Billerud Discussion on Investment Decisions: Are there still other opportunities for infrastructure and community competitiveness? [Cluster Development Theory]

While the new information is disappointing we encourage Billerud to stay committed to the community and develop its local assets to create greater and deeper connections here. Upgrading the equipment would do much to further help the longevity and competitive capacity of the area as well as other industries. While the market may have taken a downturn it can also again take an upturn once some market factors work their way out in a few years. Ensuring they stay engaged can help them hedge changes in the market when inflation cools and situations change. 

One thought is having such anchor companies like Billerud to work to and with other entities to attract new anchor industries so they can maximize local infrastructure for industry and local quality of life. Participating companies would be more efficient, effective and profitable. They do not necessarily need to be directly related industries but may share the same infrastructures (i.e. rail, ports, roads, water, airlines, T1 lines, etc.) as well as some of the same basic skills that can be taught at community colleges to further multiple industries (i.e. economies of scale). 

Let me give you a quick example. Let us say papermills, ship building, entrepreneurs, tourism, hedge fund investments, foreign direct investment (FDI), engineering, prototype creation, trash management, State of MI, Federal interest, auto part manufacturing, etc. coordinated efforts to build their own growth environment. Thus the long term diverse value would be higher than a single investment by a single industry. Much of that is based on coordination and connecting the right parties together. 

Action Item: Is it possible an entity like the Delta County Chamber of Commerce, a committee sponsored by Billerud, Delta County or other organization might actively seek to fund marketing and outreach to potential industries and investment entities that might be interested in local development?

Theoretically anyway that would produce a cluster of its own currently undefined type which would emerge relatively organically to find its own parity with world markets. It starts by thinking of local assets and what industries would be interested in investing in those local assets.

Infrastructure Sharing Imperative World Bank

Research in Infrastructure Sharing Model