New Online Tools Help Promote Connecticut & Western Mass. to the World
03/09/2005
Contact:
Kristi Sullivan, 860-571-6213
The Connecticut Economic Resource Center (CERC) has announced the launch of E.D.D.I., or Economic Development Data and Information (www.CERC.com/eddi), and an upgraded CERC SiteFinder® (www.CTSiteFinder.com) - two valuable online tools for site selectors, real estate developers and brokers, researchers and companies to determine the advantages of locating a business in Connecticut and neighboring Western Massachusetts.
E.D.D.I. is a first-of-its-kind, searchable database of economic and demographic information for all of Connecticut and Western Massachusetts and its metro areas, regions, and towns. CERC, with support from Connecticut Light and Power, Yankee Gas and other utility partners, has deployed E.D.D.I. to facilitate easy access to unique local and regional data. The MetroHartford Alliance and Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council, representing New England's Knowledge Corridor, are the pilot regions participating in E.D.D.I.
Northeast Utilities Economic Development Director John O'Toole commented, "The data found in E.D.D.I. will allow our region to more competitively represent itself to the world - having this timely, accurate data about our local towns and regions in a central location on the Web will be a shot in the arm for our region's economic vitality."
Connecticut and Western Massachusetts are the first states on the East coast to utilize E.D.D.I., which is based on the LocationOne Information System developed by Midwestern utility company Aquila.
E.D.D.I. contains hundreds of data points representing labor force, wages, leading employers, business growth and more. Users can also access maps, links and printable flyers. E.D.D.I.'s data is compliant with International Economic Development Council guidelines developed by nationally recognized site selection professionals.
"In the business expansion process, corporate site seekers require extensive information within a rapid timeframe, which positions many communities without the proper tools at a disadvantage," said Dennis Donovan, principal with Wadley-Donovan-Gutshaw Consulting, a corporate location advisory firm based in New Jersey. "The launch of E.D.D.I. represents a major step forward for attracting new businesses to Connecticut and Western Massachusetts. With E.D.D.I., CERC and local economic development agencies will witness a greater flow of companies looking at the region and a higher success rate in closing the deal."
MetroHartford Alliance Vice President and Director of Economic Development John Shemo added, "We are pioneers in the Northeast utilizing this technology to provide both broad and in-depth data to site selection and corporate real estate communities."
E.D.D.I.'s Connecticut data is complemented by the recently upgraded CERC SiteFinder - the state's most comprehensive, searchable database of available commercial and industrial real estate. SiteFinder includes new search options and greater breakdowns of property types, allowing visitors to view sites for the entire state, by particular counties or by region. Users can search for properties for sale or lease, by required use (e.g., industrial, warehouse, R&D, etc.) and with special features (e.g., rail access, cranes, outside storage, etc.), as well as obtain information about floor/space availability, and integrated mapping and demographics.
SiteFinder lists more than 2,300 properties which are maintained and updated continuously by hundreds of local real estate firms and their brokers. Since its inception in 1997, more than 10 million square feet of space in Connecticut has been leased, purchased or constructed via SiteFinder. SiteFinder's new platform was custom built by FastFacilityTM, LLC, a developer of database programs and a nationally marketed, GIS-driven database site search tool - www.FastFacility.com. As part of CERC's partnership with FastFacility, all SiteFinder listings will also be posted on FastFacility.com, and FastFacility's CNN television commercial campaign will include special 30-second spots promoting SiteFinder.
"We have launched E.D.D.I. and CERC SiteFinder to ensure that we meet the expectations of businesses and site selection consultants in an increasingly competitive, global environment," said Marty Hunt, President of CERC. "No other region in the East offers these types of complementary economic development tools."
CERC (www.cerc.com) is a nonprofit company specializing in economic development and marketing for local, regional, state and utility economic development entities. Funded by 10 of the state's utility and telecommunications companies in partnership with state government, CERC also markets the state as a competitive business location.