There is something interesting that happens when you put a room full of economic development and international trade professionals together.
We all want to tell you why our place is the best place.
Our state has the workforce. Our city has the infrastructure. Our region has the port. We have the universities, the manufacturers, the logistics network and the talent.
And, of course, we have the company you should be talking to.
There is nothing wrong with that. Competition is part of economic development. But after attending the World Trade Centers Association North America Meeting at the beautiful Biltmore Hotel in Miami, I found myself thinking about how much more powerful we could be if we spent a little less time thinking about where the line is drawn on the map and a little more time thinking about what we can accomplish together.
At the meeting, we heard updates on the USMCA, the state of international trade in the United States and where opportunities exist to leverage trade and investment. But some of the most valuable conversations happened outside the formal sessions—connecting with people doing the same work in different communities across North America.
And I kept coming back to one thought: We are stronger when we work together.
Economic development can sometimes feel like a competition between states. Georgia wants the investment. Florida wants the investment. South Carolina wants the investment. And every state has a legitimate reason to believe it can provide something unique.
But businesses don’t always see the Southeast the way we do.
A company considering a new manufacturing operation may be looking at access to a deepwater port, airports, workforce, universities, suppliers, logistics infrastructure and customers. Those assets don’t stop at a state line.
Other parts of the country and the world have recognized the power of regional clustering—bringing complementary strengths together to create something bigger than any one community could offer alone.
We can do more of that.
We can compete for projects while also recognizing that sometimes the best way to win is to make the entire region more competitive.
I see the value of this approach every day in my work with World Trade Center Savannah.
We are fortunate to operate with a regional perspective, working with communities and partners across Georgia. That diversity is one of our strengths.
A manufacturer in one county may rely on a supplier in another. A company looking to export may depend on the Port of Savannah. A foreign investor may need access to a university or technical college somewhere else in the state.
That’s what a region does: it connects the dots.
And the more effectively we connect those dots, the more competitive we become.
The same principle applies internationally.
The World Trade Centers Association connects World Trade Centers around the world. Each has its own market, industries and strengths, but we are connected through trade and international relationships.
A company in Savannah exploring Italy may benefit from a connection through World Trade Center Trieste. A business looking toward India or South Korea can tap into relationships through other World Trade Centers.
Those connections don’t diminish what Savannah brings to the table. They make Savannah more valuable.
That’s what I took away from Miami.
International trade is inherently collaborative. Supply chains cross borders. Investment crosses borders. Ideas cross borders.
Our economic development strategies can do the same.
That doesn’t mean we stop competing. It means we recognize when our interests align and when collaboration can create a greater opportunity for everyone.
Instead of always asking, “How do we beat them?”
Maybe sometimes we should ask: “How do we make all of us stronger?”
At World Trade Center Savannah, we’re fortunate to be part of both a regional network in Georgia and an international network through the World Trade Centers Association.
And after leaving Miami, I was reminded that those two ideas are really the same:
Think regionally. Connect internationally. Compete globally.
We don’t become stronger by building walls between our communities. We become stronger by building bridges between them.
