Features

ant to gain an edge over your global competition? Consider locating your next plant in a Foreign-Trade Zone.         If you thought that FTZs were only for distribution centers and freight-forwarding facilities, think again. Locating in an FTZ can save your operation millions of dollars per year, and you can do a […]

H ead East is the name of a semi-famous 1970s rock band that was founded in St. Louis and continues to tour the clubs of the heartland some 30-plus years later. Today, head east might best describe the mindset of automobile makers as they assess the lay of the land in Europe.       […]

T he top economic development groups in the U.S. for 2003 know how to strike the ideal balance – between confidentiality and telling your story; blockbuster corporate deals and incremental company growth; new development and the infrastructure and redevelopment to go with it; simple processes and sophisticated methods of obtaining them.         […]

D ALLAS, Texas – When Texas Instruments opened the world’s most modern semiconductor manufacturing plant in Dallas in 2001, no one knew that this facility would become the first choreographed move in a unique “Texas Two-Step.”         On June 30, 2003, that’s exactly what happened when TI announced that it would build […]

H ungering for some good Tex-Mex cuisine? Well, you’re not alone.         Some of the world’s largest companies soon will be buying a lot of food in Texas and Mexico, which together captured four of Site Selection’s Top Ten Deals of 2003.         From Texas Instruments and Toyota in […]

by MARK AREND A s this issue was going to press, the Dept. of Labor released some new-jobs numbers that must have left the outsourcing-is-evil crowd in a heightened state of bewilderment. Word that 308,000 new jobs had been created in March alone in the U.S. was no less troublesome to the pols who were […]

orporate America is increasingly seeking ways to move real estate assets off balance sheets and free up capital for operations. The sale/leaseback model is a resourceful way to gain immediate access to cash and decrease debt. Sale/leaseback arrangements improve a firm’s debt-to-equity ratio and reduce depreciation and interest costs. What’s more, by selling a real […]

From Site Selection magazine, May 2004 WORLD REPORTS Edited by JOHN W. McCURRY Europe Emphasizes Other Means to Power Alternative energy continues to draw more emphasis in Europe. Two recently announced projects take aim at harnessing power from the wind and sun and a third is studying the feasibility of building a power plant based […]

acilities services will play a strategic role in achieving corporate financial goals this year, a new study of corporate executives finds.         The research study by EMCOR Group Inc. of Norwalk, Conn., reveals a growing demand for facilities services among corporate real estate executives. According to the report, nearly half of all […]

“Great news for Pike County!” Gov. Bob Taft exulted, raising clenched fists aloft after USEC announced plans in January 2004 for a US$1.5-billion uranium enrichment plant in tiny Piketon, Ohio (pop. 1,900).         USEC’s massive news, though, is a complex mix of both past and present, old and new.       […]

I n December 2003, Canada’s new prime minister, Paul Martin, appointed Jim Peterson as his minister of international trade after sweeping into office himself earlier in the month. Martin, a former executive in the shipping and power industries, served as the country’s Minister of Finance from November 1993 until June 2002. Peterson worked under him […]

  Dear IAMC members and prospective members: What happens when you combine a delightful venue, captivating speakers, enthusiastic sponsors, outstanding and cordial staff and over 60-percent corporate active attendance? Well, you kick it up a notch.         And that’s what IAMC did at its Spring Forum in Tucson. There was a wonderful […]

A myriad of property management software is available today to handle account and reporting needs of industrial sites. One product that has been around awhile and continues to draw favorable reviews for its latest version is Skyline II. SS&C, a Windsor, Conn.-based software developer for a variety of applications, is the creator of Skyline.   […]

T he North American customer contact center industry, historically in a constant state of flux, has seen turbulence rise to new levels over the past year. Sea changes have been aplenty whether it be the early returns of the Do Not Call registry’s effect on telemarketing jobs or increased offshoring of inbound customer service jobs […]

ith office vacancy rates low and rents high on what is available, quality office space is scarce. And, even though vacancy rates may be rising in the industrial property sector, many companies want a custom-designed facility that fits their specific needs, but they do not want to purchase the building. What’s more, lenders and developers […]

ore communities, regions and states are turning to the concept of Cluster Development. The advantages of close relationships between key industries and their suppliers, complementary industries, economic development and support institutions have been proven in many regions around the world.         But how do corporate real estate executives, site location consultants and […]

by MARK AREND W ho says a magazine that publishes just six times a year can’t break news stories? This issue, featuring our annual Governor’s Cup award for the state with the most new and expanded commercial facilities in 2003, is packed with news. Ohio has broken a several-year claim to the Cup held by […]

A ppropriately, the University of Washington Husky Marching Band played “Tequila.”         That 1958 oldie reflected the giddy buzz rippling through the gala toasting Boeing’s decision to bring its US$900-million 7E7 assembly plant to Everett, Wash. Both Boeing and Washington had similar reasons to celebrate. Each had mounted a bold gamble aiming […]

M anaging and communicating information regarding industrial construction projects to maintain accountability has long been a challenge for company owners. By providing fast access to centralized project information, Internet collaboration platforms are gradually gaining acceptance as a way to increase efficiencies, improve communications and curtail cost overruns.         Constructware (www.constructware.com), an Alpharetta, […]

LCD Demand Spurs Huge New Plant Investment WHERE IT ALL BEGINS: Before any LCD panels can be made, you have to have the LCs. That’s why German concern Merck is investing more than $314 million in a new plant that will triple its crystal capacity. Growing demand for LCD (liquid crystal display) televisions and computer […]

E conomic development officials in Ohio are hoping their capture of the 2003 Governor’s Cup is the beginning of a repeat of the state’s three-year claim to the prize 10 years ago. In 1993 and for the next two years, Ohio won Site Selection‘s highly coveted Governor’s Cup, which recognizes the state in which the […]

  Dear IAMC members and prospective members: This month I am pleased to welcome many of you to the IAMC Professional Forum in Tucson, Ariz., March 13-17, 2004.         Our focus is top-notch professional education and executive networking exclusively for the industrial and manufacturing corporate real estate community. We strive to present […]

Continue to: 2003’s Top Metros – “Chicago Dominance More Than Mythical”

T wo independent sources of foreign direct investment intelligence essentially concur where business expansion and relocation in 2003 is concerned. Both Conway Data’s New Plant database, which has tracked such activity for 40 years, and IBM Business Consulting Services-Plant Location International’s (IBM-PLI) GILD (Global Investment Location Database) make the same case: Corporations are not shutting […]