Axios Event: Anduril's planned Columbus site is "game changer," Mayor Ginther says

WASHINGTON – Defense company Anduril recently picked Columbus to host its latest Arsenal-1 megafactory, and the city is welcoming the new plant.

Why it matters: The economic development project will bring many new jobs to Columbus at a time when communities across the country are looking to boost investment in local workforce development.

Axios' Mike Allen and Courtenay Brown moderated conversations with Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther, Daniel Rickenmann, mayor of Columbia, South Carolina, and Rep. Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas) at the Jan. 16 event. The event was sponsored by JPMorganChase.

What they're saying: "It's a game changer, one of the largest economic development projects and job creation opportunities in the state's history," Ginther said of Anduril's announcement.

Besides creating more jobs, local governments are seeking affordable housing, several speakers said.

• "It is not an issue, it is the issue," Ginther said.
• "My district is right on the border. We have a blue-collar, hardworking district, over 80% Hispanic. Our median income is $50,000 – that's tough for many, many families. So affordable housing, HUD housing, is extremely important," De La Cruz said.

"[T]he local level is where everything happens. Think about it — it affects your family, your business, your house. Everything about it is localized," Rickenmann said.

• "So investing there is where it grows," Rickenmann continued, noting his efforts aim to make it easier for people to start a business in Columbia, South Carolina.
• "We are averaging around 1,100 new business license applications annually right now, and 78% of our new businesses have been women-owned businesses," Rickenmann said. " [L]ocal businesses, they grow there, they give back, and they hire. So that's our growth pattern."

Sponsored content:

In a View From the Top sponsored segment, JPMorganChase vice chairman Peter Scher and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan spoke about how the city's partnership with JPMorganChase, which started after Detroit had entered municipal bankruptcy, helped it rebound from financial challenges.

• "My boss, Jamie Dimon … called me in late summer 2013, Detroit had just entered bankruptcy, largest municipal bankruptcy in history, and he said 'why don't you go out to Detroit and see how we could help'," Scher said.
• Detroit welcomed the partnership as an effort to support the city's recovery. "It wasn't hard, they were intuitively there, they invested in affordable housing, they invested in African American and Latino-owned businesses, they came in, in a good way," Duggan said.