This week we chat with Scott Carlberg of Talking Points, a US-based Public Affairs consultancy that coordinates the New Carolinas Nuclear Cluster, a consortium of energy, engineering, manufacturing and education organizations in the US. Scott co-researched and co-wrote the strategic plan for the organization. We learn that in the midst of major industry upheaval executives within the US nuclear energy industry are still beacons of innovation and no-nonsense business tactics.

Interview by Katherine Steiner-Dicks

Q: How have the priorities of the New Carolinas Nuclear Cluster and your work in particular evolved?

A: In recent years we have been working on a strategic path in which we have followed five task force areas, which include workforce development, economic development, public policy, technology and communications. Every person within the Cluster serves on one of those task forces. We have large goals that we divide into smaller objectives and tackle those. Currently we are winding up an update of our strategic plan, and we are asking each of the task forces what has changed in the world. Which technologies are available?  What does the workforce outlook seem like? How robust is the supply chain and how can we affect that? By asking these questions we can learn how to move forward.

Q: Who is driving these strategies?

A: Our members, which make up a diverse set of people and skills coming from utilities, manufacturers, engineers, academia, and citizens’ organisations, are driving these strategies. We come to a consensus by meeting and discussing the issues and arriving at the objectives that we all tackle together.

Q: How does the group keep so many people happy and aligned to the tasks?

A: This has been an interesting project. This group of people knows how to work together and address issues. We have a genuine and mutual sense of respect that we have engendered in this organisation from day one. People hear each other and that is a hallmark of our organisation. When we first interviewed 50 people to develop the strategic plan they saw that their thoughts were reflected in that plan. We  paid attention and showed respect and that value lasts.
 

Since the task forces are industry-led, people who can make decisions are in charge. All of us working in the cluster are clear what our North Star is, which is the economic development of nuclear energy in the Carolinas. We want to provide an electric secure Carolinas and sell or products and services worldwide.

Q: Some countries are cutting nuclear out of the energy mix in light of the events in Japan, while others, such as the UK is steaming ahead with its nuclear new build plans. What does your group do to help develop incentives to other nations to come to do business with Carolina-based companies?

A: Our key incentive is the industry environment we create and sustain. The nuclear knowledge in the Carolinas is unparalleled  with our  array of research and academic facilities; facilities and services in the nuclear area. I wouldn’t say that we are per se solely a promoter of nuclear as much as a hub of nuclear knowledge and that enhances the ability to support the industry. We are not a PR agency. The cluster’s strength is its arc of knowledge and excellent products and services.

I mentioned the environment we create. That’s important.  I recall  a visit by the senior management of one organization scouting us for a re-location in the Carolinas. At the end of the meeting the key executive noted: ‘I have never been to city or region that knew how to compete and also  cooperate like this.’

That organization said that mix was exactly what it was looking for. That is one of our advantages: there is an ability to know when to sit down and work together for the betterment of the industry, but when it comes to the marketplace people know when to compete as good business people do. There is that level of camaraderie here in the Carolinas and especially in the nuclear energy industry.

Q: What type of influence do members have outside of the cluster and outside of the US? 

 
People who serve on the cluster travel overseas all the time for their clients. So having an international outlook is part of our DNA. We started as a two state cluster, and all our members are located in the Carolinas, but now we get recognition nationally and multi-nationally. Collaboration is just good for business.

Q: How are you preparing members to take opportunities within the nuclear supply chain?

A: We are in the middle of a project which is looking at the nuclear supply chain in the Carolinas and defining not only the successes but the gaps. We also look at the full range of economic development. While attracting new companies to the area is always exciting, there are two other legs to economic development: retaining the companies you have and expanding them by diversifying product and service lines. This is especially interesting for us since these companies are already committed to the region.

For example, we have a small business administration project which is working to help smaller businesses become part of the nuclear energy supply chain. Just this month we held advanced quality assurance management sessions working one on one with small companies that are ready to implement a quality programme that fits  nuclear parameters.

Q: How do so many executives work in harmony and perform effective meetings together?

A: We meet three times a year and spend three hours for each cluster each time, so we do not meet much throughout the year. But when we do meet everyone is incredibly focused. People can say they think they understand what our organization does, but it’s not until they see in action some 50  leaders working through an ambitious agenda that they realize that our energy is amazing.

Every event in the industry, whether positive or a challenge, enables the group to learn something. People within the Carolinas Nuclear Cluster share the information they have learned and move forward based on that information in the interest of the industry with safety being first priority for the overall business.

Scott Carlberg, Talking Points LLC - Public Affairs and Project Management
+1 704-841-7649 office/cell (US)
www.TalkingPointsusa.com