SELLING SOUTH JERSEY

A surprise to no one; the economic situation is extremely fragile. While the country teeters between recovery and recession, our communities continue to reel from foreclosures, frozen credit lines and double-digit unemployment. A key aspect of my job is to fight for our existing industries and businesses while promoting our region for potential opportunities. Unquestionably, South Jersey has substantial resources and a skilled workforce to offer any future employer. Crafting the right sales pitch has become increasingly more important.

Just this week, I delivered the keynote speech before aviation research and technology industry leaders at the NextGen Aviation Research and Technology Park (ARTP) Tenant Conference in Washington. Hosted by the South Jersey Economic Development District, more than 60 industry representatives attended to hear presentations from the ARTP partners about the exciting project underway in conjunction with the design and implementation of the Next Generation Air Transportation System at the FAA Technical Center in Egg Harbor Township.

With $7 billion in federal contracts already awarded and the infrastructure of the NextGen ARTP (www.nextgenaviationpark.org) on track to be completed in September, private firms are interested in FAA research projects and gaining access to state-of-the-art federal laboratories. With global aviation leaders such as Boeing, Raytheon, Hi-Tec System Inc. and SRA International attending the conference and looking closely at South Jersey for the base of their NextGen operations, I now believe the estimated 2,000 high-wage positions will be the baseline rather than the ceiling of our region’s potential. Furthermore, the ARTP will clearly serve as a force multiplier across the region for job creation in support services, housing sales and local businesses. At the conference, the sales pitch was simple: South Jersey is the future of aviation.

Likewise, we need to continue to sell our beaches and local attractions as the economically-sensible alternative to other destination vacations. As we know, key to our tourism industry is our beaches. With 127 miles of coastline, the importance of our clean waters and beaches cannot be overstated. I was pleased the Army Corps agreed that Atlantic City needed $7.8 million in emergency federal funding to repair substantial damage to their beaches created by last year’s storm. South Jersey’s coastal communities are taking the necessary steps to protect their local attractions, promote their seasonal small businesses and ensure the strength of the state’s $38 billion tourism industry and the half million jobs it supports.

            From corporate presentations to friendly recommendations, we each have a role in selling South Jersey to prospective employers, consumers and tourists. Improvements in our region’s economic outlook are directly tied to our ability to convey the benefits readily available: a talented workforce, a diverse economic base, our manufacturing background, a pristine environment, our geographical location and so on. Clearly our region is an attractive option and South Jersey has the resources to compete for the top businesses and secure jobs; we just need to make the final sales pitch to close the deal.

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