Enterprise Development Blog

Economic Development Team Visits NYC

5/16/2011 11:30:48 AM  -  0 Comments
 

 Eileen Pickett, Senior Vice President of Community and Economic Development for Greater Louisville Inc., offers unique insight into business attraction.  

Sometimes when I talk about what's involved in  attracting a new business to Louisville, I admittedly over-simplify by saying that first and foremost...business attraction is about 'getting on the list'.  What I mean by that is when a company is faced with either a problem or an opportunity (it's always one of the two) which is prompting it to consider an additional location or a relocation, someone has to develop an initial list of possible locations. If Louisville is not on that initial list, then we never get a chance to compete in what becomes a process of elimination until ultimately the last city standing wins the new business.

The Importance of Supporting Entrepreneurship

4/8/2011 03:38:29 PM  -  0 Comments
 

 “[C]reating jobs, jobs, jobs will take ideas, ideas, ideas.”
 
So says today’s Business First op-ed on the importance of entrepreneurship. Bob Saunders, chairman of Stonestreet One and chairman of GLI’s EnterpriseCorp Advisory Board, penned the piece to highlight the impact of new companies on our regional economy – and the importance of a business climate that supports their success.
 
You can learn more about EnterpriseCorp’s strategy for expanding entrepreneurism in Louisville at its Signature Event next Tuesday. Click here for complete details and to register. In the meantime, here are some highlights from Bob’s op-ed:

Dave Oetken: Make Your Business Resolutions Stick

1/20/2011 08:26:59 AM  -  0 Comments
 

 Dave Oetken, Managing Director of Business Advising for GLI’s ENTERPRISECORP, offers the following advice on making your business’s New Year’s resolutions stick:

How are your New Year’s resolutions working out?

Now that we’re halfway through January, are you on track with your New Year’s business resolutions?  Most Decembers, business leaders reflect on the prior year’s performance and vow to improve: to do things differently, or never do that again.

And then what happens?

Fifty-three percent do not maintain their New Year’s resolutions because their planned changes are either too expensive or take up too many resources (Health & Safety Executive – HSE – 2006). Seventy-five percent of change initiatives fail because the organization is unsuccessful in managing the human reaction to change. (John P. Kotter, Leading Change, 1996)

Obviously, the odds are not always in our favor. So, faced with challenges from every corner, what can business leaders do differently this year in order to make their New Year’s resolutions stick?

The World’s Globally-Aging Population

12/16/2010 11:21:38 AM  -  0 Comments
 

Insights from GLI's Executive Vice President Eileen Pickett on economic development in Greater Louisville:
 
Over the past 18 months or so, GLI has been intensely focused on the opportunity for Louisville to become the center of commerce, innovation and knowledge within the sector of health enterprises known as Aging Care.  The economic growth opportunity would appear to be extraordinary: Louisville already boasts more HQ of Aging Care companies than anywhere else in the country. The Aging Care sector is on a strong growth trajectory as populations age and need grows. And, there is a real need for innovation in this industry that has seen virtually none over decades.
 
In parallel to the work and thinking around Aging Care, we have been developing strategies to leverage the continued globalization of the economy.  What can we be doing to assist Louisville businesses in making global connections?  How can Louisville attract more foreign direct investment?  What advantages does Louisville have for foreign companies entering the US market?  The answers to these questions and others present real opportunity and are central to GLI’s strategic plan.
 
This article from the New York Times magazine looks at these two phenomena – the aging of the world population and the globalization of the world economy – that we have been considering separately and examines their intersection and integrated relationship. 

Today's Big News: Ford CEO to Keynote GLI Annual Meeting

11/22/2010 02:49:13 PM  -  0 Comments
 

 GLI announced the speaker for its 2011 Annual Meeting today… and it’s an impressive one.
 
Alan Mulally, President and CEO of Ford Motor Company, will be traveling to Louisville to speak at the event, which takes place Tuesday, March 15, 2011. Mulally will discuss the Ford story and how its team returned the company to profitability during the recent economic crisis. Remember: Ford was the only major American car manufacturer to avoid government-sponsored bankruptcy.
 
This is exciting news, not only because the Louisville business community gets to hear from one of the most respected CEOs in the nation, but because Ford has such a huge impact on the regional economy.