This time of year one could easily make the case for a connection between March Madness and economic development.

I have to confess that I’m not a big sports fan, however, NCAA basketball tournaments draw enormous attention not only from diehard fans but also from the general public, because anyone can win if they just get in the game. The college basketball world is indeed flat – more Cinderella teams seem to have a shot at the big time each year.

That said, even teams from small schools have to have something to offer in order to get in the game. Polk County needs to have something to offer in order to get in the economic development game; more than quality of life, more than pretty views, more than low crime – it needs product.

What is product?

In the language of economic development, product is your hard real estate assets. We need a North Carolina Certified Site in the form of a modern, green, business and/or light industrial park with all the tools of doing business in the 21st century such as large parking lots, flexible and expandable building spaces and an easily accessible location.

We have the complimentary side dishes for a great business/light industrial park: interstate highway, access to nearby international airports, advanced telecommunications and fiber optics, ample utility feeds, customized employee training programs from Isothermal Planning and Development and more.