Site Selector to Address CERC SiteFinder® Showcase Attendees
06/09/2005
Contact:
MaryAnn Simkewicz, 860-571-6217
How does Connecticut fare in being selected as an optimal business location? Nationally renowned location specialist Mark Sweeney and Area Development Magazine publisher Dennis Shea will address the Connecticut real estate and economic development community about key site selection issues and the outlook of business growth at the CERC SiteFinder Showcase on Tuesday, June 21, at the Farmington Club.
With more than 16 years experience in site selection and economic development, and a senior principal with McCallum Sweeney Consulting, Mr. Sweeney assists companies identifying, evaluating and selecting the optimal location for their capital investments.
"Connecticut is making great strides in working with site selectors, particularly with the recent introduction of Economic Development Data & Information (E.D.D.I.), a first-of-its-kind, online database of economic and demographic information for Connecticut and Western Massachusetts and its metro areas, counties and towns," said Martha Hunt, CERC's president and CEO. "Mr. Sweeney will shed light on additional steps that need to be taken to attract companies to Connecticut."
The annual SiteFinder Showcase, hosted by CERC (the Connecticut Economic Resource Center), provides local real estate professionals with an opportunity to hear about the latest trends and tools affecting Connecticut's economic development and real estate environments. The half-day event, which takes place from 8:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m., will also include overviews and demos of SiteFinder and E.D.D.I. by Melissa Pasquale, director of real estate at CERC and a presentation about the role of utilities in economic development by Ray Necci, president and CEO at Connecticut Light & Power.
Dennis Shea will present Area Development Magazine's 19th annual Corporate Real Estate Survey Results, which found that there was a surge in new facility, relocation and expansion activity in 2004 among their primarily manufacturing firm respondents.
Breakfast and lunch are included in the ticket price, and a post-event golf outing is optional. Registration information is available on www.CTSiteFinder.com. For information about sponsorship opportunities, contact Melissa Pasquale at 860-571-6212 or mpasquale@cerc.com.
Sponsors of this year's event include: CB Richard Ellis-Hartford, Connecticut Department of Economic & Community Development, Connecticut Development Authority, CT Business Magazine, Fast Facility/Area Development Magazine, Northeast Utilities System - CL&P, Yankee Gas, and Wiggin & Dana.
SiteFinder currently has more than 2,600 active listings, equating to more than 51 million square feet and more than 11,000 acres available for lease or purchase. Since its inception in 1997, 9.7 million square feet of space has been leased, purchased or constructed via SiteFinder, associated with retaining and creating approximately 7,000 jobs statewide.
The Connecticut Economic Resource Center is a nonprofit company funded by 10 of the state's utility and telecommunications companies in partnership with state government. With a mission of promoting Connecticut as a competitive business location, CERC specializes in economic development and marketing for local, regional, state and utility economic development entities. Visit www.cerc.com for more info.