Editor’s Note: “The Economic Development Side” originally appears in the Pine Bluff Regional Chamber of Commerce’s weekly member e-newsletter. It is written by Rhonda Dishner, the Economic Development Alliance’s executive assistant.
“Please allow me to congratulate you on being chosen to become a member of the European American Investment Council (EAIC)!”
That was the introductory sentence of an official-looking letter the Alliance’s president, Lou Ann Nisbett, received in mid-July. It was signed by Matthias Beier, president and CEO of Atlanta-based EAIC. And it was accompanied by a framed Certificate of Membership certifying that the “Economic Development Alliance for Jefferson County has been accepted as a Member of the Community Network” of the EAIC.
The letter went on to state that Nisbett and the Alliance are now part of a special organization with the singular goal of promoting foreign direct investment (FDI) from Europe and attracting it to our community.
According to the letter, EAIC uses the approach of pairing strong communities with leading consultants to make a case for member communities in Europe. It offers services such as selecting from a full calendar of sponsored “delegation” trips to various European countries each year and giving its members the opportunity to participate in some of the world’s leading trade fairs held in Europe.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Arrival of the membership letter was not a complete surprise, however. Apparently, Southern hospitality and extensive Alliance background research in preparation for a site visit made a positive impression on industrial prospects from Germany several months back. They passed along that good report to colleagues, and word of their experience here made it to someone affiliated with the EAIC. And we heard that we’d been “picked” for membership.
Nisbett sees the EAIC membership as the perfect vehicle to help expand Jefferson County’s reach into the European market with its myriad industrial prospects. She’s already thinking about prospect leads that could be developed to correspond with the organization’s trip calendar.
That would be “headway” on another continent for local economic development, since Caleb McMahon of the Alliance is already a frequent flyer to Asia.