With the Amazon HQ2 bid due in less than two weeks, local media outlets continue to speculate about central Indiana’s efforts to win over the logistics giant.
The Indianapolis Business Journal reported, “a ‘small, diverse group of business and private stakeholders’ coordinated—and funded—by the Indy Chamber are guiding the bid effort [for central Indiana], but much of their work is behind the scenes.
“A degree of confidentiality is not surprising, as the prospect of alluring this particular economic development deal is fiercely competitive.”
Tim Cook and Katie Culp weigh in:
Tim Cook said local officials are probably trying to figure out whether to put “everything on the table” in the initial bid or hold something back for subsequent rounds.
Cook said he would be hesitant to do the latter. “I think competition is going to be so fierce that, if you don’t have a really strong proposal right out of the gate, you run the risk of not getting to the next round.”
Cook said the tallest order for the region will be to demonstrate early on that it can satisfy Amazon’s workforce-size qualifications.
“We’re still going to be on the small side when you look at some of the biggest cities we’re competing against,” Cook said. “If Indy can’t demonstrate that right off the bat, I think we fall off the list right away.”
Another key challenge is putting together a “dazzling package” that’s “attention-grabbing,” said Katie Culp, president of KSM Location Advisors.