Southeast Industrial Development Association 22-county area

The Chattanooga-based Southeast Industrial Development Association is working to foster cooperation between companies across state lines in Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee to enable them to compete in the global economy.

The association began as a partnership between power distribution companies based in what the Tennessee Valley Authority defines as its southeast region, a 22-county area where the three states come together, including 10 counties in northern Georgia.

The association now works in all areas of economic development in the region, facilitating cooperation between local companies and attracting new business to the area.

By banding together in a regional association, companies that traditionally have not looked beyond their local community are now able to focus on a larger market.

“Our communities compete for projects on a worldwide basis,” Kathy Johnson, project manager and business development specialist at the association, told GlobalAtlanta, adding that the global reach of large companies makes regional cooperation necessary for each local company to compete.

Erik Brinke, director of economic development at Young Harris-based Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corp., said that the association’s cross-border promotional scheme is an attraction for global companies.

We felt like it was important that we market ourselves regionally,” he said.  “International clients understand and respect that.”

Mr. Brinke added that the association provides a service to local communities by helping companies compete.

“We’ve got communities all over the globe competing for a limited number of prospects, a limited number of projects each year,” he said.  “SEIDA helps us stand out.”

The association’s board is made up of power companies and the Tennessee Valley Authority, but it does not exclude any industries.  “What’s good for one company in a region is good for everyone, so we assist any company in our region,” Ms. Johnson said.

One example of the association’s success in encouraging cross-border cooperation is the Clay-Towns Industrial Technology Park, which was built on the Georgia-North Carolina border in 2003 to house businesses that serve customers in both states.

Mike Stitt, the association’s director of economic development, defined its purpose as marketing the region and helping provide information to companies interested in operating in the region. 

The association provides information on the local work force, possible building sites, employee training programs and the local government in the region.

The association is not only working to attract businesses to the area, but is also encouraging local people to become involved in the informal economy of the region as an independent entrepeneur.

As part of this people-focused effort, Ms. Johnson visited North Georgia Technical College’s Blairsville campus Nov. 5-6, where she participated in the second Creative Economies Summit, an event organized by the college that “preserves the mountain heritage and environment while appealing to tourism and entrepreneurial endeavors,” according to a press release.

The association participated in the conference “to help some of the people in the mountainous area to explore ways of economic development in a non-traditional economy,” Ms. Johnson said.

This type of development is what the college’s Made in the Mountains initiative, an effort to strengthen Northeast Georgia’s economy by marketing locally made products and natural attractions, is working to promote.

The association is currently working to revamp its image by producing a new Web site and sponsoring the publication of Southeast Resource Magazine to promote the region’s business development.

Companies interested in operating in the North Georgia, southern Tennessee or western Carolina regions should contact the association.