Purple Turkey (from Seth's Blog)

Great coverage about Cabelas in the NY Times, as noted by management guru Seth Godin in his blog:
Seth's Blog

Cabelas is coming to West Virginia. Wheeling, WV to be precise. This is an incredible economic coup for WV. Admittedly, I was "on the fence" for a couple of months about the Cabelas project. The project has been a favorite "punching bag" for the Gazette and those who are inclined to bash Gov. Wise's administration.

Is the Cabelas project a one-for-one replacement of those once-proud steelmaking jobs? No.
Was the deal-making process perfect? Was the process free from missteps? No.
Is it the panacea? No, of course not.

Is it a helluva good deal and one of the best opportunities the state has seen in a long time? Yes!

I'm not going to recite the impressive economic numbers (sales, payroll, taxes, etc.) of the Cabelas project. I happen to believe them.

The doubters will always dispute those numbers ... much like they did in 1995/96 as a huge, transformational project was coming to fruition in Beckely. Like Cabelas, it was new, different. Like Cabelas, it was anchored on toursim and retail--not manufacturing. Like Cabelas, it employed public funding for infrastructure. Why--they screamed--would then-Gov. Caperton waste $30+ million on funding for a new interchange off the Turnpike and other infrastructure?!?

I will not recite all of the harsh criticism and the cries of lunacy.

Instead, I will present one word. This one word, today, stands on its own as a shining star model of success and forward thinking. This place (in Beckley, West Virginia) is visited by millions and is now copied by most every other state. This one place is ...

Tamarack.