The Kansas City Area Development Council was recently awarded the 2010 CoreNet Global Award for Economic Development Leadership.  CoreNet is the world's leading association for corporate real estate and workplace professionals, service providers and economic developers.  It's 6,500 members include 70% of the top 100 U.S. companies and nearly half of the Global 2000.

KCADC submitted the KC Animal Health Corridor industry initiative for consideration, and the effort was selected as one of the only three international awards handed out this year, and the only American winner.  The Corridor's strong regional partnership and resulting success set KC apart form the other applicants.

Bob Marcusse, president and CEO of the Kansas City Area Development Council, was on hand to accept the award at the CoreNet Global Summit in New Orleans on April 19.  the award also qualifies KC for the Global Innovator's Award, which will be announced at the CoreNet Global Summit in Phoenix, AZ, in September.

This marks the third economic development award won by the KC Animal Health Corridor since its launch in 2006.  Special thanks to KCADC's partners in the Corridor, the Grater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute.

Award Summary:

Kansas City became known as a "Cowtown" in 1871 with the opening of the stockyards along the Missouri River.  For years, this overshadowed efforts to make the region a leader in science and technology.  However, a 2005 review of the region's biosciences industry found the animal health sector offered a new economic growth opportunity.  A grassroots effort to develop this industry began; and in 2006, the Kansas City Area Development Council hired Brakke Consulting, the top animal health consulting firm, to quantify the area industry.  It found Kansas City has the world's largest concentration of animal health industry assets, one third of the global industry sales.  With broad support the KC Animal Health Corridor launched in August 2006.