Sunday, January 23, 2011

Minnesota New GIS Site Selection Tool

A new online tool that will arm company executives and site selectors with comprehensive information for making business expansion decisions in Minnesota was unveiled today by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and GIS Planning Inc.

The MNPROspector one-stop system provides users with commercial real estate data, demographic breakdowns, community details, lists of buildings available for sale or lease, and information on the local workforce, including education and skills.

The tool, jointly implemented by DEED and the Minnesota Commercial Association of Realtors (MnCAR), will replace MNPRO, an earlier site selection system that was not as comprehensive as MNPROspector.com. San Francisco-based GIS Planning created the software that powers the new system.

"MNPROspector.com is an essential tool for businesses researching where they want to locate or expand," said Paul A. Moe, acting commissioner at DEED. "This tool will give us an edge over other states by making valuable information available to businesses considering moving here or to existing Minnesota businesses scouting for expansion opportunities within the state."

MNPROspector.com covers every Minnesota city and all 87 of the state's counties.

The Geographic Information System (GIS)-powered website is built upon Google Maps technology, offering state-of-the-art site selection mapping capabilities. The new website is also integrated with GIS Planning's national site selection search engine which allows visitors to conduct national searches of cities and commercial properties that match their unique criteria.

The system explains and quantifies how properties differ by offering images and details about what surrounds them, including the labor force, complementary businesses, geographic access and more.

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