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Supervisors approve cluster marketing strategy
The county has set out a plan for how to grow its commercial tax base -- by focusing on bringing industry clusters to the area.
The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously at a July 15 business meeting to move forward with the Department of Economic Development focusing on bringing the county businesses that deal with federal/government contracting and information and communication technology.
Clusters are groups of businesses and organizations that relate in any way to a certain industry and will produce a good working relationship. The county will try to draw new businesses by pointing out how they can work with those already here.
These two initial clusters will be paid for out of funds the DED received from the last budget process, totaling $340,000. The money also will go towards hiring a cluster development manager.
DED also recommended Loudoun County get into the game of global marketing. This decision passed 5-3. Some supervisors questioned whether bringing in international businesses should be left to the private sector.
“The private sector is doing this job [attracting international businesses to the county] fairly successfully,” Supervisor Stevens Miller (D-Dulles) said, mentioning Bill May. May is the developer of the One Loudoun project, which will include a World Trade Center on Route 7 in Ashburn. The objective of the project is attracting global businesses.
Another international player pointed out was Washington Dulles International Airport.
The Board also allocated $150,000, of the $340,000 given to DED, to go toward contractor services, collateral development and staff-related travel for the international cluster, and $100,000 to go toward general cluster support services.
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