Strategic Services

6 ways we help EDOs and communities create action & results.

From leadership education and needs analysis to comprehensive strategic planning and fully investment-ready sites, explore what we do — one service at a time.

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Strategic Planning

Plans built for how your community actually operates.

We develop customized plans for rural communities, regional organizations, states, power companies, and anyone involved in community and economic development growth. Not every need or client is the same, so our plans range from high-level frameworks to in-depth comprehensive plans with tactical action steps and implementation matrices ready to deploy.

Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies (CEDS)
Downtown & Community Revitalization Plans
Rural Economic Development Plans
Regional Economic Development Plans
Tactical Action Plans and Strategic Frameworks
Power Company Target Industry Strategies
Housing Strategic Plans
Tourism Strategies

TOP: Our Principal & CEO visiting a community client as part of the Discovery phase of planning. BELOW: A sample of strategic planning clients across multiple states.

InvestSite

Getting your sites investment-ready.

Too often, industrial sites are engineered without long-term marketability to corporate decision makers in mind — leaving infrastructure investment in the way, costly to move, or costing you the project. InvestSite is our program for preparing sites to compete and win, from initial feasibility through fully market-ready — working alongside your engineers or leading the process end to end.

Fatal Flaw Analysis
Real World Site Selection Score Modeling
Initial Geotechnical Survey
Lidar and Topographical Scanning
Key Recommendations for Development
Data Analysis and Target Industry Profile Workup
Cost Projections
Community Site Visit

Real-World Case Study examples from SLA clients showcasing site investment analysis, fatal flaw scoring, and mapping. These are just excerpts of an overall InvestSite project deliverable.

Housing Needs Analysis

Solving the housing gap holding back your workforce.

Housing has become a major issue for communities across the nation. We analyze your housing demand using trusted data resources and proprietary analysis that includes current housing imbalance conditions — and for communities that need more than an analysis, we build full housing strategies focused on attainable housing for your workforce.

Housing Demand Analysis
Employer and Worker Surveys
Current Housing Imbalance Ratio Analysis
Community Housing Deficit Heat Mapping
Stakeholder Sessions with Realtors, Developers, Planning & Zoning
Strategy Development Specific to Your Community

Excerpts from a 114-page Housing Needs Analysis report our team prepared for a client in New Mexico.

Feasibility Studies

Pressure-test a desired project before you commit.

Before a community or company commits real dollars to a project, we run the numbers. Our feasibility studies evaluate cost, timeline, and real-world risk — so you know what you're actually signing up for. Our feasibility studies have also been used to attract national retailers, grocers, and commercial investment for specific projects.

Site Location Analysis and Demand
Cost & Timeline Analysis
Project Feasibility Assessment
Risk Assessment
Scoped Data Analysis; Site & Community Specific
Comparative Project Analysis for Marketing to Desired Tenants
Workforce & Training Feasibility

Sample feasibility study performed for Conway, SC to attract brand-specific grocery site location. The final report was utilized by the community to successfully attract the desired development and investment!

Targeted Analysis

Empower your efforts with detailed analysis.

We believe in a laser-focused approach, not a shotgun blast. Whether you need a standalone industry cluster analysis, detailed labor and workforce data to support your marketing, or a logistics and supply chain review, each is a comprehensive analysis in its own right. It's also why we offer Targeted Industry Subsector Analysis — drilling down past broad categories like Advanced Manufacturing to the specific subsectors your community can actually win.

Major & Minor Industry Cluster Analysis
Workforce & True Labor Shed Analysis
Target Industry Analysis with Subsector Focus
Support Service Cluster Analysis
Logistics & Supply Chain Analysis

Excerpts from various targeted analysis studies performed for our clients. Proprietary and confidential information not shown.

ED101

Educational sessions to inform the leaders you need support from.

Our expert team delivers in-person educational sessions for elected officials, board members, and local leaders on behalf of Economic Development Organizations, Power Companies, Regional Orgs, and States — building the shared understanding that makes good decisions possible.

The Importance of Economic Development
The Difference in Community & Economic Development
Tax Revenues: Where It Comes From & How To Grow
The Importance of Confidentiality
How Corporate Decisions Are Made
The Economic Activity Ecosystem
Site Selection Process Understanding
How to Win More Projects, From RFI to Site Visit
How the Law May Impact Leadership Decisions (Specific to State and Community)

SLA Executives are trusted to deliver education in workshops for community leaders, in large conference settings, and for institutes like the South Carolina Economic Development Advanced Symposium and Heartland Economic Development Course by the University of Northern Iowa.