We have been pretty busy lately traveling and meeting with clients, helping them with their respective projects.
Most recently, Deane was a panelist at the South Carolina International Trade Conference in Charleston, SC. The key topic was the importance of ports in site selection decisions…very important!!
Deane met up with client Wayne County (MI) EDGE and some key prospects in Dallas at the Steel Restaurant…great discussion on the New Detroit!
We hope to be back soon with more!
Deane was recently interviewed for an article published in the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce E-newsletter, BUSINESSdriver. The story, written by Sandy Des Georges, is published on the Chamber website; you can view it here: http://www.phoenixchamber.com/news/newsletter/marketing/2011/0714/growth or you can read the article below:
Size Wise: Keys to Expanding Your Business
There was an old woman who lived in a shoe…
Is your business beginning to feel like a size 10 trying to serve clients in a size seven setting? If so, there is much to consider inside the laces, and Valley-based Foote Consulting Group has earned a solid foothold in the development-related consulting industry. Be it real estate, site selection, workforce development or economic development services, President Deane C. Foote, with over 35 years professional experience in the development field, has built a network across the Valley, across the country and even in Mexico.
“New business growth means the need to plan for expansion,” says Foote, who has directed economic development assignments for the Arizona Department of Commerce, Greater Phoenix Economic Council, and a number of similar agencies from Ohio to Nebraska and from New Mexico to Iowa. “We advise our clients to act, not wait too long; oftentimes companies put off expansion and relocation and work in understaffed, overcrowded facilities for too long.
“Careful planning in a realistic timeframe is the key.”
A regular presenter at the International Economic Development Council, CoreNet and regional economic development workshops nationwide, Foote and his expert team of consultants pay attention to the important considerations and questions facing business owners who are feeling the squeeze. Among the top attention-getters are planning for a smooth transition, one that minimizes disruption of services; allowing time for the site selection process that takes into account project success criteria such as freight/logistics, labor costs/conditions; utilities and infrastructure; and taxes and incentives.
The site selection process has been refined over years of successful relocations.
Foote likes the Valley marketplace and its many advantages, which is good news for local companies experiencing growing pains – oftentimes, an expansion locally is the most cost-effective decision.
“The Valley is an excellent location for expansion or relocation,” says Foote, a founding board member of the Site Selectors Guild, a company promoting and enhancing the site selection profession. “The recently enacted tax law will offer lower corporate income taxes, tax credits and potential grants. Past tax credit laws have spurred the solar industry in Arizona, including new manufacturing plants for First Solar in Mesa, and Suntech in Goodyear. Plus, many solar suppliers like Sisener, a Spanish company, are now flocking to the Phoenix area, the heart of the U.S. Solar industry.”
Foote notes these important steps in the site selection process as he and his team of pros consider business growth options for their clients across the Valley and the country:
Get Connected
Foote Consulting
www.footeconsulting.com
This story, written by Sandy Des Georges, is part of the Chamber’s monthly Business Driver email. To sign up for any or all of the Chamber’s email newsletters, click here.
The FCG Team along with Harts Group, Inc. were in the Detroit area last week working with Wayne County EDGE on a workforce project. Below are a couple of photos from one of the focus groups.
Deane and I had the pleasure of attending the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce’s luncheon and business expo earlier today. The luncheon was great! There were speakers from the Chamber itself, as well as a wonderfully entertaining presentation given by Cary Pfeffer of Clear-Comm. We met some nice area businesspersons, including Lori Peters from Three Dog Marketing and a couple of ladies (Michelle and Karen) from Arizona Women’s Education and Employment. Please enjoy our photos (sorry about the mediocre quality):
We are looking forward to attending some more Chamber events soon! Have a great week, All!
~Emily
Dale Benish of the Genesee Regional Chamber of Commerce (GRCC) in Michigan held a lovely dinner at McCormick and Schmick’s downtown Phoenix. In attendance at the dinner were Deane Foote, President of Foote Consulting Group; Dale Benish, Business Development Manager for GRCC; Saul Grohs, a Founding Partner of Location Advisory Services, Inc.; Paige Webster, Site Selection Consultant for Foote Consulting Group; and Don Rodie, Senior Director at Cushman & Wakefield in Phoenix. The dinner was held Monday, February 21, 2011, and was an “invitation-only” event for local site selectors.
