Don Kirkman Quotations

This project has unfolded just as we hoped it would. The traditional economic impacts have been substantial - including things such as investment and employment numbers.

Leadership remains the leading challenge of these kinds of regional efforts.

It gives us the resources we desperately need ... to develop global competitiveness at the regional level.

We have a strong transportation system, a strong manufacturing work force and a comprehensive work-force training system with an advanced manufacturing component to offer.

We are delighted that the Piedmont Triad proposal was selected for this grant. The WIRED grant gives us both the financial and technical resources to develop an integrated strategy to restore the Piedmont Triad's global economic competitiveness.

When Dell, a company that conducts intensive due diligence, selects you, other companies certainly take notice. That's reflected in the increase in recruitment activity since Dell chose the Triad last year.

Tom has been a very effective advocate for the redistribution of resources for business startups. I would certainly say that many of us who are traditional practitioners of economic development become too narrowly focused on business recruitment when in fact the lion's share of jobs are generated through existing industry expansions and new business.

I've seen some great things happen when you develop trust across boundaries. This holds promise.

Dell being in the Triad has validated our message that the Piedmont Triad is an excellent place to do business.

You want growth - it is a clear indicator of economic health. But you don't want growth that is so rapid that it outstrips your capacity and your infrastructure.

The key to successful regional economic development is leadership. So to embrace a regional vision really requires leaders to understand the value of the importance of regions and the value of working collaboratively at regional levels.

In a sense, PART has stepped in to bridge the council of government divide and provide a platform that's critically important to us from both a transportation and land-use planning perspective.

His assistance in writing the grant contributed significantly to our being selected to participate in the program, and his knowledge of new economy strategies will be a distinct advantage for us as we move forward with implementing the grant.

These are important contacts for us. Greenville is home to some of the industry's top consulting firms, while several of the national firms have regional offices in Charlotte.

The long-term ability to provide water is an incredibly important asset and infrastructure requirement to attracting new companies to the Piedmont region. As a long-term solution to water-capacity needs, I think the Randleman Reservoir will be tremendously important.