A day with Phil D’Amico

The atmosphere that greets a group of business owners as they enter the brightly lit meeting room is relaxed and casual. People chat among themselves, laughing, before the meeting gets under way.

Phil D’Amico, who serves in a dual role with both the City of South Bend and the Chamber as director of business growth, addresses the group.

“Why don’t we get started?” he says, then gets right to the point of the meeting. “Can I ask, ‘How’s business?’”

Responses that come from around the table are mixed but generally optimistic. Business is better than ever. Business is holding steady. Business is not as good as it was before the recession, but it’s stable.

Phil D’Amico, director of business growth, The Chamber of Commerce of St. Joseph County

After some opening remarks from South Bend Mayor Stephen J. Luecke, who touches on business highlights in the city, the floor is opened for questions.

 The issue on people’s minds this morning is pending amendments to existing tax abatement structures.

“People have the idea that getting a tax abatement means that someone writes us a check,” observes one of the participants. “They need to realize that it’s really a tax phase-in. It doesn’t mean that we aren’t paying taxes. It’s really a phase-in, because you are paying taxes, but at a graduated rate.”

The group continues to have a positive, fruitful discussion about revisions to the tax abatement ordinance.

The meeting adjourns much as it began, casually, with people continuing the discussion among themselves, shaking hands, trading updates. The real purpose of the meeting goes much deeper.
Business owners have come together to share their concerns. They have spoken, and they appreciated having the opportunity to meet with the mayor and offer suggestions.

Multiple roles

“I think this was very helpful and went well,” D’Amico says. “This is exactly the sort of thing that needs to be happening on a regular basis. The kind of feedback we heard today — the concerns they raise are the very issues that drive our economy.”

Since his role was created in 2006, D’Amico has organized several such roundtables and hopes to increase them to a quarterly schedule. Key figures from major city departments often have been the keynote speakers. Ideally, he would like to see one happen every quarter in different areas of the city. The next one likely will be in early 2011 involving downtown business owners.

But organizing roundtables is only a tiny fraction of what he does. The bulk of his time, around 99 percent, involves meeting with every business owner in the South Bend region to introduce himself, to hear what the concerns are, and to provide assistance in the form of connections or resources to get those concerns resolved.

The biggest surprise he has encountered on these visits, he says, is how much business growth is actually happening in the city.

“There’s always something going on, and there are many excellent resources available,” he says. “It’s just a matter of asking for help. All you have to do is ask.”

A tremendous asset

Ed Bradley, senior vice president and principal, Grubb & Ellis/Cressy & Everett

While those resources have been around, it took someone to serve in this particular role to bring together all the people and resources at all the right times.

D’Amico’s position, created as an outgrowth of the Business Growth Initiative after city leaders observed similar positions in other cities, calls on D’Amico to be many things to many people: Troubleshooter. Consultant. Facilitator. Educator. Confidante. Friend.

It’s a role that suits him extremely well, according to many local business owners who have worked with D’Amico in solving challenges facing their businesses or those of their clients.

“Phil is a tremendously great asset to our community,” says Ed Bradley, SIOR, CCIM, CPM®, and senior vice president and principal with Grubb & Ellis/Cressy & Everett.

Bradley, who has more than 20 years of experience in all facets of commercial real estate, has been brought in by D’Amico a number of times to lend assistance when companies were looking for new space.

“He does a great job of connecting people who otherwise would not know how to find one another,” Bradley says.

Among some of his more high-profile success stories, Bradley highlights his work with Steve Hartz of the Career Academy. Chartered by Ball State University, the Academy plans to be located in the former PEI Genesis facility on Bendix Drive.

The key benefit of having D’Amico serve in his role, Bradley says, is the many relationships and connections he has developed that can work to benefit the entire community.

“He’s really good at getting the right people connected in a timely manner,” Bradley says.

A good partnership

Rick L. McKeel, president and CEO of New Carbon Company Inc.

According to Rick L. McKeel, president and CEO of New Carbon Company Inc. (featured in the Jan. 2010 issue of South Bend ON), he and D’Amico have developed what he calls “a good partnership.”

“He’s a good resource person because there are times when he knows of someone whose expertise can help me,” says McKeel, whose company produces waffle-making equipment and mixes for hotels and other businesses around the world. “He’s always happy to help.”

McKeel says his business has done remarkably well during the recent recession, having added a half-dozen new employees and increasing volume 25 percent two years in a row. He credits the healthy business environment that D’Amico supports for much of that growth.

“Phil is tremendous at what he does,” McKeel says. “I think he’s a great asset. Having someone like him will help bring business into this area — and that benefits everyone. I feel like he is always looking out for us. If he’s like that with all of the businesses, you can’t get any better than that.”