Mecklenburg County's Economic Development GIS System was recognized by the National Association of Countie (NACo) this year for its outstanding achievement in the focus areas of Economic Development and Information Technology. The primary focus of the Economic Development GIS System was to provide local and nationwide businesses with web-enabled geographic analysis tools for quality site selection, area analysis, and decision-making.

NACO advocates County governments across the country, working alone and in cooperation with other governments at the municipal, state and national levels, to develop innovative and successful programs in a wide range of service areas, including arts and historic preservation, children and youth, community and economic development, corrections, county administration, emergency management, environmental protection, health, human services, libraries, parks and recreation, transportation, volunteers and much more. The Achievement Awards Program gives national recognition to county accomplishments, and has enabled NACo to build a storehouse of county success stories that can be passed on to other counties.