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Rural Sourcing wins 2005 Innovator Award
Much press has been given to the "out-sourcing" of information technology (IT) jobs to India and other countries with a highly educated, English-speaking population. The shift has been for both economic and strategic reasons-lower cost and round-the-clock project
support. At the same time, rural leaders have decried the out-migration of their educated youth and a lack of technical workers. Dr. Kathy Brittian White, a philanthropist and native of rural Arkansas, founded Rural Sourcing Inc. (RSI) in 2003 to combat all three problems.
RSI seeks to redirect some outsourcing back into America by locating high quality IT
centers in rural communities that are served by a strong university. In effect, it replicates
the same principles that let to outsourcing- lower cost and strategic positioning. The goal
is to train and retain local technical workers by enabling them to work on challenging
projects in a lower cost setting, devoid of the culture and management frictions often
present with outsourcing overseas.
The initiative allows new college graduates interested in IT employment to remain in the
South. RSI's work has also caused experienced technology workers to return to their rural
hometowns.
Dr. White has committed $2 million of her personal funds to communicate her vision
across the South. She has established dialog and partnerships with universities,
technology vendors, community leaders, and state politicians. This collaboration of
diverse regional teams is crucial. In every case, university presidents, IT faculty, business
executives, and local economic development officials work together (often meeting for
the first time) to provide advisory support and services. Partner universities provide
facilities, faculty release time and administrative support. Some also form branch
relationships with community colleges or regional technology incubators to offer IT
training, support and contract work in more remote areas.
Potential customers are delighted when they visit an IT center and see first hand the
resources that are available to them. Currently three centers are open in Arkansas, New
Mexico and North Carolina, with plans to open a center in West Virginia in 2005.
Ultimately, Dr. White plans to open 50 centers across the United States within five years.
Regional resource requirements are modest and pilot programs can be easily
implemented.
Rural Sourcing has received national press coverage that has allowed it to quickly
establish relationships with Fortune 500 companies with a global presence in software,
telecommunications and medical products and services industries.
Each year, Southern Growth Policies Board honors innovative Southern initiatives that
are improving the quality of life in the region. The Innovator Awards are presented
annually to one organization in each of Southern Growth’s member states — Alabama,
Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina,
Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the Commonwealth
of Puerto Rico. Award winners represent initiatives from the public, private and nonprofit
sectors that fit both the criteria for innovation and relevance to the theme of Southern
Growth’s annual conference, where the awards are presented.
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