the Local Economy Labs

Connie Stopher (CEO): Are U.S. Policies & Tarrifs Pushing Global Companies Away?

I had the pleasure to speak with Connie Stopher, CEcD, FDIP [https://www.linkedin.com/feed/#], CEO at Southern California Wine Country EDC [https://www.linkedin.com/feed/#] and absolutely loved the conversation. In this episode, ya'll will earn from Connie Stopher, CEcD, FDIP [https://www.linkedin.com/feed/#] about: - The Economic Development Secret Most Cities Can't Do Alone - Are U.S. Policies Pushing Global Companies Away? - What It Really Takes to Land an International Company - The Data Center Gold Rush: Boom or Bust? - Why CEOs Care More About Quality of Life Than Tax Incentives - California: Still the Best Place for Global Business? - How Regions Compete for Billion-Dollar Investments If any international companies want to open their branch or relocate in So Cal, this is the episode for you and Connie is the person to connect with.

How City of Tempe AZ is Building a Robust Startup Ecosystem | Lisa Hausz & Parrish Spisz

Lisa Hausz, MBA, PMP® [https://www.linkedin.com/feed?nis=true#] is the Economic Development Program Manager at City of Tempe [https://www.linkedin.com/feed?nis=true#] Economic Development dept. and Parrish Spisz [https://www.linkedin.com/feed?nis=true#] is the Assistant of Vice Mayor and 2nd VP of NLC at City of Tempe [https://www.linkedin.com/feed?nis=true#] One of the key focus of the City of Tempe's ED departments is to create a supporting and nurturing environment for #Entrepreneurship in the valley via partnerships. In this #podcast, they talk about: 👉 The four key areas of economic development they focus on: → → Investment, development, and redevelopment of city projects → → Business retention and expansion, as well as workforce development Innovation and entrepreneurship support → → Policy, procedures, land use, and rezoning initiatives → → Marketing, strategic planning, and administrative functions 👉 How partnerships are being used to foster entrepreneurship and support local businesses 👉 The launch of Think Tempe and its role in attracting investment, businesses, and talent 👉 An insightful discussion on a key question: What part of economic development work is most misunderstood, yet has the greatest impact on a community's success? and bunch of ear nuggets along the way :-)

Town of Addison TX's innovative Amenity Grant Initiative to Boost Property Tax Revenue

Wayne Emerson, EDFP [https://www.linkedin.com/feed/#] Director of Economic Development is the creative genius behind idea to start Amenity Grant for Addison, Texas [https://www.linkedin.com/feed/#]. We had the pleasure to speak and learn from Wayne and Marc Grossfeld, CFA [https://www.linkedin.com/feed/#] Managing Partner at Sunwest Real Estate Group [https://www.linkedin.com/feed/#] about their collaboration to improve commercial real estate buildings and sustain/bring more businesses to the town to increase/retain their property tax revenue. And guess what ... its working wonders In this #podcast, they talk about: * What is unique about Addison * Population vs. businesses; Commercial Real Estate * Taxable income being major revenue source for the city * Amenity Grant program * What is it * Amount allocated  * How do you distribute it and select recipients  * Partnership with Sunwest Real Estate Group * KPIs: Measuring program success? * Do's and Don'ts for leasing a commercial space - Mistakes to avoid and bunch of ear nuggets along the way.

Steven Jenkins (Idaho Power): Trade Free Zones, how can they be competitive advantage

Steven Jenkins is the Economic and Community Development Advisor at Idaho Power. Previously, he served as Economic Development Director at City of Caldwell ID. In this episode, we dive into: * Power & data centers: what pre-engineering assessments are and how utilities evaluate projects * Idaho’s power boom — Meta, Micron, and the wave of large-scale developments * How Idaho Power evaluates and prioritizes upcoming projects * Understanding how utility companies actually operate behind the scenes * What cities can do to prepare sites and involve communities before major projects arrive * Foreign Trade Zones: what they are and how they can become a competitive advantage for cities A fascinating conversation for city leaders, utilities, economic development teams, and anyone thinking about the future of infrastructure and growth.

Dr. Dustin Stambaugh City Manager, Weed, CA on Data Centers, Water Management, and Hydrology

In this episode, Dr. Dustin Stambaugh, City Manager at City of Weed, CA shares his perspective on: * Why we need to get serious about managing our water supply * Data centers and their cooling demands * What City Managers should consider before approving data centers in their communities * What hydrology is — and why it matters more than ever * Golf courses and water usage (including a surprising insight) * The Colorado River Compact and its long-term implications * Navigating difficult decisions in public leadership …and plenty of insightful nuggets along the way.