When a company finalizes a new location decision for a headquarters, manufacturing facility, or major business expansion, it marks a milestone that’s often years in the making, and one that likely won’t come around again very soon. The deal has been negotiated, the real estate secured, incentives discussed, and the job numbers have been finalized. But one crucial piece remains: how will you share the news with the world? 

While some companies quietly issue a press release or notify local media, the savviest companies understand that working with a local or state economic development organization (EDO)—especially one that collaborates with a strategic public relations agency like Violet PR—can elevate your announcement from just an internal company memo or a hometown headline to garnering national and industry-wide recognition. 

Here’s more on why partnering with an EDO for your announcement is a strategic communications win.

1. EDOs Bring Local Credibility—and a Built-In Audience

Economic development organizations are embedded in their communities. They work hand-in-hand with local governments, business leaders, real estate developers, and workforce partners. When they stand alongside your company during a ribbon-cutting, groundbreaking, or press event, it adds weight and authenticity to your story. 

They also come with built-in marketing channels: newsletters, social media followings, and relationships with local and regional press. That means your story has a direct line to the people who matter—talent, suppliers, customers, and community stakeholders. 

 2. They Know How to Tell Your Story—and Who Needs to Hear It

Local and state EDOs have deep experience working with companies just like yours—from Fortune 500s to fast-growing startups. They understand what makes a site selection announcement compelling and can help shape the narrative around job creation, innovation, community investment, ties into national trends, and regional impact. 

More importantly, many of these organizations partner with specialized PR firms like Violet PR that know how to translate local success stories into headlines in national outlets like Forbes, Fast Company, Bloomberg, and The Wall Street Journal. 

We’ve helped companies and their economic development partners secure media coverage that reaches far beyond their borders, positioning both the company and the region as power players in their sector.  

In 2022, with less than 24 hours’ notice ahead of the company’s site selection announcement, the Violet PR team was able to help our client, the Kansas City Area Development Council, maximize Panasonic’s battery plant site selection announcement. Garnering this earned media placement in Forbes, and more than 460 additional pieces of coverage, the announcement secured a total audience of more than 5.6 billion people.  

 3. You Get More Bang for Your Announcement Buck

Let’s face it—major site selection or expansion decisions don’t happen every year. That’s why it’s worth making the most of the moment. By teaming up with an EDO and their PR partners, you gain access to: 

• Co-branded press releases that get distributed to national business media 

• Coordinated media outreach with multiple points of contact (CEO quotes, mayoral support, governor statements) 

• High-impact visuals and events like shovel ceremonies or factory tours 

• Media training and messaging support for executives 

• Targeted outreach to industry trade publications that speak directly to your peers and competitors 

This kind of comprehensive approach ensures your announcement is not only seen—but remembered.  

One great example of Violet PR and its clients maximizing the event moment came in 2024. As a part of advanced planning for the nation’s top foreign direct investment event, SelectUSA, NorSun, a Norwegian solar cell manufacturer, chose to partner with the Oklahoma Department of Commerce to share their announcement of selecting Oklahoma for their newest operation. By turning this announcement into an on-site press conference at the event, Violet PR was able to take the relatively small site selection announcement and turn it into more than 50 national headlines, a big win for both the company and the state. This Reuters story was one of the key stories that our team helped secure in that process. 

 4. It Sends a Signal to Talent, Partners, and Investors

A well-publicized expansion doesn’t just boost your brand. It also sends a clear signal to future employees, supply chain partners, and potential investors that your company is growing, investing, and here to stay. 

With an EDO and an experienced PR team at your side, you can highlight your commitment to the region, your role in the local economy, and your company’s vision for the future—all while reaching a much broader audience than you could on your own. 

This recent exclusive in The Wall Street Journal is one great example. This story was placed after the company chose to partner with the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina to tell their manufacturing facility’s site selection story, the largest in the state’s history. Thanks to careful planning and coordination ahead of their announcement, the Violet PR team was able to help JetZero navigate an intense period of growth by operating as an extension of their communications department – generating hundreds of earned media stories in local, national, and international press, and helping build a pipeline of interest for the 14,000+ jobs the company will need to fill in the state in the years ahead.  

 5. You’re Not Alone in the Spotlight

Expansions and relocations are big decisions—but they’re not just about the company. They’re also about the region’s business climate, workforce, infrastructure, and quality of life. When you work with an EDO, you’re sharing the stage—and the story—with a network of allies who are just as invested in your success. 

This shared narrative helps attract additional media interest, public support, and even future customers, and can help build a partnership with your regional leaders that will benefit the company for generations to come. 

Final Thoughts 

At Violet PR, we’ve spent years working hand-in-hand with economic development organizations across the country to help companies share their site selection stories in powerful, far-reaching ways. Whether you’re opening a new biotech facility in North Carolina, relocating a tech headquarters to Kansas City, or expanding a logistics hub in New Jersey, don’t go it alone. 

Your site selection story deserves more than a local headline. Let us—and your EDO partner—help take your news to the national and international stage. 

Interested in learning more about how this process works, and how our team works under NDAs to share site selection and expansion news? Reach out to us at hello@vioetpr.com to learn more.