the depth of the recent recession as well as long-term secular decline in these sectors. I expect to accomplish the following tasks by the end of the month: Follow up the directors of the regional partnerships either to identify specific companies or get contact information on local economic developers worth contacting for this purpose. Follow up with SBTDC to request a listing of prospective companies from the database of about 1,200 NC companies. Find SBTDC staff able to provide additional information on some of these companies. Continue reviewing websites of identified companies. Contact local economic developers to identify additional companies. Begin contacting local economic developers to contact the company and find the person I would interview via telephone (the CEO, CFO or COO). Conduct 1-2 interviews. My strategy is to limit the telephone time to 20 minutes or less and focus only on the key questions. I will subsequently send the entire survey as an email attachment or via snail mail and request that the survey be completed and returned.

Published February 16, 2011 By CED Guest Author

Emil Malizia is a professor and chair of the Department of City and Regional Planning at UNC-Chapel Hill and CCP small-grant recipient working in Lenoir County.

“Fostering Resilient Places: Sources of Economic Strength in Nonmetropolitan North Carolina” is a CCP small-grant funded project that aims to identify community assets and policies contributing to the success of companies in traditional industries in the state, despite a struggling economy and shrinking markets. Over the past several months, I have been trying to identify companies that meet the following criteria: located in a Tier 1 county and part of a traditional industry with emphasis on food, textiles/apparel, and furniture. To date, I have identified 4-5 companies worth contacting, and I hope to identify at least 20 more this month.

In addition to this work, I have contacted the directors of the regional partnership directors, the Rural Center and the SBTDC as well as individuals who may have knowledge of prospective companies. I have been struck by how difficult it has been to find prospects. I believe this reflects the depth of the recent recession as well as long-term secular decline in these sectors.

I expect to accomplish the following tasks by the end of the month:

Follow up the directors of the regional partnerships either to identify specific companies or get contact information on local economic developers worth contacting for this purpose.
Follow up with SBTDC to request a listing of prospective companies from the database of about 1,200 NC companies. Find SBTDC staff able to provide additional information on some of these companies.
Continue reviewing websites of identified companies.
Contact local economic developers to identify additional companies.
Begin contacting local economic developers to contact the company and find the person I would interview via telephone (the CEO, CFO or COO).
Conduct 1-2 interviews. My strategy is to limit the telephone time to 20 minutes or less and focus only on the key questions. I will subsequently send the entire survey as an email attachment or via snail mail and request that the survey be completed and returned.

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