Interview of Duncan Collins, Founder of Runagood by Christian Dillstrom
My
name is Christian Dillstrom and I am an international growth hacker
with over 10 years of experience. Also, I am the most read business
article author in the World for fourth year running.
My
tens of millions of monthly global business readers just love to read
interviews about their peers and therefore I started an article
series in which I interview interesting business people around the
globe.
Please
enjoy my interview of Duncan Collins!
--
Christian Dillstrom
- - -
WHO
IS DUNCAN COLLINS?
Duncan
is 73 years old Founder from London, UK.
He
works at Runagood.com Ltd in AI-driven Business Consultancy industry.
ESSENTIAL
11 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1.What is your education?
I
was expelled from the UK’s top state grammar school for being a
poor student caused by spending so much time with classmates out of
school who became Pink Floyd.
I
joined a motor parts business to be trained as the founder’s
childless successor and embarked upon a three year management
development programme at a top business school. It was the precursor
to what is now a practical MBA, if there is such a thing.
2.What
is your work experience?
7 years
managing motor parts branches
3
years managing Volkswagen UK motor parts distribution
13
years in the Mazda Cars UK start up first, setting up the dealer
network, then directing the after sales service operations
3
years directing MCL Group’s £20m diversification strategy,
including Ferrari cars acquisition
22
years leading UK government multi £billion small business
performance improvement strategy that raised international
competitiveness from 21st to 7th place
10
years building artificial intelligence (AI) to make business advice
available to, and affordable by, the world’s smallest businesses
3.What
other kind of experience do you have?
Franchising
Import/export
Network
management
People
management
Financial
management
Technology
development
Mergers and
acquisitions
Start ups
Fundraising
4.What are your
strengths?
Visioning
Invention
Product
development
Leadership
Persistence
Problem
solving
5.What are your
weaknesses?
Idealism
Perfectionism
Refusal to
quit
Risk taking
Impatience
6.What
can you do for an organization?
I
can turn any professional services firm into a profitable ‘Whole
Business’ Centre able to solve every problem for any business
affordably yet profitably.
7.Why
are you better than your colleagues in other organizations?
I
have no competition. And actually that’s a problem because what
I’ve invented doesn’t fit any recognisable box. It’s
a ‘new box!’
8.What
are the biggest challenges in your work?
Persuading
accountants to convert their practices to Runagood® Business
Centres. This is tailor made for them and they know it but their
standard personality profile conflicts with the need to do something
that will rescue them from decline in compliance work. It’s
a paradox!
9.What
does your organization do in its industry?
Makes
affordable advice available to the world’s smallest businesses by
reducing costs by 99%. Yes that’s not a a misprint! And despite
that it’s still profitable for accountants to deliver. They are the
most logical distribution method and are badly in need of
diversification into ’whole business’ advice.
10.What
are the unique selling points of your organization?
The
speed and low cost of providing performance and value improvement to
any business, anywhere, anytime
Democratising
business advice
11.What
are the biggest sales challenges in the industry of your
organization?
Scepticism
in the business advisory community, institutions and government,
despite my offering free usage of the online technology.
A
desire to shoot down anything new
Fear
from lenders and investors.
Having
to finance everything myself
- - -
You
know, we are born with a five-million-year-old reptile brain which is
programmed to instantly decide when confronted with something new:
-
”Can I eat this?”
-
”Can it eat me?”
-
...If in doubt, run!
The
trick I need to master is how better to engage the recent homo
sapiens brain, and for long enough, to evaluate the sheer scale of
the opportunity. In the UK alone this is a £16bn per annum market
for the taking. Worlwide,
more than £250bn pa.
So
what does Runagood® AI technology do?
For
any business, anywhere, anytime, in 10 minute bites, it:
Analyses
current, detailed performance and value for every activity stream
Forecasts
future, detailed performance and value for every activity stream
Compiles
detailed plans for specific and detailed performance and value
improvement
Identifies
the practical actions to take
Provides
implementation support through a local, certified, AI Business
Advisor®
My name is Christian Dillstrom and I am an international growth hacker with over 10 years of experience. Also, I am the most read business article author in the World for the fourth year running.
In addition, I serve my client US Southeast Region Collaborative as a Global Growth Ambassador.
As I am honored to serve this great region, it is my pleasure to publish content about US Southeast Region for my tens of millions of monthly global business readers.
-- Christian Dillstrom
---
BANDI
Laboratories recently celebrated the opening of a sales and
distribution center in Martinsburg, WV. The company plans to open a U.S.
manufacturing facility within five years.
A
Poland-based company that has made skincare products for more than 30
years has located its first branch in the United States.
BANDI
Laboratories recently celebrated the opening of its initial sales and
distribution center in Martinsburg, WV.
The office is located in The
Hub, a business center and community space in downtown Martinsburg.
BANDI plans to establish a U.S. manufacturing facility within the next
five years.
“We
are happy to be here in the beautiful state of West Virginia,” said CEO
Joanna Draniak-Kicińska.
“We appreciate all the help and positive
motivation we received from the state and local authorities. We strongly
believe that this humble beginning will grow up into a thriving
business, a significant contribution to local society.”
The
family-owned business was founded in 1986 by Draniak-Kicińska’s mother,
now retired. Draniak-Kicińska and her husband Michał Kiciński, together
with their two young daughters, have moved to the U.S. to launch the
new branch.
“On behalf of the Development Authority, I
am thrilled to welcome BANDI to Berkeley County,” said Sandy Hamilton,
executive director, Berkeley County Development Authority.
“They are an impressive, innovative, family company that we embrace as members of our extended business family.”
BANDI chose West Virginia as a result of a chemical/polymer trade mission organized by Discover the Real West Virginia Foundation and the West Virginia Development Office
(WVDO).
The WVDO International Division recruited companies from around
the world to attend this event and continued to work with BANDI
afterwards by assisting the company throughout its decision process and
also provided guidance on helping the family move to and settle in the
U.S.
My name is Christian Dillstrom and I am an international growth hacker with over 10 years of experience. Also, I am the most read business article author in the World for the fourth year running.
In addition, I serve my client US Southeast Region Collaborative as a Global Growth Ambassador.
As I am honored to serve this great region, it is my pleasure to publish content about US Southeast Region for my tens of millions of monthly global business readers.
-- Christian Dillstrom
---
The new federal qualified opportunity zone
(QOZ) tax credits are expected to unleash up to $6 trillion in capital
investment in more than 8,700 economically distressed areas in the U.S.
The U.S. Treasury
Department has designated 8,764 opportunity zones (known as Qualified
Opportunity Zones, or QOZs) in all 50 states, the District of Columbia
and five U.S. territories.
Nearly 35 million Americans live in areas
designated as Opportunity Zones. These communities present both the need
for investment and significant investment opportunities.
Based
on data from the 2011-2015 American Community Survey, the designated
regions had an average poverty rate of over 32 percent, compared with
the 17 percent national average.
Additionally, the median family income
of the designated tracts were on average 37 percent below the area or
state median, and had an unemployment rate of nearly 1.6 times higher
than the national average.
“We anticipate that $100
billion in private capital will be dedicated towards creating jobs and
economic development in Opportunity Zones,” said U.S. Treasury Secretary
Steven T. Mnuchin.
“This incentive will foster economic revitalization
and promote sustainable economic growth, which was a major goal of the
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.”
The Treasury Dept. issued its
first set of IRS regulations last October, clarifying which gains
qualify for deferral, which taxpayers and investments are eligible, the
parameters for Opportunity Funds and other guidance; a second traunch of
IRS rules for QOZs was issued in April.
The
Opportunity Zone incentive offers capital gains tax relief to investors
for new investment in designated areas.
Investment benefits include
deferral of tax on prior gains as late as 2026 if the amount of the gain
is invested in an Opportunity Fund (QOF). The benefits also include tax
forgiveness on gains on that investment if the investor holds the
investment for at least 10 years.
Opportunity Zones retain their
designation for 10 years, but under the proposed regulations, investors
can hold onto their investments in Qualified Opportunity Funds through
2047 without losing tax benefits.
Treasury’s QOZ
designations were based on nominations of eligible census tracts by the
state governors. Each state nominated the maximum number of eligible
tracts, per statute, and these designations are final.
The statute and
legislative history of the Opportunity Zone designations, under IRC §
1400Z, do not contemplate an opportunity for additional or revised
designations after the maximum number of zones allowable have been
designated in a state or territory.
Based on IRC
1400Z-1, designations are based upon the boundaries of the tract at the
time of the designation in 2018, and do not change over the period of
the designation, even if the boundaries of an individual census tract
are redefined in future Census releases.
According to a
report from Real Capital Analytics, there is more than $6 trillion in
unrealized capital gains eligible to be deployed into QOZs.
Several
states have enacted enhanced tax credits to amplify the impact of the
federal QOZ program.
For example, legislation recently introduced in the
Michigan State Senate would create a tax credit for qualified research
and development expenses related to the automotive industry in QOZs.
S.B. 378 would allow a credit for a percentage of the difference between
the taxpayer’s R&D expenses in a QOZ and expenses in a QOZ during
the three-year base period, with a formula to determine the credit if
the taxpayer didn’t incur qualified R&D expenses in the base period.
TOPEKA, KS HAS THREE OPPORTUNITY ZONES
The
wonder of OZ can be found in Kansas when stepping into Topeka.
With
growing vibrancy and a palpable energy toward progress, a trip to Topeka
is a trip to an emerald world of endless investment possibilities,
thanks, in part, to the three new opportunity zones established here.
While
other rural counties and particularly blighted city areas were also
granted opportunity zones, Topeka’s are situated in a dynamic core of
resurgence.
From the residential-commercial downtown to the riverfront
green space to the growing NOTO arts district and the well-established
industrial district, Topeka’s dynamic core is steadily becoming a huge
asset to Topeka.
This variety and rejuvenation isn’t seen in other
opportunity zones.
Topeka’s downtown is a mixed-use
development of commercial, retail and residential.
Over the last few
years, it has seen tremendous growth with the additions of new
restaurants, breweries, shops and a boutique hotel. There will also be a
plaza opening in the spring that gives new space for concerts and
events, while also adding to the beauty and livability of the area.
These advances have helped the downtown hit a stride as one of the best
spots in Topeka not only to live, but also to invest. Similar growth is
happening in NOTO and the riverfront.
Local boutiques, restaurants and
arts centers are reshaping the area and turning NOTO into a hub for
artistic-minded individuals. In addition, parks and green spaces are
beginning to pop up throughout the area, helping bring even more people
to NOTO.
These areas may be going through a resurgence,
but that doesn’t mean they aren’t still capable of massive growth.
According to a recent study by Development Strategies, just within its
dynamic core, Topeka can support 690,000 more square feet of retail,
300,000 more square feet of new or rehabbed office space, 900 new or
rehabbed housing units and 200 new hotel rooms.
The city has a market
and a need for business and Topeka is invested in bringing it here.
There
is a reason why corporations, including Frito-Lay, Mars Chocolate,
Goodyear Tire & Rubber, Home Depot, Target and many more have chosen
Topeka as their home. The city is situated in the middle of the U.S.
with an infrastructure built for business.
Moreover, Topeka’s three
opportunity zones are all situated within a few minutes of interstate
highways and class I rail systems.
Within one day, goods shipped by
truck reach 25 percent of the U.S. population and 90 percent by day two.
The cost of living in Topeka is 7.4 percent lower than the U.S. average
and the cost of business is 15 percent less than the average as of
2018.
Topeka has the workforce to support growing
companies.
Within 60 miles of Topeka, there are three universities—the
University of Kansas, Kansas State University and Washburn University,
along with a technical school, Washburn Institute of
Technology—producing over 13,500 highly educated students graduating
annually.
Washburn Tech also works closely with businesses and
industries in Topeka and Shawnee County to ensure that students are
learning practical skills that lead to great jobs available in the
community.
If having the culture, people, business assets and
infrastructure isn’t enough, stack on the aggressive local incentives.
Topeka offers cash grants for jobs, investments and training.
Topeka
is special because its opportunity zones are just that: opportunities.
The city has a dynamic core that is growing, but ready to take on
further investment.
There is a need for business and a market to support
it. While other OZs may be risky, Topeka’s continued revitalization,
market capability, aggressive incentives and growing workforce makes it
easy to call the land of OZ “home.”
A QOZ IN HISTORIC MIDDLETOWN, CT
The
City of Middletown makes it easy for investors who want to build
quality developments.
It understands time is your money and therefore
made its land use processes swift, certain and smart.
City staff works
with investors from conception to completion and beyond to ensure your
project meets all of the City’s requirements, making it easy for you to
complete your projects on your time and within your budget.
Middletown
has a dedicated partner located downtown, the Middlesex County Chamber
of Commerce and its 2,500+ members. It is by far the largest Chamber in
Connecticut and the 2nd largest in New England.
The City and Chamber are
partners on all things economic development. They work together to
ensure your project is successful by helping you through the approval
process, promoting it once it is done and helping you recruit tenants.
Middletown
invites you to look into its Opportunity Zone, which is strategically
placed in the center of its historic downtown. The City owns a
ready-to-develop site which overlooks the scenic Connecticut River.
It
comprises two City-owned lots which, taken together, total approximately
2.3 acres. In addition, there is an adjacent private one-acre lot. It
is easily walkable to more than 60 restaurants and dozens of retailers
and entertainment venues.
The City site currently is a
parking lot for both City employees and the public. It is a short walk
(500 feet) to the heart of Main Street. An automobile business, which is
constrained by its site, owns the private property.
The
three lots total approximately 3.3 acres. City staff will arrange all
meetings with City leaders and the private property owner to discuss
your Opportunity Zone project.
This site is in the
City’s B1 Downtown Zone which allows, by right, the traditional downtown
uses, including retail, residential, entertainment and office. The
regulation allows mixed use. The B1 Zone is its most broadly-based zone.
There
are fabulous views, in both directions, of the scenic Connecticut River
from this site.
Plus, the Connecticut Department of Transportation has a
plan to connect this site to the City’s Harbor Park via a walking
bridge over Connecticut Route 9. It will connect to an existing City
walkway to Main Street. So the site will be connected to both Main
Street and Harbor Park.
The City has completed the
environmental studies and, as public documents, will share them with
prospective developers. They show minimal contamination.
They also have
numerous studies, including one for expanding Harbor Park along the
river for a mile, a downtown residential study and a market analysis.
There
are three major downtown employers which could provide any investor an
ample source of residential tenants.
Wesleyan University with its 2,950
students and 650 staff; Middlesex Health with 3,000 staff; and the
Community Health Center and its 300+ plus staff are all less than a
half-mile, a ten-minute walk, from the site.
Staff will arrange meetings
with these and other businesses to assist you in marketing your
Opportunity Zone project.
Middletown and its economic
development partners will help you all the way through the process from
conception, to approval and beyond construction.
These
Opportunity Zone sites, taken together, are ready for the right
developer who understands a small, vibrant City like Middletown.
The
City is home to four major industry clusters. Pratt & Whitney (PW)
anchors the aerospace cluster. It assembles jet engines for both
commercial and military purposes in its 400,000+square-foot plant.
PW is
supported by more than 20 sub-contractors in town. Together PW and its
contractors support more than 3,000 aerospace jobs.
Both
Middlesex Health and the Community Health Center anchor the City’s
health sector along with other health services providers.
Middletown’s
distribution and logistics cluster features newcomer FedEx (535,000
square feet), Electrical Wholesalers, Thames River Paper and Winsupply,
among others.
The City’s strategic location on I-91 and one-day drive to
Ohio, Virginia and Canada makes the region attractive to logistics
companies.
The City’s central location also has
attracted more than a dozen engineering firms. These firms, along with
PW and its contractors, have made Middletown a mecca for engineers.
Entrepreneurs,
start-ups and early-stage businesses now have a home in the Chamber’s
Middletown Entrepreneurs Work Space (MEWS+). It is a place for them to
co-work, learn from each other and take advantage of the Chamber’s
wrap-around services.
The MEWS+’s “Lunch and Learn” programs and monthly
pitch contest, “Collision”, continue to bring entrepreneurs from around
the region to Middletown. The City is home to more than 300 businesses
being operated out of the homes.
Middletown, its economic development partners and business community welcome new investors and businesses.
PARSONS, KS OPPORTUNITY ZONE COVERS MAJOR MARKETS
Located
in the four states region of Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas,
the Parsons Kansas Federal Opportunity Zone, officially registered as
zone #20099950400, is a short distance from major markets such as
Joplin, MO (60 miles); Tulsa, OK (90 miles); Springfield, MO (120
miles); Wichita, KS (130 miles); and Kansas City, MO (150 miles).
It
also is 90 miles from Tulsa’s Port of Catoosa and 130 miles from the
intermodal facility at Kansas City’s Logistics Park.
The
central location creates easy solutions to logistical challenges and is
second to only the commitment of the local economic development
department to be a true partner with any project that is located in the
zone.
Tax incentives through neighborhood revitalization programs that
offer 100 percent for ten years to qualified commercial development also
are a part of the attractiveness of this Southeast Kansas location.
An
active industrial park currently sits within City limits and within the
Zone offering pre-designated commercial and industry opportunities,
available buildings and full utilities, including high speed data.
The
Zone also sits Adjacent to the Great Plains Industrial Park, a former
Army ammunition plant recently decommissioned that now provides more
than 6,000 acres ready for development along with a 24/7 secured
perimeter and specialized storage and warehousing space.
Situated
in Labette County, just outside of the city limits of Parsons in
Southeast Kansas, Great Plains offers globally competitive opportunities
for your business.
Its central location in the U.S. and on-site assets
at the park allow for ease of access to all major markets.
The
acreage that comprises the industrial park was originally amassed to
form the Kansas Army Ammunition Plant (KSAAP) during WWII. Today, the
park encompasses 13,951 total acres.
Of this total acreage,
approximately 6,800 acres are owned by Great Plains Development
Authority and are ripe for redevelopment.
With the availability to break
the property into various tract sizes, Great Plains can accommodate the
needs of your business.
The industrial park’s existing infrastructure
includes:
106 miles of roadways
30 miles of rail directly connected to the Union Pacific (including an in-place switch off of the main line)
Water and wastewater plants owned and operated by Great Plains
Kansas’ lowest electric rates through Westar Energy
On-site AT&T fiber optics
Industries
such as industrial hemp and alternative energy generation already are
being researched for potential location within the Zone while workforce
needs are being directly addressed by Labette Community College, located
in Parsons, through their new workforce training and education program.
The program features a brand-new facility, with course and certificate
curriculum created through direct input from local industry.
The city
also serves as the area’s medical center with the 600 employee Labette
Health located within the zone as well, offering additional commercial
development opportunities.
CITY OF SANFORD: ECONOMIC DRIVER IN CENTRAL FLORIDA
The
City of Sanford, FL has become an economic driver for the Central
Florida region. The last four years have been one of the biggest growth
cycles in Sanford history.
New development is being proposed in Sanford
that will create hundreds of new jobs, additional housing and a variety
of new restaurants.
New life continues
to be breathed into the City of Sanford, especially in the downtown
area. From West First Street down to Mellonville Avenue and from South
Sanford Avenue to the Marina Isle, there is new development taking
place.
The area surrounding Seminole Town Center is still seeing
economic activity. From Seminole Boulevard down to Seminole State
College one can see plenty of new infill development. Hundreds of new
jobs are being created.
Heritage Park, Sanford’s
planned mixed-use development for downtown is still being planned. The
City currently is planning all the infrastructure for the project.
Construction should begin very soon.
This time next year, we should see
new vertical construction for new residential units downtown. Many
construction jobs will be created over the next several years during the
construction of this major catalyst project.
The
rehabilitation of the old Mayfair Hotel is still on track to open by the
fall of 2020. Final plans currently are being designed.
Over a hundred
new full time jobs will be created to operate the new Five Star
facility, not to mention the additional construction jobs being created
over the next two years.
Sanford currently is
experiencing major economic growth in the hospitality sector. Several
new craft breweries have opened this past year and are doing very well.
There are a couple more currently being planned, plus a distillery on
Second Street. Two new mixed-use developments currently are being
planned for Sanford Avenue, with another major mixed-use development
sited for the block on Second Avenue between Oak St. and Myrtle St.
The
third phase of the Riverwalk will soon be designed and construction
will begin for the completion of the trail from the 415 bridge to the
I-4 bridge over the St. Johns River by the fall of 2020.
A full marathon
is being planned in partnership with Deltona/Volusia County around Lake
Monroe upon the completion of the 25+ mile trail.
As
part of Sanford’s economic development strategic plan, the City has
identified four major targeted industries: aviation/aerospace, medical
technology, transportation/logistics and manufacturing.
The City works
hard in recruiting new companies and in the retention and expansion of
its existing companies.
The City has assisted in the creation of over
300 new high wage, high value jobs over the last year. Several of these
companies include: Hernon Manufacturing, Constant Aviation, Quantum Flo,
Benada Aluminum, Allegiant Airlines and Avocet.
The City will continue
to work in partnership with Enterprise Florida, the Orlando Economic
Development Partnership and Seminole County to provide incentives to
assist in the creation of new employment opportunities.
Along
with great community and regional partnerships, the City of Sanford
really is becoming a more economically vibrant community. Perceptions
are becoming a reality.
My name is Christian Dillstrom and I am an international growth hacker with over 10 years of experience. Also, I am the most read business article author in the World for the fourth year running.
In addition, I serve my client US Southeast Region Collaborative as a Global Growth Ambassador.
As I am honored to serve this great region, it is my pleasure to publish content about US Southeast Region for my tens of millions of monthly global business readers.
-- Christian Dillstrom
---
The
inaugural Doing Business North America report measures business
regulations across 115 cities in Canada, the United States and Mexico.
The Center for the Study of Economic Liberty at Arizona State University has just released the Doing Business North America
report, a first-of-its kind report that provides objective measures of
business regulations across 115 cities in 92 states, provinces and
districts in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The report uses these
measures to score and rank cities in regard to how easy or difficult it
is to set up, operate and shut down a business.
Modeled upon the World Bank’s Doing Business report, the Doing Business North America
report measures the regulations that apply to domestic small- and
medium-sized companies throughout their lifecycle.
The report complies
and analyses city-specific data, offering a comprehensive look at a
particular jurisdiction’s business environment, including regulations
having to do with starting a business, employing workers, acquiring
electricity, paying taxes, registering property and resolving
insolvency.
By comparing business environments across
North America, the report offers measurable benchmarks for reform that
encourage states and provinces to pursue regulatory frameworks that ease
the cost of doing business.
“The Doing Business North America
report offers local jurisdictions objective data on how policies,
regulations and licensing requirements affect businesses in their
community,” said Steve Slivinski, senior research fellow and project
director of the Doing Business North America report at the
Center for the Study of Economic Liberty.
“This is a powerful tool that
can be used by public officials to inform and guide policy,” said
Slivinski.
“We expect that many jurisdictions will be interested in how
they rank compared to their neighbors or peers.”
The Doing Business North America
research team was led by Slivinski, with support from undergraduate
students from the W. P. Carey School of Business, The College, School of
Sustainability, School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious
Studies, and School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership.
Additional support was provided by Caminos de la Libertad, an
educational foundation based in Mexico City.
“Doing Business North America
is predicated on the idea that a well-functioning economy requires good
rules,” said Ross Emmett, director, Center for the Study of Economic
Liberty.
“The ease of doing business in a location is higher when the
rules are clear and the steps involved are few. A study like this is
useful for policy research in both the academic and the policy-maker
communities.”
The report findings include:
Oklahoma City accumulated the highest Ease of Doing Business Score.
The Canadian cities of Winnipeg, Halifax, and Moncton
lead the “Starting a Business” category, which measures the number of
legal procedures required to start a business and the costs associated
with those procedures.
In the category of “Employing Workers,” which includes mandates like minimum wages and required paid leave, Arlington, VA takes the top spot.
“What
makes this project so exciting is that it clears the way for immediate
action and outcomes in our communities,” said Amy Hillman, dean, W. P.
Carey School of Business, Arizona State University.
“Small and
medium-sized firms account for the majority of businesses in the United
States; their success is critical to our economy.”
“This report equips
local governments with data that shows how they are either helping or
hindering those businesses, from a regulatory perspective.”
My name is Christian Dillstrom and I am an international growth hacker with over 10 years of experience. Also, I am the most read business article author in the World for the fourth year running.
In addition, I serve my client US Southeast Region Collaborative as a Global Growth Ambassador.
As I am honored to serve this great region, it is my pleasure to publish content about US Southeast Region for my tens of millions of monthly global business readers.
-- Christian Dillstrom
---
The
company has established its first U.S. operations in the former Tower
Automotive facility in Milan, TN, and expects to start production next
summer.
Global
Track Manufacturing USA, Inc. has established a production facility in
the former Tower Automotive plant in Milan, TN.
The company will create
250 jobs at the new plant in Gibson County, its first in the U.S.
“The
Milan facility is Global Track’s first U.S. manufacturing plant, and I
want to thank Mayor BW Beasley and his economic development staff for
their hard work over the past two years,” said Barry Min, President and
Owner of Global Track Manufacturing.
“Mayor Beasley and his team have
worked tirelessly to help Global Track get our building operational, act
as an advocate for us in Washington, DC regarding tariff issues,
establish U.S. banking relationships, and have been supportive in every
aspect.”
“I am confident we made the right decision to locate in Milan,
and I look forward to growing our U.S. customer base and creating jobs
for the citizens of Milan and Gibson County.”
Global
Track manufactures rubber tracks and undercarriage for industrial and
agricultural equipment. The company currently operates a manufacturing
facility in China.
The Milan facility will be Global Track’s second
plant, and the company anticipates production will begin there in the
summer of 2020.
“Global Track’s decision to invest in Milan is a
resounding vote of confidence in Tennessee and our workforce,” said Gov.
Bill Lee.
“More and more global companies are finding out that
Tennessee is the perfect place to do business, and I look forward to the
creation of 250 quality jobs in Milan and Gibson County.”
Since 2015, Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
(TNECD) has supported 10 economic development projects in Gibson
County, resulting in more than 2,500 job commitments and more than $415
million in capital investment.
“I am pleased to see Global Track
invest in Tennessee,” said TNECD Commissioner Bob Rolfe.
“Li Weaver,
TNECD’s representative in China, and our international team played an
instrumental role in landing this project.”
“Tennessee’s skilled workforce
creates world-renowned products, and this substantial investment
promises to inject hundreds of terrific, family wage jobs in Gibson
County and Milan.”
“I am excited to formally announce
this project as the City of Milan has been working with Barry Min and
Global Track over the last two years since the company purchased the
former Tower Automotive facility,” said Milan Mayor BW Beasley.
“Global
Track has been manufacturing rubber tracks out of its China facility for
many years with a great amount of success, and I look forward to the
Milan facility achieving even greater success as the company grows the
Global Track manufacturing footprint.”
“This is a very exciting day for
Milan and Gibson County, and I am grateful to Barry Min and Global Track
for choosing Milan for the company’s U.S. manufacturing location.”
My name is Christian Dillstrom and I am an international growth hacker with over 10 years of experience. Also, I am the most read business article author in the World for the fourth year running.
In addition, I serve my client US Southeast Region Collaborative as a Global Growth Ambassador.
As I am honored to serve this great region, it is my pleasure to publish content about US Southeast Region for my tens of millions of monthly global business readers.
-- Christian Dillstrom
---
The specialty vehicle manufacturer will invest $1.15 million to launch operations in Charleston County, SC.
Spartan
Motors, Inc., a leader in fleet, work truck and specialty service
vehicle manufacturing, is establishing operations in Charleston County,
SC.
The $1.15 million investment is expected to create 308 new jobs.
“Spartan Motors is pleased to add North Charleston to our growing global manufacturing footprint,” said Spartan Motors, Inc.
President and Chief Executive Officer Daryl Adams.
“We are big
believers in the skilled tradespeople of North Charleston and the larger
region, and we know the talent available here will allow us to
manufacture to the standard of excellence our customers have come to
expect.”
In 1975, Spartan Motors, Inc. began as a
designer and builder of custom fire truck cabs and chassis.
Today, the
company is a North American leader in specialty vehicle manufacturing
and assembly for the commercial and retail vehicle industries –
including last-mile delivery, specialty service and vocation-specific,
upfit segments – as well as for the emergency response and recreational
vehicle markets.
Located in North Charleston, SC,
Spartan Motors, Inc.’s Charleston County operations will include
production of industry-specific custom shelving, lighting and ergonomic
design services for commercial vehicles.
“South
Carolina’s automotive industry continues to grow, and this announcement
by Spartan Motors, Inc. is a further testament to all we’ve been able to
accomplish in South Carolina,” said Gov. Henry McMaster.
“These 300 new
jobs will make a significant difference in the Lowcountry, and we’re
excited to see what the future has in store for Spartan Motors, Inc.”
The
South Carolina Coordinating Council for Economic Development awarded
Charleston County a $100,000 Set-Aside grant to assist with costs of
building improvements.
“Our automotive industry is on
the move in all of the right ways, and Spartan Motors, Inc.’s decision
to establish operations in Charleston County is a win for the entire
state,” said South Carolina Department of Commerce
Secretary Bobby Hitt.
“The 308 new jobs today’s announcement will
create is a testament to our state’s world-class workforce and
business-friendly environment.”
“Charleston’s
highly-skilled workforce, business-friendly climate and
globally-connected infrastructure influenced the company’s decision to
locate here to better serve its customer, Mercedes-Benz Vans,” said
Charleston Regional Development Alliance Chairman John Hagerty.
“Spartan
Motors will be a tremendous asset to our growing automotive cluster.”
My name is Christian Dillstrom and I am an international growth hacker with over 10 years of experience. Also, I am the most read business article author in the World for the fourth year running.
In addition, I serve my client US Southeast Region Collaborative as a Global Growth Ambassador.
As I am honored to serve this great region, it is my pleasure to publish content about US Southeast Region for my tens of millions of monthly global business readers.
-- Christian Dillstrom
---
The
maker of video games, including the wildly popular "Fortnite," will
expand its Cary, NC headquarters campus, making room for up to 2,000 new
employees.
Epic
Games is expanding its headquarters campus off Crossroads Boulevard in
Cary, NC.
The maker of video games, including the wildly popular
“Fortnite,” will make room for up to 2,000 new employees with the Wake County expansion project. The company also created “Gears of War” and the “Infinity Blade” series.
“We
know that Epic could locate anywhere in the world, and we’re grateful
that they’ve chosen to continue to call Cary home,” said Cary Mayor
Harold Weinbrecht.
In 2015, in preparation for the
expansion, Epic purchased an 8.2-acre property next to its existing
campus at the corner of Crossroads Boulevard and Jones Franklin Road.
Epic
is working with workspace consultant Foster + Partners, architects
JDavis, and JLL for construction project management. The new building
will make room for an estimated 1,750 to 2,000 additional employees.
The
expansion will encompass between 450,000 to 500,000 square feet, plus
1,400 additional parking spaces. Construction of the new facility is
expected to begin in 2020, and take three to four years.
The
video game maker has more than 1,000 employees worldwide, including
hundreds in Cary. It also has a significant presence in California.
