Site consultant collaborates with QC leaders, provides valuable regional insights
The Chamber recently hosted a national site consultant to gain insights on the Quad Cities region’s competitive advantages and strategies regional leaders can implement to make the QC a more attractive place for doing business. Over the course of two days, the Chamber team facilitated conversations between the site consultant, Brooklin Salemi, Senior Managing Director, Newmark, and QC regional executives and leaders through roundtable discussions, factory tours and meetings with regional executives.
Bringing national consultants like Salemi to the Quad Cities helps us better understand our region’s economic position, supporting the Chamber’s approach to attract new business and promote the available sites and buildings located in the QC.
Chamber Vice President, Business & Economic Growth Tami Petsche said that bringing in site selectors to collaborate with QC leaders is instrumental in stimulating economic growth. “Building relationships between site selectors and local leaders is vital in making our region more visible for businesses. These events provide us with a valuable outside perspective on our region and pushes the QC towards the forefront of the conversation for site selectors and new potential businesses.”
Competitive advantages of the Quad Cities
The Quad Cities has a plethora of competitive advantages that play a role in attracting potential businesses. Salemi noticed a number of these advantages during her trip, mentioning the QC’s position as a multi-modal transportation hub located in the heart of the Midwest as an enticing advantage for companies looking to relocate.
Salemi also spotlighted the QC region’s low cost of living. “The Quad Cities is a competitive market from a cost perspective,” said Salemi. “We’re seeing a lot of our companies looking to locate in cost-effective locations that meet their business needs and also offer their employees a good quality of life, like the Quad Cities.”
The placemaking efforts throughout Quad Cities downtowns illustrated the vibrancy of the region to Salemi, highlighting the QC’s rich cultural characteristics. “I was very excited to see the placemaking efforts like the murals near the bridges and overpasses. As you try to recruit more talent to the region, these are small upgrades that help create stickiness within a community and makes people want to stay.”
The high density of manufacturers in the QC region has created an extensive, technically-skilled workforce. This workforce supports regional manufacturing and other industrial areas and plays a major role in attracting new investments. “The QC has a rich presence of people that know how to work with their hands. Even with the emergence of AI and new technologies, there’s still a fundamental need for skilled individuals that can work with their hands,” said Salemi.
Making the QC more attractive for prospective business
In order to prime the QC region for future investment, Salemi offered a number of ways that regional players can make future projects run more smoothly. “Providing the latest info on the regional workforce, utility costs, and industry wages and benefits are all data points that prospective companies are looking for when evaluating a location,” said Salemi. “Providing state and local tax rates is another key piece of information, as is information on incentives. Having that information is key to helping companies evaluate cost, and it being readily available helps ensure a timely response.”
Salemi further suggested that local governments and economic development organizations should use their best discretion for each project rather than trying to implement one-size-fits-all incentive packages to attract new companies to the region.
Sustaining a focus on solutions rather than potential problems is another crucial element that can make or break a project. “We’re not in the business of saying no. We’re in the business of figuring out how we can make things happen. Staying focused on the solution is what moves projects forward,” said Salemi.
Looking ahead to the future
In addition to the economic indicators and technical data that illustrate the Quad Cities as a great place to do business, the value a community can add in making new companies feel like they belong is crucial. “Ultimately, companies have to feel like they belong, not just from an operational standpoint, but from a cultural perspective,” said Salemi. Our rich cultures and communities situate our region for long-term economic growth, as more companies and stakeholders realize the tremendous potential that exists in the Quad Cities.
