Economic Development Excellence
Transforming Underperforming Parcels Into Seeds For Economic Growth
PIA Industries offers tools and services aimed at helping municipalities rediscover their full potential.
PIA Industries offers tools and services aimed at helping municipalities rediscover their full potential.
Our methodology combines adaptive capacity, economic principles, behavioral psychology, and absolute transparency to create sustainable economic development strategies.
"What a society spends money on matters. When it spends on investment items that yield productivity and income gains, it makes for a better future than when it spends on consumption items that don't raise productivity and income."
"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most adaptable to change."
For municipalities that prioritize the community members' health and well-being, effort and energy expended by community leaders should be invested in activities that enhance the ability of members as a group to adapt.
The economic condition of a town's residents is a reflection of the municipality's ability and willingness to adapt. We use that as the scale on which every decision is weighed: what does this do to the community's capacity to adapt, now and in the years ahead?
"Without a doubt, the best capital to invest in is human capital. All good investments come from people who are productive. And the best places to invest are those that have environments that enable those people to be productive."
PIA Industries helps towns with already-existing opportunities harness them in innovative ways. By recognizing the value of natural resources and putting energy towards harnessing them, communities create environments that support productivity and overall wellbeing.
Towns should prioritize lots based on their expected capacity to contribute to the whole, which will improve the entire community's ability to compete in a changing economic environment.
"The worst thing I can be is the same as everybody else."
Understanding human behavior is critical to successful economic development. We recognize that emotions, biases, and psychological patterns significantly influence decision-making at both individual and community levels.
By harnessing data and creating clear frameworks, we help communities overcome emotional barriers to change and make decisions that benefit the whole.
"The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men."
Good communication is key to improving or maintaining relationships. This is also true for municipalities. Transparency between leaders and community members increases confidence and optimizes decisions for the whole.
Clear communication and a prioritization for hearing all voices within the crowd allows the community to work together towards a common shared goal.
The standard binds us as well. Every figure we publish carries its source and its assumptions, so a board can check the arithmetic instead of taking it on faith. Analysis nobody can audit is advocacy wearing a spreadsheet.
A framework is only worth something if it changes what a town actually does on a Tuesday night at a selectboard meeting. Here is where each pillar lands.
Every year of delay has a price. We put that price on a chart, next to the cost of acting, so the two can be compared honestly rather than argued about.
See the model →Every lot is ranked by what it could contribute against what it does contribute. The gap between the two is the working list.
Residents who are shown the numbers become the project's most durable support. Residents who are asked to trust a conclusion do not.
Decisions, dollars and the reasoning behind them are published where residents can follow them, so the town is reviewed by the people it serves rather than trusted on its word.
Build consensus among town leaders about opportunities to improve revenue sources.
Use our tools to identify underperforming parcels and critical lots.
Understand root causes of underperformance and identify viable alternatives.
Create complete alignment on goals, challenges, and the path forward.
Share analysis and benefits with community members to build support.
Secure official commitment through public vote, signaling investment in the future.
See the project through to completion with ongoing support and expertise.
Sustainable economic growth, increased property values, and improved community wellbeing.
Many municipalities face declining tax revenues as once-productive properties fall into disuse. Traditional approaches fail because they don't address the root causes: changing economic environments, infrastructure limitations, and the emotional barriers to change.
Without a clear strategy, towns struggle to adapt, leading to declining property values, outmigration, and increased tax burdens on remaining residents.
PIA Industries provides a comprehensive framework that identifies underperforming assets, develops data-driven strategies, and aligns stakeholders around shared goals.
By combining investment expertise, municipal knowledge, and proven funding strategies, we help communities unlock their full potential and create sustainable prosperity.
These four pillars work together to create a complete framework for municipal economic development. By understanding how communities adapt (adaptive capacity), what drives economic success (economic principles), and how people make decisions (behavioral psychology), we create strategies that work in the real world.
Adaptive capacity defines what success looks like: adaptable communities.
Economic principles guide our approach to maximizing value and competitive advantage.
Human psychology insights ensure our strategies work with people, not against them.
Bringing together investment expertise, municipal experience, and a passion for community development to help towns unlock their full potential.
Founder & Co-CEO, PIA Industries
CEO, Portland Investment Advisors, LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor licensed in the State of Maine
Casey Doody is the CEO of Portland Investment Advisors and Co-CEO of PIA Industries. The development of PIA Industries is a reflection of Casey's unique background that has shaped much of the philosophy of the firm.
From childhood entrepreneur mowing lawns and snow blowing driveways, to studying psychology and working with people and their money as an investment consultant, to owning Portland Investment Advisors, Casey's journey combines hands-on experience with sophisticated financial expertise.
PIA Industries benefits from a network of experienced professionals who understand municipal operations and economic development.
Current and former town managers and selectboard members who bring decades of experience in municipal governance and operations.
Architects and construction professionals who understand the practical realities of property development and renovation.
Public water/sewer systems principals and public transportation executives from major cities in the state.
Financial professionals with expertise in municipal funding tools, banking relationships, and creative financing structures.
Portfolio management experts who bring sophisticated analytical frameworks to municipal asset evaluation.
Local business owners and community advocates who understand the importance of stakeholder alignment and public engagement.
This is not a directory a town is handed and left to work through. When a project needs a public-sewer opinion, a TIF structure, or somebody who has sat on the other side of a selectboard table during a contentious vote, PIA Industries brings that person into the specific question at hand, as part of the engagement, not as a separate referral.
Advisors are named to the town when they are engaged on its project. We do not publish the full roster here, because who is right for a project depends entirely on what the project turns out to need.
PIA Industries sprouted from the need to resolve an economic problem initially stumbled upon in a small town in Maine, and then again in another. As a search for a resolution yielded no immediate useful results, our founder Casey Doody remained steadfast in his conviction that a solution can and would be developed.
With the progression of time and the influence and feedback from many remarkable contributors, a path forward became clearer. While all towns experience the need to adapt in an ever-changing economic environment, it is those communities who are unified in their efforts to overcome challenges that achieve the best possible outcomes.
Community is the answer to any economic challenges faced by a municipality, and PIA Industries is the tool.
Let's discuss how PIA Industries can help your municipality adapt to changing economic conditions and create sustainable prosperity for your community.