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Global View: Place Branding - A Winning Economic Development Strategy
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In today’s market, buyers have a lot of options — making competition fierce. That is why buyers choose brands that promise something then deliver on that promise. Not only is this true with products — but also places. Cities and regions are feeling increased competition: competition to attract and retain skilled workers and the businesses that employ them. In economic development, place matters, which is why place branding is finding its way into many economic developers’ toolboxes. It works. Branding helps differentiate places in ways that matter most to today’s enlightened work force. Place branding helps stimulate and organize community consensus, motivate collective action, inspire emotion and awaken pride. These qualities matter to businesses — and employees — who want to be “someplace” rather than “anyplace.” In July, LSEDC introduced a new brand. In the coming months, we will launch a comprehensive marketing and public relations campaign to bring that brand to life. Stay tuned to see how our campaign will define Lee’s Summit’s place in the Kansas City region. * Adapted from the KMK Consulting CEO Resource Newsletter
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It has been another productive quarter for LSEDC’s collaboration with business and community allies. Here are a few highlights:
- LSEDC held its Annual Investor Meeting on July 9 — featuring a keynote address by Jim Welch, former Hallmark Chief Marketing Officer. Results from a survey conducted with attendees after the meeting indicate 97% rated the program excellent or good.
- The 2007 – 2008 LSEDC Annual Report is now available. Click here to download a copy or contact LSEDC at 816.525.6617 if you would like a hard copy.
- Lee's Summit Mayor Karen Messerli chose the LSEDC Quarterly Meeting on September 26 to make her State of the City address.
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The Quarterly Investor Meeting held on September 26 featured the Mayor's State of the City Address. Lee's Summit Mayor Karen Messerli focused on several of the City's key successes, including:
- The Gamber Center
- Animal Control Facility
- Fire Station No. 7
Mayor Messerli also touted the City's financial stability, explained the benefits of the appropriate use of tax increment financing (TIF) and showcased the downtown revitalization efforts. Focusing on regional issues, Mayor Messerli discussed a regional transit system and other green initiatives she hopes to focus on in the future, as well as her goal of bringing a hotel/convention center and cultural arts facility to Lee's Summit.
In closing, Mayor Messerli asked the audience "How will you become involved and be bold to make your unique contribution that we will all benefit from?"
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In July, Money Magazine announced its 2008 Best Places to Live, and Lee's Summit made the list!  One of only four Missouri cities recognized - and the only one on the Eastern side of the Kansas City metro - Lee's Summit ranks 79 out of 100 best small cities in the United States.
To be named one of America's 100 best places to live, the city must offer plentiful jobs, excellent schools and affordable housing. One of the factors contributing to this prestigious recognition is the award-winning Lee's Summit R-7 School District. Money ranks it number seven in the country!
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The first Missouri school district to offer a Chinese language program, LSEDC Public Sector Angel Investor Lee's Summit R-7 , will offer Chinese to middle school students starting this year. For the past two years, Lee's Summit high schools have taught Chinese, but now it is available to middle school students as well. Two new teachers have started in the district, part of a cultural exchange program designed to prepare the next generation for a rapidly changing world.
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Acceleration, LLC , who recently became a LSEDC investor at $5,000 Partner level, was named by Ingram's Magazine as the fastest growing company in Kansas City. With 2007 gross revenue just shy of $3 million ($2,998,511), Acceleration - a contract research organization that assists in drug development for pharmaceutical companies - has grown a whopping 973.55% over the last four years. That explosive growth led Ingram's Magazine to recognize Acceleration as the fastest growing company in the Kansas City area in its Corporate Report 100, which ranks the Top 100 companies by percentage of growth in gross revenue from 2004 through 2007.
Acceleration's growth pattern can be seen in more than just revenue. Since its inception in 2003 with only three principals, Acceleration has grown to 22 associates - and anticipates increasing its staff 30% each year. Acceleration's Lee's Summit operations currently include warehousing and distribution, and a new laboratory is scheduled to open in a few months, with manufacturing to follow soon.
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We are keeping our fingers crossed for LSEDC Angel Investor, ViraCor Laboratories, as they go to the National Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards in Palm Springs, Calif., on November 15. Earlier this year, ViraCor was named as the Life Sciences Award Winner in the Central Midwest region. Good Luck!
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On September 18, the Kansas City Business Journal hosted a panel discussion focusing on regional issues facing Eastern Jackson County. LSEDC President and CEO, Jim Devine, was a member of the panel that discussed key factors shaping the area's growth: including the players, the people, the challenges and the hot spots.
The 2008 issue of Eastern Jackson County By the Numbers was released at the event and is now available. The report is a statistical profile comparing Eastern Jackson County to Jackson County, Missouri and the Kansas City metro area to put data in a larger regional context, drilling down to specific information about Lee's Summit. You can download Eastern Jackson County by the Numbers here or if you prefer to purchase a hard copy for $25, contact LSEDC at 816.525.6617.
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Mayor Karen Messerli was recently honored by her peers in civic government when the Missouri Municipal League (MML) presented her with its Distinguished Service Award. The award recognizes a current or former Missouri municipal official who has made outstanding contributions to the MML - and their community.
"When considering the recipient of the MML Distinguished Service Award, the selection committee considers length of service, enthusiasm and dedication, participation in MML activities and outstanding leadership in the association," said MML Executive Director Gary Markenson. "This year, the selection committee voted unanimously to select Mayor Karen Messerli for her distinguished history of service to her city and the MML."
Karen Messerli has been Mayor of one of Missouri's fastest growing cities for 14 years. Under her leadership, the population of Lee's Summit has soared and commercial development has flourished. Mayor Messerli has been very involved with MML, being elected to the MML Board of Directors in 1997, serving as MML president in 2000, and chairing the MML resolutions and nominating committees.
"We are proud to have Mayor Messerli's insight as a member of the Lee's Summit Economic Development Council's Executive Committee, and are fortunate to have a Mayor who supports economic development to create a vibrant, growing community in which people want to do business, live, work, learn and play," says Jim Devine, President and CEO of LSEDC. "Being recognized with the MML Distinguished Service Award means Mayor Messerli has earned the respect of her peers throughout the state."
A decorated elected official, Mayor Messerli was a founding member of the Tri City Mayors Coalition and the Eastern Jackson County Betterment Council. The MML Distinguished Service award is in addition to Mayor Messerli's other honors, which include the State of Missouri Business and Professional Women's Organization Woman of the Year in 1998, being one of 60 women featured in the book, "A Power of Her Own" in 2002, and receiving the 2004 Missouri Parks and Recreation Association Public Official Achievement Award. Active in the local community, Mayor Messerli supports the Eastern Jackson County United Way and Hope House for Battered Women.
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With assistance from LSEDC, Metropolitan Community College and Missouri Enterprise , four Lee's Summit companies were recently awarded $95,000 from the Missouri Customized Training Program. The companies that will use the funds to implement specialized training and staff development are Acceleration, Creative Blow Mold Tooling, R&D Tool and Engineering and ViraCor Laboratories. Additionally, the Eastern Jackson County Training Consortium (EJCTC) - a group of human resource representatives from manufacturing, warehousing and distributing businesses in Eastern Jackson County that facilitates skill training needs - has received a $30,000 grant.
"These companies and the EJC Training Consortium are doing great work in Lee's Summit and are valuable members of our community," says Teresa Evans, Vice President of LSEDC. "Qualifying for these training funds will allow each company to invest back into its employees with little out-of-pocket expense, which improves profitability and ultimately the business climate in Lee's Summit."
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In August, Purple Wave, an online and live auction firm specializing in real estate, equipment, vehicle, personal and specialty property sales, moved its Kansas City area operations from Overland Park to Lee's Summit. Headquartered in Manhattan, Kansas, Purple Wave relocated to a 10,500 square foot building at 1115 SW Oldham Parkway.
"Moving Purple Wave's Kansas City office into Missouri gives us access to opportunities to grow our business that weren't available with Kansas-only locations," says Doug Regehr, General Manager of Purple Wave's Kansas City office. "We looked at other Kansas City area cities, but chose Lee's Summit because of its growth and demographics. As an auction company, the infrastructure upgrades and new interchanges, along with demographics like age and average income of Lee's Summit residents were very appealing to us. We found an attractive building with great frontage in Lee's Summit, and with the assistance of Jim Devine from the Lee's Summit Economic Development Council, we were able to gain the momentum we needed to move to Lee's Summit."
Regehr estimates the Lee's Summit location will generate sales of $6 to 7 million within the first year. He also expects to grow the Kansas City office with additional sales and operations staff in 6 to 12 months. The five employees relocating to the Lee's Summit location include real estate brokers, personal property sales representatives and operations and administrative personnel. In addition to selling assets through online auctions all over the country, Purple Wave conducts live auctions in six U.S. states, including Nevada, Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado - and now Missouri.
"Helping pave the way for Purple Wave to move to Lee's Summit speaks directly to LSEDC's mission of attracting targeted, high-paying industry, which positively impacts the overall community and business environment in Lee's Summit," said LSEDC President and CEO Jim Devine.
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Lee's Summit is now home to an international general aviation training and advocacy trade association: the Aircraft Electronics Association. In July, the membership-based nonprofit, relocated its headquarters from Independence to northern Lee's Summit. AEA invested nearly $3 million in purchasing and finishing a new building in the Chapel Ridge development at 3570 N.E. Ralph Powell Road. The 12,000-square-foot building is nearly four times the size of their previous location.
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At a recent LSEDC Board of Directors' retreat, the need for an angel investor network that serves Western Missouri and Eastern Jackson County was identified. Within a year, LSEDC and its board took action to create one: Show Me Angels. The Eastern Jackson County Development Alliance has since adopted Show Me Angels as a cooperative regional project.
The founding members of Show Me Angels are experienced, qualified angel investors who are passionate about this concept. Recently featured in a Kansas City Business Journal article, the founding members are:
- John Carlson, a repatriated Iowa native who returned to the Midwest after a successful career in Silicon Valley
- Steve Gouldsmith of First Star Financial Group
- Gary Hawkins, CPA and President of HSMC
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In July, the Eastern Jackson County Development Alliance, in conjunction with the University of Missouri Extension and Missouri Economic Development Council, hosted Fundamentals of Economic Development, an all-day training session. The seminar focused on the basic principals of economic development geared towards community volunteers and elected officials. Randy Rhoads, Lee's Summit City Councilman from District 2 was present, along with other leaders and members of the Lee's Summit business community, including Tom Jackson, LSEDC Board Member, president of the Lee's Summit Chamber of Commerce and Market President with Metcalf Bank.
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The Lee's Summit Gateway Business Alliance (LSGBA) kicked off its fall meeting schedule on September 29, with a State of the City update from Mayor Karen Messerli. More than 20 local business leaders attended this lunch meeting, which was hosted by Billy Goat Industries. Rich Herbst, Distribution Center Manager for Toys R Us is serving as the 2008-09 Chair of LSGBA. The next meeting will be held October 27 with an update on labor laws scheduled. For more information on the LSGBA, contact Teresa Evans at 816.525.6617 or tdevans@leessummit.org.
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 Immediate Past Chairman of LSEDC, Jon Ellis and Vicky Cundiff, a member of the LSEDC Board of Directors, have been named as Co-chairs of the Lee's Summit 360 Charting Tomorrow Strategic Planning Process. They will lead the City of Lee's Summit through a community-wide Strategic Planning Process that is projected to take approximately 7 months to complete. Congratulations Jon and Vicky!
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 To complement the Lee's Summit 360: Charting Tomorrow Strategic Planning Process, LSEDC, in conjunction with the City and the Chamber of Commerce, partnered with Dan Gabbert of KC Transitions Group, to develop a Speakers Series. Dan's valuable experience and insight as a personal, professional and executive coach helped shape the Speakers Series, which was designed to bring thought leadership from some of the region's business and community leaders to the process in our community. The Speakers Series comes on the heels of two intimate Fireside Chats held with Mayor Karen Messerli and philanthropist/entrepreneur Fred Pryor.
The first Speakers Series event was held on September 23, and featured former mayor of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas, Carol Marinovich. Ms. Marinovich addressed visioning and planning community change. She shared her experience with the Kansas Speedway/Village West development as a great example of vision for a community. Describing the steps necessary to bring about this economic development, the lessons learned, and the process and roadblocks that were encountered and overcome, Ms. Marinovich also discussed the vision, commitment, and risk-taking needed for success.
All members of the Lee's Summit community are invited to attend the future Speakers Series events, and participate in this exciting community planning process. All Speakers Series events will be held at the Education Center at MCC-Longview Campus at the intersection of 3rd Street and Longview Road in Kansas City, Missouri from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
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In July, LSEDC, along with a team of nearly 20 trained volunteers, launched its 2008 Valued Industry Program (VIP). This marks the third biennial initiative to retain and expand existing businesses in Lee's Summit. The VIP process gathers feedback about operating a business in Lee's Summit and compiles the results to determine how to best assist local businesses with expansion.
Since then, the VIP team has been busy surveying the CEOs and top executives of local companies to assess their individual and collective needs, as well as gauge the overall business climate in Lee's Summit. The VIP team plans to have their interviews completed by December 1. LSEDC will then compile an aggregate report that shares outcomes with the participating companies, LSEDC investors, the City of Lee's Summit, the Chamber of Commerce and other stakeholders within the community. The 2008-2009 report - which will be released in Spring 2009 - will compare the data from previous VIP surveys to identify any developing patterns and trends.
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The Eastern Jackson County Training Consortium (EJCTC) held an information session and networking reception on September 23 at the Bass Pro Shop in Independence. Current and prospective members of EJCTC had the opportunity to learn more about the organization's 2008-09 plans and how their companies may benefit from EJCTC.
EJCTC is a group of human resource representatives from manufacturing, warehousing and distributing businesses in Eastern Jackson County, as well as staff from Economic Development Councils in Lee's Summit, Blue Springs, Independence, Grandview and Grain Valley. EJCTC helps examine common training needs.
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As part of LSEDC's business retention and expansion efforts, LSEDC Vice President Teresa Evans uncovered a new training program available in the Kansas City area and shared it with Lee's Summit businesses that may benefit from helping current employees advance their careers or finding qualified employees.
The Human Capital Academy, through the University of Central Missouri, along with the Full Employment Council have worked together in the creation and funding of this program. The Supply Chain Management and Logistics Development certificate program is a collaborative effort designed to fill skills gaps that currently exist in the Kansas City area. Click here for an overview of the program.
The Supply Chain Management Development Program is designed for people new to materials and operations management or people working in positions that interact with this field. It teaches basic concepts, techniques, and terminology of materials and operations management and establishes a solid entry-level base of knowledge upon which to build.
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Thanks to the vision of LSEDC investor Dave Gale of Gale Communities, Longview's 40,000 square foot Calf and Shelter Barn - in the heart of the New Longview development - will live again. The adaptive reuse project is the first phase in the development of up to 120,000 square feet of office space in R.A. Long's 95 year-old Dairy Palace and Calf and Shelter Barn Complex.
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To support its rapid growth, Plastic Enterprises has recently completed a 108,000 square foot expansion project, doubling the size of its facility. From its Lee's Summit headquarters, Plastic Enterprises manufactures rigid plastic packaging for the food industry, supplying containers and lids for several Fortune 100 companies in the frozen dessert, snack, coffee and whipped topping segments. The expansion increases the company's the production capacity and brings the warehouse facility to Lee's Summit from an off-site location in Independence.
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The Lee's Summit Commercial Realtors Roundtable is scheduled to meet November 18 from 8:30 - 9:30 a.m., at 3521 Ralph Powell Road in Lee's Summit. Greg Patterson of Greg Patterson & Associates and Brian Williams of Prudential CRES will serve as co-hosts for this meeting. For more information or to RSVP, contact Teresa Evans at 816.525.6617 or tdevans@leessummit.org.
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Once again, LSEDC investors are invited to join a small group of investors to meet with Jim and LSEDC Executive Committee members for an informal breakfast or lunch. LSEDC is offering 12 meetings, allowing LSEDC investors to choose what works best for them. We hope LSEDC investors enjoy this opportunity to visit with other investors to ask questions about the community, trends, LSEDC, and anything else you might want to discuss.
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Each quarter LSEDC fields a question about business, city activities, development news, etc. from our investors. If you have a question please e-mail us, and it may be our next question of the quarter.
Question:
What is the latest on the Lee's Summit Airport?
The airport is going through another round ($6.4 million) in capital improvements to ensure safety, roughly 95% of which are being paid for by the FAA. Improvements include a new taxi way on the east side, wildlife perimeter security fences, and a new apron is being built on the east side for the possible relocation of the airport terminal. Relocation of the terminal would free up about 70 acres of land for airport related businesses whose rent and activities would help the airport break even.
While no runway expansion has been approved by City Council, there is a 5-year capital improvement plan which is being considered incrementally up to but not including runway extension.
This summer a consultant recommended lengthening the runway as one strategy to help the airport break even. However, runway expansion has not been approved and it remains a controversial issue at City Council.
To help shed light on the airport's future, City Council will be hiring a consultant to develop a business plan for the airport to break even, to evaluate the economic impact of and value to the community of the airport, to consider the costs of relocating the airport and to calculate the costs of closing the airport and moving the land into inventory for industrial and commercial development.
Airport proponents are frustrated by revisiting questions and issues previously deliberated by the city council and frustrated by the incremental decision making because some favor closing the airport. Airport detractors say closing the airport will increase land for industrial and commercial development and improve home values in the Lakewood area.
The LSEDC and the Chamber are on record in support of extending the runway to 5,300 feet to accommodate corporate aircraft and to increase the safety by extending the runway so planes can take off further from the Lakewood neighborhood. We see closing the airport as not financially feasible since the City of Lee's Summit would have to pay back millions of dollars in federal grant money that made the airport development possible.
Unless there is a change of heart at the City Council level, it is likely that lengthening the runway will become a ballot issue for the voters.
As a side note, it is ironic, that the Aircraft Electronics Association relocated its national headquarters to Lee's Summit, in part to take advantage of the airport for its members and customers!
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Tell us about your company and what it does.
Geiger Ready-Mix produces and delivers ready mixed concrete throughout the greater Kansas City metropolitan area. The company has been a family-owned business since 1892 - and has been in Lee's Summit since 2003.
Why did you join LSEDC?
We chose to invest in LSEDC for the networking opportunities and because we believe in proactive community involvement in all the markets we service.
What have you gained from your investment in LSEDC?
Along with networking, LSEDC has provided us with learning opportunities and the chance to hear from some wonderful guest speakers.
What projects or activities are you involved in Lee's Summit that would be of interest to our readers?
Along with providing concrete for past projects like Longview Road, New Longview, Harris Park Pool and Downtown Lee's Summit, Geiger Ready-Mix is getting ready to start delivering concrete to the 5th Street project.
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Part Time Administrative Assistant
dscheller@leessummit.org
Deb Scheller joined the LSEDC staff in August 2008. Deb's experience includes over 18 years of executive administrative assistance and small office management. Deb has 10 years of insurance experience and has worked several years with non-profit organizations. She has been directly involved in several companies from "pen and paper" environments to much more efficient and effective computerized environments. Deb has also worked virtually for several companies since moving to the area. Deb looks forward to bringing her variety of experience to LSEDC and using it while continuing to learn about economic development. Deb is originally from St. Louis and moved to the area 3 years ago. She and her husband Scott live in Raymore with their two teenage sons and two dogs.
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LSEDC is pleased to offer the following events between now and the end of the year. Please watch for updates and invitations to these events via email and on www.leesssummit.org:
- Board of Directors/Advisory Board Meeting on November 5 at Kokam America. Only open to LSEDC Board and Advisory Board Members.
- Holiday Reception and Open House from 5 - 7 p.m., on December 3 at Longview Mansion
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Investors Ignite, a new section of the LSEDC Web site, designed to highlight LSEDC investors is live. We need your help to make it successful. Please share exciting news and relevant information for us to post in the Investors Ignite section. Examples include:
- Awards and honors
- Industry achievements
- New product announcements
- News releases
- Company features in newspaper, magazine, TV or radio
- Other exciting news about your company
Submitting information is simple! Just contact Sara Freetly-Grubb at sara@justbecandid.com or 816.820.0916 with documents, details and photos so we can upload your news to the Investors Ignite section of the LSEDC Web site.
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