AREA DEVELOPMENT'S 7th ANNUAL GOLD & SILVER SHOVEL AWARDS RECOGNIZE EXCELLENCE IN U.S. STATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND JOB CREATION

WESTBURY, N.Y., June 12, 2012 – Area Development, the leading publication covering corporate site selection and facility planning, announces the winners of the 2012 Gold & Silver Shovel Awards. Four states - Texas, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Utah - are being awarded Gold Shovels in recognition of projects undertaken in 2011 creating a significant number of high-value-added new jobs as well as investment. Silver Shovels are being awarded to 14 other states in four population categories.

Our Annual Shovel Awards recognize state economic development agencies that drive significant job creation through innovative policies, infrastructure improvements, processes and promotions that attract new employers as well as investments in expanded facilities. The Gold Shovels are presented annually to the states that have achieved the most success in terms of new job creation and economic impact.

For the Silver Shovel Awards, the states are compared only to other states in their population tier. This year, North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, and Ohio will receive Silver Shovels in the 9+ million population group; Arizona, Missouri, Indiana, and Virginia are being awarded Silver Shovels in the 5+ to 9 million category; Alabama, Louisiana, and Kentucky will receive Silver Shovels in the 3+ to 5 million category; and Kansas, Mississippi, and Idaho are being honored in the 3 million or fewer population group.

Each of the 50 states was invited by Area Development to submit information about its top-10 job creation and investment projects. Only those projects that began to materialize in 2011 were considered. The Shovel Awards are given to the states with the highest weighted scores based on number of high-valued added jobs per capita, amount of investment, number of new facilities, and industry diversity.

"As the economy slowly recovers, communities are going to great lengths to attract new businesses and to help their existing corporate citizens to expand their business," said Geraldine Gambale, editor of Area Development. "The states receiving 2012 Shovel Awards deserve special recognition for their efforts."

The 2012 Shovel Award winners report will be published in the Summer 2012 issue of Area Development and posted online at www.areadevelopment.com/awards/.