Breaking Ground: How PR Teams Turn Construction Milestones into Brand-Building Moments
By Ella Johnson, PR Intern
What is a groundbreaking ceremony?
Groundbreaking ceremonies mark significant milestones in corporate expansion and community development. These events bring together stakeholders, employees, local officials, and media to celebrate new investments and partnerships. Company leaders use the occasion to recognize key contributors and share their vision for the project’s impact on the local economy and workforce.
The ceremony serves multiple purposes beyond celebration. It demonstrates corporate commitment to a community, introduces company values to new neighbors, and provides transparency about upcoming construction timelines.
Local officials often participate to highlight economic development benefits, while employees gain insight into their company’s growth trajectory. Media outlets cover these events to report on economic development, job creation, and business expansion news that affects their communities.
From my perspective:
PR plays an important role in gathering media coverage for a groundbreaking ceremony. As a PR intern at 10to1PR, I got to witness firsthand how a public relations team brings this all together. I attended the DSV groundbreaking ceremony that celebrated the new facility that would house all divisions of the company. DSV is a 10to1PR client that focuses on logistics and global transportation.
Our PR team was in charge of contacting various media outlets to attend the event and helping media get situated once they arrived. To help prep spokespeople for interviews and keep messaging consistent, the PR team drafts talking points, strategically telling a complete story about the project.
I got to see the payoff of planning, the engagement during the event, and how the media plays into groundbreaking ceremonies. Watching our public relations team in action taught me that detail-oriented planning goes a long way. They guided reporters to the best spots for photos and handled the media throughout the event.
The goal is to create excitement about what’s coming while showing respect for the community you’re joining. When it works, everyone walks away understanding why this matters.
The PR playbook
PR professionals orchestrate the media outreach and craft a story that makes groundbreaking ceremonies newsworthy. Their work starts weeks before anyone picks up a shovel.
10to1PR team members targeted specific media that would align with the reporter’s specific beat. For DSV’s ceremony, the team focused on supply chain reporters who understand warehouse and logistics stories. They reached out to Mesa-area outlets for local coverage and business reporters specializing in real estate and semiconductor growth.
The outreach timeline follows a proven pattern. Media alerts go out two weeks before the event. Follow-up phone calls explain the news value and logistics. The team makes additional calls leading up to the ceremony, including check-ins the afternoon before and morning of. After the event, our team distributed the press release for DSV showcasing the value of the groundbreaking ceremony.
Flexibility matters on event day. Reporters cancel when bigger stories break. Others arrive unexpectedly after hearing about the event. PR pros juggle these changes while keeping the program on schedule and ensuring every outlet gets story material.
Increasing Brand Value through Media Outreach
Our PR team knows that meticulous preparation, strategic planning, and real-time adjustments separate memorable brand moments from forgettable photo ops.
The next time your company breaks ground on a new facility, remember what makes these events work. Target the right reporters who care about your industry and location. Start your outreach early and follow up consistently. Plan for the unexpected on event day.
Master these fundamentals, and you’ll turn every construction milestone into a celebration that strengthens relationships and builds lasting brand value. The stakeholders, employees, and community partners will notice the difference between a rushed announcement and a thoughtfully executed event that tells your company’s growth story.
From groundbreaking headquarters openings to heartwarming veteran support initiatives, our team delivered exceptional results across diverse industries in 2025. These campaigns showcase our ability to generate meaningful media coverage, position clients as industry leaders, and create lasting community impact. Each success story represents our commitment to strategic communication that drives real-world results for our clients while making a difference in the communities they serve.
Here are 15 of our favorite PR campaigns from 2025:
1. Master’s Transportation: $72 Million Headquarters Grand Opening
Campaign Focus: Generate awareness and media attention for Master’s Transportation’s new $72 million headquarters in Kansas City, MO Objectives: Secure local and national media coverage highlighting the headquarters’ significance to the community, regional economy, and transportation industry Results: 40+ media placements across television, local news outlets, business publications, and industry trade media, featuring in-depth interviews with the CEO and key executives. Coverage included KMBC, KCTV, and KSHB, providing comprehensive visibility across multiple platforms. Why We Loved It: Celebrating this milestone onsite with our clients and witnessing their long-anticipated vision come to life. The grand opening represented years of planning and investment in the Kansas City community. Read More:https://www.kmbc.com/article/kc-bus-company-expansion-world-cup-2026/68122003
2. ITS World Congress: Global Transportation Innovation Showcase
Campaign Focus: Elevate international and local awareness of the Intelligent Transportation Society’s World Congress in Atlanta, Georgia, highlighting innovations shaping the future of intelligent transportation Objectives: Strategically engage international, national, and local media outlets to drive attendance, coverage, and visibility for cutting-edge transportation technologies and industry advancements Results: Generated 200+ media features worldwide across print, digital, television, radio, and podcasts, successfully amplifying the event’s global impact and showcasing next-generation transportation solutions Why We Loved It: Collaborating with international journalists, coordinating dynamic television interviews and live demonstrations of transformative transportation technologies. Atlanta News First coverage of technology to protect first responders was particularly impactful. Read More:https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2025/08/26/new-technology-protect-first-responders-display-world-congress-center/
3. Milhaus: Opportunity Zone Thought Leadership
Campaign Focus: Position Milhaus executive Brad Vogelsmeier as a thought leader and expert in Opportunity Zones Objectives: Establish expertise in Opportunity Zones among industry peers and highlight Milhaus’s successful multifamily development strategy Results: Featured 1600+ word byline article in highly respected Urban Land Magazine, including photos of five beautiful Milhaus properties including Northbend, Arrello, and Ora developments Why We Loved It: The article not only positioned Brad and Milhaus as experts in Multifamily Development and Opportunity Zones but also showcased their portfolio through high-quality property photography that demonstrated their design excellence Read More:https://urbanland.uli.org/capital-markets-and-finance/whats-next-for-opportunity-zones-a-brighter-future-for-u-s-multifamily-development
4. JobElephant: Human Touch in AI Recruiting
Campaign Focus: Highlight the critical role of emotional intelligence in modern recruitment despite AI advancements in the hiring landscape Objectives: Position JobElephant as a strategic voice in the future of recruiting that recognizes both AI’s power and limitations while enhancing credibility with HR and talent acquisition professionals Results: Byline article in Staffing Hub featuring their Talent Acquisition team, differentiating the brand from competitors focused solely on automation and reinforcing their commitment to a balanced approach Why We Loved It: Successfully amplifying the message that human relationships and judgment remain essential to hiring success, helping JobElephant stand out in a crowded recruiting-software market dominated by AI promises Read More: https://staffinghub.com/guest-posts/ai-moves-fast-but-emotional-intelligence-wins-the-recruiting-game/
5. Action Roofing Services: Veterans Day Giveaway
Campaign Focus: Highlight Florida’s strong veteran community through roof giveaways in Tampa and Gainesville Objectives: Secure local media coverage emphasizing community support for veterans during Veterans Day celebrations Results: For Tampa, surprised a retired Navy SEAL with WFLA Tampa Channel 8 and WFTS Tampa Bay 28 attending, generating 10 TV segments and 5 online features. For Gainesville, surprised an active duty servicemember with WCJB-TV, WUFT-TV, and Mainstreet Daily News attending, resulting in 3 TV segments and 6 online features. Why We Loved It: The whole process of identifying and partnering with a passionate nonprofit dedicated to veterans, capturing genuine surprise reactions on video, and contributing to the veteran community through months of planning and hard work Read More:https://www.tampabay28.com/news/region-pinellas/navy-veteran-gets-free-roof-repair-ahead-of-veterans-day
6. FirstBank: Acts of Goodness Stadium Tour
Campaign Focus: Connect young fan Everett with the Arizona Cardinals and highlight FirstBank’s community giving initiatives Objectives: Secure a Cardinals stadium tour opportunity and local media coverage to support Everett’s story and FirstBank’s community involvement Results: Arranged a State Farm Stadium tour complete with a signed AZ Cardinals football and new football gear. Media coverage included an exclusive with AZ Family that aired 4 times plus 5 additional stories in local digital publications. Why We Loved It: Seeing how our PR efforts made a direct impact on Everett’s life and helping share his story with local publications to support his GoFundMe campaign for a new prosthetic foot Read More:https://www.azfamily.com/2025/05/19/teen-athlete-shooting-survivor-gets-vip-tour-state-farm-stadium/
7. Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity: Workforce Summit 2025
Campaign Focus: Secure media coverage for Arizona’s Workforce Summit while creating online dialogues about workforce development Objectives: Generate media coverage, create online dialogue, and ensure cohesive messaging throughout all external communications and Summit programming Results: Secured media partnerships with AZFamily and Phoenix Business Journal, boosting credibility and exposure while engaging local media in dialogues about workforce development’s importance to families and businesses. Live social media updates extended the conversation months beyond the event. Why We Loved It: Reading positive attendee feedback and bringing the Summit to a broader audience through television appearances, including OEO’s director explaining the Summit’s impact for families on Good Morning Arizona.
8. Partnership for Economic Innovation: Innovation Summit 2025
Photo by Jaron Quach
Campaign Focus: Promote PEI’s Celebrating Innovation Summit as a gathering of public and private sector leaders across diverse industries Objectives: Highlight Arizona’s innovation ecosystem through pre and post-event coverage and amplify enthusiasm through social media Results: Secured strong pre and post-event coverage highlighting key Summit themes while driving a remarkable 748.1% increase in social media impressions through strategic content Why We Loved It: Working directly with PEI board members as spokespeople for championing innovation, particularly securing the impactful interview on PBS Horizon, a respected local public affairs program Read More: https://azpbs.org/horizon/2025/11/arizona-innovation-summit-high-tech-future/
9. ASM: From Sand to Stars Exhibition
Campaign Focus: Amplify ASM’s “From Sand to Stars” exhibition at Arizona Science Center and field trip sponsorship program Objectives: Build awareness for semiconductor careers among Arizona students using SEMICON West 2025 as a launching pad for securing local and industry news coverage Results: Secured on-site interviews with all 4 local Phoenix market TV stations, built relationships with top technology industry reporters, and ensured ASM’s voice was included in an Arizona Republic article about semiconductor workforce development Why We Loved It: This marked the first time ASM was featured in a local television station live shot in the company’s nearly 50-year history in Arizona, using the exhibition as an effective platform to introduce ASM to a broader audience Read More: https://www.fox10phoenix.com/video/1720521
10. AVANA Companies: India Market Expansion
Campaign Focus: Announce AVANA Companies’ expansion of lending services to India as part of their global private debt commercial lending and investment ecosystem Objectives: Secure coverage while explaining to US commercial real estate and hospitality investors why India’s small business market presents valuable investment opportunities Results: Over 36 features across Indian media and US commercial real estate, hospitality, investment, and business trade publications, demonstrating our ability to translate the story’s importance across different audiences in the context of globalization, private credit growth, and hospitality industry resilience Why We Loved It: Securing our first-ever feature in the Indian market with The Economic Times, one of the region’s most respected business news outlets and the world’s second-most widely read English-language business newspaper Read more: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/startups/avana-promises-25-million-india-investment-after-nbfc-licence-from-rbi/articleshow/123167029.cms
11. AADB: IDDHL Compact Success
Campaign Focus: Position the Interstate Dental & Dental Hygiene Licensure Compact as the superior solution for dental professional mobility Objectives: Generate awareness among state legislators, build support for adoption in target states, and educate key stakeholders about the IDDHL Compact’s benefits over the competing CSG compact Results: Secured positive media coverage in 9 target states with 14 total media placements including op-eds, news articles, and industry features. Louisiana became the first state to adopt the IDDHL Compact, Mississippi passed it through both chambers, Oklahoma passed it through the House, and Pennsylvania and Massachusetts actively considered it. The campaign successfully stalled the competing CSG compact, which despite being introduced in 18 states, only passed in two. Why We Loved It: Turning compelling data into persuasive messaging that resonated with multiple stakeholders, particularly the finding that 82% of Americans want dentists to demonstrate practical skills before receiving a license, which proved decisive in legislative discussions Read More: https://www.rdhmag.com/career-profession/news/55307965/the-interstate-dental-dental-hygiene-licensure-compact-gains-momentum
12. Jack Rabbit Air and Plumbing: Brown Friday Campaign
Campaign Focus: Demonstrate expertise with home plumbing issues that many people experience following Thanksgiving holiday Objectives: Position Jack Rabbit as an expert resource for common post-Thanksgiving plumbing problems Results: Secured and completed an interview with FOX LIVE Now, the national streaming channel for FOX News on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. The interview aired on local stations nationwide and on the national streaming channel 4 times on Thanksgiving Day. Why We Loved It: The Jack Rabbit team was extremely busy that day with all their plumbers on service calls, but they remained relentless until they found the perfect spokesperson for the interview Watch the Clip
13. Family Promise of Greater Phoenix: A/C Donation Drive
Campaign Focus: Raise awareness for an air conditioning outage at Family Promise facilities and secure donations Objectives: Generate community support to address an urgent cooling need during Arizona’s summer heat Results: Secured $20,000 in monetary donations and prompted multiple air conditioning companies to reach out offering free replacement services Why We Loved It: What began as an unexpected crisis transformed into an incredible victory. An A/C outage in the Arizona summer presented a serious challenge, but the community’s quick and heartfelt response demonstrated remarkable generosity Watch the clip
Campaign Focus: Amplify Helix’s corporate responsibility initiatives and awareness within the San Diego community Objectives: Generate media coverage for Helix’s donation event as part of their 40th anniversary celebration Results: Secured 3 industry articles and 6 features from local publications, including the San Diego Business Journal and the Times of San Diego Why We Loved It: This marked Helix’s first media stunt event. The Helix team worked tirelessly to ensure the event went as planned, creating a genuine surprise moment for the nonprofit recipients Read More:https://timesofsandiego.com/business/2025/12/06/sd-nonprofits-and-community-groups-spread-holiday-cheer-across-the-region/
15. Otonomus Hotel: CES 2025 Exhibition
Campaign Focus: Secure interview opportunities for the leadership team at Otonomus Hotel as the only hotel exhibiting at CES 2025 Objectives: Generate media coverage highlighting Otonomus as an innovative AI-powered hospitality concept Results: Secured 15 interview opportunities, resulting in over 50 features from industry, local, and national publications, including the Associated Press, BBC, Forbes, Fast Company, and more Why We Loved It: Taking on the challenge of being the only hotel at a consumer technology show allowed us to get creative by offering exclusive tours to top-tier media attending the show, giving them a glimpse of the first AI-powered hotel before it opened to the public Read More: https://www.fastcompany.com/91259781/an-ai-powered-hotel-is-coming-to-las-vegas
…and so much more! That’s a wrap on 2025, and we’re already planning for hitting the ground running in 2026.
Why More PR Efforts Should be Coordinated Around Veterans Day
My PR team is always looking for opportunities to draw some media attention to our clients for doing something positive. As part of this effort, we often coordinate media efforts around various holidays and shared cultural events. Out of all the dates on the calendar, I never expected Veterans Day to become my favorite. Both because of what it represents, and the media opportunities it has provided our clients.
Veterans Day has long been one of those specialty holidays recognized mostly by those who have a personal connection to the military. It’s not part of a three-day weekend, and people often mix it up with Memorial Day which honors the fallen vs Veterans Day which recognizes the living who have served.
My team took Veterans Day efforts to an entirely new gear this year, and I want to share what we did. Not to brag, but in hopes of sparking your imagination or participation for Veterans Day next year.
The Veterans Day Giveaway Idea
We have several HVAC and plumbing clients. One of those companies was founded by a Veteran after WWII, and the company is now lead by his granddaughter (3rd generation). Five years ago, we launched a now annual Veterans AC Giveaway Contest where the public could nominate a Veteran or their family member in need of a new AC unit or furnace. After verifying nominations and choosing finalists, the public was given the opportunity to vote for the recipient, with the prize awarded on (or around) Veterans Day.
That single contest has expanded. In 2020 we held the contest in five different cities spanning the U.S. from Miami, Florida to Spokane, Washington. Yes, the contest is a nice thing to do and it’s generated publicity and stories in each City we’ve done it. But it’s much more than a contest.
Our goal is to share personal stories of local Veterans and active duty members that most people never hear about. These are the men and women who left their homes, their families, and their friends to dutifully serve our country across the nation and around the world. Their stories are incredible. Like an Arizona man who joined the Army after the attack on 9/11 to protect our nation and came back with a life-changing injury from a rocket propelled grenade. Or the Florida man who joined the Navy at age 17 and got to take a newly commissioned ship through the Panama Canal. Or the woman who was the first female in her family to join, and now copes with the debilitating effects of PTSD.
In our eyes, they are all heroes. They all deserve notoriety. So we share their stories using videos, blogs, social media, and often the news media will help us reach a wider audience. These stories have helped old friends reconnect providing them with a sense of hope and some comfort during an increasingly stressful time.
It amazes me how grateful these Veterans are to be recognized. I am also impressed by their shared bond. They understand what it’s like to be too far from home, and why it’s so hard to talk about what they experienced. We are saddened by how many suffer from mental trauma and inspired by how many of them volunteer to help other Veterans heal.
The other major effort we launched was the #VetDayPledge.
The idea started in 2018, when one of our large construction related clients was looking for ways to recognize their employees that were Veterans. We suggested that the company gather employees on Veterans Day a job site or in their warehouse and simply invite all the Veterans to the front of the group to lead their co-workers in the Pledge of Allegiance. We used smartphone video to then share it with media and post it on social media. The response from employees who participated was so positive that the construction company expanded it to multiple cities and job sites the following year.
This year, with permission from the client we decided to expand the idea to include any company willing to participate. Our only request was that anyone who participated include the hashtag #VetDayPledge to unify the message and make it easier for others to see and hopefully participate on their own. In addition to sharing the idea with other companies (clients and non-clients), we invited other PR firms to share the idea and created a website www.VetDayPledge.com with free resources and tips for companies to do it on their own.
I’m so proud that during this campaign’s first year going national and mainstream that we had participants from 10 states! While some videos came from our clients, the majority of the participants were not! In addition to several businesses, an elementary school participated, as did a senior living community!
We’re excited to grow the #VetDayPledge further next year and believe that without the election (and COVID) related distractions, even more businesses and organizations will participate. This idea has become a passion project. We love that it’s a simple, no cost idea that anyone can do to thank our Veterans and their families.
Ultimately, the most important thing for companies to remember when doing a PR campaign around Veterans Day or Memorial Day is to do it for the right reason. We believe that the VetDayPledge and the Veteran AC Giveaway Contest fit that purpose. Sure, it might generate some positive publicity for our clients, but most importantly, it generates recognition for those who’ve served and sacrificed- the individual veteran, and their families alongside them.
There are lots of great ideas that companies are doing to recognize Veterans. Share them below and help us inspire others!
As the novel coronavirus has spread across the globe, business as we have known it has been upended. While we work together to stop the spread of COVID-19, there are things companies can be doing to position themselves to withstand the pandemic, help the community, and ultimately come out of this crisis stronger.
Public relations can play a role in delivering on these goals. 10 to 1 President Josh Weiss has created a video series of brief videos to give you ideas on how you can best position your company utilizing basic public relations and crisis communications tactics.
Congratulations! You’re moving into new office or retail space!
You’ve already spent a lot of time and money moving in. For public relations purposes, you really should spend a little bit more to host an open house or ribbon cutting.
Here’s the part that might surprise you: the purpose and success of the event has zero to do with how many people actually show up to celebrate in person with you. Here, we share some common misconceptions and best advice around hosting a ribbon cutting event:
It Doesn’t Matter if No One Shows Up. The event itself isn’t about getting people to attend, it’s about educating people that your company is celebrating a milestone. It’s an opportunity for free publicity to demonstrate how strong your company is and why they should hire or buy from you.
The Event Can Be Months After You Actually Move In. There is no need to rush an event, as you can hold a ribbon cutting or open house as late as six months after you have moved in. It’s totally understandable to want to get settled in the new office first, but make sure to schedule and promote the event date early, otherwise you will never get around to hosting the event and the opportunity gets lost.
Invite People Who You Know Won’t Attend. Invite people who live out of state or who you know won’t attend your event. They’ll appreciate the fact you thought of them, and it will give you an excuse to remind them that your company is doing well and able to help them if needed.
It Doesn’t Matter if the New Office is Smaller than the Old One. Almost no one will realize it if your new offices are smaller than your previous one. All they’re going to know is you’re excited about your new space and, instinctively, they’re going to assume your company is growing and expanding.
Let Your Local Chamber of Commerce Do Most of the Work. We often work with clients who aren’t members of the local Chamber of Commerce. When they move into new space, we always encourage them to join their local chamber- if only for the ribbon cutting.
The initial response is often that they don’t want to pay the typical $500 to be a member. I turn around and ask them if they’d pay $500 for the Chamber to promote your event in their newsletters and social media, invite their members to your offices for the event, coordinate with elected officials to attend and speak at your event, and to bring the ribbon and over-sized scissors with them as they coordinate the short ribbon cutting ceremony. When they say yes, I tell them, great! And guess what: you get a free one-year membership along with all that publicity and ceremony coordination!
Invite those Key People Who You Want to Thank for Their Support. There have always been people in your corner cheering you on. They may be family members, friends, mentors, peers, it doesn’t matter. They deserve to be thanked, and their investment in time to you was so that they can attend an event like this to celebrate your success. They don’t care if the event is fancy, all they care about is that you’re going to be there and that you’re proud of what you accomplished. Don’t rob them of that opportunity.
Use Social Media Before the Event: Use your social media channels, both professional and personal, to promote your ribbon cutting event. Create an event on Facebook and invite your contacts to attend your ribbon cutting. Write a personal note thanking people for their support to help you reach this milestone. Yes, it may be “humble-bragging,” but you’ll truly be humbled by the warm comments you receive and all the likes congratulating you on this milestone.
Use Social Media During the Event. If you have a nice crowd, consider recording some video or sharing it live. Invite attendees to say nice things about your company on the milestone. Regardless of how many people are in the room, you can live-tweet the event. Encourage people to take selfies or other group pictures in your offices and share them online, tagging your company in the images.
Use Social Media After the Event. Share photos and tell everyone how successful your event was, even if it really wasn’t. It’s okay if it only ends up being you and your staff at your ribbon cutting, have someone take a photo of the group behind the ribbon.Use the photo in a post-event press release or social media posts. No one will know how many people attended your event- as far as they know there were hundreds of people.
Keys to a Great Ribbon Cutting Photo
Have the key company leaders in the center of the ribbon holding the big scissors for the photo opportunity
Have people you appreciate/want to thank hold the ribbon on either end so that it’s straight and not dangling—but pick the people purposely as they’ll appear in the photos, so make sure it’s someone you like!
Ask EVERYONE in the room to join you behind the ribbon. Let the company people be up front but have 40 or 50 people in the photo as it makes you look even bigger and stronger. Someone looking at the photo won’t know that there was no one watching.
Pose a few photos with everyone looking up before the cutting begins to make sure you have some decent images.
When cutting, remind everyone that they need to keep their eyes up toward the camera and not watch the ribbon falling/actually being cut. You’ll dislike the photo if the key people are all looking down at the falling ribbon and it won’t look as good when shared on social media.
Hire a professional photographer to capture the event. The only way to guarantee that you will get great photos is to have someone who knows what they’re doing take the photo. You’ll be using these photos for days, weeks, and years after the event, so it is worth the investment to have a professional on site to capture the event.
Ribbon cuttings and open houses are great opportunities for business owners and staff to reflect on how far a company has come, and to demonstrate confidence in the company’s future. Celebrate your milestone and allow others to celebrate it with you!
