Site Selection magazine has named its Top US Economic Development Groups of 2014 as part of the magazine’s annual Best to Invest rankings. The Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce was named as one of the top groups.
Local economic development groups were first ranked according to four objective categories: new jobs, new jobs per 10,000 residents, new investment amount and new investment per 10,000 residents. Additional criteria included the creativity of economic development strategy; scope of project activity; and documenting link between the economic development organization and actual results. The rankings include the top ten metropolitan groups and honorable mentions, and the top 20 micropolitan groups.
“This year’s Top US Economic Development Groups are recognized for their ability to leverage their community’s assets to reach new markets while making sure existing industries have what they need to thrive,” said Patty Rasmussen, senior editor at Site Selection magazine, who authored the Top Groups report. “As we talked with corporate executives looking to relocate or expand, we found that they’re looking for more than incentives or inexpensive land. Livability is an important differentiator and communities that invest in quality of life infrastructure are seeing that investment pay off.”
Site Selection magazine, published by Conway, Inc. since 1954, delivers expansion planning information to 48,000 subscribers, many of them employed by fast-growing firms. Site Selection is also available online (http://www.siteselection.com). Site Selection's growing family of e-newsletters includes the weekly Site Selection Dispatch; The Site Selection Energy Report; The Site Selection Life Sciences Report (monthlies); Site Selection International and The Site Selection Aerospace Report (bimonthlies); and The FDI Report from Conway Events.