(Cracking the Code with Greg Kozera - Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

Three biggest lies: 1. The check is in the mail. 2. I’m from the government, here to help you. 3. One size fits all.

These are mine. Yours may differ.

We learn some things the hard way. When buying clothing for my wife, Lynnda, one size fits all sounded good. I didn’t have to worry about buying the wrong size. Except in our case, the clothing never fit. It was too big or too small, depending on the country where it was made. I started buying Lynnda’s clothes from a women’s store in Marietta. The staff does a great job getting Lynnda’s size right AND the clothing is made in the U.S.

In clothing and in life, one size rarely fits all. The Shale Crescent USA team recently spent 12 days in seven cities in the Netherlands, Belgium and France with the U.S. Commercial Services European Road Show. We saw over 200 companies and over 400 attendees who are serious about investing in the U.S. Over 20 economic development organizations – including Ohio, Pennsylvania and Shale Crescent USA – presented to attendees.

This included our region’s biggest competitors. When talking to companies around the world, if we lose, it is usually to the Carolinas, Georgia and Texas. For Ohio, Pennsylvania or West Virginia to win, our region must first win. We have advantages over other states. Unfortunately, unless companies know the SCUSA story, most businesses think one size fits all and fall into the trap of state economic incentives as differentiator.

One of the first things I noticed when landing in Amsterdam were the windmills off shore. After we landed, I noticed modern windmills were everywhere on land and they were turning, producing electricity. We even saw some of the old small traditional windmills. For the two days we were in Netherlands, the wind never quit blowing.

The Dutch figured this out centuries ago. They built dikes and used wind power to pump out the water behind them reclaiming land from the sea. Over 20% of the Netherlands’ current land (over 600 square miles) has been reclaimed from the sea. The Dutch know the wind is a resource they can count on. They have been using it for centuries. Now the Dutch are using wind to produce electricity. The Dutch use their strengths to produce electricity for people and to power their prolific greenhouses, making the Netherlands the leading exporter of food in Europe.

One size doesn’t fit all. What works in the Netherlands won’t work on the hill where I live in West Virginia because the wind rarely blows. It could never be used to produce consistent power. SCUSA’s strength is energy and molecules from natural gas. Trying to replace natural gas with wind would be disastrous.

In Europe, we rode trains from Brussels to Paris, Paris to Lille, Lille to Lyon, Lyon to Strasbourg and Strasbourg to Paris. They were fast, comfortable and on time. Europe’s extensive electricity powered rail system developed over decades, it works well and keeps automobiles off the road. Americans prefer the freedom of their own cars to go where trains don’t or can’t in our large country. One size doesn’t fit all.

Competing with the Carolinas, Georgia and Texas for manufacturing can’t be done with state economic incentives only. These states all have large economic development budgets and promote sites and incentives. The SCUSA has a unique strength that can’t be matched with incentives. It is the only place on Earth where a company can locate in the middle of their customers and on top of economical dependable energy and feedstock.

Each Road Show session opened with presentations by U.S. Commercial Services staff, local government officials, success stories of local companies who expanded to the U.S. and presentations by EDOs like SCUSA or JobsOhio. The afternoon was for networking where we had one-on-one meetings with individual companies. On the opening morning in Eindhoven, Netherlands, we heard about U.S. history and politics from a Dutch woman. A very accurate presentation. Interesting to hear U.S. history from an outsider.

One major point made was the size of the U.S. compared to Europe makes it difficult for companies to understand the differences between our states and regions. Other than Paris, before this trip I didn’t know where other French cities or the manufacturing centers were. France is a fraction of the size of the U.S.

At SelectUSA in 2024, companies approached us on the final day of the exhibition. Every state and U.S. territory were represented. Companies were confused, “Every state says they are No. 1.” Unless companies understand the uniqueness of the SCUSA region, it becomes a decision of the best state economic development package as long as they have a site checking all the boxes.

European companies are interested in investing in the U.S. primarily because of its large market, the biggest in the world. They didn’t know SCUSA is in the center of that market and 50% of U.S. population or that the Ohio River is part of a river system larger than any in Europe.

SCUSA’s natural gas can fuel industry, produce electricity economically and provide the molecules industry needs to make thousands of products. If SCUSA were a country it would be the No. 3 natural gas producing country in the world. Companies wrongly assumed U.S. natural gas and oil comes from Texas. Manufacturing always follows energy. SCUSA is the birthplace of U.S. oil and gas, manufacturing and the chemical industry.

Economic development packages eventually go away. SCUSA’s location advantage is for the life of the facility. Our region’s story was eye-opening to EU manufacturers. We have been very busy since we got home doing follow up Zoom calls and setting up visits with companies we connected with on the Road Show.

In clothing and in governing, one size never fits all. Successful people, companies and countries find and develop their strengths, unless government dictates otherwise. In the U.S., we the people have control if we are informed and use it.

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Greg Kozera, gkozera@shalecrescentusa.com, is the director of marketing for Shale Crescent USA. He is a professional engineer with a master’s in environmental engineering and over 40 years experience in the energy industry. Greg is a leadership expert, high school soccer coach, professional speaker and author of four books and many published articles.