JCDA Launches New Website

March 14, 2022

A success story through dynamic story telling.

Jefferson County, West Virginia
creates a transformative digital presence.

On the one hand, Jefferson County, West Virginia had a great economic development story:

The County sits inside the Washington D.C. metro yet offers all the vantages and advantages of a rural area, like lower costs, majestic natural landscapes and a serenely endless acreage set against the backdrop of the magnificent Blue Ridge mountains. The County’s Mid-Atlantic Corridor location also assures ease of access to Eastern markets, to D.C.’s innovative resources as well as to an abundant and highly skilled labor force—in short, up-to-the minute assets—while providing a quality of life that is both vibrant and timeless, enriched by local history that has also shaped the nation. Manufacturing, agribusiness and other sectors are thriving here.

On the other hand, that story wasn’t getting out.

“Jefferson County has been that proverbial ‘hidden gem,’ that we needed to bring to light,’” said Dennis Jarvis, II, Executive Director of the Jefferson County Development Authority. When Jarvis recently joined the JCDA with decades of economic development experience under his belt, he realized immediately that “to tell our story more effectively to national and global investors, we needed an enhanced and expanded digital presence, one that would create a more dynamic online experience of Jefferson County in all its many facets.”

Leading expertise

For that, the JCDA turned to industry leader and long-time economic development marketing firm, Marketing Alliance. Led by John Abbate and David Petr, who was most recently the economic development director of Montgomery County, Maryland, Marketing Alliance provided strategic guidance and strong creative execution; the creative and production team made multiple visits to the community to interview business leaders, education professionals and elected officials to best capture the county’s opportunities. These visits formed the foundation of compelling videos and other content that was integrated into a new website.

“Ultimately, the process to create the website as well as the end product itself helped us here at JCDA to better define and bring to life the value proposition of Jefferson County,” Jarvis noted.

Positive reviews

Previews of the site have already resulted in positive community response, reviews that include:

The JCDA board is eager to launch our new website. Marketing Alliance and the JCDA have developed a web portal that showcases Jefferson County to site selectors and the global marketplace. I am confident the new site shows that in fact “Business feels at home in Jefferson County.”
Sean Feigo, Chairman of the JCDA

Marketing Alliance enabled the JCDA to develop a website that is: immersive, innovative, and sustainable. The County is excited for the next steps.
Steve Stolipher, Jefferson County Commissioner

And when the site goes live on March 15, Jarvis expects it to become one of the most effective tools in JCDA’s marketing efforts.

"Our new website is a bold and fresh approach to marketing Jefferson County,” he noted. “Our staff is eager to utilize the marketing tool in multiple platforms. The exciting component of the website is our ability to tell the stories of Jefferson County, from the aspect of an entrepreneur, the family-owned business, or a seasoned site selector, and in a way that allows the website to constantly evolve."

To view the site, go to https://jcda.net.

Founded in 1979, the Jefferson County Development Authority is public agency of the Jefferson County Commission with a mission of growing the County economy and improving the quality of life through leadership and resources to create, expand and retain business.