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Central,na <br />Council of Governments <br /> <br />January 12, 2004 <br /> <br />Mr. Robert M. Freeman, Chairman <br />Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners <br />250 Branchview Drive, Suite G <br />Concord, NC 28025 <br /> <br />RE: Regional CEDS Request <br /> <br />Dear Chairman Freeman: <br /> <br />It is time for a progress report on the regional CEDs effort. Centralina has been invited to submit a final <br />application to EDA, due by January 20m. We hope for a quick turn-around on approval, so that we can <br />begin the regional planning effort in the early Spring. <br /> <br />Our regional strategy needs to focus on our competitive advantage which lies increasingly in local things <br />- knowledge, relationships, and motivation - that distant rivals cannot replicate. During the regional <br />CEDS process, we expect to build on the local plans, identify activities that can strengthen regional <br />competitive advantage, develop nascent regional clusters, preserve our manufacturing heritage, and <br />explore options, such as: <br /> <br /> expand use of lean manufacturing programs, <br />· explore regional cooperative educational opportunities, <br />· initiate seed capital vehicles, <br />· identify private investment sources, <br />· identify export opportunities and facilitation of export activities, <br />· enhance entrepreneurship programs to extend benefits throughout the <br /> region, <br />· determine the potential for a multi-county enterprise district or of a business visitation program, <br /> etc. <br /> <br />The process will involve meetings among representatives from local govemments organizations and <br />businesses around the region. Please be assured that the development projects you identified in your local <br />CEDS process will be included in the regional document. <br /> <br /> <br />