Econ Dev Show Podcast - Economic Development - Episodes Tagged with “Economic Diversification”

241: The Industry Hiding in Your Tourism Brochure with Sandy Davis and Ryan Cannon

Dane Carlson — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 00:15:00 -0600

In this episode Dane Carlson talks with Sandy Davis of the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation and Ryan Cannon of Golf Tourism Solutions about a business recruitment opportunity hiding behind decades of tourism success.

Myrtle Beach knew how to attract golfers; the next question was how to attract the companies that make, supply, and support the game. Sandy and Ryan explain how they combined recruitment expertise with golf industry relationships to pursue manufacturers, technology companies, and suppliers. They connect that effort to local workforce programs, an existing market of golfers and courses, and residents’ need for better-paying, year-round jobs.

For economic developers, the conversation offers a practical challenge: look beyond what your community’s biggest asset does today and ask what else it could support.

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10 Actionable Takeaways For Economic Developers

Map the businesses behind your biggest attraction. List who makes the products, supplies the equipment, maintains the facilities, and develops the technology behind the experience visitors come to buy. Myrtle Beach’s opportunity extends from playing golf to producing and supporting the game.
Narrow your target until you can build a prospect list. Sandy points out that “advanced manufacturing” needs more definition. Identify particular products and operations that fit your assets, such as golf carts, batteries, or turf equipment, then identify the companies making them.
Ask prospects how they already know your community. Sandy repeatedly met business leaders who had visited Myrtle Beach to play golf but didn’t know it wanted industrial investment. Their answers revealed both a relationship to build on and a business message that wasn’t getting through.
Recruit alongside someone who knows the industry. Golf Tourism Solutions brings golf relationships and market knowledge; the economic development corporation brings recruitment and site selection expertise. Identify that complementary partner in your community and put both sets of expertise in front of prospects.
Give the trade show a job to do. Choose target companies and arrange conversations before arriving. MBREDC used a lead-generation company to set meetings, and early outreach developed into continued discussions and repeated visits by a prospective company.
Make customer access part of your location pitch. Show prospects who already uses their products in your region. For a golf company, Myrtle Beach offers local courses, residents, and visiting golfers, creating a potential market alongside a place to operate.
Build the workforce pitch around actual jobs. Match an employer’s needs to specific training capabilities. The guests connect golf management and agronomy programs with CNC, welding, and technology education, showing how several programs could support different parts of the same business.
Follow a product into its other markets. Golf carts led the partners to batteries and chargers, then to campgrounds that could use those products too. Look for adjacent customers that give a prospect additional reasons to consider your region.
Explore whether production could become a visitor experience. Ryan suggests golf manufacturing tours similar to brewery visits. Ask whether a prospective manufacturer could connect production with tours, demonstrations, or product experiences that appeal to visitors already coming to town.
Make the benefit to residents explicit. Sandy’s goal is year-round employment, better pay, and benefits in a community facing higher living costs. Use those needs to guide target-industry decisions and evaluate what a prospective project would actually add.

Special Guests: Ryan Cannon and Sandy Davis.

227: Never Underestimate the Power of Ceremony with Melissa James

Dane Carlson — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0500

In this episode of the Econ Dev Show Dane Carlson talks with Melissa James, founding president and CEO of REACH Central Coast, about building a regional economic development organization amid the anticipated closure of Diablo Canyon, persistent affordability challenges, and a fragmented approach to growth.

Melissa explains how the Central Coast organized around its distinctive assets in energy, space and aerospace, and high tech; set a goal of creating 15,000 good-paying jobs by 2030; and connected that strategy to workforce development and housing.

She also shares practical lessons about private-sector leadership, cross-sector coalitions, memorandums of understanding, institutional continuity, the patience required for long-term development, and the surprisingly powerful role ceremony can play in sustaining shared ownership and momentum.

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Special Guest: Melissa James.

213: How a Town of 30,000 Competes (and Wins) in Economic Development with Tim Hanigan

Dane Carlson — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0500

In this episode of the Econ Dev Show, Dane Carlson talks with Tim Hanigan, CEO of the Aberdeen Development Corporation in Aberdeen, South Dakota, about how a rural community of 30,000 punches above its weight in economic development.

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

Build your own toolbox early - Start small with tools like a revolving loan fund. Even modest contributions compound into real leverage over time.
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.
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.
Be honest about fit upfront - Disqualify bad-fit projects early. It saves time, builds credibility, and focuses your effort on winnable deals.
Use speed as a competitive advantage - Quick answers, quick coordination, and quick decisions often beat larger incentive packages.
Coordinate like one team, not multiple agencies - Eliminate friction between city, county, utilities, and partners so companies feel like there's "no wrong door."
Invest in local companies, not just recruitment - Expansions from existing businesses can absorb sites faster and more reliably than outside recruitment.
Treat workforce, housing, and childcare as core infrastructure - These are not side issues. They directly determine whether companies can hire and grow.
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.
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.