WASHINGTON, DC & YORK REGION (Sept. 19, 2017)- The Regional Municipality of York won a Silver Excellence in Economic Development Award for its YORK LINK campaign, a project in the category of Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) Program of 3 Years or More of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC).
The honor was presented at an awards ceremony on Tuesday, Sept. 19, during the IEDC Annual Conference, which was held Sept. 17 – 20, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
“On behalf of the IEDC board of directors and Excellence in Economic Development Awards Advisory Committee, congratulations to the Regional Municipality of York. Not only did they work to provide a necessary service to their community; but also, their participation in the awards program sheds light on their stellar projects which other communities can now use as a benchmark.” – Michael Langley, FM, CEO of GREATER MSP, Minneapolis–St. Paul, MN, and 2017 IEDC Board Chair
YORK LINK is the Regional Municipality of York’s (York Region) multi-year Business Retention, Expansion & Attraction strategy and campaign targeting knowledge-based industry sectors. The campaign is managed and executed by York Region’s Economic Development team, in collaboration with local municipalities and external partners.
A comprehensive strategy consisting of research, marketing, and direct-to-business services, the YORK LINK campaign leverages regional economies of scale to solidify York Region’s position as a premier business location in the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario and Canada. The campaign was developed with extensive input from industry-leading stakeholders in the areas of marketing, creative, real estate and economic development. It is rooted in evidence-based, customer-focused and audience-tested core messaging, showcasing York Region’s rapid growth, business investment, urban transformation, extensive talent pool, leading industry clusters, and unprecedented investments in infrastructure.
York Region is a top business location in the Greater Toronto Area, home to 1.2 million residents, 57,000+ businesses, 615,000 jobs, 4,300 technology companies and four provincially designated urban growth centres. The YORK LINK campaign’s underlying strategies play a key role in facilitating continued local business expansion and attraction in knowledge-based sectors.
“The awards process is a thorough, non-biased and multi-layered process. These are extraordinary accomplishments for all winners, and an overall great effort by all participants. We look forward to next year’s awards competition,” Langley said.
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About the International Economic Development Council
The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) is a non-profit 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. From public to private, rural to urban, and local to international, IEDC’s members are engaged in the full range of economic development experience. Given the breadth of economic development work, our members are employed in a wide variety of settings including local, state, provincial and federal governments, public-private partnerships, chambers of commerce, universities and a variety of other institutions. Among many activities which benefit the economy, IEDC’s members create high-quality jobs and develop vibrant communities. www.iedcONLINE.org.