Published in the June 25-July 8, 2014 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By John Horner
John Horner
Every city faces the challenge of distilling its message into something both meaningful and mind-catching. Happily, we have settled on “Meet Morgan Hill” as the message all our efforts can build upon.
The first public use of “Meet Morgan Hill” was at the recent Specialized Bicycles-sponsored Spring Classic bike tour. Organizations from throughout the community gathered under the “Meet Morgan Hill” banner to welcome cyclists from throughout the county to our area. They not only discovered an unparalleled cycling destination, but also learned about our world-class dinning, restaurants, recreational opportunities and more.
Not long after that, our Outdoor Sports Complex hosted the five-day Presidents Cup youth soccer tournament, and every team was greeted with a “Meet Morgan Hill” reusable shopping bag full of information on other amenities and services they could take advantage of while staying and playing with us. That event was also an excellent opportunity to partner with Gilroy’s Welcome Center in order to provide additional lodging and other resources that were needed to host such a large event. It is important that we remember our role in the wider region, and the way in which our various cities complement and support one another.
Bringing tourists to town for cycling, soccer, and major events like the recent Mushroom Mardis Gras and upcoming Freedom Fest is but one leg of the economic vitality stool. Thriving communities are almost universally built upon a multi-sector thriving business community, and another important leg is growing a high-quality, good-paying job base. The Meet Morgan Hill campaign is already active in that arena as well. Recently, we developed a “Meet Morgan Hill’s Large Employers” booklet for use in economic development outreach. Morgan Hill’s Vice Mayor Marilyn Librers is on an economic development trip to China to raise awareness of the opportunities for Chinese companies to buy from Morgan Hill businesses and/or to expand their North American operations with a new Morgan Hill location.
Morgan Hill is already fortunate to have the North American headquarters for Japan’s Anritsu and Sakata Seeds corporations in our city. Perhaps there are growing companies which could likewise bring more jobs to our region. Even more importantly, advanced manufacturing is undergoing a fascinating trend of bringing jobs back to the U.S. from China, and Morgan Hill needs to compete for a share of that opportunity. We will continue making the case for employers to Meet Morgan Hill, because once they meet us they may well see the advantage of moving in.
Another exciting step forward in the economic development arena is the nascent Silicon Valley Regional Economic Development Initiative spearheaded by San Jose’s Chamber of Commerce. Unlike Austin, Atlanta and other powerhouse regions, Silicon Valley does not have an active organized business promotion entity. Morgan Hill’s Chamber of Commerce is excited to partner with other Chambers to tell both the region’s story and the unique attributes and opportunities of the various cities within Silicon Valley. Smart growth and thoughtful economic development are what we are all about. I’m thrilled to report that your Chamber of Commerce is on the job of building our job base.
John Horner is the President/CEO of the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce. He can be reached at (408) 779-9444.
