Tim explains how Aberdeen leverages entrepreneurship, regional workforce draw, and value-added agriculture to build one of the most diverse micropolitan economies in the U.S. The conversation dives into practical tools like revolving loan funds, shovel-ready site development, and tight-knit community coordination, along with lessons learned from winning and losing projects.

Tim also shares how rural economic developers must wear many hats, from childcare advocacy to housing and workforce development, and why knowing your limits and leaning into your strengths is key to long-term success.

10 Actionable Takeaways for Economic Developers

1. Build your own toolbox early - Start small with tools like a revolving loan fund. Even modest contributions compound into real leverage over time.
2. Have product ready before the prospect shows up - Shovel-ready sites win deals. If you're waiting until an RFI arrives, you're already behind.
3. Sell your labor shed, not just your city limits - Expand your workforce story to include the full commuting region, not just population within city boundaries.
4. Be honest about fit upfront - Disqualify bad-fit projects early. It saves time, builds credibility, and focuses your effort on winnable deals.
5. Use speed as a competitive advantage - Quick answers, quick coordination, and quick decisions often beat larger incentive packages.
6. Coordinate like one team, not multiple agencies - Eliminate friction between city, county, utilities, and partners so companies feel like there's "no wrong door."
7. Invest in local companies, not just recruitment - Expansions from existing businesses can absorb sites faster and more reliably than outside recruitment.
8. Treat workforce, housing, and childcare as core infrastructure - These are not side issues. They directly determine whether companies can hire and grow.
9. Lean into what you actually do well - Don't try to win every project. Focus on industries and company sizes that match your real strengths.
10. Own the outcome, even when you lose - Some deals fall apart for reasons outside your control. Learn what you can, adjust where possible, and keep moving.

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Special Guest: Tim Hanigan.

Sponsored By:

• Sitehunt: If your property data is scattered or out of date, you're losing projects. Sitehunt gives economic developers an AI-powered property database and instant RFI responses. Schedule a demo today!

Links:

• Tim Hanigan | LinkedIn
• Aberdeen Development Corporation | South Dakota
• Properties | Aberdeen Development Corporation
• Aberdeen Development Corporation | LinkedIn
• Aberdeen Development Corporation | Facebook
• Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink — "Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink is my favorite book because the core idea, which taking full responsibility for outcomes, fits perfectly with leadership in a rural community. In smaller towns, there’s no one else to blame and no one else coming to fix things for you. If something isn’t working, you own it and you figure it out."

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Ten Actionable Takeaways for Economic Developers

1. Engage directly with small-scale manufacturing business owners to understand their specific needs and challenges before creating programs.
2. Focus on modest, targeted investments ($10K-$20K) rather than expensive business recruitment projects that may not address community needs.
3. Identify and leverage existing local assets and manufacturing businesses already present in your community.
4. Meet with property owners to understand real estate availability and constraints for small manufacturing businesses.
5. Analyze community feedback to prioritize actions that will create the biggest impact based on local goals and beneficiaries.
6. Create short-term wins that build momentum toward longer-term, more complex development projects.
7. Thread the line between community assets, needs, and goals to develop effective priority strategies.
8. Focus on de-risking economic development investments by ensuring projects respond to actual community needs.
9. Build "sticky" communities by creating places where interesting commercial activity takes place and people want to be.
10. Use systematic methods to gather information from stakeholders and translate that into actionable development strategies.

Special Guest: Ilana Preuss.

Sponsored By:

• Sitehunt: If your property data is scattered or out of date, you're losing projects. Sitehunt gives economic developers an AI-powered property database and instant RFI responses. Schedule a demo today!

Links:

• Ilana Preuss | LinkedIn
• Recast City LLC
• Recast Your City: How to Save Your Downtown with Small-Scale Manufacturing by Ilana Preuss
• Recast Your City

Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps!

10 Actionable Takeaways for Economic Developers

1. Focus intensely on customer service when working with prospective businesses, as exceptional service can differentiate your location.
2. Recognize that workers increasingly choose locations first and jobs second, making quality of life initiatives critical.
3. Develop "risk-free" industrial sites that accelerate timelines and build company confidence in your location.
4. Leverage data and AI tools to speed up information exchange with site selectors and businesses.
5. Build strong relationships between economic development efforts and government leadership for coordinated responses.
6. Create memorable experiences for visiting executives that showcase your region's unique advantages.
7. Invest in outdoor recreation and quality of life amenities that make your community attractive to today's mobile workforce.
8. Understand that economic development success often comes from coordinating multiple elements (tax policy, site readiness, incentives) simultaneously.
9. Network with other economic development professionals to continuously learn and improve practices.
10. Consider how shifts in business priorities (such as location flexibility) can be leveraged to benefit your community's recruitment efforts.

Special Guest: Clint O'Neal.

Sponsored By:

• Sitehunt: If your property data is scattered or out of date, you're losing projects. Sitehunt gives economic developers an AI-powered property database and instant RFI responses. Schedule a demo today!

Links:

• Clint O'Neal, CEcD | LinkedIn
• Arkansas Economic Development Commission
• Arkansas Year in Review 2024 - YouTube
• Why Arkansas - YouTube