“A year from now you may wish you had started today.”
-Karen Lamb
2017 has been interesting to say the least, and by most accounts, a wild ride. Economic activity has been good for much of the country and in some areas like the Columbus Region, building cranes fill the skies and orange barrels signal new roads being built to handle the growth.
It is hard to believe that we are now half way done with the year. It’s time for a check up on our goals, progress on key initiatives and “half-time” adjustments to finish the year. May 2017 figures tell us that the Columbus Region has added over 144,000 net new jobs since the beginning of this decade, eclipsing any historical measure for the Region. Unemployment is low, wages are rising, poverty rates are being reduced, and opportunities abound. As an economic developer, these are great signs.
Our team knows that we can never stop improving in an effort to not only continue to our progress, but to fend off the many disruptive forces at work across our region’s core industries and within our communities.
Our review will start with people. Nothing — nothing — happens without great people. We will first check in on how individuals within our team are doing and how the unit as a whole is operating. Second, we need to review our pipeline and speak to our customers. While this is done regularly, mid-year is a great time to intently assess what we have and where we are going, and customers offer the best insight. Third, how is our product? Do we have the buildings, sites, infrastructure and talent we need to succeed? Where are we strong and where can we begin to invest?
A final thought for your mid-year review: As our great friend Jason Barger would say, it is time to step back to observe, gather insight, and set the thermostat for the rest of the year.
-Kenny McDonald
One Columbus Update
- Our team joined the leadership of the Mid-Ohio Development Exchange (MODE) for a retreat at the Granville Inn last week, where we focused on strategies and plans for the Columbus Region’s future. Thank you to our special guests, Huntington CEO Steve Steinour and Denison President Adam Weinberg, for sharing their insights with us and to Gail Froelicher of Kinetic Insights for serving as our facilitator.
- This week, the One Columbus team is hosting companies evaluating the Columbus Region. We’re also in New York for the Summer Fancy Food Show, the largest specialty food industry trade event in North America.