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December 21, 2009

Location Tax Incentives: The Best of Times, The Worst of Times

Periods of economic crisis are the worst of times and the best of times for state and local business location tax incentives. These tax expenditures, like all expenditures, face an uphill battle when revenues have collapsed and the number of needy residents requiring assistance has increased. At the same time, economic stringency and lack of revenue sharpen government appreciation for business development and job creation. If a crisis combines danger and opportunity, the current downturn could offer an opportunity to improve these incentive programs.

December 21, 2009

‘Aggressive, Yet Responsible’

The Kansas Dept. of Commerce in October said it wants to offer healthcare IT firm and Kansas City mainstay Cerner Corp. $85 million in tax and other incentives for a new office complex, and toss in another $144.5 million from state sales tax revenue to pay for bonds used to build a new soccer stadium next door. If the Unified Government of Wyandotte County accepts the proposal, Cerner says it will create 4,500 new jobs in Kansas at an average salary of $65,000. A youth soccer complex and hotel, with no incentives aid, also would be built as part of the $414-million project.

December 17, 2009

Carolinian Cluster Approaches Critical Mass

Students of industry clusters will find in North Carolina’s new aerospace industry a case study in how a sector takes root in a given area. Several companies, including Federal Express, Spirit AeroSystems and Honda Aircraft among others have begun operations in the state, adding thousands of jobs and justification for a closer look from aviation-related corporate site selectors.

August 1, 2009

The Letter and the Law

INCENTIVES From Site Selection magazine, September 2009 The Letter and the Law Tax treatment of government grants has win-win potential. by BARBARA S. de MARIGNY editor bounce@conway.com Barbara S. de Marigny is a partner in the Tax Practice Group for Houston-based law firm Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP. For more information, visit www.gardere.com. “C ongratulations. Our […]

June 1, 2009

EDITOR’S VIEW

EDITOR’S VIEW From Site Selection magazine, July 2009   How Does Your State Tax — and Spend? by MARK AREND mark.arend bounce@conway.com Illustration by Bob Gravlee I AMC Chair Rick Little is exactly correct in his letter to the membership and readership at large with his list of topics about which good site selectors should […]

June 1, 2009

IAMC INSIDER

JULY 2009 A Dad’s Thoughts on Graduations (cover) People & Projects Request Information

June 1, 2009

NORTH AMERICAN REPORTS

NORTH AMERICAN REPORTS From Site Selection magazine, July 2009   Dirt Moves in Luther Forest And an entire region hears it. by ADAM BRUNSadam.bruns bounce@conway.com I n the beginning, there was the soil. There was a whole lot of water, plenty of power and all kinds of infrastructure, built to the highest standard. There was […]

June 1, 2009

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION: ECONOMIC INCENTIVES PROGRAMS

Tammy Propst, President, taxadvantagegroup uring periods of economic crisis, some states take the approach of expanding incentive programs to further enhance job creation, such as Alabama’s Act 2009-722 that offers existing incentives to a variety of white-collar industries; while other states limit incentive programs to better manage budgets, such as Iowa’s F 483, which caps […]

June 1, 2009

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION: SITE SELECTION PROPERTY PAGES

lthough its name would imply otherwise, site selection is very rarely just about the site. Instead, an effective site selection process is about community selection, which includes the geographic advantages that are the best match for your business. There is no question that your company will need a building or site to develop a building, […]

June 1, 2009

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION: ZONES OF OPPORTUNITY

conomic Development Zones go by many different names across the country, including Enterprise Zones (Virginia), Renaissance Zones (Michigan), Keystone Opportunity Zones (Pennsylvania), or Empowerment Zones (Federal Government). While names may vary, so also do the benefits to the corporate user. Essentially, these zones serve a similar purpose wherever they exist. The primary purpose behind the […]

June 1, 2009

WORLD REPORTS

WORLD REPORTS From Site Selection magazine, July 2009   Evolving Biotech by JOHN W. McCURRYjohn.mccurry bounce@conway.com A s the world’s biotech leaders gathered in Atlanta in May for BIO 2009, the consensus was that the sector is in the midst of a period of major change.       “The biotech business model is under unprecedented stress,” Scott […]

June 1, 2009

COVER STORY: SCIENCE & RESEARCH PARKS

COVER STORY: SCIENCE & RESEARCH PARKS From Site Selection magazine, July 2009 Want to kick your organization into overdrive? Explore the critical mass offered by national institutions. Sandia Science & Technology Park and its tenants have capitalized on their neighborly relationship with Sandia National Laboratories. by ADAM BRUNS adam.bruns bounce@conway.com s the United States government […]

June 1, 2009

GLOBAL R&D HUBS

GLOBAL R&D HUBS From Site Selection magazine, July 2009 Australia’s Biotech Hub Victoria lays the groundwork for life sciences. by JOHN W. McCURRY john.mccurry bounce@conway.com T he Australian State of Victoria has invested heavily in recent years to provide the infrastructure for its growing research and development cluster in biotechnology. That investment, about A$3 billion […]

May 1, 2009

TECHNOLOGY TOOLBOX

TECHNOLOGY TOOLBOX From Site Selection magazine, May 2009 Instant Space End users eye quick-build facilities. by JOHN W. McCURRYjohn.mccurry bounce@conway.com C Intel used a Sprung Instant Structure for its initial offices in Costa Rica, then later converted it into a company cafeteria. ompanies in the offshore call center and BPO sector often need a quick option […]

May 1, 2009

COVER STORY

COVER STORY From Site Selection magazine, May 2009 The year?s top projects testify to a renewable vigor in industrial development. The Tata Nano (pictured above left) will eventually be made at a new plant in Sanand, Gujarat, that was literally moved from the initial plant site in West Bengal after civil unrest there threatened the […]

May 1, 2009

TOP TEN GROUPS OF 2008

TOP TEN GROUPS OF 2008 From Site Selection magazine, May 2009   The Center Holds From Houston to Chicago, communities in Middle America rank among top-performing economic development groups. by RON STARNERron.starner bounce@conway.com Willis Group Holdings recently signed a long-term lease at Chicago’s signature skyscraper, the Sears Tower. As part of the deal, the building […]

May 1, 2009

WORLD REPORTS

WORLD REPORTS From Site Selection magazine, May 2009   Wind Paces New EU Power Projects by JOHN W. McCURRY john.mccurry bounce@conway.com  German wind turbine manufacturer REpower supplied three of its largest turbines for a wind farm near the Germany-Denmark border. The turbines will serve as a test for future offshore wind power development. W ind energy […]

May 1, 2009

TOP TEN COMPETITIVE STATES

TOP TEN COMPETITIVE STATES From Site Selection magazine, May 2009   King of the Hill Ohio chalks up another key capital investment win for luring new businesses in 2008 and helping existing companies expand. by MARK ARENDmark.arend bounce@conway.com T he Ohio Department of Development (ODOD) joins Gov. Ted Strickland’s office in claiming a key economic […]

May 1, 2009

EDITOR’S VIEW

EDITOR’S VIEW From Site Selection magazine, May 2009   Illustration by Bob Gravlee by MARK AREND mark.arend bounce@conway.com The Little Province That Could S eldom does news of an area’s proposed budget make it into my file of possible “Editor’s View” topics. But over the past several weeks, one such item did just that. There […]

May 1, 2009

IAMC INSIDER

MAY 2009 Some Thoughts on Mentorship (cover) Meet A Member People & Projects Request Information

May 1, 2009

NORTH AMERICAN REPORTS

NORTH AMERICAN REPORTS From Site Selection magazine, May 2009   De-Conversion Means Jobs in the Land of Enchantment by ADAM BRUNSadam.bruns bounce@conway.com N These gas systems comprise a portion of the germanium tetrafluoride FEP (Fluorine Extraction Process) system patented by International Isotopes. Photo courtesy of INIS orth-central New Mexico may appear to have a corner […]

May 1, 2009

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION: MEXICO ADVANTAGE

iven the deep base of manufacturing facilities located along the U.S.-Mexico Borderzone, we believe the first signs of a broad economic recovery will be seen in this region, as companies ramp up production and utilize excess capacity that they have been holding in reserve. Sophisticated manufacturers have for years been operating in a lean environment […]

May 1, 2009

New York

NEW YORK: SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION From Site Selection magazine, May 2009 Investing in Infrastructure Bolsters Empire State Business Climate D espite steep job losses on Wall Street and a challenging economic environment, New York continues to add jobs and industry in several key sectors. During a recent e-mail interview with Site Selection, Dennis Mullen, Upstate President […]

May 1, 2009

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION: SALE-LEASEBACK TRANSACTIONS

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION: SALE-LEASEBACK TRANSACTIONS From Site Selection magazine, May 2009 Utilizing the Sale-Leaseback Transaction Structure in Today’s Capital Constrained Market by GARRY WEISS, SIOR, CCIM and RENE CIRC editor@conway.com H istorically, for a corporation, real estate assets have had one primary application: operational necessity. Companies have been regularly leasing, developing, buying and even selling facilities […]