Features

aving forfeited its three-year claim to the Top Business Climate ranking in 2004, North Carolina is back on top. And Texas, which unseated the Tar Heel State in last year’s contest, finished a more than respectable second. Texans should find some consolation in placing first in the survey of corporate site seekers, which counts for […]

eridians were made for man, not man for meridians. Time must be regulated … to suit man’s convenience.” Sir Robert Ball, eminent British astronomer, in support of William Willett’s daylight saving time proposal “The Waste of Daylight,” published in 1907.       When Credit Suisse First Boston chose Research Triangle Park for its new […]

From Site Selection magazine, July 2005 WORLD REPORTS Russian Investments: An Increasingly Safe Bet ‘New’ Red Flags No Obstacle for Alcoa Ford, Volkswagen, Pepsico, BASF. Toyota, Caterpillar, DaimlerChrysler, International Paper, LG Electronics. That’s not a bad roster of very recent multinational corporate investors in Russia. How that roster grows from here depends on a lot […]

JULY 2005 Room for Nuance, Time for Your Craft (cover) Meet a Member Time to Merge Pfizer Opens Facilities in Sweden, Connecticut; Forum Program Takes Shape Request Information Room for Nuance, Time for Your Craft Dear IAMC Members and Prospective Members,       Professionals today are able to command an exhaustive array of technology […]

hen a profession’s top achievers stake out a position of leadership through their actions, others soon follow. by RON STARNER      That’s exactly what happened three years ago this month when about 50 corporate real estate executives organized themselves into the Industrial Asset Management Council.      Today, some 350 corporate real estate executives, […]

sset disposition is hardly a plum assignment at most corporate real estate organizations, especially industrial ones. A new coat of paint on the front door does little to make industrial assets more attractive to potential buyers, and most corporations are loathe to spend money on the paint in the first place. So sites are unloaded […]

ohn Lucas, director of global real estate for Juniper Networks, a leading developer of high-performance Internet protocol platforms, oversees a far-flung worldwide portfolio of about 1 million sq. ft. (92,900 sq. m.). Locations range from the company’s 675,000-sq.-ft. (62,700-sq.-m.) Sunnyvale, Calif., corporate campus to much smaller offices around the globe.      One of the […]

oday’s economy is often referred to as “lukewarm” or, more creatively, the “Goldilocks” economy because it’s not-too-hot and not-too-cold. But what exactly can Goldilocks bring to the industrial real estate table? Building on strong returns from 2004, it looks like she’ll bring prosperity instead of porridge, because warehouse demand should increase this year in the […]

he political climate for state business incentive programs is changing rapidly, in large part due to the Charlotte Cuno et al. v. DaimlerChrysler et al. court case.       Cuno involves two Ohio business incentives: the Corporate Franchise Investment Tax Credit (ITC) and the Personal Property Tax Exemption. In Cuno, the court determined that […]

need to learn about strategies for disposing of specialized real estate assets, especially manufacturing facilities.” “What are some recommended lease administration programs — what are other active members of IAMC using?” “Should I handle site searches in-house or hire a consultant to do them?” by MARK AREND      These are just a few of […]

ust as I thought would happen, the hubbub surrounding the issue of U.S. companies locating facilities abroad diminished markedly following the November 2004 general election. It turns out that even though corporations do site plants where it is most cost effective to do so — which frequently means outside the U.S. — plenty of them […]

ncertainty is the enemy of healthy markets. This observation has been confirmed by a controversial Federal court ruling that a broad range of economic-development incentives are unconstitutional. That ruling was issued in October 2004 by a three-judge panel of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Ohio, and, to the surprise of many, the full […]

From Site Selection magazine, May 2005 WORLD REPORTS Middle East Outlook Infrastructure, Research Parks, LNG Plants Among New Projects The incessant turmoil of the Middle East notwithstanding, the region is the scene of many planned major investments that bode well for its economic future. These include historic infrastructure projects, major research parks and a number […]

Dear IAMC Members and Prospective Members,      The core purpose of IAMC is to help members stay on the cutting edge in times of dramatic change. The recently concluded IAMC Spring Professional Forum in Charleston, S.C., was a tremendous reputation builder in that regard, and revealed our sound platform for delivering that level of […]

eographic information systems (GIS) are playing an increasingly integral role in the world of economic development and corporate real estate. Information technology heavyweight Dell Inc. came to appreciate the value of GIS during its 2004 site search for a new customer service center. Dell eventually chose a 60-acre (24-hectare) site in Oklahoma City for a […]

overnors are naturally proud of big economic development wins for their states, and Alabama Gov. Bob Riley is no exception. When MeadWestvaco announced in September 2004 a US$10-million expansion in rural Lanett, on the Alabama-Georgia border, Riley noted, “What makes this expansion even better is knowing that this plant won the competition for these [55] […]

orporate America continues to enjoy Southern hospitality, as evidenced by Site Selection‘s Top Economic Development Groups of 2004.       While this year’s battle for a top group honor was closer than ever, one trend shows no sign of ebbing: When it comes to competing for jobs and capital investment, the region that frequently […]

n December 22, 2004, Dell Inc. and North Carolina officials were gathering at a podium in Winston-Salem to announce the company’s investment of more than $100 million in a new assembly plant. State transportation workers at that moment were on the ground at Alliance Science and Technology Park staking rights-of-way for the project, in preparation […]

he projects considered for Site Selection‘s Top Deals of 2004 ranged far and wide. So did the innovation and creativity behind them.       As always, we started from objective jobs and investment data: total capital investment and number of jobs created. Then we took into account regional economic impact, value of jobs created, […]

ncreasing focus on core competencies is far more than just a pie-in-the-sky ideal for corporations today. A firm’s core business must always be its primary concern for survival in today’s often harsh economic environment. So, frequently, companies seek ways in which to Michael Naughton, executive vice president of New York, N.Y.-based U.S. Realty Advisors free […]

orporate site selectors have known for years that the presence of a major research university can be a determining factor in choosing a business location. The American Electronics Association calls university-related research and development the second most important site selection factor, behind access to capital, for a high-tech company.       However, only recently […]

orporate real estate executives know what they want in a service provider: a listening ear, a capable team and a commitment to deliver on the project.       Two long-time service providers who have worked with hundreds of national clients say that these three qualities are essential to providing superior service to a corporate […]

ith 613 projects, the transportation equipment sector had the most projects of any industrial sector in 2004, according to the Conway Data New Plant Database.       Three of the top five transportation projects by investment were automobile plants in China, led by DaimlerChrysler with its US$1.25-billion complex in Beijing, in addition to its […]

ased in Windlesham, in the affluent borough of Surrey Heath, U.K., that is known for its knowledge-intensive companies and pharmaceutical expertise, industrial gas company The BOC Group employs more than 44,500 people and had 2003 sales of over US$7.4 billion. It also serves almost any industry you can think of: glass to steel, semiconductors to […]