Analysis of the Economic Development Role of Business Associations and Other Intermediary Organizations Serving Appalachian Industries. Volume 1: Report. Second Edition.

摘要

This report examines how collaboration among firms through business associations and other entities can increase the participating firms competitiveness. These intermediary organizations can tailor their services to a membership of firms that differs in terms of the size, sector, and location of their members. By combining their efforts at research and development, training, technology acquisition, and marketing, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) garner economies of scale in providing services that come naturally to a larger operation. The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) wanted to identify the extent that business associations and other intermediary organizations increase the competitiveness of firms in the thirteen-state Appalachian region. In addition, ARC wanted to know the number and type of such intermediary organizations, the various strategies they use in providing services, and the opportunities for public-private sector cooperation in delivering services. This report meets these objectives by focusing on case studies of four prominent manufacturing sectors in the Appalachian region. These four important manufacturing sectors were selected for detailed case studies to analyze the role of business associations in economic development in this region. The furniture, wood products, textiles, and apparel industrial sectors were selected because they are among the most prominent in the Appalachian states, based on their employment size and concentration (as indicated by location quotients). A brief institutional profile is provided, followed by a summary of business associations within the industry, their functions, and their weaknesses. These summaries are based on telephone interviews and an organizational literature review of 59 business, public, or quasi-public institutions.