As an economic developer, it is certainly easy to see why Lawrence is special.

We have wonderful assets to market to prospective businesses looking to locate in our area, such as a phenomenal quality of life, excellent school system, great community demographics, fabulous downtown, vibrant business community, presence of three higher-education institutions and our close proximity to Kansas City and Topeka.

Additionally, we have a tremendous future in the area of biosciences with the amount of research that Kansas University is conducting, the proximity to Stowers Institute in Kansas City, and the presence of several emerging biosciences companies, including Serologicals and Deciphera.

However, to showcase the assets described above to prospective companies, we have to first “get in the game.” Douglas County Economic Development competes with 15,000 other economic development organizations across the country to attract new companies to our area. With few new business locations per year across the United States, it is extremely challenging to attract new companies like Serologicals to our area. We market to site selectors who are contracted by companies to choose future locations. Site selectors are bottom-line individuals who compare community incentives, work force availability and affordability and real estate options when making decisions about locations for their clients. We aggressively market to site selectors so they’ll include Douglas County in their future searches for clients.

What usually makes the difference in attracting new companies, however, is actually what isn’t special about Lawrence. Like every other community in the United States, successfully attracting a company to the area requires having the essential tools in our toolbox, such as available sites (land) that can quickly be developed, an attractive business climate (including incentives) and a work force that meets prospective companies’ needs. These tools, which are common to all prospective locations, most often determine who wins the new company.

Once we make a “short list” for a project, the site selector will often visit the real estate options in our county that meet the criteria for the project. Only in rare instances do they take time for us to drive through campus or downtown on the way out of town. Put simply, there isn’t always the opportunity to showcase the things that make us special.

Lawrence’s fantastic quality of life and amenities certainly help put the “icing on the cake” when we court prospective companies. If we don’t have the essential tools to “get in the game” in the first place, though, we will be passed over by the site selection community, and we will miss opportunities to showcase how truly special Lawrence is.

Lynn Parman is vice president of economic development for the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce.