Golden Shovel Agency brings creative energy to the work of economic development. Whether the goal is to attract and support great businesses or great talent, we are specialists in your world: We’ve helped more than 230 communities across North America to shape and tell their stories in order to strengthen the vitality of their regional economies. Our core services include branding, marketing, strategy, web development, and online communications. More than that, we are a true partner to our clients.
Our Mission
At Golden Shovel, we believe thriving communities improve everyone’s lives. Everything we do connects businesses and talent with communities they’ll thrive in. We do this by empowering economic developers through groundbreaking economic development communications.
Our Story
Here at Golden Shovel Agency, Economic development is built into our business DNA. Founded in 2009 by four partners, Aaron Brossoit, Ron Kresha, Jeffrey Epple, and Brian Westerberg, we began our life as a technology company, and we tailored our services to answer a specific problem: The need for a website solution that specifically addresses the requirements of economic development agencies.
Many ED organizations found frustration in trying to communicate their goals and strategies to outside agencies. Creative folks might be great at a catchy headline or a nifty graphic, but when it comes to the work of economic development, they often fall short.
To meet this need, we designed a web technology package, the Economic Gateway, as a flexible and dynamic suite of modules, specifically tailored to support business and workforce attraction and retention. In 2011 John Marshall joined the team as a partner and Vice President of Sales to bring the new technology to market.
Since then, our services have evolved to meet the ever-changing needs of our clients in the dynamic world of economic development. We helped pioneer the approach of collaboration across broad economic regions, which now has emerged as a key strategy for economic development. And we’ve also led the way in tactics to capitalize on the incipient world of social media, using the concept of narrative placemaking to build compelling stories that differentiate regions and their development potentials.
Over the years, our dedicated focus has led us further into the realm of economic development. We regularly present at national conferences, and our webinars and workshops are in high demand. Most of our clients have stayed with us through the entire journey; our dedication to service, and our unique expertise in Economic Development, has resulted in an industry-leading client retention rate.
As we grow and look to the future, we continue to evolve to meet the challenges of modern economic development. We invite you to grow with us.