The Community Economic Effects of New Distribution Centers: How We Used REMI

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Distribution centers, or fulfillment centers, are a crucial piece of the overall economy, and this has become increasingly true as online commerce continues to grow. More distribution centers have become necessary to meet the increase in demand caused by Covid-19 and related online shopping trends. Still, some critics believe that these centers are harmful to local economies. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce conducted an analysis of the direct and indirect regional economic impacts of distribution centers to test this claim.

In this webinar, Mr. Dubay will discuss how these distribution centers affect Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) through direct job creation and the associated ripple effect in communities. Mr. Dubay will use case studies and the REMI model as the backbone of his analysis.

 

Speaker:
Curtis Dubay
Chief Economist
U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Curtis Dubay is the Chief Economist at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He tracks the condition of the economy, analyzes the impact of public policy on economic growth, and runs the Chamber’s Chief Economists Committee. Previously, he was senior economist at the American Bankers Association and a research fellow in tax and economic policy at The Heritage Foundation. He  also worked at the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and at the Tax Foundation.

Dubay has researched and published frequently on a wide range of tax and economic issues. He is regularly quoted by the press and has appeared often in the media, including on CNBC, Fox Business, Fox News, and C-SPAN. He has testified before Congress several times and been cited in newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, and Politico.

Dubay received his master’s degree in economics from the University of Connecticut and his bachelor’s degree in economics and leadership studies from the University of Richmond. He resides in Washington, D.C., with his wife and three sons.

Resilience in Supply Chain Transportation Networks: Economic Impact and Case of California

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System resilience has come center-stage since the COVID-19 disruptions to international supply chains; but the capacity to recover quickly from crises is just as important for regional economies as it is to global networks. Metropolitan and state transportation networks are especially susceptible to systemic or random events that can decrease their performance and leave lasting impacts on their economic and social wellbeing. More now than ever, the study of resilience and its intersection with risk, efficiency, and security is of paramount importance for increasingly complex systems to function.

In this webinar, Mr. Linkov of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will discuss his research into the cascading socioeconomic effects of disruptions to transportation networks. He will also outline methodological solutions developed for the California Transportation Commission, using case studies and REMI TranSight modeling as the backbone of his analysis.

 

Speaker:
Igor Linkov
Senior Science and Technology Manager
US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC)

Dr. Igor Linkov is Senior Science and Technology Manager with the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), and Adjunct Professor with Carnegie Mellon University.  He is responsible for a large project portfolio in the areas of crises management, supply chain and resilience.  He develops methods and tools for measuring resilience in interconnected network, including supply chains, and applies these tools to critical infrastructure, transportation, energy and cyber systems, and currently to manage response and recovery following COVID pandemic.   He was part of several Interagency Committees and Working Groups tasked with developing resilience metrics and resilience management approaches, including chairing committee on Supply Chain Resilience for the US Transportation Research Board.  He has organized more than thirty national and international conferences and continuing education workshops, including over twenty NATO events, on climate change, resilience and complex systems management.  He has published widely on environmental and technology policy, climate change, and risk and resilience analytics, including twenty five books and over 400 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters in top journals, like Nature, Nature Nanotechnology, Nature Climate Change, among others.  Dr. Linkov is Elected Fellow with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and Society for Risk Analysis and received multiple awards for his scientific achievements from the Army and other organizations.

Economic Impacts – Energy Supply and Demand for Deep Decarbonization

 

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This presentation examined the technical challenges and one possible technological pathway toward significantly decarbonizing the U.S. economy by 2050. As researched by MIT and modeled by FTI Consulting and its economic impacts group, the study finds there would be profound regional differences in the impacts on the energy sector and the economy no matter the specific technological pathway taken.

 

Scott Nystrom
FTI Consulting

Scott Nystrom is an expert in macroeconomic, regional, and energy system modeling and applying them to policy analysis and economic impacts and other types of modeling and economic analysis. As the co-lead of the firm’s North American economic impacts group, he uses models such as REMI, IMPLAN, and GTAP daily to model the impacts of legislation, litigation, regulation, and policy on the economy, as measured by metrics like job growth, GDP, and tax collections. His work on economic impact analysis has covered every sector of the economy, including agriculture, natural resources, construction, utilities, manufacturers, logistics, healthcare, and services. 

For the past 11 years, Mr. Nystrom has conducted studies related to climate policy, demographics, economic development, energy, fiscal policy, healthcare, international trade, labor, scope emissions, and transportation policy. Clients have included federal and state government agencies, non-profits and foundations, trade associations, utilities, corporations, and law firms. He was the technical expert on a multibillion-dollar dispute involving default on sovereign debt and the accuracy of the statistics produced by a national statistics office. Since early 2017, Mr. Nystrom has been the de facto chief macroeconomist and policy analyst for the state of North Dakota, which has involved assessing the economic impacts of tax credits, tax reforms, and large private investments. 

Mr. Nystrom’s experience leads him to regularly present to federal and state policymakers. Highlights include presenting his findings to members of Congress on the economic contribution of electric cooperatives; Capitol Hill briefings on federal climate policy; and the impacts of tax incentives and economic development grants to budget committees. These include the legislatures of Arkansas, Massachusetts, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, and Vermont. 

Prior to FTI Consulting, Mr. Nystrom worked at Regional Economic Models, Inc. (“REMI”), a firm that specializes in building models of state and regional economies. While at REMI, he was the head of consulting engagements, client training and support, and the Washington, DC office. He has extensive experience with impact models as well as energy system models such as CTAM and the Power System Optimizer (“PSO”) and using them in concert and parallel with one another. 

How Workforce Development in Target Industries Can Put NYC Ahead

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This guest webinar was hosted by Bertrand Teirlinck, a Senior Policy Analyst at New York City Economic Development Corporation. The presentation occured on Wednesday, November 30th from 2:00-3:00pm E.T.

The 21^st century has seen the makeup of the New York City economy change drastically, with emerging sectors slowly replacing historical industries. This entails new opportunities for the city’s labor force as the city strives to position itself as a leader. This webinar will focus on fast-growing sectors in New York City and explore the potential economic benefits of pursuing workforce development in these industries.

Bertrand Teirlinck
New York City Economic Development Corporation

Bertrand Teirlinck currently works as a Sr. Policy Analyst within the Economic Research & Policy department of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, focusing primarily on fiscal and economic impact modeling. Prior to joining NYCEDC, Mr. Teirlinck worked as a Policy Analyst within the Real Estate Assessment Center of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, where he worked on cost-benefit analyses in relation to the Physical Inspection Alignment Initiative. He also has prior experience in transportation and housing policy acquired through stints in the Office of U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal and for the non-profit Smart Growth America.

Mr. Teirlinck holds a Master of Public Policy and Management from Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and History from Colby College.

Economic Implications of Regional Military and Federal Spending

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To assist JobsOhio, the Dayton Development Coalition, and its regional economic development partners in better understanding the importance of its robust military & federal sectors, ABLE Operations conducted the sectors’ first-ever economic impact analysis. This project utilized the REMI PI+ forecasting model to estimate the ripple effect (direct, indirect, and induced effects) of military & federal spending flowing into every county and installation across the state. The findings were then compiled and presented in a summary booklet designed to inform state and congressional leaders of the sectors’ economic importance to jobs and gross regional product.

 

Presenters:

Matt Schwalb
ABLE Operations

Matt Schwalb is managing partner and senior research analyst at ABLE Operations where he works with clients to better understand how defense spending impacts their local communities. Matt is also the lead analyst of Florida’s bi-annual Defense Industry Economic Impact Analysis and Factbook. Prior to his time at ABLE, he was the senior research analyst at Matrix Design Group and, prior to that, the assistant director at the Haas Center for Business Research and Economic Development. Matt earned an MA in Political Science and an MS in Public Administration at the University of West Florida where his studies focused primarily on policy analysis, research methods, and American political discourse. Throughout his career, Matt has managed various quantitative and qualitative research projects, including several defense and non-defense related economic and fiscal impact studies.

Aaron Schmerbeck
ABLE Operations

Aaron Schmerbeck is founder and managing partner of ABLE Operations where he manages research and data analytics that range from economic, fiscal, and market analyses to workforce analytics.  He holds a PhD in Economics from Florida State University (FSU). His studies focused primarily on financial economics and mathematics.  He maintains an adjunct position at the University of South Florida – Sarasota Manatee (USFSM), teaching a variety of economics and finance courses. Aaron has significant experience in measuring economic and fiscal impacts, workforce supply and demand analytics, financial modeling, and economic forecasting.