Springfield, Missouri The Official Economic Development Site for the Springfield Metro Region

The Wild, Wild……Midwest? Opportunities Abound.

May 03, 2010

American newspaper editor and politician, Horace Greeley, is generally credited with having coined the phrase “Go West, young man,” but many point to Indiana journalist John B.L. Soule as the actual originator of the phrase. Although Greeley used the phrase “Go West, young man, Go West” in an editorial in 1865, Soule had previously written “Go West, young man, and grow up with the country.”

It’s not much of a stretch to consider this Soule directive the mantra of the SBDC’s national business development program. I’ll take a liberty or two and claim “Go West, young man, North, South and East, as well.”  It’s Action Item #5 of the 2010 SBDC business plan: Continue to Raise Awareness of the Springfield Region as a Destination for Job Creation & New Investment.

We’re blessed to have a couple of the best business development project managers in the country working for the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce and SBDC.  I’m talking about Ryan Mooney, vice president of business development, and Jeff Seifried, manager of regional development. They’re doing things most people think “just happen” (as one well-known Chamber executive has been known to say).

Our target audience is pretty diverse, but the primary audience is national site selection consultants and advisory firms who represent outstanding clients considering new locations. Mooney and Seifried work daily to market to this audience through a variety of means.  Out-of-market, face-to-face meetings on the East coast. West coast. North. South. Corporate visitations to headquarters operations of Springfield-based business and industry, just to say thanks – and offer assistance where it’s needed. Conferences, trade shows, internet marketing such as periodic email updates to consultants and newsletters regarding new project announcements or opportunities for business. They often go it alone. Other times they’ll partner with state officials from the Missouri Partnership.

This year alone, our guys will be in Kansas City, St. Louis, Chicago, Dallas and Atlanta multiple times. Also in Los Angeles, Columbus, Phoenix, Moline, Minneapolis and places in between. Perhaps even Stockholm, Sweden. It’s business as usual.

The Springfield region is a great place to be an economic developer because we have amazing things to sell. And it’s working!  North, South, East and West.

Next time you see Ryan Mooney and Jeff Seifried, tell them you appreciate the work they do.

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