| "Canton, South Dakota - The 2011 South Dakota Small Community Of The Year" |
| April 26, 2011
The City of Canton is the proud recipient of the "2011 Small Community of the Year" award. The award was presented at the Governor's Economic Development Conference in Sioux Falls on April 26, 2011. The award was presented in recognition of Canton's outstanding community development and leadership. Awarded to the Economic Development Corporation, Mayor Jonathan Toso, the City Commission , the City of Canton Staff and County Commissioner Dave Gillepsie. Canton's recent strides in economic development, caught statewide attention and a visit from Governor Dennis Daugaard in April. The community's development efforts earned the title of "outstanding" in the eyes of the Governor. Specifically, the Terex/Bidwell expansion, establishing a Tax Increment Financing District to put in infrastructure in the industrial park. The ongoing relationship with Adams Thermal Systems and their planned research and development facility and Legacy Electronics recent move from California. Jon Frick, Canton Economic Development Corporation President, said they are extremely honored by the recognition. "Canton's economy is strong", Frick said, "and we are continuing to work to make it stronger". The partnership between the City of Canton and the Canton Economic Development Corporation was recognized as a large contributor to Canton's growth. "The CEDC has worked hand in hand with the City of Canton to push forward with economic development efforts in the past couple of years", said Mayor Jonathan Toso. "With the support of the Lincoln County Economic Development Association, we will continue to do our best to bring new business to Canton". The award was also testament to the efforts of the City Staff, the City Commission, the Mayor and the citizen's work ethic. "Canton's hard working citizens make this a great place to do business", Frick said. Governor Daugaard presented a challenge to "ramp up" the already growing economy, saying, "the way out of recession is not spending, but growing", an effort he personally congratulated Canton for. The Governor also personally congratulated the City of Canton for their efforts, encouraging them "to keep up the good work". We will do everything we can to partner with the City of Canton to make the Governor's mission to "ramp up" economic development in our state a reality", Frick said. City Manager, Amy Nelson, also emphasized the partnership and efforts of the City Commission and the CEDC, noting they have "really worked hand in hand over the past couple of years and their efforts are paying off". "Also, the City of Canton staff and our volunteers on the Planning and Zoning Commission have been a strong force behind making these new developments a reality", Nelson added. "They deserve a pat on the back, too!". Canton received a $2000 check with the award, which will be utilized to further economic development in Canton. "We're moving in the right direction", Nelson said. "This makes all the efforts worth it and really puts Canton on the map for economic development". Now that Canton is on the map, the hard working staff and citizens of the Canton community can be proud of not only making Canton a great place to live, but convincing the rest of the state, too. The original article was
published on May 5, 2011 in the Sioux Valley News, by Laura Heckmann, Sioux Valley News Reporter. |