The GCS Economic Development team combines deep expertise in economic analytics, strategic planning and economic development policy with skills in site selection, supply chain optimization, operations process improvement, labor arbitrage and corporate strategy - a unique fusion of skill sets and industry knowledge. These skills allow the group to incorporate global private sector knowledge with cutting edge economic analysis across all functional perspectives, such as headquarters, R&D, manufacturing, distribution, shared services and call centers.
The GCS Economic Development methodology produces strategy built on a foundation of advanced analytics and tempered with "on-the-ground" insight into how companies are making decisions and how decision-making has changed within corporations. The result is a process that goes beyond numbers. The goal of the Economic Development group is to provide clients with realistic, grounded and implementable strategies that can be used to grow their economy, create jobs and improve quality of life.
The GCS Economic Development team matches the strengths and assets of a community to the decision-making process of potential employers and tenants. The result is a business case that is defensible, compelling and targeted with an understanding of the unique industries the client should recruit through their marketing efforts and how the data should be presented in order to speak directly to the business needs of that industry. This new paradigm in economic development satisfies the traditional demands of clients while leveraging private sector insight and economic growth strategies.
GCS Economic Development key differentiators include:
- A strategic level understanding of corporate decision-making that extends across all asset types
- Access to a global network of private sector clients with a “pulse” on corporate trends, requirements and relocations; Economic Development experts can bring potential tenants to communities, not just plan for them
- A diverse team with backgrounds in private sector and public sector economic development
- A global platform comprised of over 330 offices that operate in diverse economies
- Integrated services designed to lead a project from strategy through implementation
- Expertise in corporate relocation strategies and economic incentive negotiations; GCS is well established and respected within the site selection arena
- Redefining “cookie cutter” economic development consulting; increased recognition that strategy must be based on business intelligence and provide an informed perspective in the new economy
- Robust analytics which provide defensible data that aligns with the private sector decision-making process
Many of the GCS Economic Development team members began their career working in private industry, management consultancies and economic development planning agencies. Collectively, our core group of professional staff have completed over 40 economic development strategies for communities across the U.S., Canada and select international Investment Promotions Agencies (IPAs).