The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia is pleased to announce James Medaglio as Director, Business Attraction & Expansion. In this role, Medaglio will identify, engage, and assist companies looking to locate or expand in the Greater Philadelphia region.

It’s an assignment that Medaglio understands well. He first joined the Chamber in 2018 as a research analyst, providing support to business attraction projects, and more recently, serving as the point of contact for the organization’s Health and Life Sciences Action Team (HLSAT). He is looking forward to drawing on that expertise in his new position.

Among his responsibilities will be hosting visiting companies for site tours, including those from the health and life sciences sectors, and the energy industry, among others, and bringing together representatives from throughout the region to discuss incentives for our region. He will also market the region at industry conferences and trade shows, and form strategic partnerships to drive business activity to the region.

“Greater Philadelphia is committed to helping companies achieve their vision here, whether that means locating or expanding in our region,” Claire Marrazzo Greenwood, executive director, CEO Council for Growth and senior vice president of Economic Competitiveness at the Chamber, said in making the announcement. “James and the entire Business Attraction & Expansion team are here to help make the process of selecting Greater Philadelphia a welcoming one.”

“We are ambassadors to our region,” Medaglio added, and “connected, collaborative, and accessible” are words that embody what the work — and the region – are about.

Business location and expansion leads come to the Chamber from various sources, including direct to the Select Greater Philadelphia website, from regional partners, and through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania state alert system. Some projects can be a quick turnaround, materializing in just a few months, but most take at least a year or two, he said.

Something that will set the region apart during the site selection process is responsiveness, Medaglio said. “Being responsive — bringing together our local partners in a timely manner to show our strengths and capabilities— is a leading indicator to these businesses of how well our region will work together to meet their needs once they’ve located here.”

Another important deliverable in the site selection process is data, and Medaglio is excited to tap his research expertise to provide and frame the valuable information the site selectors, brokers, and stakeholders need. “It all comes down to data integrity,” he said, “providing the right information and packaging it in the right way. Using data to inform our decision making, to measure our impact, and to drive engagement with our stakeholders will also be crucial.”

Medaglio, who was born in Conshohocken, Pa., and grew up in Doylestown, Pa., where he now resides, knows the region well, which will aid him in communicating the attributes he believes make Greater Philadelphia shine, including affordability, quality of life, access to a large population within a two-hour drive, and a world-class talent pool. Sharing news of the region’s talent strength, with its universities, primary and secondary schools, will be an emphasis.

“We’re a hot market when it comes to logistics and market access,” Medaglio added, being able to get products – whether they be energy supplies, medical supplies, or chemical supplies – to people quickly due to the region’s location and accessibility.

Prior to joining the Chamber, Medaglio worked as vice president of Market Strategy for U.S. Trust (now Bank of America Private Bank) in New York City, and as a social worker at the Community Service Foundation in Bucks County, Pa., helping at-risk youth. He is pleased his career at the Chamber combines both his research and civic interests. For more than two decades, James and his family have gathered 600+ gifts per year for the Bucks County Children and Youth Social Services Agency’s holiday gift-giving program. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., where he was also a starting defensive lineman for their football team.

Medaglio said he’s most looking forward to helping Chamber members and stakeholders, and being able to get those site selection wins for the region. He welcomes the opportunity to connect with members and those seeking more information about Greater Philadelphia. Drop him a line at [email protected] or connect with him on LinkedIn.