Saginaw Future Launches Innovative Tool to Attract
Business
September 22, 2008
Saginaw Future Inc. launched
SaginawValleySites.com today making access to powerful business
information research only a mouse-click away. The innovative Web site is an
online program to attract and expand businesses and jobs in Saginaw.
SaginawValleySites.com is a property database that features industrial,
commercial, office and retail properties available in Saginaw County,
Michigan.
“SaginawValleySites.com provides immediate access to
critical business and development information needed to facilitate job
growth in Saginaw,” said JoAnn Crary, president of Saginaw Future Inc.
“We’re excited to be the first organization in Michigan to be using the
innovative property tool.”
At Saginaw Valley State University, Saginaw Future announced
the launch of the site to a crowd of private and public sector leaders.
Anatalio Ubalde, CEO and co-founder of GIS Planning, which built the Saginaw
site, spoke on the site’s capabilities and promotional opportunities. GIS
Planning is an award winning software developer that specializes in economic
development. JoAnn Crary, president of Saginaw Future Inc., also gave a
presentation on new incentive opportunities expected to spur growth in the
Saginaw Valley and Michigan.
What SaginawValleySites.com Does
SaginawValleySites.com speeds up and simplifies the process
of business attraction and site selection for expanding and relocating
businesses. It does this by efficiently answering the main questions that
businesses have when they are involved in the site selection analysis
process.
These questions include:
-
What buildings and land are available in our community?
-
What are the market characteristics (demographics,
workforce, spending)?
-
What are the business synergies and opportunities in
unique locations of our community?
-
What are the unique geographic characteristics and
advantages?
SaginawValleySites.com is a one-stop
resource for Saginaw County property, increases community exposure and
develops qualified leads. The site allows area commercial realtors,
developers and municipalities to post their available sites for FREE --
thanks to a grant from the Arnold & Gertrude Boutell Memorial Fund
administered by Citizens Bank Wealth Management. An AT&T Foundation
grant is being used to market the site.
The importance of providing quality
property and site selection information is critical because over ninety
percent of the initial site selection screening is now done using the
Internet.
SaginawValleySites.com strengthens the
partnership between Saginaw and commercial real estate professionals.
Saginaw County is promoting available properties and real estate
professionals are assisting in attracting new and better jobs to the region.
"I’m enthusiastic about
SaginawValleySites.com because it sends the right message to the corporate
community. They’re used to doing business online. If they are thinking of
expanding or relocating jobs they will see that Saginaw County, Michigan is
a progressive region,” said Anatalio Ubalde, CEO and co-founder of GIS
Planning.
How SaginawValleySites.com Work
At the heart of Saginawvalleysites.com is
powerful GIS (Geographic Information System) technology called
ZoomProspector developed by GIS Planning that makes this new Internet
service more powerful than typical Web sites. The site utilizes Google
mapping, which is integrated with data designed to efficiently display and
analyze information. In the case of SaginawValleySites.com, visitors are
able to rapidly tailor maps and reports to suit their needs and access data
that would normally take weeks to collect and thousands of dollars to obtain
from specialty data researchers.
For example, available properties can be
viewed, along with size, use, cost, development incentives, and contact
information. Corresponding demographic reports such as labor force,
education levels, consumer spending, and age can be created. In addition,
businesses are mapped by industry showing their distribution and
concentrations throughout the area.
The free Web site program is now available
to the public at
SaginawValleySites.com
