ADC News

ADC Staff Places in ESRI Map Competition

ADC Technical Accounts Manager Lindsay Olson received third place in the “Best Analytical Presentation” category at the annual ESRI Users Conference, which was held in July in San Diego. More than 100 countries showcased their work at the event.

In her research, Olson examined assessed land and house values and normalized them by size to determine cost per square foot of each structure and lot. GIS was used to analyze and observe spatial patterns in the data. The results of the research indicate that land value per square foot, and not structure value or size, is the primary driving factor in overall housing costs. Land cost per square foot is significantly higher near the city center for both cities and deteriorates with distance. This was performed on two metropolitan areas: The Twin Cities Urban Area and Greater San Diego.

The essential idea of “Drive until you Qualify” is that people have an ideal house and lot size in mind. Most people could never afford a 3,000 sq. ft. home and 2.5 acre lot in the center of the city and therefore must drive to a distance away from the city as land cost per square foot falls until these ideal home/lot sizes become available. Olson’s research strongly reinforces this theory.

Olson joined ADC in November 2009 as an intern and was recently promoted to Technical Accounts Manager.

ADC Creates Regional Framework Wisconsin Planning Commission

The West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission recently contracted ADC to create a regional framework map to summarize the area’s resources projected for the year 2030.

The framework includes the proposed high-speed passenger rail running through Eau Claire and Hudson before entering Minnesota en-route to the Twin Cities. Other features detailed on this map include areas of 100 or more contiguous acres of agriculture or forest land, river corridors, state parks and other public lands, higher education institutions, and innovation centers such as the NanoRite Center in Eau Claire.

ADC Unveils New Blog and Product Forums

In addition to the new website, which features expanded information about ADC’s products and services, ADC has a new blog and forum.

Geo-Web Junction will feature weekly articles from over a dozen of ADC’s employees, including programmers, GIS technicians, consultants, web designers and others who will share their skills, knowledge and expertise with readers.

The new product forums will allow users of WGXtreme and RODdirect to communicate directly with ADC staff and other users on all aspects of the two products and to share ideas, suggestions for improvements, etc.

Version 2 of EAGL-i Site Selector Tool Released

EAGL-i, the Economic Advantage Geo Locator interface, recently underwent a redesign to increase performance and enhance visual features. EAGL-i is a site selection and market analysis tool created for economic development organizations (EDOs).

This software-as-a-service product aids in attracting new businesses to communities and helps existing businesses understand their market. The market analysis function of EAGL-i is also useful in creating business plans for start-up businesses.

New features in EAGL-i V2.0 include an enhanced map and graphics, new reporting features, additional data for analysis, and Googletm search for nearby businesses. The new reporting features include the ability to customize reports by adding or removing information and the addition of a map of the site location on the report. The reports can then be emailed, saved, or printed. Sites can also now be bookmarked as a “favorite” or shared with others through a link.

Data enhancements include updated demographics and the addition of consumer expenditure and business workforce data. Also new to EAGL-i is the ability to search for sites by a defined geography; either a radius search or a hand-drawn polygon. This tool is especially useful to companies with very specific site location criteria, such as along major transportation corridors.

To experience the latest version of EAGL-i, visit www.chippewa-wi.com, and click “Property Search”.

ADC Announces Promotions

Lindsay Olson has been promoted to Technical Accounts Manager. Hired as an intern in November 2009, Lindsay holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Geography from the Univ. of Wis.-Eau Claire and an Associate’s Degree in Marketing from the Chippewa Valley Technical College. In her new role, Lindsay will be assisting in sales and marketing, as well as providing GIS technical support.

George Carlson has been hired as a full-time Software Engineer. George also began his career at ADC as an intern and is now assisting with programming for a wide range of projects at ADC, including Elite EXTRA and WebGUIDE Xtreme. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics from the Univ. of Wis.-Stevens Point. He will continue to assist with web and application development efforts.