EDITOR'S VIEW

ne reason this issue of Site Selection is so large is because it contains one editorial survey and four editorial profiles. Profiles are shorter versions of a survey, but they do much the same thing, which is to educate our readership of senior location decision makers about an area in a way that no other medium can. When a city, state,

by MARK AREND

mark.arend bounce@conway.com

region or country commissions us to produce an editorial profile or survey, they know they have entrusted Site Selection with a key component of their business-development agenda, and we have been taking that trust very seriously for more than five decades.

   I am drawing your attention to this particular content for two reasons. First, you would have to visit the area in person to gain more intelligence than a profile or survey delivers. Second, these sections are either written by staff editors or by carefully chosen freelance writers. That is to ensure that the same level of professionalism and award-winning editorial is applied to these sections as is applied to regular features and departments.

   To the first point, the magic of the editorial survey is that we did visit the area. Research for an editorial survey involves a week or more in the location being surveyed. Those days are spent meeting with plant managers from major corporate facilities, particularly those associated with recent investments; high-level economic development officials – ministers of trade and investment in the case of national assignments; academic officials involved in working with private industry on commercialization programs and other economic development initiatives; port, airport and/or other infrastructure-related executives; and others deemed relevant to the assignment at hand.

   It is only by experiencing the location in person and hearing first-hand from investors about their experience of locating in an area that we can deliver to our readership the depth and nuance a profile or survey can provide.

   To the second point, Site Selection also carries special advertising sections in

each issue. And those serve a distinct purpose: to give the advertiser more room with which to make his case for securing your capital investment. But profiles and surveys are much more meaty than that, as the Malaysia survey and the four editorial profiles (Aragon, Spain; Saxony-Anhalt, Germany; Manassas Park, Va.; and Merrimack Valley, Mass.) in this issue demonstrate. Make the time to read them carefully, and you will see exactly what I mean. (The Oklahoma editorial survey in the September 2005 issue won an award from the Magazine Association of Georgia and the Southeast.)

   But don’t neglect the rest of this issue, with its annual Infrastructure Report, Top Utilities and Directory of Utilities, Canada 2007 report, industry and area spotlights and much more. It is first and foremost the professionalism and experience of the Site Selection staff that make this issue the size it is.

   Till next time,

   Mark Arend