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Upstate SC Alliance Launches New GIS Tool on Website

Submitted by: Richard Blackwell on Jun 05, 2009 at 7:40 pm Tagged with: Demographics, Distribution, Economic Development, GIS, Industrial Buildings, Industrial Parks, Industrial Sites, Information Resource, Logistics, Manufacturing, Mapping, Marketing, Real Estate, Regionalism, Research, Upstate SC, Utilities Source: Upstate SC Alliance - www.upstatealliance.com

The Upstate SC Alliance has launched a revolutionary new navigation tool on its website, boasting interactive maps and dynamic data to powerfully market the Upstate of South Carolina to site consultants and businesses considering locations in the area.

The Alliance is particularly proud of this project because of the remarkable technological advances the tool brings to its site, as well as the collaboration the geographic information systems (GIS) property navigator represents. From start to finish, the online mapping tool cost more than $290,000. Two-thirds of the funding coming from a grant from AdvanceSC; the remainder of the development funding was obtained through the Appalachian Council of Governments and the Upstate SC Alliance.

“We are very pleased about the results of our collaboration,” said Upstate SC Alliance executive committee member George Acker. “This tool will play a significant role in bringing new economic development opportunities to the Upstate by making known the many advantages of doing business here.” Mr. Acker is also the Director of the Southern Region for Government and Community Relations for Duke Energy. In 2004, Duke Energy established AdvanceSC to concentrate on advancing education to support industry, assisting other economic development organizations to attract and retain industries in Duke Energy's service territory and enhancing the competitive position of manufacturers in the area.

Research indicates that a vast majority of site consultants and companies looking to relocate rely on the internet for their site selection decisions. As a result, web-based maps have become crucial tools, enabling visitors to learn about the area through digital maps and spatial data rather than in-person visits, saving time and money. The Upstate SC Alliance’s new tool will provide almost limitless search abilities, with a significant database for visitors to explore.

“This new property navigation tool is unlike anything that exists on the market today,” said Appalachian Council of Governments Director of Information Services Carol Andersen. “Visitors to the Upstate SC Alliance website now have access to more information about the economy, population and available sites than any other economic development site has provided to date.”

The GIS property navigator has a variety of cutting-edge features, combining satellite imagery, available property information, local demographic data and a unique ability to manipulate maps according to a visitor’s particular site needs. From sketching out a building site to learning the number of college-educated workers within thirty minutes of a site, the property navigator equips site consultants to understand the benefits of doing business in Upstate South Carolina without ever setting foot in the region.

“Our updated GIS property navigation tool is designed with ease of use in mind. It will require fewer clicks to get information, will retain more search values for extensive research and will allow visitors access to a depth of information most online navigational tools have never provided,” said Upstate SC Alliance Research Manager Jennifer Miller. “In our intensely web-focused industry, not having the right tools available online can make the difference between consideration and elimination. Our new property navigator will assist site consultants and business visitors in learning everything the Upstate has to offer their company.”

The state the art property navigation tool resides on the Upstate SC Alliance’s Web site at www.upstatealliance.com and can be accessed when on the site by clicking on the ‘Property Navigator’ tab.