SOUTH CAROLINA | #7 | SIGNS OF STORMS AHEAD
Volvo chose a site in Berkeley County for its first North American factory in July, thrilling local officials and business leaders with plans to invest up to $500 million in a 100,000-vehicle a year production facility. The plant will employ up to 2,000 people when production ramps up in 2018.
The news is the cherry on top of the state’s 2015 economic-development sundae. Doug Woodward and Joseph Von Nessen, economists in the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business, predict blue skies ahead. “If you liked 2014, you’ll like 2015,” Von Nessen quips.
A closer look reveals some storm clouds. Job creation is shifting from manufacturing toward lower-paying leisure and hospitality and employment services, including temp companies. Real income growth in the Palmetto State consistently lags the national average.
The Tax Foundation ranks South Carolina’s tax burden 9th lowest and ranks its business tax climate 37th. South Carolina spends over $896 million per year on incentive programs. Officials are particularly strong in aligning incentive programs around a company’s actual needs, says DBO’s Stringer.
GEORGIA | #8 | JOB GROWTH DROPPING
Georgia’s vaunted economic engine sputtered a bit this year. The Peach State is slated to add 71,000 jobs in 2015, down from last year’s 81,100, according to Georgia State’s Economic Forecasting Center. The Center notes that fewer than a quarter of the new jobs pay at least $60,000.
The state’s increasingly export-oriented economy has been hammered by market slowdowns in Asia, Europe and Latin America, but benefits from a resurgent construction market, including two new sports stadiums. Technology, entertainment (particularly film production) and biotech are growing, and manufacturing shows signs of rebounding. Georgia’s aggressive incentive programs helped bring Mercedes’ North American headquarters to Sandy Springs, leveraging an incentive package estimated at up to $50 million for about 800 jobs, but a few months later lost Volvo to South Carolina.
Focusing on infrastructure, legislators passed closely brokered bills to improve the transportation infrastructure and public transportation, raising gas taxes to pay $900 million for road,
bridge construction and repair and mass transit programs.
The Tax Foundation ranks Georgia’s tax burden 16th lowest and ranks its business tax climate 36th. Georgia spends over $1.4 billion per year on incentive programs.
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1:00 - 5:00 pm
Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process
Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:
Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns. They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning. Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process. This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented. If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form. The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.
2:00 - 5:00 pm
Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations.
Limited space available.
10:30 - 5:00 pm
General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
Sponsored by UBS
General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.
The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.
