Two More Shoes Drop in Greater Cleveland

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported this morning that Ford Motor Company plans to shut down its longstanding Lorain assembly plant and that Quark Biotech will move its headquarters back to California.

This is disappointing news to say the least. Don't lose hope Cleveland! Don't take it personally. The demise of Ford Lorain has been in the making for a long time. And the biotechs are fickle as hell in terms of where they want to be.

Here are the right questions to ask at a time like this:

1. What is the precise impact on the region of these two situatons under best and worst scenario cases?

2. Are these 100 percent done deals? Is there a way to change or alter these decisions in any way?

3. What are the lessons to learn from each situation?

4. How do we accelerate our regional economic development efforts, provide better forewarning of these situations in the future, and then respond in a more 'powerful and influential way' to them?