Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - The prestigious
Brookings Institution is partnering with Central New York to help the region develop and grow its economy. By September, the organization plans to help prepare a draft of a business plan and an export initiative for the 12-counties in this area.
A company like
PPC, which has its global headquarters in Central New York, is an example of what local companies can do. They crank out connectors by the millions for cable TV, package them, and send them around the world.
PPC's success and global thinking is something the Brookings Institution is trying to duplicate.
"The only way our businesses are going to expand and hire again is if they look outside our borders and take advantage of the growth that is taking place around the world," said Amy Liu of the Brookings Institution.
Brookings is only helping a handful of regions with its business and export plans. Preceding CNY in the lineup were major cities like Seattle and Minneapolis. The plans don't require any tax money for development.
"We were very selective about whom we were going to work with and we chose regions with a proven record of success," Liu said.
"They're going to make connections for us to state and national funders, they're going to help us with state and federal policies that are inhibiting our growth and that can't be replaced, it's absolutely invaluable," said Centerstate CEO President Rob Simpson.
"The strategic plans we've tended to have around here were written once and put on a shelf and they didn't drive on-going execution. Business would never write a plan that way," said Deputy County Executive Bill Fischer.
This time, the plan will be continually adjusted and benefit from the backing of both public and private players.
