City of Columbia Economic Development receives Excellence in Economic Development Award from the International Economic Development Council 

City of Columbia Economic Development (CED) won a silver category award for its ChooseColumbiaSC, a project in the General Purpose Website category of the International Economic Development Council’s 2020 Excellence in Economic Development Awards Program. The honor was presented last week at an awards ceremony during the IEDC Annual Conference.

“Our office is incredibly excited to be recognized by IEDC for the quality of the new website. Our staff, along with our partners GIS Planning, REsimplifi, and 37 Gears, all put a lot of work into building a high quality and visually appealing website, and the result speaks for itself. We will continue to work diligently to make sure that we’re providing great content and easy to access information for businesses looking to locate or expand in the City of Columbia,” said Ryan Coleman, Director of Columbia Economic Development.

IEDC’s Excellence in Economic Development Awards recognize the world’s best economic development programs and partnerships, marketing materials, and the year’s most influential leaders. 35 award categories honor organizations and individuals for their efforts in creating positive change in urban, suburban, and rural communities. Awards are judged by a diverse panel of economic and community developers from around the world, following a nomination process held earlier this year. IEDC received over 500 submissions from 4 countries.

“The winners of IEDC’s Excellence in Economic Development awards represent the very best of economic development and exemplify the ingenuity, integrity, and leadership that our profession strives for each and every day,” said 2020 IEDC Board Chair and One Columbus CEO Kenny McDonald. “We’re honored to recognize the more than 100 communities whose marketing campaigns, projects, and partnerships have measurably improved regional quality of life.”

Columbia Economic Development was overdue for a website redesign.  Not only was a new site created but a new domain www.choosecolumbiasc.com was deployed in an effort to emphasize the beauty of our city with high-quality images and website animations. The site incorporates Columbia Economic Development’s brand colors using light green, royal, and navy-blue. Between the images of technology innovations, site selection, and the open for business map, www.choosecolumbiasc.com really makes you feel connected to Columbia and to what the city has to offer. Columbia Economic Development also partnered with local, state, and national agencies to provide the latest technology in GIS mapping to show available properties and existing businesses.  The site launched in the early stages of COVID-19 and it has been well received in the City as a tool for businesses.

About the City of Columbia Office of Economic Development  

As the leading economic development agency for the City of Columbia, the office focuses on recruitment of new business, retention and expansion of existing industry, and support of job growth through entrepreneurship and innovation. Columbia, South Carolina is one of the fastest growing cities in the Southeast and an ideal place for commercial development. With a world class workforce, high quality of life, low cost corporate environment, and extensive transportation infrastructure, Columbia is positioned to assist companies in gaining a competitive edge in the global marketplace. 

About the International Economic Development Council 

The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) is a non-profit, non-partisan membership organization serving economic developers. With more than 5,000 members, IEDC is the largest organization of its kind. Economic developers promote economic well-being and quality of life for their communities, by creating, retaining, and expanding jobs that facilitate growth, enhance wealth, and provide a stable tax base. When we succeed, our members create high-quality jobs, develop vibrant communities, and improve the quality of life in their regions. Learn more at iedconline.org.