Skip Hoagland VS The Chamber

 

I MAY NOT BE THE BRIGHTEST PUP RUNNING ON THE BEACH, BUT THEN AGAIN I REALLY DON’T HAVE TO BE TO REALIZE THAT HILTON HEAD HAS BEAUTIFUL BEACHES, GREAT GOLF COURSES, WONDERFUL DINING AND SHOPPING.  EVEN I CAN GET VISITORS TO OUR ISLAND BY JUST LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THAT.

IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE “ARTICLES” THAT SKIP HOGAN HAS WRITTEN ABOUT THE CHAMBER LATELY, YOU SLEPT THROUGH YOUR PACKET READING.

EVERYONE SEEMS TO MISS THE POINT.   IT’S ALL ABOUT JOBS – THE PERMANENT KIND.   TOURISM IS THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND OUR ISLAND ECONOMY – NO ONE CAN DENY THAT.  HOWEVER, IT DOESN’T TAKE A ROCKET SCIENTIST (OR THE BRIGHTEST PUP) TO ATTRACT TOURISTS TO A BEAUTIFULL PLACE LIKE HILTON HEAD ISLAND.   MARKETING AND ADVERTISING THE HHI BRAND THROUGH THE RIGHT MEDIA WILL GET THE JOB DONE. 

WHAT ABOUT PERMANENT JOBS OTHER THAN THE ONES SUPPORTING TOURISM?  WHO IS DOING ANYTHING TO GET NEW BUSINESSESS HERE?  YOU MIGHT SAY THAT BUSINESSESS (OTHER THAN RETAIL OR SERVICE) AREN’T ATTRACTED TO RESORT AREAS.  WRONG!  IN TODAY’S WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY, THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF COMPANIES THAT CAN OPERATE FROM HERE JUST AS EASY AS THEY CAN FROM A BIG CITY.  IF I WAS LIVING THE DOG’S LIFE IN ERIE, PA (WHERE MY OWNER USED TO LIVE) AND YOU OFFERED ME A TECH JOB HERE, I’D BE IN A CAGE IN THE BELLY OF THE FIRST AIRPLANE HEADING SOUTH.

WE NEED TO BE THINKING THE ENTIRE LOW COUNTRY AREA; NOT JUST THE ISLAND.  IF A BUSINESS LOCATES ANYWHERE IN BEAUFORT OR JASPER COUNTIES, THE PEOPLE WHO RUN AND WORK IN THOSE BUSINESSESS WILL COME TO HILTON HEAD.  THEY MIGHT BUY A HOME OR JUST MAKE FREQUENT VIST’S, BUT THEY WILL PUMP MONEY INTO OUR ECONOMY AND CREATE JOBS.   PET CARE FACILITIES WILL THRIVE AND LOTS OF NEW DOG FOOD AND TREATS WILL FILL THE SHELVES OF THE GROCERY STORES (SORRY, GOT CARRIED AWAY).

 RECENTLY, MY OWNERS COMPANY PLAYED A LARGE ROLE IN BRINGING A CALIFORNIA BUSINESS TO OUR AREA.  BE GREEN COMPANY MANUFACTURES COMPOSTIBLE PACKAGING (INCLUDING THE GILETTE FUSION RAZOR PACKAGE) IN CHINA.   THEY ARE NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS IN A 90,000 SQ. FT. BUILDING IN RIDGELAND AND EXPECT TO EMPLOY 175 PEOPLE – THEY TOOK BUSINESS AWAY FROM CHINA!  THE OWNERS OF THE COMPANY LOVE, SUPPORT AND SPEND MONEY ON HILTON HEAD.  LOCATING THEIR BUSINESS IN RIDGELAND HELPS HHI AND THE ENTIRE LOW COUNTRY.

THEY GOT PHENOMENAL SUPPORT FROM TOM UPSHAW (HE GETS IT!) AND HIS TEAM AT PALMETTO ELECTRIC, THE LOW COUNTRY ECONOMIC NETWORK (LOCATED IN BEAUFORT AT THE TIME), JASPER COUNTY, STATE OF SOUTHCAROLINA, USCB, AND CLEMSON.   GOVERNOR NIKKI HALEY PERSONALLY CAME HERE TO OPEN BE GREEN.

MISSING IN ACTION; PEOPLE FROM OUR CHAMBER AND ISLAND BUSINESS PEOPLE INCLUDING MR HOAGLAND.  WE NEED TO ENCOURAGE HOAGLAND AND THE CHAMBER TO FOCUS ON MORE THAN JUST TOURISM TO SUPPORT OUR LOCAL ECONOMY.   SC SENATOR TOM DAVIS GETS IT!  HE COMMENTED TO MY BOSS RECENTLY; “THE ENTIRE AREA NEEDS TO WORK TOGETHER TO BRING JOBS TO THE LOW COUNTRY”.

I KNOW; I’M JUST A DOG, BUT I GET IT!  WE NEED TO QUIT BARKING ABOUT IT AND GET TO THE TASK OF BRINGING NEW BUSINESSES (JOBS, JOBS, JOBS) TO HILTON HEAD AND THE ENTIRE AREA.  PUT SOME ENTREPRENEUERS IN CHARGE OF GETTING IT DONE (WITHOUT GOVERNMENT COMMITTEES DOING STUDIES) AND WATCH WHAT HAPPENS.  NOW THAT’S GOOD DOG SENSE!

YOUR GOOD BUDDY,

BURTON

PS; THINKING ABOUT SELLING OR BUYING REAL ESTATE?  NO ONE BETTER THAN MY OWNERS AT Southern Lifetyle Properties.