I hope this newsletter finds you well. We are excited with the continued growth and development of our community. Team Volusia EDC continues its aggressive outreach schedule that remains focused on top site selection consultants and corporate real estate executives. The Team Volusia staff continues to work to raise awareness of the Greater Daytona Region/Volusia County, Florida as a premier place for business relocation and expansion.
Our updated marketing materials, targeted trade shows, and business recruitment missions are designed to keep Volusia County on the top of the Nation’s leading site consultants’ minds who may have the opportunity to recommend or validate our area for consideration. Our Vice Presidents, Chris Wimsatt and Matt Chesnut, and I remain focused on identifying and executing business recruitment activities both in the U.S. and abroad that will yield the largest number of qualified leads and potential projects for our pipeline. This means that we are often traveling outside the area to ensure that Volusia County is high on the list of these important decision makers.
I recently returned from the Southern Economic Development Council’s (SEDC) Annual Meeting held in Mobile, Alabama. Over 300 economic development professionals and service providers were gathered to discuss issues and best practices experienced in SEDC’s 17-state region. I am proud to be the Florida Director and have served on the Board since 2016. A highlight of the conference was a segment with top site location consultants speaking about their experiences in working with companies as they consider Southeastern U.S. communities and the competitive issues identified.
The Daytona Beach/Volusia County Community Profile published in the August 2018 issue of Florida Trend was a success. I received many compliments about the publication as it provided readers a thorough and updated review of several outstanding projects which have recently been completed or announced. In addition, I received many positive comments that the piece captured the true essence of the Greater Daytona Region. I would like to thank the more than 60 area business leaders, stakeholders, and elected officials that participated in the interview process with the Florida Trend editor and key staff members. I appreciate all the businesses and organizations that took the opportunity to advertise in the segment, as it increased the number of pages printed which allowed for a more detailed overview of our dynamic area. Furthermore, Team Volusia staff is distributing the community profile as an additional marketing piece since it “shows off” our area so well. A special thank you to Mike Jiloty who was engaged by Team Volusia EDC to interface with Florida Trend writers. He took on the job enthusiastically, sometimes in contact with the writers several times a day.
Our pipeline of projects is strong with several Stage 4 projects in current negotiations. We expect several location announcements before the end of the year. I’m proud of our hardworking team which has resulted in 75% of our projects coming directly to Team Volusia from our aggressive business recruitment efforts and our targeted marketing.
Thank you for your continued leadership and support as together we raise the economic vitality of Volusia County.
Best regards,
Keith A. Norden, CEcD
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