Watertown Development Company to celebrate 75th Anniversary
December 7, 2022
WATERTOWN, S.D. — Watertown Development Company (WDC) is proudly celebrating its 75th anniversary throughout the following year with activities highlighting the company’s history and plans for its future.
Established on December 22, 1947, WDC began as an industrial development corporation for the purpose of furthering economic development in Watertown by acquiring real estate for housing and commercial development and raised the capital needed to purchase and plat its first industrial park in 1956. Over the years, WDC has evolved to meet the development needs of the community and now strategically invests in programming and initiatives in areas such as workforce, business attraction and expansion, community development, and investor relations.
Throughout the past 75 years, WDC has been regionally, nationally, and internationally recognized for its initiatives and excellence in the industry. In 2020, the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) recognized WDC as an Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO). According to IEDC, accreditation says to your community that your organization is a leading authority on economic development-related issues. Only 71 organizations have met the criteria to become accredited, with WDC being the only organization in South Dakota to have done so.
WDC will kick off its celebration with a Chamber After 4 on December 8, 2022, from 4:00pm – 6:00pm at the WDC office, located on the 3rd floor of the Commerce Center. The company will continue into the next year with two more reasons to celebrate: the reveal of a new website and the launch of the Grow Watertown 2.0 strategic plan and ensuing capital campaign.
