Project Columbus Attracting a Major Employer to your Community

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Project Columbus- Attracting a Major Employer
to your Community -
Prepared For Economic Developers Association of
Canada
Prepared By Kent McMullin, EEDC Doug Cameron, AED
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• Project Columbus
• - Attracting a Major Employer
• to Your Community -
• Prepared by
• Kent McMullin Doug Cameron
• Director, Business Attraction Director of
  Investment, Americas
• Edmonton Economic Alberta Economic Development
• Development Corporation doug.cameron_at_gov.ab.ca
• kmcmullin_at_gov.ab.ca

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Dell comes to Canada

• Project Columbus the Team Canada Partners
• Canadian Consulate General Dallas
• International Trade Centre Calgary (Investment)
• Alberta Economic Development (AED)
• Edmonton Economic Development Corporation (EEDC)
• Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT)

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History

• November 25, 2003 - Invitation
• Name Project Columbus
• December 4 5, Submission
• December 8 Conference call presentation

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Presentation

• Told of 8 Key Messages
• Economic Review Apples to Apples
• Quality of Life
• Dedicated Website
• Presentation should just focus on key messages

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History

• December specific information across array of
  business needs
• Training educational institutions
• Demographics
• NDAs for all core participants
• January 2004 prep for large Dell team
• Project Columbus Edmonton EEDC
• Edmonton partners

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History

• February 2 3 Dell team visit to Edmonton
• February 8 Kenexa project (ITC)
• February 15 - 29 - Blind ads
• Edmonton Cdn. candidate (2 U.S. sites)
• February 25 Dell sales visit Edmonton
  companies consulted
• Incentives, incentives, incentives

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History

• March 4 First Dell real estate search
• March 21 - AED communications advised of project
• March 30 April 2 ¾ of Team Canada in Dallas
• Expect April announcement

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History

• April 19 20
• Senior Dell Execs to Edmonton
• Meetings and presentations with Mayor, AED
  Minister, Premier, senior government officials,
  IPB, educational institutions
• Clarification continued provision of detailed
  information to Dell - negotiation

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History

• April 29 Final Edmonton Offer
• Early May - 2nd real estate visit
• Late May early June 3 Conf. Calls with all
  senior officials in Edmonton
• JUNE 10 A DECISION, finally
• mid June Team Canada communications
  implementation team
• June 21 Dell Canada / Dell Round Rock Teams to
  Edmonton

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History

• Mid June - MOUs to 3 partners
• June 29 City Council
• Lots more negotiation

Announcement July 13, 2004
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The Facts

• Over 1,500 e-mails
• Over 205 electronic documents
• Almost full-time for 3 persons
• Significant commitments of 3 - 5 others

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Partners - Education

• University of Alberta
• Deans of Business, Engineering, Computer Science
  Science
• VP External Relations
• Business Co-op, Career Placement
• Grant MacEwen College Dean of Business
• Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
• Out of the box thinking
• Exceptional Presentations
• ISO 9002 Certified
• Knew Dell thru C.I.
• President, Dean of International and Continuing
  Ed., Dean, School of Business

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Partners Govts

• Alberta Human Resources Employment
• Alberta Innovation Science
• City of Edmonton
• Investment Partnerships Branch
• International Trade

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Partners - Businesses

• Manpower
• Avison Young Real Estate
• Matrikon
• Telus
• Micralyne
• Enbridge

• TD Waterhouse Brokerage
• Ford Credit
• Intuit Canada
• Upside Software

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Transitional Assistance

• Completely Transparent
• Published with Press Release
• 500 IT Positions
• 5 Years of Property Tax Abatement
• Access to 12.5 Acres _at_ 1 per year Adapt
  Biotech lease program
• Must develop w/in 18 months or lose land
• Use of 3 offices

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Good

• THE TEAM
• Regular communication Team Canada
• Communication consistency
• One contact with company
• Team roles
• Always someone with positive attitude

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Good 2

• Build the business relationship (Dallas)
• The hot buttons
• Dallas knew the client - confidence
• Process
• Consulate
• Province
• City
• Educational
• Partners
• Business

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Good 3

• Confidentiality
• no internal issues
• Columbus
• Leadership
• Attention to company culture
• Ask the client everything
• Networking social

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Bad

• Information inconsistencies (enrollments)
• Culture
• Politicians knowing the company and
  characteristics of the marketplace
• Incentives

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Best Practices

• THE TEAM
• Keeping people in the loop
• Support
• Discussion / strategizing
• Counsel
• Trust
• Process
• Team cover off

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Best Practices

• Stay on message!
• Presentations
• Seamless because shared / discussed
• Balance mktg. / info. / facts / client
• Detail
• Listen to client
• Brief your businesses / involve them

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Best Practices

• Access to politicians
• Our project Dell location team Team Canada
• Incentive messaging
• Best Practices White Paper Edelman, Dallas

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Its Not Over Until its Over

• AFTERCARE
• Training Assistance - Programs
• Immigration Issues - Assistance
• HR Firm Who are they?
• Media Advisors From Toronto?
• Legal From Calgary?
• Land - Negotiations
• Incentives Administration
• Continued Relationship Building

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Lessons Learned

• 1.
• Donts
• Breach Confidentiality
• Embellish
• Disregard Corporate Culture
• Bad Mouth Another Jurisdiction

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Lessons Learned

• 2.
• Clients need help from start to end
• (Being a good salesman is not enough.)

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Lessons Learned

• 3.
• Worthwhile projects take resources
• (s and human).

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Lessons Learned

• 4.
• Elected officials are important assets
• When the time is right!

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Lessons Learned

• 5.
• Local business community is an important asset

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Lessons Learned

• 6.
• Federal Provincial counterparts are
• vital team members

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Lessons Learned

• 7.
• Universities and Colleges are key allies

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Lessons Learned

• 8.
• Its all about
• the labour pool

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Lessons Learned

• 9.
• Listen to the Client
• Just the Facts.

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Lessons Learned

• 10.
• Most Important Commodity
• Customer Service-

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Questions
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Contact Us
For more information, please visit Contact K
ent McMullin Director, Business
Attraction Economic Development Edmonton (780)
917.7645 1-800-661-6965 kmcmullin_at_edmonton.com