March/April 2006

Welcome to our first annual Corporate Investment & Community Impact (CiCi) Awards. This unique, unparalleled awards program recognizes corporate locations and investments with a focus on both the company investing in a community and the economic developers responsible for securing that investment.
 
When we set out with the objective of honoring achievements in economic development, a few things became abundantly clear. For one, we realized that the companies investing in these communities deserved some recognition. After all, it is their investment that makes the difference. We also began to understand that so many of these projects go unrecognized. Oftentimes the largest investments steal the headlines, while the smaller, yet very important announcements fall under the radar. These deals may not be the largest in terms of sheer numbers or investment. They are, however, great in the eyes of the community or region – perhaps saving or replacing hundreds of jobs in a community, or launching a new industry in a region.