Inter-County Energy Goes High Tech to Draw Jobs and Investment to Local Area
Luring new employers to the local area means being ready to quickly provide detailed information when a company is interested. And Inter-County Energy is helping the community get ahead and stay prepared for when those opportunities arise.
“Inter-County Energy has developed powerful high-tech tools to give our community an advantage in luring employers to the local area,” said Jerry Carter, President and CEO of Inter-County Energy.
Ideally, site selectors will visit a location before eliminating it from consideration. But often, it is difficult to get site selectors to travel to a community away from large cities.
That’s where Inter-County Energy comes in.
“By email, we can deliver the site to them with a web link to a virtual visit,” said Jerry Carter. “In our 5-minute videos, we can convey the critical information they are looking for.”
It all starts with aerial drones that fly over industrial or commercial sites, recording video and digital survey data. Back in the office, the video and data are used to develop a virtual three-dimensional flyover showing tract boundaries, terrain, roads, infrastructure and surrounding features like neighboring businesses.
“We can even create a virtual depiction showing how the site could be developed with roads and buildings to meet a company’s needs,” said Jerry Carter.
The initiative, dubbed PowerVision, gives rural areas a leg up in the competition for new employers.
Our community has a lot to offer companies, including a trained, dedicated workforce, available land, and competitive energy prices,” said Jerry Carter. “PowerVision helps companies understand what they are missing if they don’t visit us.”
Videos of sites in Inter-County Energy’s area are available at www.DataIsPower.com.
Another way Inter-County Energy is helping the local community lure employers is through StateBook, a leading online platform with a searchable database used by many site selectors.
Inter-County Energy and other electric cooperatives around Kentucky have helped to provide information about Kentucky communities, showcasing those areas for site selectors around the world.
Another powerful tool is the PowerMap application, which provides precise GPS mapping of electric co-ops’ service territories.
“Inter-County Energy’s high-tech tools are literally putting our community on the map for site selectors around the world,” said Jerry Carter. “We want to help bring good jobs and investment to our community.”