Louisville, like the rest of the nation, is facing incredible economic challenges. Jobs are being lost. Opportunities to start new businesses are more limited than in the past. Families are adjusting to tighter budgets and dealing with a higher level of uncertainty than any time in the last generation.
   
Despite all of this, Louisville is a city with tremendous potential. We have an educated workforce, are well-positioned geographically for logistics and shipping and have a number of large projects underway that will pay dividends for decades to come: the Louisville bridges, the downtown arena, the reinvestment in our Ford facilities, new jobs at GE and UPS's ongoing investment.
   
Unfortunately, much of our potential remained untapped during the past decade. Where our competitor cities were growing jobs and investment, Louisville actually lost private sector jobs - even before the economic downturn. Consider that between 2000 - 2008:*
   
    Indianapolis GAINED 45,900 jobs.
   
    Nashville GAINED 48,500 jobs.
   
    Cincinnati GAINED 19,000 jobs.
   
    Louisville LOST 2,200 jobs.

Public relations and press releases can't paper over these facts. Louisville hasn't made the progress that we need to make to provide jobs and opportunity to our community.

We can, however, change the course.  As someone who has brought over 5,000 jobs to the Louisville Metro Area, Hal Heiner knows how to tap our potential.

Louisville can grow jobs, attract investment and stimulate new small businesses. We can attract industry, encourage entrepreneurs and develop a business-friendly environment. To provide new opportunities for our city we must have:

• Strong Leadership. Our next Mayor must be Louisville's chief economic development officer, promoting our city as a place for business to grow and thrive.
  
  
• New Thinking. Evaluate our economic development strategies. Focus on industries where we have natural advantages, and ensure our government is welcoming of new investment in Louisville.
  
  
• Open Government. People want to do business where government and its leadership are committed to transparency and effective governance.
  
  
• Thriving Neighborhoods.  Continue to improve Louisville as a place where people want to live and raise their families and we'll make Louisville a place where both businesses and families want to locate and grow.

Louisville can and must compete. Strong leadership, enhanced commitment and energy in the Mayor's office and new ideas will position the city to make progress. Our best days are ahead of us. Let's join together to move our community forward.

* Job comparisons among metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics. www.bls.gov


  The Heiner Plan for Jobs & Economic Development (PDF, 0.6MB)