Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue II, 2012 | Page 77
or two or three of those types of projects
going now?
That is precisely the type of conversation I want my politicians and business
leaders to have in the next 10, 20, 30
years. Let’s pick a couple of industries we
want to “own” and build the incentives
and the infrastructure to make it happen.
Let’s figure out how the biotech corridor
in Massachusetts was created, or the vibrant Research Triangle Park in North
Carolina, or the technological expertise
in and around Silicon Valley.
Southern California used to own the
entertainment industry, and the Pacific
Northwest owned aerospace. What happened? Let’s lure back some of the workers, technology, and ancillary expertise we
ceded overseas in the outsourcing mania
of the 1980s, 1990s, and beyond. Does it
mean we may have to pay a little higher
price for some goods? Perhaps, at least
initially, but strategically and economically
(and morally) it’s the right thing to do.
Where’s the vision and leadership to accomplish something this grand? There are
so many things we could tackle (the smart
grid, renewable energy, cloud computing
security, etc.) to strengthen industries that
would facilitate high-paying, highly skilled
jobs and all sorts of ancillary businesses to
support them. The best athletes, musicians,
speakers, and entertainers visualize perfect
performances and positive outcomes. Why
can’t we collectively identify and start working toward something positive?
Yes, things seem overwhelmingly negative and exceedingly frustrating right now.
That’s obvious from the headlines, the
market volatility, and the people “occupying” public places everywhere. But with
a modicum of vision, courage, and heart
we could muddle through this fog into a
brighter tomorrow.
The only online resource
exclusively for Multi-Unit Franchisees
and Area Developers.
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Strengthen your system and
grow your brands.
Carol M. Schleif, CFA,
is a partner and investment
principal of Lowry Hill, a
Wells Fargo business. Lowry
Hill is a private asset management firm that provides
proprietary investment management and financial services to families, individuals, and
foundations with wealth greater than $10
million. The firm manages approximately $4.7
billion in assets for nearly 300 families and
56 foundations from offices in Minneapolis,
Naples, Fla., and Scottsdale, Ariz. Schleif
(formerly Clark) welcomes questions and comments at [email protected].
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