A Firm Comprised of Globally-Accomplished Leaders
Our firm was founded in 2001 by Ernie Pearson, an attorney, who has been recognized as one of the best economic development lawyers in the United States. Since our founding, we have expanded our firm locations and are servicing clients from the Southeast to the MIdwest.
SHEDC was born of Ernie’s vision to create a consultancy, comprised of some of the most prominent economic development practitioners, to provide real-world expertise to clients, actualizing tangible results. Our team of the most innovative, globally-accomplished economic development professionals embodies this vision. Collectively, our team possesses over 250 years of practitioner-based experience that has been the benefit of our clients world-wide, bringing them the Leading EDge.
Sanford-Holshouser is headquartered in Raleigh, NC with satellite offices located throughout North Carolina and Virginia.
The Leading EDge
We do not utilize junior partners, research assistants, or interns on our projects; all work is performed by Sanford Holshouser partners.
All SHEDC partners have led economic development organizations at the local, regional, or state levels in the public and private sectors.
Our partners have provided economic development services in 45 states, and 22 countries.
Our clients leverage over 250 years of practitioner-based experience. We did not become “experts” overnight.
Awards and Accomplishments
Sanford Holshouser Economic Development Consulting, LLC is proud of the personal and professional achievements of all its partners. We feel they prove by example the level of innovation, professionalism, dedication and expertise that each of our clients receives when engaging SHEDC. The following are just a few of such accomplishments.
Ernie C. Pearson, Managing Partner, has been recognized by Southern Business & Development Magazine as one of the top economic development attorneys in the 17 southern states, and was recently chosen by Best Lawyers® as one of only 28 top economic development lawyers in the United States in 2013, and has received this designation every year since.
Other Sanford Holshouser Partner Awards and Accomplishments
Presidents, Chairmen and Board Members of (current and past):
North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges, North Carolina Economic Developers Association, National Association of State Development Agencies and Southern Economic Development Council
American Economic Development Council (now International Economic Development Council)
World Development Council
Industrial Development Resource Council (now Industrial Asset Management Council)
Northeast Economic Developers
Triangle Growth Strategies
North Carolina State University School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Foundation
North Carolina Industrial Commission
Town Board of Commissioners for Holly Springs, NC
Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business Advisory Board for International Business
Virginia Society of Marketing Professional Services
Recipient of the Army Commendation Medal
Recipient of the Meritorious Service Medal
Multiple recipients of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine
Recipient of the Virginia TradePort Innovator of the Year Award
Recipient of the North Carolina Economic Developer’s Association President’s Award
Recipient of the Economic Development of the Year – Eastern Center for Regional Development
Recipient of the Partnershipping Award – CSX (first in the State of NC)
Recipient of the Rank of Eagle Scout
Multiple faculty members of the Basic Economic Development Course at UNC-Chapel Hill
Strategic Allies
Although SHEDC’s partners cover a broad range of areas of expertise, relationships with a number of strategic allies are maintained in order to assure that SHEDC can cover all of a client’s needs seamlessly. In its projects, SHEDC frequently works with the following firms. But the relationship with these strategic allies is not exclusive and if desired by a client SHEDC will work with other professional groups. Within its own resources or in conjunction with one or more of the following strategic allies, SHEDC will bring you The Leading EDge.
Nexsen Pruet is one of the leading economic development law firms in the nation. The firm has routinely been recognized by Southern Business and Development magazine as one of the leading economic development law firms in the south. Ernie Pearson, a partner in Nexsen Pruet and the founding partners of SHEDC, every year since the category of economic development law was established, has been listed as one of the top economic development lawyers in the nation by Best Lawyers in America. SHEDC in conjunction with Nexsen Pruet can deliver creative and effective legal structures for incentives, public-private product development deals, economic development organizations, and success driven employment arrangements for economic development professionals.
SHEDC has frequently worked with Applied Marketing Sciences and its President Leigh Ann Howe. Applied Marketing has been assisting clients with their targeting and business development process since 2001, providing research, targeting, and lead generation services for economic development organizations and businesses. Ms. Howe has over 25 years of experience in industry intelligence, target market analysis, and company research. Applied Marketing provides unsurpassed services in target market analysis in conjunction with SHEDC’s work to develop strategic action plans for local and regional economic development organizations. This is essential to ensure that these programs are pursuing investments by companies which are suited for their areas, and that strategic action plans are aligned with those targeted industry sectors.
Research and Consulting Services LLC through its President/CEO Henry Lowenstein, Ph.D. has a history of work with SHEDC in matters that call for a high level of reliable fiscal, economic, or financial analysis. Working with SHEDC for data gathering and development, Dr. Lowenstein, through his proprietary economic modeling program provides conservative, well justified, and compelling fiscal and economic impact analyses of recruitment and economic development projects; a value to public policy makers in determining appropriate project incentives. These analyses validate the high levels of return on investment and breakeven point for public incentives, by taking into account all direct, indirect and induced impacts. Also in site selection projects, Dr. Lowenstein, working with SHEDC provides comprehensive financial analyses of competing locations for a new or expanding company facility. This helps ensure that companies make well informed, sound decisions that serve investors and communities.
The RiverLink Group focuses on the intersection of community development, workforce, higher education and business development and delivers innovative and high quality professional and technical services for its clients.
The RiverLink Group teams with preferred partners with unique expertise to provide comprehensive customized and practical solutions. Our capabilities focus on business retention and growth, entrepreneurial system development, higher education partnerships, talent system development, economic and data analytics, group facilitation, strategic action planning, corporate intelligence, and organizational management services, and rural economic development strategies.
Contact: Elizabeth Povar, Principal
Email: riverlinkllc@gmail.com
Mobile: 804-399-8297
Website: www.riverlinkgroup.com
Convergent Nonprofit Solutions has extensive experience in fundraising for economic development programs at local, regional and state levels. Convergent’s record of success is not matched by any similar group. Convergent provides a team of professional fundraisers with a depth of experience in campaign management, organizational positioning, professional solicitations, and campaign ROI analyses. SHEDC can work with Convergent to develop a strategic economic development action plan and an organizational structure which will support and enhance Convergent’s fundraising efforts.
NP Strategy includes a team of partners with a wealth of experience in corporate communications, public relations, crisis management, public policy, and event coordination and management. SHEDC can call on the services of NP Strategy to prepare strategic communications initiatives and manage media relations for important announcements of new or expanding industries, control messaging for and limit impacts of negative occurrences, develop marketing materials for site selection projects, prepare key leadership for news media interviews, and organize and manage important events. NP Strategy has regularly worked on a range of matters dealing with economic development projects and programs, and its partners understand the dynamics involved in these matters.
Bowen National Research conducts real estate market analysis on a variety of housing and commercial development alternatives throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam. Ranging from site-specific market feasibility studies to community-wide needs assessments, our firm is experienced in working in both rural and urban markets. With a national apartment database of nearly 100,000 properties, state-of-the-art geospatial capabilities, and comprehensive demographic and economic data, our firm is positioned to help others make well-informed and data-driven strategic decisions.
Michael Geouge, CEcD
As a former city planning professional, Mike has broad experience, having served as Planning Director for Gulfport, MS and the Chief/Senior Planner for the western office of the NC Division of Community Services. Both of these positions included program, staff, and budget management responsibilities for medium to large public planning organizations. Additionally, he earlier held positions as a community planner for the States of Tennessee and North Carolina. Mike also has extensive leadership involvement with economic development organizations, including having served on the Board of Directors for Advantage West and acting as chairman of its marketing committee. He was also chairman of the Western Carolina Industrial Partnership, Chairman of the Smoky Mountain Development, and a board member of the North Carolina Economic Developers Association.