Riverside wins three international economic development awards

The City of Riverside earned three honors from the International Economic Development Council, including Economic Development Organization of the Year, for work tied to business attraction, redevelopment and aerospace workforce development. The awards come after Riverside’s recent Accredited Economic Development Organization designation and highlight more than $142 million in private investment and over 700 jobs.

Why it matters: - Riverside’s latest awards signal growing national and international recognition for the city’s economic development strategy. - The honors point to measurable outcomes: new investment, job creation, redevelopment and workforce pipeline growth. - The recognition also strengthens Riverside’s pitch to companies, entrepreneurs and industry partners.

What happened: - The City of Riverside received three international honors from the International Economic Development Council. - Riverside won Bronze for Economic Development Organization of the Year, Gold for Real Estate Development & Reuse for Farmhouse Collective and Silver for Special Event for the Aerospace Community Expo. - The awards follow Riverside’s recent Accredited Economic Development Organization designation from IEDC. - The city said the recognition further establishes Riverside as a destination for investment, business development and innovation.

The details: - Riverside’s economic development efforts attracted six international companies in 18 months. - Those companies generated more than $142 million in private investment. - The city said the investments created more than 700 quality jobs in the clean and green technology cluster. - Riverside’s economic development work is organized through the APEX, BEST and CATALYST teams. - The city uses those teams for business attraction, retention and expansion, entrepreneurship, real estate development, and workforce and talent development. - Riverside Realized is the initiative tied to the six-company, 18-month investment and job totals. - Riverside also expanded support for existing businesses and entrepreneurs through RISE, concierge business services, the One Stop Shop, targeted industry development and partnerships with employers, training providers and talent pipelines. - Farmhouse Collective turned a long-vacant historic motel into a marketplace through a public-private partnership. - The project supports 15 local vendors. - Farmhouse Collective created more than 100 jobs. - The redevelopment leveraged more than $2 million in private investment. - The Aerospace Community Expo drew more than 2,200 students, educators, aerospace companies, military organizations and workforce partners. - The event used hands-on experiences and industry connections to introduce students to aerospace careers. - The expo also supports Riverside’s aerospace and advanced manufacturing talent pipeline.

Between the lines: - The awards suggest Riverside is pairing attraction efforts with visible projects and events that can show concrete impact. - The city’s economic development strategy appears to be shifting from promotion to execution, with awards tied to investment, reuse and workforce outcomes. - IEDC’s recognition also gives Riverside external validation as it competes for companies and regional talent. - Miranda Evans said the awards reflect a rebuilt economic development team focused on measurable results and meaningful economic impact. - Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said the city is competing at a high level and producing meaningful results for the community.

What's next: - Riverside will likely continue using the awards and AEDO designation to support future business recruitment and partnership efforts. - The city is positioned to keep pushing clean and green technology, aerospace and advanced manufacturing as priority sectors. - Riverside said the recognition supports its long-term goal of becoming a city of choice for investment and business development.

The bottom line: - Riverside’s economic development playbook is producing outside recognition and on-the-ground results at the same time.