About the Project

Target Analysis

The objective of the Target Business Analysis is to identify the primary business sectors that have the highest probability of success in Gwinnett County. Market Street will base target sector recommendations on the following:

• National economic trends;
• Economic, demographic, and geographic assets;
• Workforce skill-levels and capacity;
• Infrastructure, support services, and other amenities;
• Existing clusters, and the synergies within, and between them; and
• Emerging, unrealized, and new opportunities in Gwinnett County.

The Target Business Analysis will include quantitative research, such as location quotient and economic base analysis, as well as qualitative research. Analysis of the Gwinnett County economic base will be included to determine industry mix, overall economic climate, and recent expansions and locations. The analysis will produce a list of targeted business sectors that will highlight the most important existing – and the most promising future business targets for Gwinnett County officials to pursue.

Qualitative research also allows for a discussion of the types of jobs in a particular business sector. Gwinnett County officials must be concerned with not only the amount of jobs that a new or growing sector may create, but also the types and quality of those jobs. For example, if the local labor force does not have the educational and technical skills to work in a specific business sector, then targeting that sector for development may not benefit local residents, resulting in overall failure. Conversely, Gwinnett County officials may not want to target a business sector that is expected to dramatically contract in the future, even if it does constitute an existing large presence in the local region.

Specific work elements of the Target Business Analysis include:

I. Review of Business Location and Expansion Decisions
The analysis of Gwinnett County’s prospects will begin with an overview of the decision making process of relocating and expanding businesses. This description will highlight the factors that businesses consider when choosing a location for a facility.

II. Analysis of Existing Business Concentrations
The next stage of the process is to identify the primary business sectors that already exist in the County, and analyze their current and future value to Gwinnett County. Based on the analysis of data collected from national and state sources, attention will be given to those businesses and business sectors that have the greatest potential for continued growth, and have the most positive impact on the area. The analysis will focus on employment and wages in existing sectors, available support infrastructure for sector development, and identification of workforce training assets for each sector.

III. Key Business Target Recommendations
The purpose of identifying business concentrations is to focus the county’s economic development efforts. Therefore, this document will recommend the key business targets on which Gwinnett County organizations and agencies should concentrate their economic development marketing resources. Each recommendation will include:

- Definition of the scope of the targeted business sector and national trends in the industry;
- Key requirements of relocating and expanding businesses in this sector, and trends that affect their site selection decisions;
- Gwinnett County’s existing business activity in the sector;
- Specific assets of the Gwinnett County community that make it competitive for this sector; and
- Identification of challenges and opportunities for the county to address in developing the target sector.

This Target Business Analysis is a vital part of the County’s economic development efforts as it provides clear direction on current and future economic development recruitment and retention targets, and promotes the efficient use of scarce community resources.