Municipal department earns awards

The City of Airdrie’s economic development department recently won two 2012 Marketing Canada Awards from the Economic Developer’s Association of Canada for excellence in marketing, Sept. 30 in Iqualit, Nunavut.

The department received an award for its eNewsletter, Airdrie@Work, which provides news and information to about 2,265 members of the City’s business community.

It also received an award for its promotional campaign, Airdrie’s Your Best Shot, which saw the department’s logo, Airdrie Now, and the department’s key messages, printed on golf balls and sleeves. The items were given out at industry tournaments and to companies across Canada.

“It is always exciting to be recognized by your peers,” said Kent Rupert, the department’s team lead.

“When you sit at an international (meeting) and people are talking about little Airdrie, it is exciting. You never know what type of investment could come from this.”

Rupert attributes the accolades to his co-workers.

“I have a fantastic team,” he said. “They are the top of the industry.”

According to Rupert, Airdrie’s business climate is promising.

“We are really starting to see a diversity of industry that is moving into Airdrie and I think we will continue to see that,” he said, adding one of the department’s key priorities is its business and expansion program.

“We had about five business that expanded last year,” he said.

“It is pretty exciting when businesses have been in Airdrie (for some time)... and they decide they like it here and they want to stay. It allows us to see our business (community’s) growth continue.”

Rupert said the city’s economic development department is working to ensure Airdrie is welcoming to new and growing businesses.

“Part of our job is making sure Airdrie has a good business atmosphere to be in,” he said.

“Whether it is helping (businesses) find a good location, or making sure everyone that is in business or is looking to get into business or investing (in Airdrie) has what they need.”

The Economic Developers Association of Canada (EDAC) is Canada’s national association of economic development professionals, representing every province and territory across Canada with more than 1,000 members.

The Association’s mission is to enhance the professional competence of economic development professionals and ensure placement of qualified people in the field of economic development, to advance economic development as a distinct, recognized, and self-governing profession and to contribute to Canada’s well being.

The Marketing Canada Awards competition is an opportunity to exchange and review promotional literature and other marketing material produced by municipalities across the country.

This year’s awards program attracted 160 submissions from across Canada.