Greater Statesville Development Corporation

Statesville, NC, May 4, 2009: Site Selection magazine has selected the Greater Statesville Development Corporation (GSDC) to its list of Top 10 local economic development groups in the U.S. for 2008. The GSDC joins economic development organizations from Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Dayton, Houston, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Sioux City (IA), and Tupelo (MS) in receiving the honor.

Each year, Site Selection ranks local economic development groups based upon four objective categories: new jobs, new jobs per 10,000 residents, new investment amount and new investment per 10,000 residents. Then the organizations are scrutinized for more subjective attributes — among them innovation, leadership and customer service, with only the best of the best named to the Top Groups list.

“The Top Economic Development Groups of the Year share several attributes,” said Ron Starner, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Site Selection publisher Conway Data, Inc. “Chief among them are an abundance of pre-approved shovel-ready sites, aggressive marketing programs, best-in-class customer service and creative incentive packages. Without these tools in your arsenal, it is hard to compete for projects in today’s economy. Companies want the locations that deliver the greatest impact to the bottom line.”

In 2008, the GSDC -- along with Iredell County microplitan counterpart Mooresville-South Iredell Economic Development Corporation -- beat out all others by registering 17 corporate facility expansions. Altogether, these projects accounted for $366 million in capital investment and generated 362 new jobs for the area.

In addition to these projects, the GSDC was recognized for its innovative business and economic development practices, including; partnership with Mitchell Community College in business retention and corporate training, accessibility of data on its website, targeted Internet marketing, leadership in state and regional economic development organizations, and involvement in community development efforts.

Bill Leach, Chairman of the GSDC Board of Directors commented on the announcement, “This is a very exciting. Coming on the heels of our being named the #1 micropolitan area, it shows that we are definitely on the right track. I cannot say often enough what an incredible job Mike (Smith), John (Marek) and Lisa (Taylor) have done during this very challenging time for the economy.”

“We are honored to be included on a list of top economic development groups along with powerhouses like World Business Chicago, the Dallas Regional Chamber and the Greater Houston Partnership,“ said Mike Smith, Executive Director of the GSDC.
It speaks highly of the Greater Statesville business community that we are able to stand toe-to-toe with cities many times our size.”

About Statesville, North Carolina
Statesville is a city of 26,074 located in the central Piedmont region of North Carolina, 38 miles north of Charlotte, 39 miles west of Winston-Salem and 135 miles west of Raleigh. Originally settled in 1753 by Scots-Irish Presbyterians and German Lutherans, Statesville served as the temporary capital of North Carolina during the final months of the Civil War, and has been an important industrial and agricultural hub since its incorporation in 1789. Today, Statesville is a major manufacturing and distribution center, drawing on its location at the intersection of two of the nation’s busiest interstate highways, and its proximity to major “New South” cities such as Atlanta, Charlotte, Greensboro, Nashville, Raleigh and Richmond. Key industries include metalworking, plastics, automotive parts, textiles and furniture. Located one mile from Interstate 40, Statesville Regional Airport is home to corporate aviation facilities for Fortune 500 companies Lowes Corporation and Newell-Rubbermaid and several NASCAR teams. For more information, visit www.greaterstatesville.org

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