Brian McCord
“High Ground has done an excellent job of promoting this region, and the Tailgate Party is a very wellrespected event at the Expo.”
else,” says Mullin, whose firm financially sponsors the event. “The High Ground has done an excellent job of promoting this region, and the Tailgate Party is a very wellrespected event at the Expo.” Capital Farm Credit, another sponsor, also actively supports and participates in the event to attract would-be clients. Tanya Bishop, director of advertising at the firm’s Lubbock office, says the event has been popular from the get-go, because it features the Texas Crossroads, a lively “house band.” “It’s really important to have a great event the first year, and The High Ground did that – with a great band, food and drinks,” Bishop says. “That got people talking, and then they brought more friends the next time.” Capital Farm Credit also has partnered with The High Ground at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis., which has enabled the firm to attract clients who needed financing to buy land in Texas, Bishop says. “We get a lot of bang for our buck at these events,” she says. Alan Rhodes, a partner in the law firm Underwood, Wilson, Berry, Stein and Johnson PC in Amarillo, says that The High Ground’s marketing initiatives also serve to reaffirm the effectiveness of each of the economic development organizations within the coalition. For example, The High Ground’s Texas Blowout Hospitality
Event at the Wind Power Show in Dallas has helped capture the attention of companies such as Alstom Power Inc. and Zarges Aluminum Systems GmbH. Alstom is set to build a turbine/ nacelle manufacturing facility in Amarillo, with the support of the Amarillo Economic Development Corp. Zarges, a division of Germanybased Zarges-Tubesca Holding GmbH, is constructing a facility in Amarillo to manufacture integrated aluminum internal systems for wind towers. The High Ground coalition represents the northern 66 counties in West Texas, and its marketing initiatives target businesses in manufacturing, valued-added agriculture, food processing, distribution, and oil and gas. The coalition also coordinates recruiting trips, direct mail and Internet projects. All of The High Ground’s members receive the prospect leads generated in these marketing activities. Lorie Vincent, The High Ground of Texas’ executive director, says before the coalition was formed in 1988, many of the smaller rural communities were not able to actively participate in industry events. “All of the communities in the region have pulled together to form this organization, so they can leverage their resources and market the entire region,” Vincent says.
The High Ground’s marketing initiatives are felt across the entire 66-county region. i m ag e sh i ghgrou n d . co m
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