Agenda
Monday, August 5
6:00pm - 7:00pm
Welcome Reception
Please join us for a pre-event gathering at the Hotel on Monday evening for an opportunity to network with other attendees and speakers in a relaxed and casual environment, before the forum kicks off on Tuesday morning.
Tuesday, August 6
7:00am - 8.30am
Breakfast
7.30am - 8.30am
One-on-One Meetings with Speakers
8.30am - 9.00am
Welcome & Introduction
Tim Feemster, Managing Principal, Foremost Quality Logistics
9.00am - 9.45am
Ecommerce: Buildings, Locations, and TrendsBen Conwell, Senior Managing Director, Cushman & Wakefield
Ben is Senior Managing Director and Practice Leader for Cushman & Wakefield’s eCommerce and Electronic Fulfillment Specialty Practice Group for the Americas. His responsibilities include counsel on strategy, site selection, design and execution for leading retail and logistics occupiers and investors, intellectual property presentation and business development. As leader of the Special Practice Group, Ben provides Cushman & Wakefield clients the most up to date market-leading counsel to effectively plan and execute their supply chain and fulfillment and real estate strategies. He is a Senior Certified Supply Chain Professional and a member of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. Ben serves on the C&W Industrial and Logistics Services Leadership Team and its Executive Committee.
9.45am - 10.30am
Site, Community and Workforce Readiness: How to Prepare Yourself for the WinBenton Blaine, Vice President, McGuireWoods Consulting
This session will use “hypotheticals” to walk through a best practices for economic developers. This includes:- Preparing your City/County Council: when they should be involved, confidentiality, do’s and don’ts, and making public comments;
- Selecting your best sites: municipal owned, privately held and/or how to work with developers;
- Submitting your RFI: highlighting the top ten worst RFI answers and how they occur more often than you think;
- Leading your best site tour: who should be involved, what is being presented and whether to show the actual site; and
- Understanding disruptors to get ahead: how autonomous vehicles will affect your infrastructure and employment base.
As a vice president on McGuireWoods Consulting's infrastructure and economic development team, Benton assists companies in their expansion and development projects. His experience with site selection, incentives negotiation and public-private partnerships allows him to provide value-added services to a range of internal company stakeholders including finance, operations, real estate, government relations and tax. Benton has successfully orchestrated inbound projects from countries such as China, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Switzerland and the U.K., among others. In assisting inbound and U.S.-based companies, Benton has analyzed hundreds of locations for companies across 30+ U.S. states and secured capital savings and/or mitigated risk that has had a direct reduction in a client's initial or recurring costs.
10.30am -10.45am
Break
10.45am - 11.30am
What Developers and Customers are Looking for From an EDO in a Spec Building / Industrial ParkGreg Arnold, Partner, Dermody Properties
Greg Arnold joined Dermody Properties as a partner in the northeast regional office in West Conshohocken, PA, outside of Philadelphia. With more than 26 years of real estate experience he lead sDermody’s national customer relationship initiative. Arnold most recently served as a principal at NorthPointe. He also spent 16 years at ProLogis where he held the position of senior vice president.11.30am - 12.15pm
AI & Technology- the Impact on Supply Chains and Site SelectionChad Redfern, Strategic Markets and Analytics Management, Mohr Partners
- Mastering Logistic Complexity via technology and data intelligence.
- Autonomous innovation and automation
- New Technology, Cloud-Based Systems and IoT Deployment
- Ongoing Data, IoT, Technology Security Concerns
Chad is an experienced Managing Partner with a demonstrated history of working in the venture capital and private equity industry. Prior to joining Mohr Partners, Chad was the Founder of several extremely successful technology and service-based businesses with outstanding exits. Chad has been in the commercial real estate industry for over 10 years, with a long track record of success in representing office and industrial tenants on both a local and national level. He is an experienced C-Level Executive and Managing Partner with a demonstrated history of working in operations, negotiation, business planning, turnarounds, cutting-edge robotics, technology disrupters, blockchain, logistics, and marketing. Extremely strong understanding of global business operations, business development, planning, and execution.
12.15pm - 1.00pm
Lunch
1.00pm - 5.00pm
One-on-One Meetings with Speakers
6.00pm - 8.00pm
Group Networking Dinner
Wednesday, August 7
7:00am - 8.30am
Breakfast
7.30am - 8.30am
One-on-One Meetings with Speakers
8.45am - 9.30am
Site Selection for Food Processing/Manufacturing FacilitiesAmy Gerber, Executive Managing Director, Cushman & Wakefield
- Recent mergers & acquisitions in the industry and the openings and closings of facilities related to these activities
- FDI in food – impacts of supply chain costs in bringing mfg to the US
- Identifying and mitigating delivery and operating risks through the site selection process
- Real estate, Regulatory, Utility capacity and infrastructure (incl. rail), Permits & zoning, Supply chain, Financial, Unemployment Insurance
- An integrated financial model
- What EDOs can do- developing the message and team
9.30am - 10.15am
Foreign Direct Investment – How to Navigate a Changing LandscapeMorgan Berryhill Crapps, Consultant, Parker Poe Consulting
In today’s economic climate, drivers for investment decisions continue to evolve due to changing conditions around the globe – including the changing conditions here in the United States. In this session, we’ll discuss how domestic FDI activity and international supply chains are fluctuating and evolving because of new regulations under the Trump administration and actions taking place worldwide.
Morgan Crapps works with corporate clients to find optimal locations for their entry, expansion, or relocation in North America. She also negotiates and structures incentive agreements with state and local governments. Morgan frequently advises companies on manufacturing, distribution, office, and development projects and has significant experience working with global businesses to facilitate foreign direct investment (FDI) in the United States.
10.15am - 10.30am
Break
10.30am - 11.15am
Incentives in the Post Amazon/Foxconn EraGeorge Francis, Managing Director, Deloitte Tax LLP
A review of the “state of the union” in regards to the current landscape for economic development and relocation related incentives.
This session will cover examples of the heightened focus on these programs, as evidenced by increased focus on transparency, scrutiny by press, public, and governmental agencies. Also a discussion of any tangible changes seen in the actions or awards by relevant jurisdictions.
11.15am - 12.00pm
How Corporate America Can Save Capital in Site Selection and HOT Tertiary MarketsSteve Pastor, VP of Global Supply Chain & Ports Logistics Practice, NAI James E Hanson
- Why and how corporate America in changing their entire methodology on their site selection process
- What is triggering the growth of hot tertiary markets and why we need them for positive growth in the US
12.00pm - 12.15pm
Closing Summary
Tim Feemster, Managing Principal, Foremost Quality Logistics
12.15pm - 1.00pm
Lunch
1.00pm - 4.00pm
One-on-One Meetings with Speakers
5.30pm - 7.00pm
Closing Networking Reception
Media Partner
Conference Sponsors
