Bringing Silicon Valley to the Valley of the Sun
Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton is trying to recruit companies from Silicon Valley that may want to expand or relocate. Two experts respond to the efforts and what Stanton will need to do make the venture successful.
Steve Wright, vice president of Strategic Communications for the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, says the move is no surprise to Silicon Valley. A lot of places try to recruit companies from the area, and they have a good chance of landing branches of companies. As for headquarters, Wright says the culture that’s developed in Silicon Valley takes years to cultivate, and they’re not afraid of losing any major companies.
Jon Talton, of RogueColumnist.typepad.com and SeattleTimes.com, says it’s strange Stanton is being so public about the efforts. He says the types of relationships Stanton wants are usually developed quietly over several years. Talton believes Phoenix can’t compete with markets that are already developed until it gets its ducks in a row, which will take several years.
