BusinessTN

The Tri-Cities region seems like an economic development utopia—availability of land, viable infrastructure, attractive incentive plans and an educated, skilled workforce. Industries should be clamoring to locate or expand there. So, what’s the problem? Few know where the Tri-Cities is. Andy Burke wants to change that.

The former president of the Greensboro (N.C.) Economic Development Partnership took the helm as president and CEO of the recently retooled and renamed Tri-Cities Economic Development Alliance in September after an exhaustive, six-month search. He is tasked with pulling together 10 counties into one cohesive image and branding the Tri-Cities as a premium option in business recruitment.

His initial, three-pronged strategy includes a cluster analysis to determine which industries to pursue based on the Tri-Cities’ best offerings; a study of the available workforce and an image survey—an area that needs serious attention. Burke wants to get the region on the map.

“Quite frankly, I didn’t know where Tri-Cities was. So, we’ve got to get a handle on that,” Burke says.

Though in terms of resources, the alliance should have the ammunition it needs to compete on a global level, Burke still must navigate the sometimes fractious relationships among the local economic development entities across the region.

Jack Lawson, director of economic development with the NETWORKS-Sullivan County Partnership, says even though local competition does exist, by nature and history of the region, everyone has had to work together in the past. And any help bringing businesses to the Tri-Cities benefits everyone.

The Alliance hopes Burke’s research and aggressive strategy will result in meeting its lofty, five-year goals of creating 7,200 new jobs and raising the industry average annual wage from $26,436, which is 20% below the state’s, to $31,723.

"A lack of national and international awareness [has] hampered the executive recruitment efforts of our major employers and [those] working to attract corporate relocations and expansions,” according to the Alliance’s fundraising campaign brochure.

With competition for the industries best suited to the region becoming fiercer, the Tri-Cities has little choice but to work together to attract new business. The need for economic development partnerships and alliances to promote the predominately mountainous, rural area nationally and internationally is pressing.