STURGIS, SD (9.20.17) – The City of Sturgis won a Gold ‘Excellence in Economic Development’ Award for its Winter Storm Atlas Recovery & Catalyst of Growth Campaign, a project in the category of Multi Year Economic Development of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). The honor was presented at an awards ceremony on Tuesday, Sept. 19, during the IEDC Annual Conference, held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

“On behalf of the IEDC board of directors and Excellence in Economic Development Awards Advisory Committee, congratulations to the City of Sturgis. Not only did they work to provide a necessary service to their community; but also, their participation in the awards program sheds light on their stellar projects which other communities can now use as a benchmark.” – Michael Langley, IEDC Board Chair.

Throughout Oct. 3-5, 2013, Sturgis and the surrounding Black Hills region experienced Winter Storm Atlas. The storm began with a large heavy rainfall and developed into up to 4’ of heavy wet snow being dumped on the community. The immediate aftermath saw hundreds of thousands of cattle killed, dozens of buildings partially or completely collapsed and weeks of snow plowing and debris removal.  

During this recovery period, the City of Sturgis partnered with the not-for-profit Sturgis Economic Development Corp (SEDC) to ensure that every affected business was able to temporarily relocate and eventually rebuild. The reconstruction effort led to significant expansions and no fewer than six new retailers opening in the rural community. This significant expansion caught the attention of the local media, which in turn helped to catalyze more residential, commercial and industrial expansions. In the time following the Presidentially-declared disaster, the community has continued to see the largest economic expansion in its history with sustainable growth in all sectors.  

“The awards process is a thorough, non-biased and multi-layered process. These are extraordinary accomplishments for all winners, and an overall great effort by all participants. We look forward to next year’s awards competition,” Langley said.

Reprinted courtesy of the City of Sturgis