The Dothan region is unique in many ways. Not only is it comprised of four distinct counties with their own individual needs, strengths, business climates and workforce realities, but it straddles two states – Georgia and Florida – that provide even more opportunities for new partnerships. However, this proximity also poses potential competitive issues in regards to tax structures, incentives, regulations and other dynamics.

In order to be as competitive as possible for new and expanding companies, regional leaders need to strive to work beyond the barriers of regional borders and forge alliances that will demonstrate to the corporate relocation and economic development community that the Wiregrass region is a region that understands the new realities of global commerce and competitiveness.

In fact, the reality is that other communities are beginning to realize the benefits of new partnerships for growth. In the November/December 2005 issue of Business Xpansion Journal, the trade publication reported on the burgeoning trend of regional cooperation, even across state lines. In an article titled, “The Beneficiaries:  Corporate America Reaps the Benefits when Rival Economic Developers Work Together as a Region,” the magazine reported:

As economic development organizations increasingly work together to present the benefits of their communities to corporations, (companies) emerge as the big winner. In the global economy, even state borderlines are crumbling. When this happens, corporations are backed by the power of two congressional delegations, as well as two state economic development entities that will do all they can to support corporate activities.

The article then profiled a number of best-practice examples of communities working across state lines to partner as a region. These include: Columbus-Lowndes County, Mississippi and three counties in Alabama; Kansas City, Kansas and Missouri; and a new bi-state initiative in eastern Washington and northern Idaho called the Inland Northwest Economic Alliance that consists of nine economic development councils and 13 countries.

While there is an organization currently working to promote regional issues in Southeast Alabama, qualitative feedback indicated that its efforts must be better promoted, better unified and more fully leveraged for quality growth. The Southeast Alabama Economic Development Partnership (also known as the Southeast Alabama Council for Economic Development or SEACED) coordinates regional efforts for the following counties:  Barbour, Coffee, Covington, Dale, Geneva, Henry, Houston and Pike. SEACED’s focus areas include:  industrial; agricultural; tourism and recreation; retirement; and entrepreneurialism. With an eight-county service area, SEACED is also challenged to effectively address the issues of such a large, diverse constituency.

Informal coalitions have also formed to further regional efforts in the Wiregrass. Following in the footsteps of an unofficial group called Wiregrass Forum (originally called the No Name Organization) that previously met to discuss the potential local impact of statewide legislation, effort initiated by Dothan's City Manager brought together the mayors of the cities of Daleville, Dothan, Enterprise and Ozark to discuss state-level legislation. In April 2005, the mayors’ council developed a joint agreement on state legislation to address concerns of the Wiregrass. This effort marked the first time local municipalities had formed an organized coalition to influence lawmakers in Montgomery.