Montgomery, AL
Economic Development Strategy (2006), Strategy Update (2009), and 2011 Strategy: Imagine a Greater Montgomery II
In 2006, the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce presented the community with Imagine a Greater Montgomery, a new strategic planning initiative designed to bring a fresh approach to Montgomery’s economic development planning process. The final document was the culmination of a strategic process begun in December 2005 by Market Street Services that included community-wide focus groups and interviews, an economic and demographic profile, a competitive assessment, and a target business analysis that helped inform the final document.
Since 2006, the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce has worked diligently on achieving the goals outlined in Imagine a Greater Montgomery which are to:
• Champion Public Education and Build a Competitive Workforce,
• Strengthen the Montgomery Regional Economy,
• Transform Montgomery’s Image, and
• Embrace Diversity and Enhance Leadership Capacity.
Three years later, the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce asked Market Street to update its existing Strategy and examine the accomplishments of the community to date. Market Street conducted several interviews of Chamber staff and of community stakeholders in order to determine what activities and programs have made significant impacts in the Montgomery community. Over the course of the update process, significant achievements made by the community were documented and major priorities and new issues for the community were identified.
The mid-course review set the stage for a full strategy update. Market Street’s strategic plan development process built upon past accomplishments and successes of Imagine a Greater Montgomery while applying the most current approaches and expertise to address existing challenges and maximize future opportunities. The Imagine a Greater Montgomery II process started with a Competitive Assessment report that provided a thorough “environmental scan” of Montgomery’s competitive position and the goals and ensuing results of Imagine a Greater Montgomery strategy. The assessment found that the Montgomery region had not suffered job losses as significant the state and nation in the past decade; career academies and magnet schools were growing; downtown development had improved the central business district’s quality of place dramatically; and young professionals were more active in leadership and community building than ever before. However, public schools and revitalizing neighborhoods still suffered from poor perception and the local economy was still struggling to diversify beyond its base of government and manufacturing jobs.
The Target Cluster Review drew from the initial research and stakeholder input gathered during the Competitive Assessment phase to analyze the four promising target clusters for identified in the 2006 report with a fresh look at the Montgomery economy, given the significant changes that have occurred since 2006. The targets updated, refined, and realigned from the 2006 process were Advanced Manufacturing, Logistics and Distribution, and Health Care. Applied Technologies was introduced as a new target sector of focus based on the growth and opportunities of the Maxwell Air Force Base, cyber security, e-government, health information technology, and cross-sector innovation. The report also identified opportunity areas of Downtown Development and Tourism for marketing and development efforts.
These research components informed the Imagine a Greater Montgomery II strategy, the means by which Montgomery will build upon its existing accomplishments to chart a fresh and new path for continued success. The Strategy used existing successful programs and efforts undertaken by Imagine a Greater Montgomery, such as career academies and the EMERGE young professionals organization, as its foundation and provided recommendations for developing enhanced capacity and resources necessary to strengthen Montgomery’s competitive position in today’s 21st century economic development landscape.
The new goal areas for the five-year strategy are:
I. Achieve Educational Excellence and Develop Competitive Regional Talent
II. Diversify Economic Growth
III. Accelerate Revitalization and Improve Quality of Place
IV. Build Community Capacity, Engagement, and Image
The Imagine a Greater Montgomery II process is about the renewal and reformation of a trajectory of quality development and job growth. The Strategy included programs that are innovative in addressing the new economic realities and needs of businesses, enabling Montgomery to compete in the near and long term future by retaining and recruiting talent, leveraging its immense historic and cultural assets, improving its quality of life, and increasing its global presence in target business sectors. The vision of these strategic opportunities is to make Montgomery a distinctive community in Alabama, the nation, and the world.
This final task, the Implementation Plan, provided a review and assessment of programs, budget estimates, and organizational structure. A clear first-year plan was presented along with priorities for immediate action, as well as the second to fifth year timetables. New activity measures and outcome benchmarks based on the success of Imagine a Greater Montgomery were also established.