Site Selectors Are People, Too

The Architects of Prosperity: The Unseen Foundations

In Part 7 of our special mini-series, The Architects of Prosperity, we strip away the grand economic theories to look at the raw, physical reality of building a nation. You can pass all the protective tariffs you want and steal the best blueprints in the world, but if your raw materials can't reach the factory—and your workers can't read the operating manual—your economic revolution is dead on arrival.
This episode explores the "enabling state": how governments laid the tracks and trained the minds that made the modern industrial world possible. We dive into the massive, capital-intensive public goods that private markets simply couldn't build on their own.
In This Episode, We Cover:
The Friction of Distance: Why moving a ton of wheat across Pennsylvania in 1810 cost as much as shipping it across the Atlantic, and how massive public works like the Erie Canal changed the world overnight.
The Railroad & The Sears Catalog: How the federal government used unprecedented land grants to underwrite the transcontinental railroad, and how Richard Sears weaponized this new infrastructure to completely destroy local, rural monopolies.
The Hidden Friction of Human Capital: Why Horace Mann's "Common School" movement was just as critical to industrialization as the steam engine, transforming an agrarian population into a disciplined, standardized, and literate workforce.
The Nerd Section (Endogenous Growth Theory): A deep dive into Nobel laureate Paul Romer’s theory, proving mathematically why ideas are "non-rivalrous" and how public investments in education and R&D act as the true, internal engines of long-term economic growth.
#EconomicDevelopment #TheArchitectsOfProsperity #Infrastructure #HumanCapital #EndogenousGrowthTheory #EconomicHistory #SiteSelection #Podcast #SiteSelectorsArePeopleToo

The Architects of Prosperity: The Challengers

In Part 6 of our special mini-series, The Architects of Prosperity, we explore how the rest of the world looked at Britain’s gospel of free trade and called their bluff. While the British preached laissez-faire economics, developing nations viewed it as a rigged "winner's doctrine" designed to keep them in second place. This episode unpacks how three major challengers—the United States, Germany, and Japan—completely rejected the invisible hand and instead used the heavy, muscular power of the state to rewrite the global economic map. Discover how modern economic development tools like corporate subsidies, state-backed infrastructure, and regional logistics corridors were born from 19th-century protectionism.
In This Episode, We Cover:
The American School: How Alexander Hamilton, the nation’s first Treasury Secretary, rejected free trade in favor of "infant industry" protection, direct corporate subsidies, and state-sanctioned corporate espionage to steal British tech.
The German Fortress: The incredible story of political exile Friedrich List and the Zollverein (Customs Union)—the mundane bureaucratic agreement that smashed Germany's internal borders, built a massive protected market, and launched the Ruhr Valley megasite.
The State-Led Leap: How Japan's Meiji Restoration abolished a 260-year-old feudal system overnight and used the government as a visionary entrepreneur to build the nation's first factories, eventually birthing the massive zaibatsu conglomerates like Mitsubishi.
The Nerd Section (Kicking Away the Ladder): A post-story deep dive into economist Ha-Joon Chang’s theory that rich nations use protectionism to reach the top, only to preach free trade to kick the ladder away from everyone else—and how modern policies like the CHIPS Act prove the US is returning to Hamilton's playbook.
#EconomicDevelopment #TheArchitectsOfProsperity #AlexanderHamilton #Zollverein #MeijiRestoration #IndustrialHistory #SiteSelection #Podcast #EconDevHistory #SiteSelectorsArePeopleToo

The Architects of Prosperity: The British Model

In Part 5 of our special mini-series, The Architects of Prosperity, we confront the great contradiction of the Industrial Revolution: the simultaneous worship of the free market and the reluctant birth of the modern regulatory state. While 19th-century British politicians preached the pristine gospel of laissez-faire economics from comfortable London clubs, the horrifying realities of the textile mills forced them to intervene. This episode dives into the dark side of early industrialization to explore how the government built a massive administrative bureaucracy to save capitalism from itself—while enthusiastically using that very same system to discipline its poorest citizens.
In This Episode, We Cover:
The Pristine Theory vs. The Factory Floor: The stark contrast between the theoretical perfection of the free market and the brutal reality of early textile mills, where child "scavengers" crawled under moving iron looms.
The Subpoena That Changed History: How the 1832 Sadler Committee finally broke through the political noise by forcing Parliament to listen to the harrowing testimonies of child laborers and medical doctors.
The Birth of the Administrative State: Why the 1833 Factory Act was a revolution. It wasn't just about limiting work hours; it created a professional inspectorate that became the great-grandfather of modern agencies like OSHA, the EPA, and the SEC.
The Workhouse Meat Grinder: The chilling flip side of state intervention. We explore how the 1834 New Poor Law and the infamous Andover workhouse scandal weaponized technocracy to make poverty a punishable offense.
The Economic Developer's Dilemma: A concluding look at how today's practitioners still navigate this Victorian contradiction, constantly weighing the push for free-market corporate incentives against the need for community benefits and regulatory guardrails.
#EconomicDevelopment #TheArchitectsOfProsperity #IndustrialRevolution #LaissezFaire #AdministrativeState #EconomicHistory #SiteSelection #Podcast #SiteSelectorsArePeopleToo

The Architects of Prosperity: The Classical Revolution

In Part 4 of our special mini-series, The Architects of Prosperity, we explore the intellectual revolution that killed the ultimate zero-sum game: mercantilism. For centuries, nations believed wealth was finite, fighting endless trade wars to hoard gold. This episode unpacks how a quiet Scottish philosopher and a ruthless London stockbroker completely rewired the global economy. Discover how the concepts of the "invisible hand" and comparative advantage dismantled state-sponsored monopolies, birthed modern free trade, and created the intellectual blueprint for globalization.
In This Episode, We Cover:
The Pin Factory Revolution: How eccentric philosopher Adam Smith proved wealth isn't hoarded gold, using a simple pin factory to introduce the division of labor and the "invisible hand."
The Waterloo Stockbroker: How David Ricardo, a self-taught financier who made a fortune betting on the Battle of Waterloo, stepped in to solve the ultimate puzzle of global trade.
The Law of Comparative Advantage: The famous England vs. Portugal "wine and cloth" dilemma, proving why free trade works even if your region is terrible at producing absolutely everything.
The Corn Laws & Free Trade: The decades-long political war over British grain tariffs that ended with the state abandoning mercantilism and launching the era of globalization.
The Nerd Section: A post-story look at how the shift from absolute to comparative advantage directly impacts how modern site selectors conduct target industry analyses and build specialized regional economies.
#EconomicDevelopment #TheArchitectsOfProsperity #AdamSmith #DavidRicardo #FreeTrade #ComparativeAdvantage #SiteSelection #Podcast #EconDevHistory

The Architects of Prosperity: The Price of Innovation

In Part 3 of our special mini-series, The Architects of Prosperity, we explore the dangerous genesis of the narrative economy and the world's first great financial panics. Drowning in war debt, 18th-century France and Britain turned to professional gamblers to securitize their liabilities. This episode unpacks how desperate governments learned to manipulate market psychology—from the debunked myth of the Dutch Tulip Mania to the Scottish fugitive who temporarily bought the French economy. Discover how the world's first "too big to fail" bailout paved the way for the British Empire, while the lack of one sparked the French Revolution.
In This Episode, We Cover:
The Flower That Wasn't a Crisis: Why the 1630s Dutch Tulip Mania was actually just a localized futures market, not a macroeconomic disaster.
The Murderer Who Bought a Country: How Scottish fugitive John Law introduced paper money to France and sold shares in muddy Louisiana swampland.
The South Sea Bubble: How Britain copied France's house of cards, creating a state-sponsored insider trading ring that wiped out Sir Isaac Newton's life savings.
The First "Too Big to Fail": Why Britain's decision to bail out their financial system launched the Industrial Revolution, while France's collapse led to the guillotine.
The Nerd Section: A post-story look at how 18th-century financial alchemy built the modern economic architecture of municipal bonds and TIF districts used today.
#EconomicDevelopment #TheArchitectsOfProsperity #FinancialHistory #JohnLaw #SouthSeaBubble #TooBigToFail #SiteSelection #Podcast #EconDevHistory

The Architects of Prosperity: The King's Site Selector

In Part 2 of our 10-part series on the history of modern economic development, we leave the modern boardroom behind and travel back to 1660s France. Before RFPs and zoning laws, there was Jean-Baptiste Colbert—a cold, workaholic French bureaucrat known as the "Man of Marble." Serving under King Louis XIV, Colbert looked at a massive but economically floundering nation and effectively appointed himself the Vice President of Economic Development. From launching the most aggressive Request for Information (RFI) in history to engaging in deadly corporate espionage to steal Venetian tech, this episode explores how a 17th-century pragmatist invented the modern toolkit of tax abatements, talent attraction, and infrastructure grants.
In This Episode, We Cover:
The Man of Marble: An introduction to Jean-Baptiste Colbert, the obsessive architect of the French economy who used massive audits and data-tracking to turn the state into an information-processing machine.
The Mirror Heist: A thrilling tale of 17th-century corporate espionage, where Colbert smuggled master glassblowers out of Venice, dodged assassins, and founded Saint-Gobain—all to build the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles.
The First Megasite: How Colbert lured Dutch industrialist Josse van Robais to France with a massive incentive package—including cash, monopolies, and a rare religious exemption—to build a city-sized textile operation.
Infrastructure as Strategy: The story behind the Canal du Midi, an ambitious public-private partnership that built a 150-mile canal to completely cut rival Spain out of the global supply chain.
The Compliance Officer from Hell: The dark side of Colbert’s command economy, where failing to meet strict state quality standards resulted in public shaming, smashed equipment, and literal time in the pillory.
The Nerd Section (Mercantilism & Statecraft): A post-story deep dive into the academic theory of bullionism, zero-sum economics, and how mundane bureaucratic rules like the English Navigation Acts shaped modern state power.
#EconomicDevelopment #TheArchitectsOfProsperity #JeanBaptisteColbert #Mercantilism #CorporateEspionage #SiteSelection #Podcast #EconDevHistory #SiteSelectorsArePeopleToo
 
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The Architects of Prosperity: Defining the Quest

Episode Summary: In the debut of our special 10-part miniseries, "The Architects of Prosperity," Devin takes a step back from the spreadsheets to explore the theoretical and historical roots of the economic development profession. This episode, "Defining the Quest," serves as the foundation for the series, challenging the industry to look beyond simple metrics. Devin dives into the crucial distinction between economic growth and true community development, arguing that confusing the two is the most expensive mistake a professional can make.
From 17th-century French industrial policy to Nobel Prize-winning modern philosophy, we set the stage for a journey through the "grand tendencies of history" that shape the sites we select today.
In This Episode, We Cover:
The Architects of Prosperity: An introduction to our 10-part deep dive into the genesis of economic development and why history is the ultimate context for modern practice.
The Math of Growth: Breaking down the Solow-Swan growth model and the "King of Metrics," GDP, to understand why a bigger economic pie doesn't always improve the human condition.
The Danger of Growth Without Development: How placing massive projects in unprepared communities can lead to rising rents and displacement for original residents, even as GDP explodes.
Colbert vs. Sen: A comparison between Jean-Baptiste Colbert’s "Glory of the State" and Amartya Sen’s "Philosophy of Freedom," shifting the goal of ED from building monuments to expanding human opportunity.
Site Selection as Forensic Investigation: Why the prosperity of a community in 2026 often has roots in institutions and policies from 300 years ago.
A Roadmap for the Series: A look ahead at the mercantilists, the Industrial Revolution, and the "utopia-builders" we’ll meet in the coming episodes.
#EconomicDevelopment #TheArchitectsOfProsperity #GrowthVsDevelopment #AmartyaSen #GDP #SiteSelection #Podcast #EconDevHistory #SiteSelectorsArePeopleToo
 
Visit us at Hyphen Strategies, LLC
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The Future of Economic Development: John Launius on Leading Through Industry Challenges

In this installment of our "Stories from the Road" mini-series, Devin sits down with John Launius, Senior Vice President and Chief Economic Development Officer at One Southern Indiana, and the newly appointed Board Chair of the Indiana Economic Development Association (IEDA). In a wide-ranging conversation, John shares his unique journey from a small Missouri town of 800 people to leading major economic development initiatives in the greater Louisville MSA. They dive into the shifting landscape of economic development, the vital importance of Business Retention & Expansion (BRE), and the rising challenges surrounding data centers, utility infrastructure, and NIMBYism.
In This Episode, We Cover:
The Path to ED: How John parlayed a Political Science degree and experience with Special Olympics Kentucky into a dynamic economic development career.
Regionalism vs. BRE: The stark differences between global lead generation at Greater Louisville Inc. (GLI) and removing barriers for local industries at Ivy Tech Community College.
Advice for New Professionals: Why new economic developers need to rely on their network, find mentors like Jim Plump (teaser for the future!), and give themselves grace when facing a steep learning curve.
The Erosion of Public Trust: A candid look at how NDAs and secretive deal structures impact community trust, featuring John's firsthand experience managing the local arrival of a Meta data center.
Vinyl & Disco Balls: John reveals his massive 3,000+ vinyl record collection and the story behind his 11-foot diameter disco ball!
#EconomicDevelopment #SiteSelection #PublicTrust #DataCenters #IEDA #OneSouthernIndiana #Regionalism #BusinessRetention #Podcast #SiteSelectorsArePeopleToo
 
Visit www.thefouridor.com for more on One Southern Indiana and their region.
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Networking & Associations for Economic Developers: Jeremy Sowders on the Way of Hoosier Energy

In this installment of our "Stories from the Road" mini-series, Devin packs up the mic and heads to Bloomington, Indiana, to sit down in person with Jeremy Sowders, Economic Development Leader at Hoosier Energy and recent Board Chair of the Indiana Economic Development Association (IEDA).
In a candid, laugh-out-loud conversation, Devin and Jeremy cut through the corporate jargon to discuss what networking actually looks like when you refuse to be fake. They explore the stark differences between working for a community EDO versus a utility company, how to keep industry associations from becoming echo chambers, and why "trophy hunting" for massive projects can sometimes put your organization at risk. Plus, Jeremy shares his deeply relatable struggles with ADHD in a networking-heavy profession, leading to the infamous "Folder of Shame."
In This Episode, We Cover:
The Accidental Economic Developer: How a college student studying to be the next Crocodile Hunter stumbled into a 20+ year career in economic development.
Utility vs. Local EDO: Why the risk profiles of a power cooperative and a local community don't always align, and the importance of checking your ego before chasing the next mega-project.
The True Value of Associations: Why advocacy and securing a "seat at the table" are the most critical functions of groups like the IEDA right now, and how to stay focused on essential issues.
The "Folder of Shame" & CRM Traps: How to manage networking follow-ups when you have a bad memory, why over-engineering your Salesforce CRM is a trap, and how introverted extroverts can build genuine, authentic connections.
The Hoosier Energy Advantage: Moving beyond standard pitches about taxes and logistics to what site selectors actually crave: brutal honesty, fast answers, and the unique regulatory flexibility of a co-op.
#EconomicDevelopment #SiteSelection #Networking #AuthenticLeadership #UtilityEconDev #HoosierEnergy #EconDev #CareerJourney #SiteSelectors
 
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An Outsider's Take on Site Selection: Tianya Pinkham on Breaking Into Economic Development from Luxury Sales

We've all been guilty of it—getting so deep into the weeds of economic development that we forget what our world looks like to an outsider. When was the last time you had to explain a PILOT, a TIF, or what a LEDO actually does to someone who wasn't already an industry veteran?
In this episode of Site Selectors Are People Too, host Devin Hillsdon-Smith sits down with Tianya Pinkham, the newly minted Vice President of Business Development at Hyphen Strategies. Coming from the high-stakes, fast-paced world of luxury auto sales, Tianya brings a fresh, Gen Z perspective to the often secretive and complex site selection industry. Together, they discuss what it’s like to navigate the steep learning curve of economic development, the immense power of a "learner's mentality," and why everything in life—from buying a car to a multi-million dollar corporate relocation—is ultimately about building relationships.
Devin and Tianya break down the transition from the dealership floor to the economic development table, focusing on four key takeaways for industry pros:
The Outsider's Lens: Why hiring someone with no economic development background can be your greatest asset, and how stepping back reveals the true community impact of your projects—like seeing the literal "cranes in the sky".
Translating the Jargon: Decoding the alphabet soup of ED (LEDOs, REDOs, PILOTs, and NIMBYism). They discuss why simplifying your message is crucial for public education and addressing resident concerns before they derail a project.
The Art of the Pushback: Lessons from luxury sales on how to uncover a CEO's true "hot buttons." Learn the importance of asking the hard "why" questions early on and why the absolute best deals leave both sides feeling slightly uncomfortable.
Humanizing the Pitch: Ditching the stiff corporate facade and leaning into your personality. Whether you're selling a vehicle or forging a 20-year community partnership, authenticity and transparency always win the deal.
📚 Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
Connect with Tianya: Have a question or just chuckled at this episode? Shoot her a text at 317-419-7710.
International Economic Development Council - 101 courses
Remember: Stay curious, get to work, and let's have some fun!
#EconomicDevelopment #SiteSelection #SalesStrategy #NIMBYism #CareerTransition #EDO #CorporateRealEstate #Leadership
 
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