Devils Lake Economic Dev. Unveils Mktg. Campaign
Posted on February 7, 2002

DEVILS LAKE, ND -- The Devils Lake Region Economic Development Partnership today unveiled their marketing campaign at The Cove, Woodland Resort, Devils Lake. The group will jointly market the region to targeted industries in Midwest locations to generate new business leads that bring new businesses, new job opportunities and new residents to the region.

Partners in the campaign include Cavalier County Job Development Authority, Forward Devils Lake, Rolla Job Development Authority and Towner County Economic Development Corporation.

�Our ultimate goal is to repopulate the Devils Lake region and become the place where people want to live, raise families and operate successful businesses,� said Jim Dahlen, executive director, Forward Devils Lake Corporation.

Representatives from the North Dakota Department of Commerce (DOC) made a formal announcement of a $40,000 grant which the DOC's Economic Development and Finance Division approved for this campaign. The grant is part of the state�s Partners In Marketing program which has $175,000 allocated to support local economic development efforts to market communities and regions across the state for business expansion or relocation.

�The regional approach these four counties are taking is exactly what we hope to see statewide,� said Lee Peterson, commissioner of the Department of Commerce. �We are pleased to support the Devils Lake Region Partnership as it increases the awareness of the business opportunities that exist here.�

Gov. John Hoeven sent a letter of congratulations to each of the region�s four economic developers. In the letter, he noted, "Your selection of information technology and advanced manufacturing as target industries are ones I've outlined as critical to the successful growth of the North Dakota economy. Not only is growth in these areas a good match for the state, but, as you indicated in the results of your Labor Market Analysis, they are also the best competitive advantage for you as well."

As part of the campaign, the Devils Lake Region identified three measures for its success: Increase in the number of out-of-state business inquiries and visitations to the region; increased awareness in the targeted geographic areas of the diversity of businesses already operating in the Region; and by the end of Year 2 of the campaign, the location of one new business in the region.

Campaign activities will include participation in industry-specific trade shows in the Minneapolis market, as well as two Midwest sports shows; development of a region-wide information piece; and print advertising in the target market areas. Area alumni located in the target market areas and existing local businesses with ties to those markets will also be a part of the campaign.

A region-wide independent labor analysis completed last year indicated the skills available in the existing labor force were compatible with the industry targets of the campaign and that a large number (over 60%) of the current labor force is underemployed based on their training and education.

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Contact: Jim Dahlen, Forward Devils Lake, 701-662-4933; [email protected]