Economic Development Consulting

The Client

The Mississippi Gulf Coast Alliance for Economic Development

Situation

The Alliance was formed by two Economic Development Commissions and the local Power Company to increase the profile of the Gulf Coast area to targeted UK companies and its attraction as a suitable place for inward investment into the USA market.

PTC has worked in this part of the USA for the last nine years on a variety of assignments and built up a sound knowledge of the economic benefits that could be derived by UK companies from expanding their operations to this area to take advantage of the USA market and therefore the ability to reach into NAFTA.

Implications

The promotion of any particular area as suitable for inward investment is difficult because of a number of factors; these include the ability to target potential companies from a distance, the lack of local knowledge, the cost of and management control required to staff an "in Country" office.

Needs

The Alliance needed to target UK based companies who were seeking to expand their operations into the USA market and make local presentations to them in a cost effective manner.

Solution

PTC, through it large database of contacts at senior level, designed a marketing programme to initially reach some 600 UK firms who all met the Alliance's Target Industry criteria. This programme involved telephone and e mail contact followed by presentations of the economic benefits of the Coast area. Additionally PTC members have undertaken selected speaking engagements to promote the Coast and then arrange visits by Officers from the Economic Development Commissions to key prospects.