< Previous118 JULY 2018 SI T E S E L E C T IO Nwith “a quality of life that people have no idea of,” she says.Life Sciences In uencerBiotech innovator Aldevron has a few ideas. One of them is investing and hiring where its roots are. e global provider of custom produced nucleic acids, proteins, and antibodies, headquartered in Fargo, is moving forward with a $-million, ,-sq.-ft. cleanroom manufacturing complex.“Our building will be the world’s largest and most advanced plasmid DNA manufacturing facility,” said Michael Chambers, Aldevron CEO. As an undergrad, Chambers started the company with grad student John Ballantyne years ago in lab space on the campus of North Dakota State University (NDSU) in Fargo.“He has grown the company organically since, and we employ about in this region,” in addition to around the world, says James Brown, vice president of corporate development for Aldevron. “ ere’s a very good work ethic here,” says Brown. “He loves Fargo and the community, and is grateful for what it’s done for him, so he’s committed to growing here in Fargo.” e company has options on additional land at its main site for future expansion beyond the current project.Aldevron’s COO came to Fargo from the hot spot of Austin, Texas. Brown himself came to Aldevron from Washington, D.C., three years ago, admittedly with trepidation.“It’s a wonderful, welcoming community” he says. “My daughter just fi nished her fi rst year at the University of North Dakota [UND] in Grand Forks. It’s been a great place to land — low cost of living, low crime. My church, work and gym are all within three miles of my house.”“It sounds trite, but there’s more time for life here,” says his colleague Ellen Shafer, Aldevron’s new director of marketing and communications. A native whose great-grandparents emigrated to North Dakota from Norway, Shafer says, “I’m one of the ones who moved back,” after living in Minneapolis for several years.Brown is an avid road bicyclist, and was preparing himself for a letdown after being part of the huge Potomac Pedalers group in D.C. Our building will be the world’s largest and most advanced plasmid DNA manufacturing facility.”— Michael Chambers, Aldevron CEO, on the company’s $30-million expansion in Fargo S I T E S E L E C T I O N JULY 2018 119“Then I found Great Northern Bikes, which has rides three days a week, and the ride on Tuesday is always over 50 people,” he says. “I was shocked when I rolled into that. Some of the things I was thinking I was going to miss? They’re here.”What else is here? Five higher education institutions in the Greater Fargo-Moorhead area, with UND just an hour to the north. Fargo, says Brown, “has a college town feel to it in a lot of ways,” in part because of Minnesota State University Moorhead, serving nearly 6,000 students from its campus just across the Red River; and Concordia College (2,000-plus). Altogether, the area is home to nearly 30,000 college students. “We’re starting to attract people from around the world,” says Brown. “We can’t just stroll across the street and grab someone like in Boston,” he say. But as people can do more remotely, you don’t have to be in coastal hubs to be successful, he says. One price you pay is a North Dakota winter. But there’s another price to pay too: $30 a square foot instead of $150.Unimpeded Space for InnovationAt Grand Forks Air Force Base, Grand Sky — the nation’s first commercial unmanned aerial systems (UAS) business and aviation park — provides tenants with testing amenities that include authorization for large UAS BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight) flights in partnership with the Northern Plains UAS Test Site. Aerospace giants Northrop Grumman and General Atomics have established major presences. But the park is just as open to smaller firms (already over 20) exploring opportunities in this nascent field.Insitu Inc., the Boeing UAV subsidiar, in May signed agreements with UND that will bring more Insitu software into UND’s famous Aviation Education and Research program. UND, which uses Insitu’s ScanEagle UAS, also will add Insitu’s new ScanEagle3 UAS to its fleet.Mark Bauman, vice president, Insitu Commercial, says the partnership with UND “transcends the educational domain” and opens up into further opportunities for expansion of UAS in all of North Dakota, beginning with the growing need for remote aerial surveillance by oil and gas professionals working in the Bakken basin. Combine strong state and congressional delegation support for UAS, the unique airspace with the energy, higher education and military presence in the region, he says, and “you have this center of gravity of UAS technology that is enabled by that ecosystem. It’s a great environment to invest in.”Wes Shover, president of the North Dakota chapter of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) and the UAS Sector Development Manager for the Grand Forks Region Economic Development Corp., says the strength of UAS in the area comes to more than 850 jobs, $57 million in annual wages and just over $310 million in annual economic impact, he says. That only figures to grow, given that the Northern Plains test site is widely regarded as the top site in the FAA’s national portfolio.Partnering for ProsperitySteve Burian, CEO of engineering consulting firm AE2S, serves alongside Border States Electric CEO Tammy Miller as co-chair of the Valley Prosperity Partnership, whose Action Agenda 2014–2019 120 JULY 2018 SI T E S E L E C T IO Npriorities include attracting, developing and retaining talent. He sees UND and NDSU as “the jewels of the region. As they go, the region goes. We’re probably as well positioned for them to have an impact as we’ve ever been, given the way the stars are aligning.”Burian himself got his start in business because of the strong research alignment of his alma mater UND. And firms continue to emanate from both campuses. The region’s entrepreneurial scene — labeled Emerging Prairie, among other names — can be glimpsed every week at 1 Million Cups Fargo. In Grand Forks, city leaders devoted a portion of economic development dollars to the Startup Grand Forks fund. Coworking spaces are popping up too, from Emerging Prairie’s Prairie Den in Fargo to a space called The 701 backed by Evolve Grand Forks.“We realize the necessity of being a cool community, in terms of attracting and keeping people,” Burian says. “Some of those softer elements are indeed critical to primary sector success.”Indeed, those intangibles keep popping up.“One is work ethic,” Burian says. “Nobody can put their finger on whether we’re still close enough to the farm that there’s that sunup-to-sundown mentality. But you’ll hear employers talk about reliability, timeliness and productivity.”The area also still benefits from “North Dakota nice.” People probably lock their doors these days, and may not leave their pickup trucks running in the winter while they duck into the store, “but it’s still a bit closer to Mayberry than other places in the country,” says Burian. “For a place to raise your kids and feel good about it, it’s a neat environment.”His 20-year-old daughter is attending NDSU, and he has an 18-year-old son starting at UND in the fall. “We’re a mixed family,” he says. Both of the Burian children are going into engineering. And both saw the Valley as a positive place to continue their educations. Burian admits he might have “somewhat intentionally” exposed them to those local opportunities as they grew up.“So they’d see North Dakota,” he says, “for the jewel that it is.” SIT E SE L E C TI O N JULY 2018 121ABCDFSite Selection’s Conway Projects Data-base since January 2017 has tracked more than 1,100 facility investment projects in the United States with a logistics component. It’s a competitive field driven by efficiency. So using data to make more efficient logistics location choices is a no-brainer. Two new reports can help.In June, Conexus Indiana (a non-profit focused on positioning Indiana for growth in manufacturing and logistics) and the Center for Business and Economic Research at Ball State University in Muncie released their 2018 Manufacturing & Logistics Report Card, with letter grades based on an index of federal data awarded to all 50 states across a number of categories. “We include the share of total lo-gistics industry income as a share of total state income, and the employment per capita,” the authors explain. “We also include commodity flows data by both rail and road.” To that mix they add a measure of infrastructure spend-ing by examining per capita expenditure on highway construction.Only five states get “A” grades: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Texas. “B+” grades go to Iowa and Pennsylvania; “B” grades are awarded to Georgia, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Wisconsin; and California and Kansas get “B-“ marks.Without taking per-capita numbers into account, those results compare well with state subtotals from those 1,100-plus projects tracked by Site Selection, with some notable exceptions. Illinois and Texas tie for No. 1 with 178 projects each, followed by Ohio in third with 95. Next come: 4) Georgia (71) 5) California (61) 6) North Carolina (52) 7) Florida (39) 8) Kentucky (35) T9) Pennsylvania and New Jersey (29)Indiana’s project tally finishes just out of the Top 10 at No. 12, with 24 (just behind Tennessee with 28).Boyd Weighs InBy those same tallies, South Carolina comes in tied with Virginia at No. 15, just behind by ADAM BRUNSadam.br uns @ site s ele c tion.c omTwo Views of Logistics Location PerformanceNew studies will help you flesh out your own decision matrix.L O G I S T I C S S I T E S & S E R V I C E S S P E C I A L A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N(Continued on page 124)The 2018 Manufacturing & Logistics Report Card from Conexus and the Center for Business and Economic Research at Ball State University gave “A” grades to Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Texas.SP ECIAL AD VER TISING SECTION L O G I S T I C S S I T E S & S E R V I C E S124 JULY 2018 SIT E SE L E C TI O NAlabama and Missouri. But a report released in April shows the promise of the Palmetto State.In partnership with the South Carolina Ports Authority, The Boyd Company, Inc., undertook to determine the most competitive locations for warehousing and distribution based on projected annual operating costs in 20 strategic logistics locations (see table for top 10). Cost projections for the study were based on a hypothetical 750,000-sq.-ft. facility employing 200 hourly workers. Annual labor costs were calculated to include hourly earnings, payroll costs, and fringe benefits. In addition, costs for power, construction mortgage amortization, sales tax, and outbound shipping were all taken into consideration. Results show that a warehousing/distribution facility in Dillon, South Carolina, could expect an operating cost of $15.3 million annually, the lowest cost among the 20 locations surveyed. The South Carolina Ports Authority is about to open Inland Port Dillon, located within a 3,400-acre industrial site near I-95, close to the North Carolina state line.The inland port concept is spreading: Georgia has several either already operating or ramping up, and other states such as Texas are deploying similar concepts, whether state- or private sector-backed. Other states’ inland ports were not among the 20 locations examined in the Boyd study. But that doesn’t detract from its insights. South Carolina Ports Authority Director of Strategic Projects Micah Mallace said the study “reiterates the regional and national significance of South Carolina’s growing logistics sector and that Inland Port Dillon will be a vital part of future economic growth throughout the entire state of South Carolina.”(Continued from page 121)Warehouse Location Total Annual Operating Costs Dillon, SC ..................................................... $15,357,480 Savannah, GA ............................................. $15,492,178 Greenville/Spartanburg, SC .......................... $15,739,906 Norfolk, VA .................................................. $16,049,615 Charleston, SC ............................................ $16,290,374 Charlotte, NC .............................................. $16,299,580 Jacksonville, FL ............................................ $16,448,396 Nashville, TN ............................................... $17,142,284 Louisville, KY ............................................... $17,166,370 Lehigh Valley, PA .......................................... $17,351,260 SP ECIAL AD VER TISING SECTION L O G I S T I C S S I T E S & S E R V I C E S126 JULY 2018 SIT E SE L E C TI O NCape Coral, Florida is the headquarters for businesses fueled by logistics. Whether they manufacture and ship their product direct or place overseas orders to be delivered throughout the United States, Cape Coral business owners enjoy a cost-effective location that boosts the bottom line and a subtropical environment that suits their employees’ lifestyles.The natural, eco-friendly products of WooBamboo! have spread to 30 countries and are sold in 14,000 stores since the Cape Coral company launched in 2013. Bamboo toothbrushes are hand-made in China, biodegradable tooth floss is made in Milan, Italy, and all-natural toothpaste is manufactured in New York. They are shipped to WooBamboo’s Cape Coral warehouse, and picked up by UPS for delivery to distribution centers. “This is our world headquarters,” says Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer Steve Hyde. “We distribute around the country and world from here.”Hyde estimates his company oversees the shipment of 70,000 to 80,000 oral care products each month—but it’s a snap because orders and tracking are streamlined through an Electronic Data Interchange system, whether the goods are on a container ship, landing in port or en route on the ground. WooBamboo! joins a vast array of industries manufacturing or distributing products in Cape Coral, including medical devices, nontoxic environmental clean-up solutions, electrical panels, art supplies, marine parts and culinary delicacies. Choices for shipping from Cape Coral are many. One company specializes in creating custom crates and packaging for jobs ranging from traditional estate shipments to relocating entire factories overseas. Gary McKinley, owner of Craters & Freighters of SW Florida, says crates are engineered and inspected to meet exporting specifications. McKinley’s operation has expanded to 10,000 square feet and features deep-well docks for loading efficiency. Craters & Freighters of SW Florida also provides pick-up, insurance coverage, ground, air and ocean shipping, delivery and tracking. “Cape Coral is perfect,” he says, adding that he has enjoyed the city’s “cost efficiencies and a good lifestyle for employees” since 2007.——————————————---------------————————————————————————————For more information about the City of Cape Coral visit us online at www.bizcapecoral.comAdvanced Logistics Make Doing Business a Cinch in Tropical Cape CoralAt Craters and Freighters of SW Florida, workers custom pack and ship items from fine artwork to super-sized equipment. S I T E S E L E C T I O N JULY 2018 127Conway Analytics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 www.conway.com/analyticsHughes Marino, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC-1 www.hughesmarino.comInternational Economic Development Council . . . . . IBC www.iedconline.org/annualconferenceSmart Airports & Regions Conference & Exhibition . . .96 www.smartairports.aeroSydney World Forum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 www.worldforumforfdi.comUNITED ST A TESARKANSASArkansas Department of Economic Development . . .113 www.arkansasedc.com/asaCity of Siloam Springs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 www.whysiloam.comC ALIFORNIACity of Elk Grove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 www.elkgrovecity.org/econdevCity of South San Francisco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 www.ssf.netCity of Stockton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 www.advantagestockton.comGreater Antelope Valley Economic Alliance . . . . . . . . .53 www.socalleadingedge.orgGreater Irvine Chamber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 www.irvinechambereconomicdevelopment.comHughes Marino, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC-01 www.hughesmarino.comSan Bernardino County Economic Development Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-24 www.sbcountyadvantage.comDISTRICT OF COLUMBIAInternational Economic Development Council . . . . . IBC www.iedconline.org/annualconferenceFLORID ACentral Florida Development Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 www.cfdc.orgCity of Cape Coral . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126 www.bizcapecoral.comCSX Corporate Headquarters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 www.csx.com/siteselectionFlorida Power & Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 www.poweringflorida.comOrlando Utilities Commission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44-45 www.oucpowersgrowth.comGEORGIACity of Peachtree Corners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 www.peachtreecornersga.govPartnership Gwinnett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 www.partnershipgwinnett.comThe Woodruff Arts Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 www.woodruffcenter.orgILLINOISCity of Wood Dale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 www.landinwd.comComEd Economic Development Department . . .postcard www.comed.com/poweryourbizQuad Cities Chambers | Quad Cities First . . . . . . . . . . .125 www.quadcitiesfirst.comINDIANAHoosier Energy Rural Electric Cooperative . . . . . . . . . .31 www.hoosiersites.comI O WAIowa Northern Railway Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124 www.iowanorthern.comQuad Cities Chambers | Quad Cities First . . . . . . . . . . .125 www.quadcitiesfirst.comKENTUCKYHarlan County Economic Development Authority . . . . .49 www.harlancountyeda.comKentucky Cabinet for Economic Development . . . . . . .67 www.thinkkentucky.comLOUISIANAChennault Innternational Airport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104 www.chennault.orgGreater New Orleans, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106 www.gnoinc.orgLivingston Economic Development Council . . . . . . . . .105 www.ledc.netLouisiana Economic Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 www.louisianaworkswithyou.comOne Acadiana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 www.OneAcadiana.orgSouthwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 www.allianceswla.orgMAR YLANDCecil County Office of Economic Development . . . . . . .59 www.cecilbusiness.orgMICHIGANConsumers Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC www.consumersenergy.com/econdevEOS North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64-65 www.eos.infoMichigan Economic Development Corporation . . . . . . .29 www.michiganbusiness.org/pure-agribusinessIndex to AdvertisersFor LOCATION INFORMATION or assistance in conducting a Confidential Site Search please email karen.medernach@conway.com or visit us at www.siteselection.com.PAGEPAGEPAGENext >