S.C. Site Consultancies Merge
Jan 18, 2018 08:39AM ● By Emily Stevenson
Two site selection firms, Strategic Development Group and Goldsmith
Strategy, both based in South Carolina, have completed a merger.
Strategic Development Group President and CEO Mark Williams will serve
as the president of the combined firm, while Jeannette Goldsmith will
serve as vice president.
Williams and Goldsmith bring a combined experience of more than fifty years and a seasoned professional staff. The firm, which will continue to be known as Strategic Development Group, provides complete site search and analysis, location recommendations, and incentive negotiation and analysis for mid-sized to large US-based and multi-national companies. SDG also provides site evaluation, strategic planning and marketing consulting services to state and regional economic development organizations, cities, counties and utilities.
Williams is currently the chair of the Site Selectors Guild, the only association of the world's foremost professional site selection consultants, and served as the chief development officer and the director of existing industry, both positions with the SC Department of Commerce, before founding Strategic Development Group in 1999. Along with an MBA from the University of South Carolina, he has earned the Certified Economic Developer (CED) designation and chaired the International Economic Development Council’s certification board.
Goldsmith served with Fluor's Global Location Strategies as project manager and as principal with McCallum Sweeney Consulting prior to founding Goldsmith Strategy. She received a masters degree in Public Policy from Duke University and is a member of the South Carolina Economic Developers Association and the International Economic Development Council.
"I feel very privileged to be working with Jeannette, who has built an outstanding reputation as a site-selection consultant, and who brings other specialized strengths in helping economic development organizations position their regions for competitive growth," said Williams.
"Mark and I share a similar mindset in our strategic focus, our methodical and careful project execution, our interest in intensive client service, and in our ethical values of transparency and integrity," said Goldsmith. "Those similarities gave me a great comfort level in combining our firms."
SDG's site selection services include a full array of project analysis processes including assessment and analysis of site attributes, logistics and transportation, labor availability and workforce demographics, costs of conducting business including tax rates, utility rates and construction, training and infrastructure installation, and cost of living and overall quality of life. The firm's services to public sector and economic development organizations include identifying new sites with high potential through specialized databases and GIS tools, evaluation of existing sites, identifying peer cities and regions for competitive comparisons, and engaging in a holistic strategic planning process to assess and strengthen the competitive advantages of different regions.
Williams and Goldsmith bring a combined experience of more than fifty years and a seasoned professional staff. The firm, which will continue to be known as Strategic Development Group, provides complete site search and analysis, location recommendations, and incentive negotiation and analysis for mid-sized to large US-based and multi-national companies. SDG also provides site evaluation, strategic planning and marketing consulting services to state and regional economic development organizations, cities, counties and utilities.
Williams is currently the chair of the Site Selectors Guild, the only association of the world's foremost professional site selection consultants, and served as the chief development officer and the director of existing industry, both positions with the SC Department of Commerce, before founding Strategic Development Group in 1999. Along with an MBA from the University of South Carolina, he has earned the Certified Economic Developer (CED) designation and chaired the International Economic Development Council’s certification board.
Goldsmith served with Fluor's Global Location Strategies as project manager and as principal with McCallum Sweeney Consulting prior to founding Goldsmith Strategy. She received a masters degree in Public Policy from Duke University and is a member of the South Carolina Economic Developers Association and the International Economic Development Council.
"I feel very privileged to be working with Jeannette, who has built an outstanding reputation as a site-selection consultant, and who brings other specialized strengths in helping economic development organizations position their regions for competitive growth," said Williams.
"Mark and I share a similar mindset in our strategic focus, our methodical and careful project execution, our interest in intensive client service, and in our ethical values of transparency and integrity," said Goldsmith. "Those similarities gave me a great comfort level in combining our firms."
SDG's site selection services include a full array of project analysis processes including assessment and analysis of site attributes, logistics and transportation, labor availability and workforce demographics, costs of conducting business including tax rates, utility rates and construction, training and infrastructure installation, and cost of living and overall quality of life. The firm's services to public sector and economic development organizations include identifying new sites with high potential through specialized databases and GIS tools, evaluation of existing sites, identifying peer cities and regions for competitive comparisons, and engaging in a holistic strategic planning process to assess and strengthen the competitive advantages of different regions.