The Site Selectors Guild (SSG), the world’s largest group of senior site location advisors, honored the Roanoke Regional Partnership with the 2017 Excellence in Economic Development award at its annual conference.
Winning professionals and economic development organizations (EDOs) are nominated by SSG members and are selected based on mastery of process; ingenuity and creativity; going above and beyond; political acumen; staying power; and personal, caring touch.
“We recognize the top performers in economic development,” said SSG Board Chairman Mark Williams. “They are indispensable partners of the Guild and their outstanding efforts deserve to be celebrated.”
“After the Roanoke Regional Partnership lost the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company project, they regrouped and focused on winning the next project, noted the guild. “They developed shovel-ready sites, re-branded their outdoor assets and sustained attention to downtown redevelopment. This hard work paid off in March of 2016 when Oregon-based Deschutes Brewery announced a $85 million investment in Roanoke.”
“The dedication and perseverance the Roanoke Region showed after not getting the initial brewing company is something every business should model,” said SSG Member Don Schjeldahl, who nominated them for this award. “They picked themselves up after a tough loss and came back stronger than ever. For that reason, we are proud to give them this award.”
The Excellence in Economic Development Awards were created to promote positive interactions between site selection professionals and EDOs, to encourage innovation by highlighting EDO best practices, and to introduce and advance high standards for the site selector profession.
