In marketing, it”™s timing. And in Westchester, it”™s time for serious marketing.
The county, like New York state, has a severe image problem ”“ not just as unfriendly, but oftentimes as offensive to business.
It”™s been that way for a while, but more people have been taking note of the high costs of living and working here. Chalk it up to the Great Recession ”“ residents and workers here are ticked off at being taxed out.
That sentiment is resonating nationwide, in fact. Politicians aren”™t very popular with the populace. Witness the recent election in Massachusetts and other upsets last November.
Closer to home, Robert P. Astorino stunned the Democrat-dominated county when he unseated longtime incumbent Andy Spano for the county executive”™s seat. Similar scenarios are expected to play out this November.
Talk of “hope” and “change” ”“ from the White House to the Statehouse ”“ is cheap at a time when most people are struggling just to get by.
Not exactly an ideal time to work in government, some argue.
But for Laurence “Larry” Gottlieb, it”™s the right place at the right time.
“For as much anger as there is out there among the public, the positive of that is people want to see, finally, a reinvention of government,” Westchester”™s new director of economic development said.
“(They want) a change in government where government begins to operate under the same conditions that many folks do with their own household budgets, in their own business lives and they want to feel that government is sharing the pain ”“ making good choices, good decisions, so that we”™re better prepared when things turn around.”
In Westchester, he said, change is not coming ”“ it”™s here.
“We”™ve already changed an attitude in terms of the county government”™s position on business, that business needs to thrive, it needs to be far more a vital part of the county than it ever has been,” Gottlieb said in a wide-ranging interview at the Business Journal”™s office in White Plains recently.
“I am, in a way, business”™s ombudsman to the county government. It is not top-down, me dictating rules ”¦ I want to set the stage for other people”™s success, not my own. I don”™t have the kind of ego that needs to be fed. A good PR person should not be the story. It is your client. And I feel the same way about business ”¦ I want other people to thrive, because it means I”™m doing my job.”
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Going public, thinking private
Gottlieb, 42, was appointed to the $155,245-a-year economic development director”™s post Jan. 19 by Astorino. He replaced Salvatore Carrera, who held the reins for nearly a decade.
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At the time he was tapped, Gottlieb was a managing director in public affairs at Burson-Marsteller in Manhattan, the world”™s largest public relations firm. He”™s worked for more than two decades as a public relations and marketing executive, including positions at Castle Oil Corp. in Harrison and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
The Yonkers native is perhaps most recognized from his days as spokesman for Entergy Nuclear Northeast. He was director of communications from 2001 and 2007, a job which kept him on his toes ”“ especially after 9/11 when the public”™s attention turned to Indian Point as a possible terrorist target.
Gottlieb says his experience on the front lines will serve him well as his department tackles the county”™s economic development challenges. With a handful of staffers, including the Industrial Development Agency”™s head Theresa G. Waivada, and a $450,000 budget ”“ and the county Office of Tourism now reporting to him, as well ”“ it”™s a tall order.
The self-described “straight shooter” and “very reasonable person” views this as an opportunity to play a key role in a new dialogue between the public and private sectors.
“The director of economic development has to be the chief cheerleader for the county. Maybe it”™s a sweet way to look at it, but the reality is that is the position. It is to be the spirit of the county, to say that this is the best place in the country, and really believe it.”
The business community has been calling for such a dialogue. The landscape here is changing. Westchester is not the corporate bastion it once was. Many companies have downsized or moved out altogether.
Precision Valve Corp. last year consolidated operations to its South Carolina plant after 60 years of manufacturing in Yonkers. More recently, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc. announced plans to relocate its headquarters and 800 workers from White Plains to Stamford, Conn. Even Somers-based Pepsi Bottling has been eyeing Connecticut. Gov. David Paterson”™s proposed sugar tax on bottled beverages could sweeten the pot for Connecticut.
Rethinking retention
The Nutmeg State has been extremely aggressive in its attempt to lure companies, offering multimillion-dollar incentive packages and other perks. How is Westchester to compete?
“It is tough for us to compete as a state, let alone a county, when states around us have a seemingly greater flexibility in terms of the types of incentives, the willingness to offer incentives that will draw businesses away. Part of me feels that, if we ”“ Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania ”“ have this kind of back-and-forth game going that you basically end up eating your own.”
“Businesses enter states for specific reasons, types of workers, access to resources, access to infrastructure,” Gotttlieb said. “New York state will always have a very strong, vibrant wealth of intellectual capital. We need to keep exploring ways that we can strengthen that offering. Tax breaks come and go, but good folks, educated, well-trained ”¦ we have that down.
“We need to start making the decision harder for businesses to leave or for them not to choose us vs. some other area.”
Part of that will involve changing the county”™s image as being hostile to business. Astorino has said he wants businesses to know “government is on their side.” Gottlieb acknowledges businesses have been “drowning in sea of rules, regulations and taxes.”
He vows to bring relief.
“The first thing I”™ve done is listen ”¦ to businesses. And I”™ve said, I can”™t change the Great Recession, I can”™t change what”™s happening up in Albany, but we can have influence on the way we conduct ourselves here in Westchester. Tell me, specifically, what is it that has held you back from growing? What is it that has disturbed you about the way county government has conducted business in terms of your business? And you hear some phenomenal answers. ”¦ The more business-friendly attitude we have helps in attracting, retaining and growing business in Westchester.”
As for Starwood, Gottlieb said: “We are keeping the line of communications open with Starwood”™s senior management, because as far as we are concerned Starwood is still a Westchester County business until the lights are turned off at their present headquarters.”
On a personal note
Gottlieb, who has only been on the job for a few weeks, described a typical day: “It”™s been crazy.”
“That”™s an understatement. I get to the office very early and I leave late. I”™ve already gone in on a day off to do stuff, to meet with folks. I am deeply passionate about what I am trying to do, so with a passion about something time is irrelevant ”¦ that”™s not good from a time-management perspective but from a passion perspective I feel very strongly that this job is a 24/7 job. You really have to live and breathe it.”
As for his new boss? Gottlieb said he”™s known Astorino, also 42, for many years and their “careers sort of intertwined.”
“I was very honored and humbled when he asked me, because I thought very highly of him. He”™s the same person on and off the screen. There”™s no temperament behind closed doors vs. the way he is on camera or talking to people on the street. Just a regular guy. And in these times, that”™s a pretty good quality to have ”“ putting the people before yourself. You can”™t beat that quality.”
