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State of Idaho Launches Online Mapping Tool to Attract Business

The State of Idaho has just sped up and simplified the process of attracting jobs and companies with the launch of GemStateProspector.com (http://www.gemstateprospector.com).

The innovative website is a free online program designed to make site selection easier for businesses looking to relocate or expand in Idaho. The site allows companies to search a database of existing properties and find demographics and other information about cities or regions. The program also generates an analysis of the business opportunities in specific areas.

"GemStateProspector.com provides immediate access to critical business and development information needed to facilitate job growth in Idaho," said Donald Dietrich, Director of the Idaho Department of Commerce. "It sends a clear message to potential new businesses: We are open and ready for business, online."

The website 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

-    What are the market characteristics (demographics, workforce, spending)

-    What are the business synergies and opportunities in unique locations of our community

At the heart of GemStateProspector.com is powerful GIS (Geographic Information System) technology called ZoomProspector developed by GIS Planning, Inc. that makes this new service more powerful than typical websites. GIS is an integration of software and geographic data designed to efficiently display and analyze information. It allows visitors to GemStateProspector.com to rapidly tailor maps and reports and access data that would normally take weeks to collect.

For example, available properties can be viewed, along with size, use, cost, development incentives and contact information. Corresponding demographic reports are available, such as labor force, mapped by industry showing their distribution and concentrations throughout the area.

The importance of providing quality property and site selection information is critical because more than 90 percent of the initial site selection screening is now done using the Internet.

The Idaho Department of Commerce (www.commerce.idaho.gov) has partnered with the Idaho Economic Development Association and the Idaho National Laboratory for this project. Economic development organizations statewide as well as commercial real estate professionals will populate the site with necessary data.

The Boise Valley Economic Partnership (BVEP) will also be launching the Boise Valley Prospector, www.boisevalleyprospector.com, this month that will provide more detailed information about the Boise-Nampa region.

Contact: Bibiana Nertney, (208) 334-2470

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