Send2Press Newswire

Savannah Economic Development Authority brings Savannah to Atlanta Sept. 2

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:11:41 GMT

SEDA in Atlanta to launch customized searchable property database Web site, one of few economic development agencies in the country to offer and only one in Georgia

ATLANTA, Ga., Aug. 27 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- The Savannah Economic Development Authority is bringing Savannah to Atlanta to launch its newly restructured Web site, seda.org, on Tuesday, Sept. 2. The event will showcase the best of Savannah including its resources, talent and quality of life.

In order to remain nationally competitive in marketing Savannah and the state of Georgia, SEDA partnered with Atlanta's BinaryBus to create a one of a kind, customized program that features available property in Savannah / Chatham County from 5,000 square feet to 1,400 acres. SEDA is one of only few economic development agencies in the country to offer such a customized database that allows users to review available properties and provides demographic and business analysis with the ability to save the results in a personal portfolio.

"As the field of economic development evolves and the economy changes, SEDA fully intends to keep Savannah in the forefront," Mr. Lynn Pitts, Sr. Vice President of SEDA said. "We pride ourselves on staying ahead of the curve, and these types of adjustments are the natural progression of our services."

Harnessing the power of web-based GIS (geographic information systems), users can search from among these properties, create portfolios, view a dynamically changing map, and print site-specific information and demographic reports. Search criterion includes square footage, acreage, ceiling height, distance to interstate / seaport / airport, rail access and utilities requirements.

Since site location consultants - professionals who advise companies looking to relocate or expand their operations - increasingly make first cuts based solely on information they gather online, it's critical to place Savannah / Chatham County's community and business attributes at their fingertips. The SEDA property database is exportable to State economic development agencies.

"SEDA's program is one of very few custom made Web 2.0 applications that runs on AreGIS Server 9.3, which is cutting-edge mapping software," said Ron Mulberry, president of BinaryBus. "This definitely gives them an advantage during the site-selection stage."

SEDA currently maintains a database of over 120 properties in Chatham County and works closely with Savannah brokers and landowners to keep the information accurate. The SEDA staff worked with Shannon James, LLC, Smack Dab Studios and Paragon Design Group to design and build the new site.

More information: www.seda.org.

All trademarks acknowledged.

Copyright © 2008 Send2Press® Newswire, a unit of Neotrope®
TAGS: Send2Press Newswire, Savannah Economic Development Authority, Georgia site location consultants

Foothills Community Partnership Fund Established in Collaboration with the Community Foundation of Calhoun County

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:26:50 GMT

ANNISTON, Ala., July 9 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- The Foothills Community Partnership (FCP) officially presented a charitable contribution of $500,000 to the Community Foundation of Calhoun County at a celebration this afternoon. The gift establishes the Foothills Community Partnership Fund, which will be administered and guided by the Community Foundation of Calhoun County to address critical human-care needs in the greater community.

Impact grants from the Fund will be made locally; specifically for education, community and economic development, protection of the environment, safety, and domestic violence prevention.

"This gift is of enormous importance to our community," said Wayne Carmello-Harper, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Calhoun County.

"There are so many community issues that this gift will help the Foundation to address, ranging from early learning to properly preparing children for school to encouraging the use of car seat belts and child safety seats. Career tech opportunities for our high school students are also incredibly important in order to make real employment opportunities available to them."

The Foothills Community Partnership is nearing completion of the lead investigation and cleanup program which it has facilitated during the past two years. The FCP has completed sampling of 4,125 residential properties in Anniston, Oxford and Hobson City and has completed cleanup of 510 residential properties which were deemed to be in need of remediation.

"We owe the success of this effort to the continual support we have received from members of our community," said Tom Potts, Foothills Community Partnership spokesperson.

"The Foothills Community Partnership is pleased to provide this gift to the community as a way of saying 'Thank you' as we come to the conclusion of the residential soil cleanup program. Our vision in making this substantial gift is to provide a lasting benefit to the community and to underscore our organization's tradition of community involvement," said Potts.

"This gift and others like it allow the Community Foundation to perform the real work that needs to be done for the betterment of our community. We are very appreciative of this gift from the Foothills Community Partnership," said Carmello-Harper.

The FCP is comprised of the companies responsible for the residential lead cleanup program in Anniston.

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*(PHOTO Link 72dpi: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/08-0709-Foothills_72dpi.jpg)

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*(Photo Caption: Eula Tatman of the Community Foundation of Calhoun County, Alabama receives $500,000 gift from Tom Potts, Jr. of the Foothills Community Partnership to establish new endowment fund.)

Copyright © 2008 Send2Press® Newswire, a unit of Neotrope®
TAGS: Send2Press Newswire, Community Foundation of Calhoun County, Foothills Community Partnership

GSP Consulting Economic Architecture Experts to Present at National Economic Development Conference

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 22:58:00 GMT

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Oct. 16 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Executives from Pittsburgh-based GSP Consulting will present to a gathering of economic development leaders from around the country at a national conference this week in Baltimore. Dr. Jerry Paytas, Director of Research in GSP's Economic Architecture practice, will lead a discussion titled "Best TBED (Technology Based Economic Development) Practices...to Avoid," on October 18 at the State Science and Technology Institute's (SSTI) 11th Annual Conference.

The presentation will focus on why industry "best practices" are not one-size fits all, and how there can be lackluster results when one region simply "copies" a program from another without considering their unique issues and challenges. Many high-priced consultants are running around the country today selling the concept of "best practices" without the proper regional context of when and how to use the many strategies.

"We hope to that this presentation debunks the notion that a "best-practice" is a quick and easy way to create technology-based economic development programs," Paytas commented. "We've gathered some great examples of best-practices gone bad to demonstrate that TBED should be a region-specific strategy. Those in attendance will walk away with a firm understanding of critical pitfalls to avoid in their technology-development strategy."

The SSTI conference, titled Transforming Regional Economies, is scheduled for October 18 and 19 in Baltimore and promises to offer participants access to the latest thinking and best practices in tech-based economic development. Keynote speakers and breakout sessions will allow participants to explore the more important issues of tech-based economic development with their peers from around the country.

Prior to leading research efforts at GSP Consulting, Dr. Paytas was at the helm of Carnegie Mellon University's Center for Economic Development for several years. He, along with GSP's team of professionals in the Economic Architecture practice, have decades of experience in economic development, and more specifically, technology-based economic development.

Practice director, Rich Overmoyer, has been at the forefront of TBED initiatives since serving as a Deputy Secretary in Pennsylvania's Department of Community and Economic Development under Governor Ed Rendell. With GSP, he has developed the Economic Architecture practice into a nationally-known group within GSP that provides economic development research, strategies and implementation blueprints. Economic Architecture professionals serve a national client base as well as GSP's other state and federal practice areas. Their clients include bioscience and technology organizations, non-profits, local and state governments and other economic development groups.

About GSP Consulting Corp.
Founded in 2001, GSP Consulting Corp. is a full service consulting firm headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa. Comprised of three practice areas - Federal and State Government Affairs, Development Services and Economic Architecture, the firm has successfully served hundreds of clients throughout the U.S. Since its founding, GSP experts have authored revolutionary public policy, designed and launched ground-breaking economic development initiatives, secured hundreds of millions of dollars in funding, and built longstanding relationships and networks at all levels of government. With offices throughout the Mid-Atlantic, Mid-West and Southern United States, their diverse client portfolio includes technology, manufacturing, life sciences companies, as well as developers, municipalities, economic development agencies and non-profit organizations.

More information about GSP consulting can be found at www.gspconsulting.com.

Copyright © 2007 Send2Press® Newswire, a unit of Neotrope®
TAGS: Send2Press Newswire, GSP Consulting Corp, National Economic Development Conference

GSP Economic Architecture Expert to Speak at the 12th Annual Minnesota Development Conference

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 18:53:00 GMT

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Sept. 18 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Leading economic development expert Dr. Jerry Paytas will discuss Regional Competitiveness: Best Practices and Lessons Learned at the 12th Annual Minnesota Development Conference "Harnessing Minnesota's Ingenuity" on September 26, 2007.

Paytas, Director of Research at GSP Consulting, is a nationally-recognized economic development expert known best for his research and insight into regional economic opportunities and challenges. His work has been published both nationally and internationally by agencies such as the United States Economic Development Administration, the Brookings Institution and Urban Affairs Review.

"I am looking forward to discussing best practices in economic development with development professionals from across Minnesota at this important conference," Paytas said. "It is great to see states taking a proactive role in expanding their economic development potential and I am honored to be presenting."

Held at the Northland Inn in Brooklyn Park, St. Paul, attendees of the Minnesota Development Conference, will hear Paytas present findings from the GSP Consulting Economic Architecture (EA) study titled Falling off the Bandwagon: Best and Worst Practices in State and Regional Economic Development, completed in May 2007. The Economic Architecture practice at GSP is one of three growing focus areas at the Pittsburgh-based consulting firm. Paytas and fellow Economic Architecture consultants use a unique three-phase consulting model to design, build and implement economic development initiatives for communities and organizations. With experts such as Practice Director Rich Overmoyer who served as Deputy Secretary in Pennsylvania's Department of Community and Economic Development and Paytas who led an economic development think-tank at Carnegie Mellon University, the EA practice is a sought-after authority on cutting-edge economic development trends and strategies.

"We started the Economic Architecture practice in 2006 with the notion that economic development consulting should be more than just giving our client a report. We go beyond the findings and present an action plan that is realistic and executable," said Overmoyer. "Our approach is distinctively different, but based on the positive market response we've received and the success our clients have achieved, we know it works. Dr. Paytas is looking forward to sharing our insights, expertise and success stories at the Minnesota Development Conference."

The Economic Architecture practice is a stand-alone group within GSP that provides economic development research, strategies and implementation blueprints. They serve a national client base and also support GSP's other state and federal practice areas. Their clients include bioscience and technology organizations, non-profits, local and state governments and other economic development groups.

About GSP Consulting Corp.
Founded in 2001, GSP Consulting Corp. is a full service consulting firm headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa. Comprised of three practice areas - Federal and State Government Affairs, Development Services and Economic Architecture, the firm has successfully served hundreds of clients throughout the U.S. Since it's founding, GSP experts have authored revolutionary public policy, designed and launched ground-breaking economic development initiatives, secured hundreds of millions of dollars in funding, and built longstanding relationships and networks at all levels of government. With offices throughout the Mid-Atlantic, Mid-West and Southern United States, their diverse client portfolio includes technology, manufacturing, life sciences companies, as well as developers, municipalities, economic development agencies and non-profit organizations.

More information about GSP consulting can be found at www.gspconsulting.com.

Momentum Chippewa Valley Taps GSP Consulting for Economic Development Assessment and Strategy

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 20:24:00 GMT

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. - Aug. 13 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Economic and development opportunities in West Central Wisconsin will be the focus of a formal study of the region being commissioned by Momentum Chippewa Valley (MCV). The study kicked off August 9 with a visioning session in which local leaders developed a framework for the future economic development of the region.

"Our counties and communities are implementing a process to create a results-based economic development strategy that will take into account the opportunities and achievements we have had to date, and build upon these with action steps to guide our future decision-making," said Dan McCabe, Board president of MCV. "We are taking a major step toward leveraging our regional assets that will build a prosperous economic future."

MCV is partnering with organizations within its member counties of Chippewa, Dunn, Eau Claire and Pepin. For this project, MCV will also partner with the counties of St. Croix, Pierce, Polk, Barron and Clark to create a true understanding of the regional assets available in west central Wisconsin. The study results will assist education, workforce and economic development partners in developing strategies to grow local and regional economies using resources that support innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology-led businesses.

The August 9 "vision framing" session brought together economic development experts, business and academic leaders, government officials and other stakeholders from the west central region to brainstorm the region's assets, opportunities and vulnerabilities. The goal of the interactive discussion is to provide a baseline assessment of the region, map regional goals and develop a sketch of the future goals for the region.

The project, which will take approximately 6 months, includes three phases that involve in-depth research and analysis, benchmarking, and engaging stakeholders and residents from throughout the region to develop a strategy and action plan.

MCV has retained the services of GSP Consulting Economic Architecture, a national firm with operations in Madison, where it has partnered with Hamilton Consulting to form Hamilton.GSP. GSP Consulting will be conducting a comprehensive assessment of economic development activities and opportunities in the region, which includes Chippewa, Dunn, Eau Claire, Pepin, Polk, St. Croix, Pierce, Clark and Barron counties. The assessment will gauge what opportunities for growth and development are real and attainable while formulating action steps for implementation.

"We are thrilled to be working with GSP's Economic Architecture group," stated Mike Armstrong, Momentum Chippewa Valley Director. "The approach used by GSP is unlike any we've seen before and has proven to work for other regions facing the same challenges we are. At the end of the process, we will not just have a report that goes on a shelf somewhere. Rather, we will have a results-based economic development plan that can be put into action."

Understanding economic development at the municipal, county and state levels -- and then turning development opportunities into realities -- is something the GSP Economic Architecture team knows well. The GSP team brings many perspectives to the table as they have worked in the public sector at all levels of government, as researchers at major universities and as leaders of economic development agencies. Their passion for economic development and strategic planning has led to millions of investment dollars and thousands of jobs created for communities all over the United States.

"So many regions struggle with how to grow their economy in a meaningful way," said Rich Overmoyer, GSP principal and director of the Economic Architecture practice. "It's not enough to just create jobs. It's crucial that regions look at building future industries, developing existing technology resources and creating a knowledge-based workforce. We are excited to be involved with this project to help MCV realize success with their economic development efforts."

For more information or to be interviewed for this project, please contact Rich Overmoyer, at 1-877-477-2677 or email at MCV@gspconsulting.com.

About Momentum Chippewa Valley
Momentum Chippewa Valley is a regional economic development organization serving Chippewa, Dunn, Eau Claire, and Pepin counties. Their mission is to develop cooperative public and private partnerships among the communities of the Chippewa Valley, by coordinating regional economic development efforts. More information about MCV can be found at www.chippewavalley.org.

About GSP Consulting Corp.
Founded in 2001, GSP Consulting Corp. is a full service consulting firm headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa. Comprised of three practice areas - Federal and State Government Affairs, Development Services and Economic Architecture, the firm has successfully served hundreds of clients throughout the U.S. Since it's founding, GSP experts have authored revolutionary public policy, designed and launched ground-breaking economic development initiatives, secured hundreds of millions of dollars in funding, and built longstanding relationships and networks at all levels of government. With offices throughout the Mid-Atlantic, Mid-West and Southern United States, their diverse client portfolio includes technology, manufacturing, life sciences companies, as well as developers, municipalities, economic development agencies and non-profit organizations. In Wisconsin, GSP Consulting has partnered with Hamilton Consulting of Madison, WI, to form Hamilton.GSP.

More information about GSP consulting can be found at www.gspconsulting.com.

Local Economic Development Contacts:
Barron County - Dave Miller: 715-637-3755 x23
Chippewa County - Charlie Walker: 715-723-7150
Clark County - Sheila Nyberg: 715-267-3205
Dunn County - Bob Bossany: 715-232-4009
Eau Claire County - Brian Doudna: 715-577-3582
Pepin County - Terry Mesch: 715-672-5709
Pierce County - Bill Warner: 715-425-3881
Polk County - Mike Welch: 715-405-7655
St. Croix County- Bill Rubin: 715-381-4383