The Montgomery County Economic Development Department has been recognized by the Southern Economic Development Council for the 3rd consecutive year. Through the 2012 Communication Awards competition, the Montgomery’s development department was given an Excellent Award for its community marketing brochure and a Superior Award for its commercial real estate website.

Here is the press release from the Montgomery County Economic Development Department.

Montgomery County, Virginia – The Southern Economic Development Council (SEDC) has recognized the marketing efforts of the Montgomery County, Va. Economic Development Department for the third consecutive year through its 2012 Communication Awards competition. The SEDC honored the department with an Excellent Award for its Community Marketing Brochure and a Superior Award for its commercial real estate website, CRE.YesMontgomeryVA.org.

“These annual Communication Awards recognize and showcase the leading marketing work done by economic development professionals throughout the south,” said SEDC President Gene Stinson. “The Montgomery County Economic Development Department was one of the organizations that hit the mark this year. Their campaigns not only showed creativity, but also solid messaging and effectiveness at reaching its target audience.”

The Community Marketing Brochure – which received its award in the General Purpose Brochure category – was designed to reinforce the department’s branding of Montgomery County as a progressive, technology-driven community with an abundance of outdoor amenities. The brochure is six pages total with each two-page spread devoted to one of the following themes: progressive community, technology driven economy and the great outdoors. The department will use the brochure in its efforts to market the community to prospective businesses.

Community Marketing Brochure – Montgomery County, Va.

CRE.YesMontgomeryVA.org, a multiple listing website for commercial real estate in Montgomery County, was recognized in the Special Purpose Website category. The website is an online resource that that connects prospective and existing companies to the commercial real estate they need to start, expand or relocate their businesses; thereby, spurring the creation of new jobs and capital investment in the community.

This marks the third consecutive year that the Department has been recognized by SEDC. Winning entries from previous years include:

2011 Awards:

FallingBranchCorporatePark.com – Superior Award, Special Purpose Website category
2010 Annual Report – Merit Award, Annual Report category
2010 Awards:

YesMontgomeryVA.org – Excellent Award, Websites: Economic Development Organizations  Awards are given each year at its Annual Conference. Judging criteria includes Graphic Appeal, Clarity of Message, Quality of Information, Positioning/Differentiation and Format. Judges for the Communication Awards competition are economic development consultants, practitioners and design professionals from across the southern U.S. that work with clients in developing strategies for growth in their communities. They understand the needs businesses have in choosing a site and how communities and economic development organizations can reach prospective clients through their marketing efforts.

About the Southern Economic Development Council (SEDC):

SEDC is a regional association of economic development professionals, with members in 17 southern states spanning from Virginia to Texas, making it the largest regional economic development association in North America.

About the Montgomery County Economic Development Department:

The Montgomery County, Virginia Economic Development Deparment’s mission is to improve the quality of life throughout Montgomery County by encouraging positive economic growth that 1) creates meaningful career opportunities for residents, 2) expands the commercial tax base to support the delivery of vital public services, and 3) protects our enviable way of life.

The Department accomplishes its mission through strategies aimed at supporting the startup, retention and expansion of local companies as well as the attraction of new targeted industries to the community.