No one, and I mean no one, has created more jobs and economic impact on paper than the newest corporate neighbor in Davidson, N.C.

I speak, of course, of IMPLAN. WSAV reports:

DAVIDSON, N.C., July 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — IMPLAN Group LLC today announced the completed acquisition of MIG, Inc., the sole-source provider of the IMPLAN® (IMpact analysis for PLANning) economic impact modeling system. The company also announced a headquarters relocation from Hudson, WI to Davidson, NC just outside Charlotte, where it will add as many as nine high-salary positions by end of year and 15 more in 2014. IMPLAN Group currently has 15 employees. …

“IMPLAN gives us the bigger picture on the potential impact of a project,” said Heidi Reiber, director of research for the Asheville Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Development Coalition, who has used the system for the past five years. “Knowing estimated number of additional jobs, labor income and tax revenue for a new business, expansion or retention opportunity helps us make more informed decisions.

Examples of IMPLAN at work in the Charlotte region include studies related to the economic impact of the 2012 Democratic National Convention, motorsports industry, sporting events as well as the film and video production industry.  In the Carolinas, the IMPLAN system was used and cited in research related to the economic impact of a major North Carolina healthcare provider and South Carolina’s automotive cluster.

That final paragraph really should begin “Examples of the abuse of IMPLAN at work,” as I discussed at length here. I’m curious to see what the multiplier effect of these 15-30 employees will be. Let’s hope their tertiary economic effects will include an estimate of all those millions of economic-impact dollars future IMPLAN studies will promise.

But it fits that IMPLAN should be near Charlotte. This long-distance love affair was becoming difficult, what with Charlotte more and more having to stay put tending so many white elephants.