17th Annual Consultants Survey: Consultants Are Optimistic About the Year Ahead

21 Apr 2022

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17th Annual Consultants Survey: Consultants Are Optimistic About the Year Ahead Photo

17th Annual Consultants Survey: Consultants Are Optimistic About the Year Ahead

Apr 21 2022

Profile of the Consultants Survey Respondents At least 80 percent of those responding to our 17th annual Consultants Survey work with manufacturers of durable goods, with some of these consultants also working with other manufacturers, and three quarters are working on distribution/logistics projects. Nearly half represent clients in data processing/computer-related sector...

The 2021 Top States for Doing Business Reflect Their Locational Advantages Photo

The 2021 Top States for Doing Business Reflect Their Locational Advantages

Apr 20 2022

When we last took stock of Area Development’s Top States for Doing Business, it was a bit hard to gauge what “doing business” was even supposed to look like. In 2020, the country was riding one wave of COVID-19 after another, mixing times of turmoil and concern with ripples o...

Innovation Corridors Have Economic Assets Driving Business Growth Photo

Innovation Corridors Have Economic Assets Driving Business Growth

Apr 19 2022

It’s no secret that the recipe for economic success usually includes generous portions of innovation and technology. That has been part of the economic development story for many years in such places as Boston, Seattle, the Research Triangle, and Silicon Valley. But just as you can find more and more cutting-edg...

What They Say About Us

2020-Bill Sisson

Bill Sisson, President & CEO

Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce

“Using NCDS for our five-year economic development campaigns has been the secret to our success. Our chamber has worked with the company for eight campaigns, and we have never been disappointed in their world-class consulting services. They are consummate professionals and become an integral part of the local team from the feasibility stage through the successful launch of the strategy. Their “service after the sale” approach to what they do is a key differentiator and one of the many reasons they are so highly recommended.”

Brant Beene, Executive Director

Birmingham Landmarks, Inc.

“Birmingham Landmarks, Inc. certainly made the right decision in selecting NCDS to raise the $7 million needed to fully restore our sadly dilapidated and abandoned former vaudeville theatre in downtown Birmingham. Your firm provided the wisdom and experience to position the project as worthy of support, then structured a winning campaign that was creative, energizing, and relentless in pursuit of the goal. We were especially appreciative of your flexibility relative to our early cash flow issues, and even more so in the selection of the assigned NCDS Project Executive. Because of the success and momentum of your phase of this exceptional campaign, the Lyric staff was able to continue seeking commitments utilizing tax credits, and the total raised now exceeds $11.8 million. Thanks to NCDS, Birmingham can boast of having one of the most spectacularly restored performing arts theaters in America.”

2020-James Grunke

James Grunke, President & CEO

Erie (PA) Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership

"I have worked with NCDS on 4 successful campaigns in three different communities, Boise, ID, Missoula, MT and Erie PA. Because of their tried and true methodology and expertise, we have always been able to clearly articulate goals and measures of success that investors are looking for in an economic development initiative and been successful in raising the necessary resource to implement the strategies."

2020-Chris Schilken

Chris Schilken, Executive Director

Watertown Development Company

“The WDC’s successful $3.5 million capital campaign under the leadership of NCDS marks the beginning of a new stage of advancement for our organization. The team effort – from developing our economic development blueprint to the GROW Watertown 5-Year Strategic Plan – laid the groundwork. And now area business leaders have shown their confidence by rallying behind the WDC so it can help implement our 5-year strategic plan for growth. The WDC is already having a meaningful impact on business development efforts in our area as companies are no longer viewing their contributions as a donation, but an opportunity to be part of building a stronger and growing community.”

2020-Marc Jordan

Marc Jordan, CCE, President & CEO

North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce Convention & Visitors Bureau

"As the smaller chamber operating in the shadow of a larger, very aggressive one nearby, the North Myrtle Beach Chamber committed to take its game to the next level. You and the NCDS team not only drove the creation of a bold new multi-year strategy, you generated buy in and a huge boost in revenue. A great side benefit of launching and funding a new initiative was NCDS’ identification and engagement of a cadre of new leaders who had never really participated, much less invested at significant levels. Your methodology works, and your experience in hundreds of other communities paid off for us in a major way. So much so, we plan to kick off the next multi-year campaign this year. In my book, NCDS remains the ‘gold standard’ for community development fundraising."

2020-Brian Ferguson

Brian Ferguson, Chairman & CEO (Retired)

Eastman Chemical Company

"On behalf of the officers and directors of the Economic Development Alliance, I want to thank you and your staff for the great job NCDS did in helping restructure the Alliance, and for successful management of the fundraising campaign that fully funded our five-year action plan. The NCDS process and format delivered exactly what you said it would do when you met with Alliance members over eighteen months ago. The NCDS process engaged top regional private and public sector leaders and attracted financial support from large and small companies and communities throughout the region."

2020-Evan Nolte

Evan Nolte, President & CEO

Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce

"NCDS has been our fundraising firm of choice since they first helped us devise the Forward Sioux Falls operating model in 1987, and raised $1.8 million to implement it. Not only is the firm exceptionally skilled at raising money, they also understand the importance of generating buy-in and sustained commitment. NCDS has helped us exceed goal in seven campaigns, the latest of which has a $15.5 million target, and when the current campaign is completed, NCDS will have helped us raise $53 million to fund our initiatives. Our top community leaders expect the best from our organization, and the exceptional team at NCDS always works hard to help us exceed those expectations."