PHILADELPHIA, March 31, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Greater Philadelphia Global Partners (GP2), a consortium of public and private organizations focused on international issues in the Greater Philadelphia Region, announced today that it has selected the team of Econsult, Paul Marttila and the Harper Group to create the Global Plan for Greater Philadelphia.
Said Rich Bendis, President and CEO of Innovation Philadelphia, and GP2 Founding Partner, "With the guidance of Econsult, Paul Marttila and the Harper Group, GP2 hopes to develop a shared strategy that will mobilize stakeholders and foster collaboration by bringing together public, private and academic participants and setting an agenda for action. Together, we will build on the plan originally written by Dr. Howard Perlmutter and his colleagues in 1985, but also take it a step further to implementation."
The plan will include asset mapping of the Region's global strengths, weaknesses, industries and clusters; a best practices overview of other cities', regions', states', or countries' international development initiatives; a benchmark comparison of the Greater Philadelphia Region against these best practices; research that will analyze the international environment in the Region; development of a detailed global strategic plan with realistic and forward-thinking implementation goals; and a cooperative strategy to leverage the Region's resources.
The contract for the Global Plan was opening to the public for bidding, and after extensive interviews and review, the GP2 Executive Committee selected the team of Econsult, Paul Marttila and the Harper Group. Econsult, which has most recently drawn notoriety from their report on One Pennsylvania Plaza, will serve as the administrative and contractual lead on the plan. Paul Marttila, an independent international business consultant and former Managing Director of European Operations for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, will serve as the project manager, and the Harper Group, led by former Deputy Director of Marketing and Public Affairs for Philadelphia International Airport Pamela M. Harper, will provide support in the areas of tourism and immigration.
"This is a key step in achieving GP2's mission to strengthen the Greater Philadelphia Region's global interaction and outreach," said Mjenzi Traylor, First Deputy Director of Commerce for the City of Philadelphia, and Founding Partner of GP2. "The Global Plan will be an asset to the Region, identifying where we stand in comparison to other regions in the nation and around the world."
The Global Plan for Greater Philadelphia will include analytical tools to measure objectives and outcomes. It will aim to position the Region to take an active role in the global economy, to assist Regional businesses in doing business internationally, to help establish the Region as a prime destination for international companies to locate, and ultimately, to help grow a more diversified and innovative Regional economy.
"This is an exciting project with important ramifications for the Region as a whole and we are very pleased to have been selected to assist with this effort," said Stephen P. Mullin, Senior Vice President and Principal of Econsult, also former Director of the Philadelphia Department of Commerce.
The Global Plan for Greater Philadelphia is the latest in achievements by GP2 that include the United Nations Forum which took place in Philadelphia in December of 2003, creation of the GP2 website at www.GPTwo.com, and publication of the Greater Philadelphia Region International Resource Guide.
About Greater Philadelphia Global Partners
Established in 2003, the GP2's mission is to coordinate and mobilize the resources in the Greater Philadelphia Region in order to promote cultural and economic linkages with global partners. The City of Philadelphia Commerce Department and Innovation Philadelphia lead the GP2 initiative with partners representing government, industry, non-profit, economic development, trade organizations, academia and independent international consultants. For more information about GP2, or for a list of partners, visit www.GPTwo.com.
About Econsult Corporation
Econsult Corporation is an internationally recognized economic consulting firm, founded in Philadelphia in 1979. The company provides high quality economic research and statistical and econometric analysis for business and public policy decision makers. Econsult's academically distinguished consultants and affiliates combine quantitative expertise and experience in the areas of economic impact analysis; state and local policy and financial analysis; transportation economics, policy and planning; human resources management; travel and tourism; and economic and real estate development. For more information, visit www.econsult.com.