Redlands, CaliforniaChosen from more than 60,000 organizations worldwide, Holly Sugar Corporations Agricultural Resource Center is being recognized for its accomplishments in geographic information system (GIS) technology. The Special Achievement in GIS award is presented by ESRI, the world leader in GIS software, mapping components, and spatial database management tools. The award ceremony took place at the Twenty-first Annual ESRI International User Conference in San Diego, California, the largest gathering of GIS professionals in the world.

"Every year the Special Achievement award honors an elite group of organizations that have embraced GIS technology to better serve the world. I am especially proud of this years recipients. Their contributions to society through GIS are phenomenal, and their accomplishments have set new precedents throughout the GIS community," said Jack Dangermond, ESRI president.

A geographic information system is a computer-based tool for mapping and analyzing objects and events. It combines the power of a database with the visualization capabilities offered by maps. Businesses, schools, governments, and organizations use GIS in an enormous range of applications, as GIS provides the power to solve complicated problems, experiment with scenarios, and present new ideas with cogency. With ESRI leading the way, GIS has surpassed the geographic analysis and mapping methods of the past and is quickly revolutionizing information technology across the globe.

The Holly Agricultural Resource Center (HARC) is a department of Holly Sugar Corporation. Located in Sheridan, Wyoming, HARC primarily serves as a technology transfer center for Holly Sugars agricultural departments and sugarbeet growers. HARC is being honored for utilizing the Internet and GIS technology to empower its growers and improve the quality of its produce.

HARC has combined GIS technology with its access-controlled website to help its growers and staff improve the management of the sugarbeet crop. The detailed website supplies research information, an extensive crop production guide, and updated news and alerts. The online GIS provide maps and crop production information 24 hours a day. The website and maps are also available on mobile devices such as handheld computers and cell phones.

"Growers access to data leads to improved crop management and higher sugarbeet quality. In the past, growers received spreadsheet type data only during our business hours and it was hard to interpret. GIS helps the growers visualize the data, trends and relationships and apply effective management practices to their own operations," said Alan Telck, manager of HARC.

Holly Sugars online GIS program also includes rainfall, heat units, soil type, and pest and disease distribution maps that overlay on a growers field map. Growers can use this data to time pesticide applications and irrigation. Holly Sugar Corporation uses the information to model crop results and pest information to provide agronomic devices to its growers.

For more than 30 years ESRI users have been making a difference in society by utilizing GIS in their companies and governments in innovative ways. ESRI is proud to honor the 124 Special Achievement in GIS award winners and recognize their contributions to the world through GIS technology.

Such diverse organizations as the Israel Ministry of Defense; American Automobile Association; Feng Chia University, Taiwan; Chilean Ministry of Interior; Charles Schwab & Company, Inc.; USA Today; Michelin Tires; and the United Nations Environmental Programme were also honored by ESRI at the 2001 User Conference in San Diego, California.

For more than 30 years, ESRI has been the leading developer of GIS software with more than 300,000 clients worldwide. ESRI also provides consulting, implementation, and technical support services. In addition, to its headquarters in California, ESRI has regional offices throughout the United States, international distributors in more than 90 countries, and more than 1,200 business partners. ESRIs goad is to provide users with comprehensive tools to help them quickly and efficiently manage and use geographic information to make a real difference in the world around them. ESRI can be found on the Web at www.esri.com