Extensive use of the Internet — including social networks, an international search engine, an electronic newsletter and a new Web site — is a major part of the Union County Development Board’s 2009-10 Marketing Plan.

Executive Director Andrena Powell-Baker announced the launch of the new site — www.uniondevelopmentboard.com — Thursday morning. While the new site retains much of the information of its predecessor, Powell-Baker said it takes advantage of the social networks that have developed on the Internet in recent years.

“We took much of the content from the old Web site and placed on the new Web site,” she said. “We were able to find a host for the Web site that allowed us to manage it ourselves so updates will be more timely and just in time. Another good thing is that the new Web site is easier to navigate and the information easier to find.”

“The Web site features a video about Union County that can be accessed either through the Web site or on YouTube.com (Discover Union County),” she continued. “The development board is now on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook and as executive director I’m linked in which connects me with business professionals all over the country.”

Powell-Baker said the board’s presence on the social networking sites is designed to maximize its ability to publicize Union County, establish and maintain contacts in certain targeted business sectors and attract commerical and industrial prospects from within those sectors.

Another Internet resource now available to the board is the Hoovers International Database.

“The Hoovers International Database is used by most successful sales organizations to identify prospects, research companies and generate leads,” Powell-Baker said. “Most publicly-traded companies are listed on the database as well as many private companies.”

She added the board was able to subscribe to the database at a reduced cost due to its relationship with the Catawba Regional Council of Governments.

The maintenance and strengthening of the relationships the board has with local, regional and state bodies as well as in the private sector and the general public is another major element in the board’s marketing plan. To help achieve that goal, the board will be sending out a newsletter keeping these groups informed of its activities.

“We’ll be sending the newsletter via email and it will also be posted on the Web site,” Powell-Baker said. “Internally, it will be mailed to county council, city council, the town councils, the supervior and mayors, the Tourism Commission, Chamber Board, Union County Development Board members and the media. Externally, it will be sent to the South Carolina Department of Commerce, the Upstate Alliance, all our utility partners, the Catawba Council of Governments and the South Carolina Power Team.”

“We’ll also be sending them to site consultants who are extremely important to commercial and industrial recruitment,” she continued. “We’ll also be sending them to developers who work with the owners of buildings and properties that could be used for commercial or industrial purposes. We’ll also be sending them to local developers and the public can read them on the website.”

The first newsletter is scheduled to be emailed before the end of March. There will be a feature on the Web site and within the newsletter that will allow interested organizations or individuals sign up to have it delivered to their email account.

Powell-Baker said the extensive use of the Internet is a key part in the board realizing the objectives of its marketing plan. The plan is built around a three-part approach to marketing: New industry recruitment, existing industry retention and Internal communications.

New Industry

Powell-Baker said the effort to recruit new industry will focus on certain business sectors the county has already had success in attracting and supporting.

“Long-term, we’re targeting the renewable energy, distribution, plastics, automotive and biosciences/medical business sectors,” Powell-Baker said. “These were selected because we have already demonstrated we can supports those business sectors with our workforce.”

Another factor in the board’s decision to focus on these sectors was the “target industry study” conducted by the Upstate Alliance. The study helped determine which business sectors were the best fit for the Upstate 10-county region, including Union County.

“The Upstate Alliance has been a great marketing partner for us,” Powell-Baker said. “For the investment we make in that organization, we get above and beyond the kind of awareness and support that we’d otherwise get. We could not have conducted that study on our own from a resource perspective.”

Powell-Baker added a member of the Alliance’s staff assisted in the construction of the development board’s new Web site.

Short-term, Powell-Baker said the board is looking to recruit from the aeropspace and advanced materials business sectors.

In addition to particular business sectors, the Alliance helped the board determine what metropolitan areas, states, regions and even nations to focus its recruitment efforts on. These include Atlanta, Boston, Florida, California, Delaware, Texas, the Midwest, France, Italy, Spain and China.

The board is in the process of developing a database to determine who the key people are in each of the targeted business sectors and geographic regions it needs to direct its marketing efforts toward. Another element will be an “external new industry recruitment team” composed of native Union County professionals who work in the business sectors the board is targeting. There will also be an “internal new industry recruitment team” composed of existing industry contacts within the targeted sectors and other sectors that impact economic development.

Industry Retention

The industry retention strategy will involve ongoing and/or quarterly face-to-face meetings with local and corporate industry decision-makers. Industry appreciation activities will continue and existing industries will receive the newsletter along with value-added information including business services provided by the state, grant information and incentive information. Each of the county’s local industries will also have a presence on the board’s Web site with a link to their Web sites.

Powell-Baker said the board and local leaders will also come together to address the needs and concerns of existing industry whenever they arise.

“The intent behind the existing industry strategy is to support local industries and to make sure we do everything possible to retain them within our county,” Powell-Baker said.

Internal Communications

Beyond the communications efforts already described, Powell-Baker said a “mayor’s forum” has been established to “drive collaboration, share best practices, educate and receive input and feedback from all points within the county.” The forum, which includes the mayors of Union, Jonesville, Carlisle and Lockhart, meets on a quarterly basis and will soon have its third meeting.

Powell-Baker said in addition to the quarterly report the board must give county council, she plans to make face-to-face presentations to county council on other occassios as well. She also plans to continue accepting speaking engagements and attending local civic meetings when invited.

While much of her efforts will be on the Internet, Powell-Baker also plans to write a column on economic development practices in The Union Daily Times.