North Central West Virginia Economic Outlook event expanded, scheduled for Oct. 18

Press Release

WVUtoday

A regional economic forecast from researchers at West Virginia Universityand a look at the U.S. economy by a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond will anchor the North Central West Virginia Economic Outlook Conference Oct. 18 in Morgantown.

This year’s event will also include a presentation by a nationally renowned economic development strategy organization, sessions on local government and education, and a panel discussion on economic and community development. The conference will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Waterfront Place Hotel.

[. . .]

Alex Pearlstein, vice president of Market Street Services in Atlanta, will serve as the keynote speaker. Market Street is a provider of community, workforce and economic development strategic planning services recognized for its work throughout the U.S.

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It's time to leverage our past for a bright future

Rob Bradham, President and CEO, Great Dalton Chamber of Commerce
Dalton Daily Citizen


I am rapidly approaching the end of my first year as president and CEO of the chamber as well as my first year in Dalton. I spent a great deal of time over the last year learning everything I can about this community. I read books, I read news articles, I drove around, I toured businesses and I listened to literally hundreds of opinions about Dalton and Whitfield County.

[. . .] Today, I'm very pleased the Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce is taking the lead in building a plan for the next chapter in our community. The chamber's Executive Board has contracted with Market Street Services, an Atlanta-based community and economic development firm, to assist the community in just such a planning process.

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New report highlights data, challenges in Topeka, Shawnee County

Morgan Chilson
Topeka Capital-Journal


A 64-page community assessment of Topeka and Shawnee County released Thursday is bursting with data, comparisons to other cities and, most importantly, six primary issues that tell the capital city’s story.

Those six, identified in the Market Street Services Inc. report, are:

■ A critical need to improve community pride.

■ Threats to a strong workforce go beyond population growth.

■ Quality of place enhancements are needed to change outlooks.

■ Homegrown talent: a need to connect the local and regional talent pipeline.

■ Enhancing economic opportunities through existing strengths.

■ Prosperity and well-being lag behind.

“It’s not all rosy, is it?” said Matt Pivarnik, CEO and president of the Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce and GO Topeka. “We have our work cut out for us. I think that this actually confirms a lot of what our gut was already telling us. It puts some data behind it.”

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Dalton business groups come together to develop plan to grow local economy

Mike Pare

Times Free Press

When Rob Bradham came to Dalton, Ga., late last year, he kept hearing about the city's heydays in the '70s, '80s and '90s when the carpet business was blazing.

"The [Great Recession] took a heavy toll," said Bradham, the Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce's chief executive, adding that leaders in the area believe they need to start thinking about what's next.

The business group has launched a community and economic development strategic planning effort for Whitfield County. The initiative will look at crafting a long-term vision for industrial recruiting, downtown revitalization, and economic and workforce development, the Chamber CEO said.

The end product will have specific recommended projects, including a price tag, and goals to achieve, said Bradham, who came to Dalton after serving as the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce's vice president of public strategies.

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South Shore Chamber: Water, sewer service, roads crucial for region's future

Lane Lambert
The Patriot Ledger

A new South Shore Chamber of Commerce report outlines hundreds of millions of dollars in highway improvements, as part of long-range plans to spur development and attract more workers and families to the region.

But the Chamber’s president and CEO Peter Forman says a less-noticed issue could be equally crucial for growth in the coming decades – water and sewer service.

“A lot of people assume transportation is the biggest obstacle to growth,” Forman told The Patriot Ledger. “But it may turn out that water and sewer access to areas ripe for development could be a bigger obstacle.”

He made those comments as the chamber publicized a follow-up to “South Shore 2030 – Choosing Our Future,” an overall look at the region’s challenges that Market Street Services of Atlanta prepared in 2015 and presented to the Chamber in January of this year.

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Economic development consultant says ‘damage is cascading’ in NC

Erik Spanberg

Charlotte Business Journal

Mac Holladay understands economic development in the South and the Southeast as well as anyone. Starting in 1972, Holladay has led recruiting in three states – Mississippi, South Carolina and Georgia – after earlier stints with chambers of commerce in Memphis and Charleston.

He founded consultant Market Street Services in 1997 and remains its CEO. The Atlanta-based firm works with cities and regions to foster growth, improve worker training and recruit companies and industries.

Throughout his career, Holladay has competed with and done business in North Carolina, where he returned last week. Holladay was in Chapel Hill to speak at the basic economic development course held at the UNC School of Government.

[. . .]

As part of his presentation, Holladay discussed House Bill 2, the state law passed in March to override a Charlotte ordinance that would have allowed public restroom use in government buildings based on gender identity while also mandating non-discrimination protection for gay and transgender people. Holladay believes HB2 is hurting North Carolina – and likely to cause more damage unless it is significantly changed or repealed.

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Phillips: Austin chamber effort focuses on helping businesses, people

Alberta Phillips
Austin American-Statesman


Sometimes we think of chambers of commerce as cheerleaders for business and industry with narrowly focused interests that aim to expand the profits and economic vitality of companies they represent.

If that is true for some chambers, it’s certainly not the sum and total of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce. Like many other chambers, it does promote and lobby for policies and practices aimed at helping businesses in Austin and the region flourish, be that publicly financed incentives or regulatory reform. But the Austin chamber’s reach is broader, touching on such things as reducing Austin’s poverty rate, increasing the number of students going to college and addressing the city’s mobility challenges.

It’s an approach that recognizes the connection between education, jobs and poverty.

One can argue about whether that focus is driven by a social or economic agenda. Either way, the chamber’s initiative, called Opportunity Austin, is doing positive things that benefit businesses as well as families. And while it’s been around for about 12 years, Opportunity Austin is not widely known outside of elite corporate and educational circles.

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