Website Debut Launches Greater Lansing Region's International FRIB Marketing Effort
Website Designed as "One-Stop Shopping" Destination for Potential FRIB Employees, Families and Businesses Considering Locating in the Region
Community partners leading the effort to market the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) being constructed at Michigan State University (MSU) have debuted a vibrant, multi-media website to assist in marketing the region to prospective FRIB employees and their families. The web site, http://www.greaterlansinglife.com/frib/ is intended to serve as a one-stop shopping destination for people interested in learning about the attributes of the Greater Lansing region.
"This website sends a clear message throughout the world that the Greater Lansing region is one of the most livable, affordable, culturally diverse and exciting regions anywhere," said Tim Daman, president and CEO of the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce (LRCC).
The website utilizes the theme Greater Lansing- Where it All Comes Together, and features detailed information on schools, transportation, housing, major employers, healthcare, and cultural attractions in the region. The website places special emphasis on growing sectors of the regional economy including cutting edge technology, advanced manufacturing and the financial and insurance sectors.
"For FRIB to realize its full potential as a world-competitive laboratory, we must be able to recruit the best scientists and researchers to test, build and operate the facility," said Denyse Ferguson, president and CEO of Lansing Economic Area Partnership (Leap, Inc.), which managed the design of the website. "This website gives potential FRIB employees and their families an opportunity to get a feel for what our region is really all about."
The website also includes three videos that showcase the cultural diversity and community pride in the region. A wide variety of citizens are featured in the videos offering their personal testimonies about the community. A rap video about FRIB written by MSU alum Kate McAlpine is one of many highlights of the website.
The website is part of a long-term FRIB marketing effort undertaken by several regional partners including the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce, Lansing Economic Area Partnership, the cities of Lansing and East Lansing and Primas Civitas. The regional partners are working towards developing several strategies in an effort to maximize the economic development opportunities FRIB potentially represents for the region.
The U.S Department of Energy announced in December 2008 that MSU had been selected to design and establish the FRIB, a cutting-edge research facility to advance the understanding of rare nuclear isotopes. FRIB is expected to take a decade to design and build at a cost of $550 million. FRIB will generate an estimated 400 jobs, including 180 positions at the facility and 220 in related industries.
