Gregory Burkart

Gregory Burkart

Managing Director and Global Head of the Site Selection and Incentives Advisory Practice Duff & Phelps

Greg is the Managing Director and Global Head of the Site Selection and Incentives Advisory Practice for Duff & Phelps in Detroit. With 23 years of experience in site selection, Greg leads a team of 15 professionals located throughout the U.S., which serves more than 125 clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 10 clients.

Geographic Areas Served:

  • North America
  • South America
  • Europe and the Middle East
  • Asia

 Industries or Specialties:

  • Consumer and Food processing
  • Energy
  • Financial Services and Asset Management
  • Healthcare and Life Sciences
  • Industrials
  • Media and Entertainment
  • Real Estate
  • Technology and Telecommunications

 Areas of Expertise:

In recent years, with millennials entering the labor force in record numbers and with economies rebounding around the globe, Duff & Phelps’ focus during site selection projects has shifted to exploring and identifying communities that offer the best workforce solution for our clients. First and foremost, we listen to our clients to understand what they need to be successful. Then, we translate their needs into quantifiable workforce requirements and tailored action plans.

Once we understand our client’s goals, we readily access public and private databases, analyze current- and future-states of affordability, availability and skill sets, and identify emerging trends. Based on our prior participation in groundbreaking research projects, e.g. “Chasing the Past or Investing in Our Future”, we know the types of community-enabled amenities that attract and retain skilled workers and outperform others.

After identifying pockets of ideal labor, we tap our extensive relationships with real estate brokers and economic developers to identify sites – some that are often overlooked – that meet the needs of our clients. Often times, our clients are making generational decisions so we seek those locations that meet our client’s technical requirements as well as places that become part and parcel of our client’s culture.

To bring a project to fruition, we are often asked by clients and communities to develop unique financing solutions. Reaching beyond the material published on websites and in promotional materials, we develop innovative solutions to complete a capital stack or enhance a client’s performance metrics.  For example, we partner with developers and communities to implement TIF, CDBG, NMTC and brownfield incentives.  The key is doing the homework to create solutions that bring companies and communities together.

Past Employment:

For 23 years, I have advised corporate clients seeking new locations or consolidating existing operations.  For the first four years of my career, I served in the public sector as Vice President of the Michigan Strategic Fund and the Director of International & National Business Development. During the past 19 years, I have been a principal at Big Four accounting firm and Of Counsel at a global law firm. Currently, I serve as the practice leader of Duff & Phelps LLC’s Site Selection & Incentive Advisory and the City Leader in Detroit.  In addition to my private practice, I have served as an Adjunct Faculty member at Michigan State University as well as written and lectured extensively about site selection topics including workforce development, business climate, and economic development incentives.

Notable Past Clients:

We have a policy of not disclosing names of clients due to confidentiality.  Instead attached is a list of Project Names that we have managed:

  • Project Northstar
  • Project Kinetic
  • Project Jefferson
  • Project D’Antonio
  • Project Chariot
  • Project Washington
  • Project Madison
  • Project Rainboots

 Education:

Greg received his B.S. in Economics, with honors, from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama and his J.D. from St. Louis University. Greg was a Distinguished Miltary Graduate and after law school served on active duty in the Judge Advocate Generals Corps from 1988 to 1992. He also has been a visiting adjunct professor at Michigan State University’s Land Policy Institute in East Lansing, Michigan where he participated in the study, “Chasing  the Past or Investing in Our Future.”

Personal:

Greg’s proudest achievement is his family. Greg has been married to his college sweetheart, Lisa Marie, for 31 years. They have three beautifully gifted children including a son, who shares his passion for economic development, and two daughters – one who is a talented packaging engineer at L Brands and another who recently graduated with a degree in elementary education.

During his free time, Greg enjoys sharing the natural wonders of Northern Michigan’s four seasons with family, friends, and colleagues.

 
Contact Info:
 
Phone:  248-675-6959
Email:  [email protected]
Twitter:  @burkartgreg
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregoryburkart/