Economic Development Marketingin Greater Reading
Presentation to Commercial Industrial Council
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What Does GREP Do?
GREP: Committed to Berks County Companies
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• Financing
• Entrepreneur Training
• Workforce training
• Municipal, township, borough & state officials
• Governor’s Action Team
• Local utility providers
• Business to business introductions & referrals
• New market expansions
• Best manufacturing processes & practices
• Innovation experts
• Exporting
• Succession Planning
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GREP: Committed to Berks County Companies – providing connections to:
• Maidencreek Township– Excelsior Blower
• Muhlenberg Township– EthoSource– Fidelity Technologies– Great Grow– National Brokers of America
• Exeter Township– Birdsboro Kosher Farms– Visionary Insurance Partners
• Wyomissing– SG America– Longhorn Steakhouse
• Maxatawny Township– Saucony Creek Brewing
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GREP: 2013 Highlights
1,467 total jobs822,500 square feet
• City of Reading– Bills Khakis– Einstein Analytics– Isolator Fitness– Metals Your Way– Prizer Painter (BlueStar)
• Cumru Township– Reitnouer, Inc.
17 new and expanding companies!
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Birdsboro Kosher Farms
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GreaterReadingSites.com
Fish where the fish are.
Site selectors and businesses will go straight to GreaterReadingSites.com.
Brokers can profit from:• Free marketing• Increased traffic• Direct, qualified leads• Expanded lead generation
Nearly all businesses and site selectors use the Internet to make location decisions
• 98% of corporate real estate professionals & site selectors use the Internet for researching site location decisions
• Site selection research by non-consultants is performed after business hours & weekends
Sources in Order: Economic Development Marketing: Present & Future; Dennis Donovan, Wadley-Donovan, UEDA Annual Conf. SF.
©GIS Planning Inc. 2012
User-generated content (blogs, forums)Videos
Transactions (business licenses, permit applications, etc.)Formatting option for mobile devices/mobile apps
Business listComparisons to other areas
Social media integrationNews about community (past or present)
Hyperlinks to other organizationsTestimonials and success storiesEmployment training programs
Quality of life (climate, schools, housing, culture, healthcare, etc.)Business assistance services/how to start a business
GIS mapping tools for site selection analysis assistanceMajor employers
IncentivesStaff directory and contact information (phone, fax, email, address)
Major industries or business/industry clustersMaps
Infrastructure (utilities and transportation)Demographic reports
Labor force (availability and wages)Land/sites and buildings inventory
24%33%
48%51%
53%55%
60%60%
67%67%
70%73%74%
77%80%81%
83%83%85%86%
90%91%91%
Most important features for economic development websites
Source: National Survey of Economic Developers and Site Selection Professionals by Ubalde & Simundza. 2011.
• Free Marketing• Direct Leads• Qualified Leads• Money in Pocket
©GIS Planning Inc. 2012
What GreaterReadingSites.com means for real estate professionals
Qualified Leads: If they contact you they have already done their homework
and know that you have
something they want.
©GIS Planning Inc. 2012
What GreaterReadingSites.com means for real estate professionals
Business Intelligence:
Access to
high-quality demographic, market & business analysis (for free).
©GIS Planning Inc. 2012
What GreaterReadingSites.com means for real estate professionals
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Access to Data
©GIS Planning Inc. 2012
GreaterReadingSites.com speeds up, simplifies and expands the process of generating leads and gathering information
Increasing Visibility at the Local, State
AND National Level
©GIS Planning Inc. 2012
All pros, no cons
• Simple and fast to add listings• Substantially increase traffic• Free marketing• Access to informed, motivated prospects• Qualified leads• Strengthen rapport with your community
How We Can Work Together
• Assistance with prospect and company visits
– GREP rolls out the red carpet to Berks County
• Customized demographics and workforce reports
• Connectivity to ED resources and community leaders
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Contact us, we are here to help!
Pamela Shupp, AICP, CEcD
Vice President
(610) 376.4237
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Connect with Us!
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Facebook.com/GreaterReadingEconomicPartnership
Company Page: Greater Reading Economic Partnershipwww.linkedin.com/in/pamelashupp
@GreaterReading#GREP2014#GreaterReading
GreaterReading.com
Pamela Shupp, AICP, CEcD, Vice President201 Penn St. Suite 502, Reading, PA [email protected](610) 376.4237
Thank you.Let’s continue working together to be something greater.