hile many site seekers are dealing with metros that can't rid themselves of the dirty little "s" word (i.e. sprawl), others are finding the pleasures of a small-town existence much more to their liking. With Baby Boomers and New Economy labor wanting a better quality of life, small towns have made a huge comeback. And as Site Selection's Top 100 Small Towns for new and expanded facilities shows, the number of companies operating in small towns is growing rapidly (see accompanying chart).
     For example, this year's No. 1 small town (for the second year in a row), Statesville, N.C., saw some 23 companies locate or expand operations, raising its 104 count in 1999 to 127 in 2000. And Bowling Green, Ky., the No. 2 small town for the second time, increased its new and expanded numbers from 93 in 1999 to 103.
     Site Selection's 2000 Top Small Towns ranking included communities from 21 U.S. states, but three states did particularly well. North Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky served up exactly 50 of the top 100 small towns.
     Interestingly enough, North Carolina had three of its communities ranked in the top 10, including the No. 1 spot (Statesville), but Ohio came out on top in total communities listed. Some 22 Ohio communities made the list, while only 18 North Carolina towns ranked. The two states tied, however, in the number of new and expanded facilities since 1989 with 817 facilities each.
     Kentucky's 10 metros brought in around half the number of new and expanded facilities, totaling 420 since 1989.

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