ECI Receives the da Vinci Award From the Iowa Department of Economic Development

ECI receives an 'Economic Impact' award for demonstrating that small, rural communities in Iowa can be successful in a high-tech industry.

At the Iowa Industry and da Vinci Conference held on Tuesday, April 9th in Des Moines, ECI was presented with the da Vinci Award. Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack presented the awards to recognize outstanding achievement in the areas of: Economic Impact, Innovative Workforce Development, Commercialization of Technology, and Excellence in Technology.

The Iowa Industry and da Vinci Conference is an appropriate time to acknowledge innovation and to highlight the driving force of technology in todays economy," said C.J. Niles, director, Iowa Department of Economic Development. As we look at the companies represented with these awards, it is clear that we are on the right track in moving Iowa forward in a knowledge-based economy."

In the category of Economic Impact, ECI received the da Vinci award for a 'Company Sized 75 or Fewer Employees. By building a 10,000 square foot technical support facility in the Western Iowa town of Manning, ECI has demonstrated that high-technology can thrive in a rural community.

Based in Des Moines, ECI serves the technology industry and consumers through two related lines of business -- CD recording software development and end-user technical support for optical storage drives, software, and Internet services. As ECIs third-party technical support services expanded, the need for a new facility was realized. By operating in a rural area, ECI can take advantage of the strong work ethic and high educational level typical of the region. In cooperation with the city of Manning, construction on the new service center was completed in November, 2000. With the capacity for up to 125 employees, the majority of ECIs technical support services are now based in Manning.

It is a real privilege, and I feel very fortunate to work with such a high quality group of individuals," stated ECIs Vaughn Christensen, VP Technical Support Solutions, upon receiving the award. The technical support representatives, the supervisors and the technical support manager are the ones who made this happen. Weve also had great support and cooperation from the City of Manning, Carroll County and the state as we established our presence and throughout our growth. I hope that our success encourages others to look to smaller towns throughout Iowa as places they can gain a competitive advantage."