MANHATTAN, KS – (October 12, 2011) Unemployment rates throughout the country
remain high but in Manhattan, Kansas growing companies like CivicPlus, the leading
developer of local government websites, continue to display Help Wanted signs for wellpaying
professional jobs.

Known as the “Little Apple” and located 57 miles west of Topeka, Manhattan is a thriving
small city of nearly 53,000 and a contender for Money Magazine’s 2011 list of the 100 Best
Small Cities in America. It is home to Kansas State University and Fort Riley Army Base.

“America’s heartland isn’t exactly a location that comes to mind when most job seekers are
scouting for high tech positions, but Manhattan has a lot to offer,” said Jeff Wheeler, vice
president of human resources for CivicPlus. “You have Silicon Valley in the West and
Silicon Alley in the East. Now we’re developing a budding ‘Silicon Prairie’ in America’s
heartland. It’s often hard to convince candidates to move here but once they come to
Manhattan they love our great schools, cultural programs, recreational facilities and easy
commuting.”

John Pagen, vice president of economic development for the Manhattan Area Chamber of
Commerce, said that in 2011 Manhattan was named by Forbes magazine as the #1 Best
Small Place in the U.S. for Business and Careers. “Manhattan’s economy is definitely on the
rise,” Pagen said. “According to USA Today our city currently is the hub of the state’s most
affluent metro area. That’s impressive when you consider that in 2000 we were the poorest
of the state’s six metro areas.”

CivicPlus currently is looking to fill more than two dozen jobs in areas including software
development, graphic design, project management, software sales, business development
and marketing. The ten-year-old company, which specializes in developing websites that
increase citizen engagement, government accountability and operational efficiencies,
recently was selected by Inc. Magazine as One of the Fastest-Growing Privately Held
Companies in the U.S.

“Six new employees completed our ‘Red Carpet Rollout’ on-boarding program in
September,” Wheeler said. “These are well-paying professional jobs with benefits and the
opportunity for advancement. Our company is a perfect example of the silver lining in the
new economy. Cities and counties need to do more with less, and citizens are demanding
online access to government services and transactions. These trends are fueling our growth
and creating new opportunities for professionals with the skills and talent to create
innovative ways to help communities engage and interact. Our workforce has grown six-fold
in our first 10 years and we expect that number to double in the next two to three years --
from about 100 employees today to 200 and possibly more.”

Even as the statewide unemployment rate edges higher – 6.7 percent in August – job
seekers in Manhattan continue to have their pick of a variety of good jobs.

“Manhattan's unemployment rate is presently 4.8 percent, well below the statewide average
and the national rate of 9.1 percent,” said Pagen. “This can be attributed to the fact that
Manhattan is the service, retail and entertainment hub for an eight-county region. In 2001
retail sales were about $600 million; in 2011 they will top $1 billion. Area leaders are
committed to diversifying the Manhattan economy and continuing to make it a place that
attracts and retains world-class talent.”

Recent Kansas State University grad Kevin McRell, of Manhattan, is one of the new
employees who joined CivicPlus last month. “CivicPlus has the energy and excitement of a
start-up but the stability of a ten-year-old company,” he said. “I really enjoy the passion of
CivicPlus people and the atmosphere of innovation. I attended a ‘Lunch Plus’ brainstorming
session my first day on the job and was impressed with the fact that here, everyone has a
voice.”

Richland Park, Kansas native Erica Hopwood, a graphic designer and 2008 graduate of
Kansas State, agrees. “I felt appreciated and valued from day one. The company truly
wants me to be happy in my job and that, in turn, energizes me to do great things,” she said.

Wheeler said that innovation and creativity are valued and nurtured at CivicPlus and
employees quickly get the sense of being part of something big. “The way that citizens use
the web has changed and it’s our job to keep governments ahead of the curve,” he said.

For more information about CivicPlus careers visit http://www.civicplus.com/careers or call
888-228-2233.