Wise Industrial Developers Observe ‘Ten Commandments'
Prepared by ALABAMA DEVELOPMENT NEWS, edited by V. Wilson Lee, Extension Economist Emeritus, Community Resource Development, Auburn University
  1. Thou shalt not take existing industry for granted and ignore their needs while seeking new industry.
  2. Thou shalt not neglect a continuing vocational education program, remembering that an adequate supply of persons skilled with their hands is a cornerstone of industrial development.
  3. Thou shalt not allow the Welfare Ethic to supplant the Work Ethic and to this end you will actively and vigorously promote, particularly among young people, the honor of work and dignity of success. You Thou shalt not allow any anti-business statement, sentiment, or legislative proposal to go unchecked, unchallenged and unanswered.
  4. Thou shalt not allow any deterioration in your relationships and cooperation with elected officials, recognizing that enlightened government is essential to a sound industrial development program.
  5. Thou shalt not allow the levying of burdensome taxes on businesses to go unchallenged simply because businesses per se do not vote.
  6. Thou shalt not pass up any opportunity to promote the honor and necessity of Profit, recognizing that everyone benefits when a business is profitable and everyone loses when a business is unprofitable.
  7. Thou shalt not misrepresent your area's strengths and weaknesses to potential clients, nor shall you attempt to gloss over weaknesses by entertaining rather than enlightening clients. You shall not fail to update your inventory of strengths and weaknesses on an annual basis, recognizing that a viable area is ever changing, and yesterday's weakness is today's strength.
  8. Thou shalt never lower your standards regarding the type of business your area can serve and conversely, the type of business you hope to attract, recognizing that one bad mistake can effectively ruin forever an industrial development program.
  9. Thou shalt not allow a deterioration on community pride, recognizing after all that a community must be attractive to itself before it will be attractive to others.
Available from
 Alabama Development Office
401 Adams Avenue
Montgomery, Alabama 36104
(800)248-0033
(334)242-0400
FAX: (334)242-2414
For more information, call your county Extension office. Look in your telephone directory under your county's name for the number.
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work in agriculture and home economics, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, and other related acts, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) offers educational programs, materials, and equal opportunity employment to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability.

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