veryone is in a hurry. Just never enough time. Convenience stores dot the corners of intersections. Cell phones enable users to "catch-up" on the go.
   Life is not slowing down for companies looking for a new site to set up operations either. The traditional method of finding a site, designing a plant to fit the site, getting all the permits in order and then beginning the construction process can often lengthen this 'site found, doors open' strategy to years.
   Many companies are starting to take a shortcut to bypass these usual delays by selecting a "shovel ready" site.
   "Our shovel ready sites are the perfect choice for firms that need to find a site quickly and get in operation as soon as possible," said Sanders Mitchell, Administrator of MidAmerica Industrial Park in Pryor Creek, Oklahoma.
   "We've had a lot of success with our inventory of shovel ready sites over the last couple of years and I expect this trend to continue," Mitchell said.
   MidAmerica's shovel ready options are called BuildNow sites. "They're just what the name implies – ready from every angle to bring in the cranes and start construction immediately."
   According to Mitchell, BuildNow sites have all the utilities in place, ready to connect. Because all 9,000 acres of the industrial development is owned by MidAmerica's public trust, there's no red tape involved that can commonly delay the construction process by 6-18 months.
   "We don't require building permits and there's no tap in or impact fees either. All we require is that a company follow IBC (International Building Code) standards and have all necessary insurance to start construction," he said.
   In addition to fast track construction, MidAmerica firms also benefit from a well-developed infrastructure including park-owned water and wastewater treatment systems with an umbrella NPDES permit to cover discharge requirements.
   "We have some of the lowest operating costs in the nation, and having a location in the middle of the country is pretty attractive to logistics companies that need to worry about just in time deliveries," Mitchell said.
   Two of the park's newest companies chose BuildNow sites for their projects: Gatorade for a processing and distribution facility, and Google for a data center that will be integrated into their national network of similar facilities.
   According to Mitchell, Gatorade actually began construction on their site a day after they purchased the land.