The Committee thought that this Action Plan also had merit, and should continue to be developed in more detail. Attracting Knowledge Industries Ryan Sherby presented the outline of an Action Plan for a marketing plan to attract knowledge industry businesses: Goal: identify and attract small-midsize knowledge businesses to Boundary and 7 counties of Western NC Activities: Inventory and quantify the key assets of Mountain West Alliance region make it uniquely attractive to small, growing, entrepreneurial knowledge industry businesses Conduct market research to develop clear profiles of target market segments/customers who would find the assets of Mountain West Alliance locations attractive. Develop “market offering”: sites, information, incentives to share with potentially interested companies. Develop and launch marketing campaign Organizational home: Southwest Commission Potential Partners: EBCI Commerce, Economic Development Depts of 7 Western Counties, Duke Energy, Drake Software Resources: TBD Potential funding in cash and in kind Drake Software? Special assessment from 7 counties? EBCI? Cherokee Preservation Foundation? Committee members suggested that it would be useful to connect this work with the work that is being done by Dr. Steven Morse and others at Western Carolina regarding the assets of the western NC region, and how these can best be positioned to help attract entrepreneurial businesses. Jason Lambert noted that the Tribe is considering the potential for a Tribally-owned data center. The data center would likely not generate much in the way of jobs – these businesses are but not labor-intensive. The current locations under study are not on the Boundary, so would not generate levy. The primary way that a data center might create financial benefits for the Tribe would be through profits generated by a Tribally-owned data center. This subject is still under study, and it’s not clear if and when the Tribe will move forward. John Weiser presented the outline of an Action Plan to conduct a feasibility study for a fiber-enabled building and co-working space:
The Committee thought that this Action Plan also had merit, and should continue to be developed in more detail. Attracting Knowledge Industries Ryan Sherby presented the outline of an Action Plan for a marketing plan to attract knowledge industry businesses: Goal: identify and attract small-midsize knowledge businesses to Boundary and 7 counties of Western NC Activities: Inventory and quantify the key assets of Mountain West Alliance region make it uniquely attractive to small, growing, entrepreneurial knowledge industry businesses Conduct market research to develop clear profiles of target market segments/customers who would find the assets of Mountain West Alliance locations attractive. Develop “market offering”: sites, information, incentives to share with potentially interested companies. Develop and launch marketing campaign Organizational home: Southwest Commission Potential Partners: EBCI Commerce, Economic Development Depts of 7 Western Counties, Duke Energy, Drake Software Resources: TBD Potential funding in cash and in kind Drake Software? Special assessment from 7 counties? EBCI? Cherokee Preservation Foundation? Committee members suggested that it would be useful to connect this work with the work that is being done by Dr. Steven Morse and others at Western Carolina regarding the assets of the western NC region, and how these can best be positioned to help attract entrepreneurial businesses. Jason Lambert noted that the Tribe is considering the potential for a Tribally-owned data center. The data center would likely not generate much in the way of jobs – these businesses are but not labor-intensive. The current locations under study are not on the Boundary, so would not generate levy. The primary way that a data center might create financial benefits for the Tribe would be through profits generated by a Tribally-owned data center. This subject is still under study, and it’s not clear if and when the Tribe will move forward. John Weiser presented the outline of an Action Plan to conduct a feasibility study for a fiber-enabled building and co-working space:
Qualla-2020-Notes-5-21-final.docx