LOUISIANA | #13 | HAMPERED BY FUEL DEPENDENCY
Cheaper energy costs hammer fuel-dependent economies like Louisiana’s. Choked corporate revenues cause pain in public sectors, and revenue shortfalls led to state budget-tightening. This summer, Louisiana’s incentive programs were sliced about 20 percent.
Still, the state reports success stories. A bright spot is the I-10 corridor and regions south of it. Chemical companies headquartered there take advantage of higher prices in Europe, winning new export customers in volume. Emerging export markets and drilling opportunities in Mexican waters may benefit Louisiana energy interests. The two-parish Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area has logged over $81.7 billion in recent industrial announcements, a figure “seven to 10 times larger than we would typically report for the whole state in the past,” say economists Loren Scott and James Richardson, authors of the Louisiana Economic Outlook: 2015 and 2016.
Getting a foothold in the Pelican State can be daunting. While Gov. (and presidential aspirant) Bobby Jindal personally gets plenty of positive reviews, the state’s shady legacy deters some relocation advisors. Louisiana “is not as corrupt as it used to be, but it is very political,” says Cushman’s McIntosh. Says Ginovus’s Gigerich: “The way Louisiana functioned, if you knew somebody things happened.”
The Tax Foundation ranks Louisiana’s tax burden 5th lowest and its business tax climate 35th. Louisiana spends over $1.8 billion per year on incentive programs.
ALABAMA | #21 | EDGING INTO AUTOMOTIVE
One of the few states in the nation that’s added manufacturing jobs, Alabama’s economy reflects the generational shift away from textiles in favor of automotive and aerospace. The state is paced to add between 30,000 and 35,000 jobs this year, according to the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Alabama.
Government efforts to promote such advanced manufacturing and high-tech growth companies have borne fruit. Alabama’s successful wooing of Airbus brought its aerospace sector international prominence, joining Boeing in a growing cluster. A new focus on attracting pharmaceutical and related industries shows promise. Companies like these require a trained workforce, something Alabama is addressing with educational reforms.
Research conducted by the Culverhouse College Center for Business forecasts GDP growth of 2.3 percent this year and 2.5 percent next, following two years of 2 percent growth. The Tax Foundation ranks Alabama’s tax burden 10th lowest and ranks its business tax climate 28th. Alabama spends over $277 million 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.
