TIP to attend SEUS-Japan
Tom Stellman and Mitsu Yamazaki are finalizing plans to attend the 33rd annual meeting of the Southeast U.S./Japan Association in Tokyo. The SEUS-Japan conference provides an opportunity for leaders from eight states – Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia – to network with Japan’s top business leaders and government officials. The location of the three-day conference rotates between Japan and each of the U.S. member states.
At the conference, TIP will be supporting our client the Community Development Foundation (CDF) of Lee County (Tupelo, Mississippi), in their effort to recruit Japanese investment. The CDF has retained TIP to create a ten-year comprehensive economic development strategy.
In preparation for the trip, TIP analysts have compiled data on suppliers to major Japanese automakers in the eight states. The data help to illustrate the tremendous economic multiplier effect Japanese investment has in the Southern U.S. The automotive industry is a prime example of how this works. Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Subaru, and Suzuki – the seven major Japanese automakers – all source parts in the eight-state SEUS region. At least five of these automakers have supplier networks that stretch into all eight SEUS member states. The three largest (Nissan, Honda, and Toyota) have each developed networks of more than 100 supplier plants in the eight-state region. Just a single automaker’s supplier network can easily support upwards of 40,000 jobs in the SEUS region. And these supplier networks contribute more to the region than jobs alone. Their manufacturing facilities also enhance the region’s property tax base. Honda, Nissan, Toyota, and Subaru each support a network of suppliers in the eight-state region whose support facilities cover over 17 million square feet of factory space.
Figure 1. The seven major Japanese automakers source a portion of their auto parts in the United States. This table shows the number of factories in each of the 8 Southeastern U.S. states that currently supply Japanese automakers.
Figure 2. This figure shows the number of jobs in each of the 8 Southeastern U.S. states that are supported by the suppliers to Japanese automakers.
Figure 3. This figure shows the total factory space in each of the 8 Southeastern U.S. states that is operated by suppliers of the Japanese automakers.
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New Braunfels Hires TIP
Comal County, the Greater New Braunfels Chamber, the City of New Braunfels, and other area organizations have hired TIP Strategies to better understand the talent needs of area employers. Located on the I-35 corridor between Austin and San Antonio, Comal County is a rapidly growing area. Based on research, an area talent survey, employer interviews and focus group meetings, TIP will develop strategies to enhance the area’s ability to prepare, retain, and attract talent needed to support the community’s economic vitality. The project will also address how different segments of the population relate to work and place. This will allow the city, county, and other area stakeholders to make better decisions about education and training; city planning; human resource management; and economic development.
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Kenosha Area Business Alliance Engages TIP
The Kenosha Area Business Alliance (KABA) has engaged TIP Strategies – along with Robert Hess of NKF Consulting – to assist in the development of a strategic plan and target marketing study for Kenosha County. Home to approximately 165,000 residents, Kenosha County is located in southeast Wisconsin and is strategically positioned within the Chicago-Milwaukee Corridor. While the region has seen significant growth in recent years, there are also economic vulnerabilities that must be considered.
The plan will address issues critical to the long-term economic vitality of the county. These include:
- business retention and consolidation,
- the expansion of industrial/commercial real estate,
- economic development “brand awareness”,
- downtown revitalization,
- industry diversification,
- business and education collaboration, and
- talent retention and development.
The plan is expected to be unveiled in late spring 2009.
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Workforce Solutions of the Rio Grande Valley – Business Intelligence Survey
Workforce Solutions of the Lower Rio Grande Valley engaged TIP Strategies to conduct a business intelligence survey. As part of this work, TIP oversaw a phone survey of 500 businesses in the three-country region regarding hiring practices and training needs. The results of the survey will be used to inform Workforce Solutions’ program delivery over the coming year. In the next phase of the project, TIP will help the agency launch an online version of the survey. Findings from this survey will be used to validate findings from scientific survey, enhance the agency’s existing database of employers, identify potential prospects for training, and build awareness of business-focused services among employers and partner organizations.
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