The Norfolk Area Economic Development Council received two awards at the recent 2014 Mid-America Competitiveness Conference and Site Selector Forum held December 7-9 in Chicago.
The Council won third place in “Business Retention and Expansion” for its BR!E program in the small market category of economic development organizations with an annual marketing budget under $100,000.
Staff members of the Norfolk Area Economic Development Council make BR!E visits (complete with brie cheese cupcakes and muffins) to area businesses throughout the year to learn more about the products and services they offer.
“Our goal is to know more about area businesses so we can help them through regional marketing efforts and identify trends and needs specific to their industry,” said Courtney Dentlinger, Director of the Council.
The Council also received second place in Workforce Development in the Small Division for their publication of the NorfolkNow magazine. The magazine has been published twice a year since 2013.
The magazine is a collaborative effort of the Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce, the Norfolk Area Economic Development Council and the Norfolk Area Visitors Bureau.
“The goal of the magazine is to bring fresh perspectives and creative ideas to the forefront that showcases everything that the Norfolk area has to offer. We’ve had great feedback about the magazine from residents and visitors,” said Mark Zimmerer, President and CEO of the Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce.
The Mid-America Economic Development Council is an organization of economic development officials from South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin.