Recognizing the need to be more competitive in attracting new and expanding businesses, the Quad Cities Chamber has hired Hickey Global Economic Development Group to assist it with a site readiness strategy.
“Site readiness is a challenge all around the U.S. and the chamber wants to be proactive in this space for our region,” said Julie Forsythe, the chamber’s senior vice president, business and economic growth.
The New York City-based Hickey Global, the world’s largest site selection firm, is a full-service economic development consultant supporting private, public, and non-profit economic development organizations worldwide.
It was chosen after a selection process that attracted “a great response and very capable, experienced firms,” Ms. Forsythe told the QCBJ in an interview last week.
The firm’s task is to develop a site readiness strategy and implementation plan for the six-county Quad Cities region. Representatives of Hickey Global visited the Quad Cities on Feb. 26 and 27.
David Hickey, managing director of Hickey & Associates, and Barry Matherly, Hickey Global’s president and CEO, toured the region’s available sites and met with economic development partners from the bi-state region and other stakeholders.
“All communities want to showcase projects, ideally, that are shovel ready for developers,” Ms. Forsythe said. “But all communities are challenged on sites being fully ready to go.”
The consultants were provided detailed information on a variety of sites – both in Iowa and Illinois – that the chamber is actively marketing to companies looking to expand or relocate. “The goal was for them to better understand the sites,” she said, adding that the pair toured 21 sites with chamber staff.
Ahead of their visit, she said “they did a lot of desktop research. But they were on the ground to see the topography, the site’s neighbors and meet the community partners.”
In addition to Ms. Forsythe, the consultants toured the region with the chamber’s new President and CEO Peter Tokar III as well as Jenelle Wolber, director of business and economic growth services, and Brian Irby, chief strategy officer.
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Site readiness is key
In an article on the chamber’s website, Mr. Tokar called the decision to utilize Hickey Global an important step in the economic development process. “We are bringing in certified professionals who can help us build our plan for the future. It’s important to our board and to our investors and stakeholders that we remain as competitive as we can as a region.”
Mr. Hickey and Mr. Matherly’s first impressions of the Quad Cities were positive, the chamber said. “I thought it was one of the most well-organized, well-thought-out site tours that I’ve done to date,” Mr. Hickey said. “The incredible amount of knowledge and preparation of everyone that we met along the way – it just shows the passion that is here.”
He also was pleased to meet the chamber’s economic development partners, including county, city and local utility representatives, who attended a site readiness workshop in the QC, hosted by the consultants.
Mr. Hickey said they heard how regionalism and community is important here. “The question is how can we work together? How can we develop this together and see that from a partner perspective.”
Echoing him, Mr. Matherly said “We saw a lot of success in your speculative sites. You have an incredible shell-building process in the area. This shows you have real faith in your community.”
Missed opportunities
While many factors are considered by potential developers, Mr. Tokar said. “Site readiness is high on the list as a priority. We have to have developable sites to win projects. Taking an inventory of what we have in the region and knowing what the constraints are for development is a very important part of the process.”
According to Ms. Forsythe, the chamber’s board of directors first led the charge in 2023 when it made site readiness a priority for the organization and the region, and prioritized investments in shovel-ready sites.
In fact, on the chamber’s recent visit to Washington, D.C., chamber and community leaders discussed not only the region’s strengths but also the missed opportunities that result from having sites that are not shovel ready.
Data collected by the chamber show that from fiscal year 2021 to 2023, there were 75 potential projects (request for information proposals) from the states that the region could not respond to because of a lack of available sites and buildings.
Final report due in May
Ms. Forsythe said the next step is for Hickey Global to provide a list of observations for the chamber and then create a site readiness strategy. She said the report also will identify potential funding models to sustain the sites. A final strategy is due by May, she said.
In addition to developing a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis for the region, she said the consultants will consider other factors in the site selection process.
Hickey Global’s research will help the chamber identify if there are other job sectors and target industries that the Quad Cities should be working to attract. Currently, Ms. Forsythe said the region’s targeted industries are: advanced manufacturing; ag innovation and food production; defense; transportation/logistics; and corporate offices.
“We’re looking forward to what they find out,” she said, adding that “They were very insightful when they were here.”
