Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs
Following are answers to some of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance's most frequently asked questions.
The Alliance, along with its partners, markets Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County with strategic initiatives to reach company executives, site selectors and real estate consultants. Advertising, industry trade shows, marketing missions, press releases, direct mail and on-line technology are just a few of the ways these key audiences are reached in order to generate qualified leads and prospects.
The types of companies the Alliance seeks to attract and grow are those that create wages 115% and above Broward County's average wage. We also are seeking companies in growing industries such as aviation, technology, life sciences, marine, creative industries and international commerce. Regional and corporate headquarters are also a target for business development initiatives.
The top leaders in Broward County who are involved include business, government, academia and community leaders. They help us by meeting with companies, attending industry trade shows and missions, funding marketing programs and providing testimonials about Broward's strong business climate. They also lead efforts to improve Broward's business environment so companies can succeed and grow.
Examples of services offered by the Alliance include assistance with business relocation or expansion and site selection; incentive programs and information; market research; and serving as a liaison for workforce development between CareerSource Broward, educational institutions and the business community.
What is the Alliance specifically doing to improve our quality of life issues?
The Alliance works with a number of community organizations that address quality of life issues. Examples include local civic and non-profit organizations, The Florida Redevelopment Association, Smart Growth Partnership, South Florida Regional Planning Council, Urban Land Institute (ULI) and others. Additionally, the Alliance has presented educational sessions to the business community regarding topics of importance such as property insurance, airport expansion, redevelopment, affordable housing and transportation. The Alliance has also been a key player in developing and promoting the work of Six Pillars Broward, Broward County's community-wide economic development strategic planning process.
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What is an investor's return on investment with the Alliance?
Following is the rate of return for every dollar invested in the Alliance in the last ten years, based on direct capital investment in Broward County. The average for the last five years is $52.52 per dollar invested.
- 2010 - $4.42
- 2011 - $28.10
- 2012 - $31.23
- 2013 - $62.15
- 2014 - $97.23
- 2015 - $35.29
- 2016 - $66.10
- 2017 - $74.72
- 2018 - $11.04
- 2019 - $78.96
The Alliance is the only public/private partnership for economic development focusing on growing and diversifying the economy in Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County. We are competing against well financed organizations in other communities that are seeking to attract the same companies we desire to have in our economy. Your time and resources help us to market the area and attract companies that make our community a better place to live and work, and contribute to the economic success of business as a whole in the county.
The Alliance helps to grow our economy and expand our markets so companies in Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County can grow and succeed, including your business. The competitiveness of companies is in large part tied to the competitiveness of the economic regions in which they do business. The Alliance also advocates for business in Broward County.
The Alliance began as the Broward Economic Development Board when it was created by the state of Florida in 1963. In 1978 it was taken under the wing of Broward County. Its Committee of 100, a group of private businesspeople, functioned as an arm of the Board. In 1991, the Broward Economic Development Board became the Broward Economic Development Council. The Broward Economic Development Council was renamed The Broward Alliance in 1998 and named the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance in 2010. The goal of the organization has always been to promote economic development in order to strengthen and diversify Broward County's economy.
Broward County government, through its Office of Economic and Small Business Development, works as a partner with the Alliance to grow and diversify Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward's economy. They are our largest funding provider and we are very appreciative of their support. However, it is important to remember that the private sector is a critical element of any successful economic development strategy. "Unless the private sector is ready, willing and able to invest in a community, economic growth simply will not occur, regardless of how much government spends." (Sandy Baruah, Former Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development and former head of the Economic Development Administration for the U.S. Department of Commerce).