Attracting Knowledge-Based Businesses

November 11, 2004

Dustin Crane, president and CEO of Aelera; Emory Mulling, chairman of the Mulling Companies; Chris Miller, executive director of The Creative Coast – “Attracting Knowledge-Based Businesses to Savannah”

HunterMaclean’s inaugural Critical Issues Forum emphasized the importance of attracting knowledge-based businesses to the greater Savannah area. Knowledge-based businesses are typically highly-mobile companies offering high-paying jobs in fields ranging from animation to software development.

Dustin Crane of Aelera discussed the ways in which offshore job outsourcing has not lived up to its promise of extreme savings for American companies. As a result, he said, companies are increasingly identifying U.S. cities outside of major metropolitan areas where they can establish offices and recruit talent for knowledge-based businesses.

Mulling addressed the changing nature of the U.S. workplace, examining the challenges that employers and employees will face in the future. He reported that the average tenure for managers in the U.S. workplace is currently 3.3 years, marking a shift towards a more short-term labor marketplace. Miller discussed the ways in which Savannah is ideally positioned to recruit knowledge-based business due to its talent, technology, tolerance and leadership.