Thursday, September 18, 2003
Cincinnati was able to keep Kroger from moving out of downtown, and that triggered a good article exploring why corporations move their headquarters. One analyst puts the problem this way: "I think a lot of times companies try to be as loyal as they can, but there are just increased pressures to perform globally."
The highly publicized move of Boeing to Chicago put this trend on the radar screen. In recent days, Borg Warner has announced that it will move from Chicago to Detroit to be closer to suppliers. Read more.
At the same time, these pressures have ignited a little war beween Philadelphia and Camden, NJ over corporate offices. That war was triggered this summer when Cigna, which employs 1,500 people at its downtown Philadelphia headquarters, said it would consider a move to New Jersey. Learn more.
Some Background on EDPro Weblog
The purpose of this weblog is to help economic development professionals -- EDPros -- keep up with the changes sweeping our profession. Strap on your goggles. It's a whole new game. There are no experts any more. The only place to learn about economic development is from other EDPros who are doing it.
One other point: the prevaling approach (paradigm, if you like) in economic development is shifting from competition to collaboration. There are a lot of reaasons underlying this shift, but here's the important insight: You, your community, and your region will do better by collaborating and sharing information.
If you are using a news reader, here is the link to syndicate this site:
Here's the link if you are a bloglines subscriber:
Speaking and workshops on Open Source Economic Development
As the idea of Open Source Economic Development starts spreading, more people are asking about it. Visit the I-Open web site to learn more. My colleagues and I are happy to explain the basic concepts in a talk or a workshop. E-mail Susan Alshuler if you'd like to learn more about workshops and speaking.
Background on Ed Morrison
Download some background information on me here.
The pressures to relocate corporate headquarters
