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From Site Selection magazine, May 2019
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Let the Summiteering Begin
The latest FDI numbers show reason for optimism in the United States.
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce
Switzerland’s Ruag Space has U.S. business locations in three states where major workspace is devoted to space work: Florida, Colorado and Alabama. U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein Ronald McMullen recently paid a call on Ruag in Emmen, Switzerland, as part of a tour of Swiss companies with investments in the United States. In March he gave a speech at the University of Zurich’s Europa Institute in the room where Winston Churchill once spoke in 1945.
“In fact, one of his great quotes has helped established a certain credo I have lived by,” McMullen told the audience. “Churchill was known to say, ‘For myself, I am an optimist — it does not seem much use being anything else.’ ”
His speech focused on U.S. pro-growth policies, and their domestic, international, and bilateral impact, as well as on Swiss-U.S. economic ties.
“From decades of experience in the private sector, I’ve come to learn that you need the right people in the room to get deals done.”
— Wilbur Ross, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, on the convening power of the annual SelectUSA Investment Summit
“The United States and Switzerland are currently two of the most vibrant and innovative economies in the world,” he said. “Avoiding needless over-regulation that constrains rather than enables economic growth is a priority. Switzerland is our top research and development partner world-wide, as both our nations know that today’s research is tomorrow’s innovative application leading to continued economic prosperity, whether in artificial intelligence or in other exciting areas. Switzerland as a developed and prosperous nation shares our commitment to cyber and intellectual property safe-guards, and the U.S. will continue that partnership. Investing in the future, which includes both physical infrastructure improvements, and development of our workforce talent, are domestic priorities we share and where the United States can benefit from Swiss experiences.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. benefits from Swiss capital.
“You know the numbers,” McMullen told his listeners in Zurich. “Switzerland is the seventh-largest source of foreign direct investment in the United States, with a cumulative direct investment in the U.S. of $202 billion. Switzerland’s direct investment in the U.S. is led by manufacturing, finance and insurance, and wholesale trade. Swiss affiliates directly support half a million jobs in the United States. And this is a reciprocal relationship; U.S. FDI in Switzerland is $250 billion, led by manufacturing, nonbank holding companies, and finance and insurance.”
Switzerland is just one example of a country whose private-sector investments are encouraged by SelectUSA, the investment attraction arm of the U.S. Commerce Department that has facilitated $4.2 billion of FDI representing more than 7,500 jobs in the United States since October 2018, including investments from more than 20 international markets in 17 states and territories.
“Through partnerships with programs like SelectUSA, we are eager to continue doing our part to drive technology leadership and economic growth in the United States.”
— David Steel, Executive VP of Corporate Affairs for SelectUSA sponsor Samsung Electronics America
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross will host the sixth annual SelectUSA Investment Summit June 10-12 at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C. The 2018 event attracted more than 3,000 total attendees, including investors from 66 international markets.
This year, for the first time, the Summit will feature programming targeted specifically for startup and technology companies interested in expanding in the United States, while speakers also address such important fields as advanced manufacturing, health care and biotechnology, agriculture and the digital economy.
Vacaville, California: Capital of the I-80 Corridor
Genentech is celebrating its 20th year in Vacaville. It’s one of the largest bio-manufacturing sites in the world.
The City of Vacaville’s economic history is firmly rooted in growing a variety of industries, from its earliest agricultural ventures to its place as the capital of the Interstate 80 corridor today.
Warm weather during the spring and summer made for perfect conditions for large-scale agricultural production during the city’s early history. That has now given way to industrial opportunities, a thriving and growing biotech sector, advanced manufacturing ventures, logistics centers, multiple retail centers and more.
“Our area is absolutely beautiful,” says Vacaville Mayor Ron Rowlett. “Along with the many activities available in our city, we are close to the Bay Area, Sacramento, the Napa Valley and more, so the quality of life here is very nice. A lot of people, once they come here, want to stay. It’s a very family-oriented community. It has a tangible, small-town feel that we’ve been able to maintain, and people are very friendly and very helpful here.”
The beauty of Vacaville lies not only it is ambience and its people, but in its willingness to work with companies considering a relocation or expansion to this Northern California city of over 100,000 residents.
Biotech backed by advanced manufacturing
“We’ve developed new economies, and we have a growing biotechnology and life science cluster here in Vacaville,” says Mark Mazzaferro, who has been the Public Information Officer at Vacaville for almost 13 years. “We boast several life science companies and are home to one of the largest in the world, Genentech.”
One of the reasons the biotech cluster is here and continues to grow is the City’s relationship with Solano Community College. SCC is the first community college to offer a four-year degree in biotechnology, providing a steady supply of highly-trained and qualified workers to the industry.
Along with biotech, one of the businesses sectors that have made Vacaville home is advanced manufacturing. This segment has the potential to be one of the strongest areas of growth in Vacaville for a variety of reasons: available workforce, proximity to air, land and sea transportation, and availability of land and buildings.
Vacaville is home to ICON Aircraft, builder of the ICON A5, an amphibious light-sport aircraft; Simonton Windows Inc., with 12 different window and patio door lines; WunderBar; which manufactures dispensing systems for the food and beverage industry; and All Weather Insulated Panels, an innovator in the design, construction and advancement of foam composite insulated metal panels.
Northern California’s top industrial developers, including LDK Ventures, Buzz Oates, Schaal Realty Advisors, Dermody Properties, and Sierra Pacific Properties are currently working on over 3.5 million square feet of industrial space.
Close to colleges and universities
All this is supported by our proximity to major universities – UC Davis, Sacramento State, UC Berkeley, and Stanford, to name a few. Along with the tangibles, we offer many reasons beyond business to come to our community. Vacaville can offer you an outstanding quality of life for your employees. We’re part of Solano County, the most affordable of the nine Bay
Area counties. Median home prices start in the $400,000 range; we’re a short drive to the Napa Valley and the Sonoma wine growing regions; and we’re known as the retail center of Northern California, with the Vacaville Premium Outlets along with the Nut Tree Plaza, California’s legendary road stop.
Vacaville has a small town atmosphere; countless community and neighborhood parks; a charming downtown that hosts many music festivals; numerous outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, and rock climbing; and Lake Tahoe and all of its recreational opportunities are an easy day trip from our community. Our median household income is $86,322, and over 14 percent of our households earn over $100,000. There are 78 colleges offering Associate’s Degrees and 106 universities offering a Bachelor’s Degree or higher within 50 miles of our city.
For more information on the many opportunities that exist in Vacaville, please contact the Economic Development Department at (707) 449-5100; or via e-mail at cinfo@cityofvacaville.com. For more information on the City of Vacaville, please visit www.choosevacaville.com or the City’s website at www.cityofvacaville.com.
Change Your Vantage Point
Google, Facebook, Microsoft and other tech leaders have leveraged Iowa’s wind energy to sustainably power their energy-intensive facilities in the state.
Iowa? Yes, Iowa. Take another look.
When you picture Iowa, what comes to mind? Wide-open spaces? Agriculture? Corn? Being a middle-of-the-Midwest state, it’s often assumed that we’re a fly over state with nothing but farms and fields. Though we are proud of our agricultural heritage, we are also leaders in other “fields” — global finance, biosciences, advanced manufacturing and big data. And our agricultural roots have paved the way for immense industry growth and job creation in these sectors.
While you’re at it, don’t miss the community and culture that lies between Iowa’s rivers, lakes and rolling hills. The art, museums, thriving neighborhoods and schools — that together provide the quality of life that attracts and prepares the productive workforce we’re known for. In fact, come visit us and see for yourself. We love exceeding expectations by revealing the real Iowa.
From Beautiful Sights to Development-Ready Sites
Growth and expansion are key goals for every business, so we’ve made it our mission to make Iowa equally attractive to business as it is to our residents. Whether your business needs a large plot of land or just an available building, Iowa’s Certified Sites Program streamlines the location process in advance, mitigating risk. The program’s success in connecting businesses to suitable sites is one reason for Iowa’s top-five ranking in Site Selection Magazine’s Top 10 States in Projects by Capita.
Beyond the inherent logistical advantages, Certified Sites work in concert with Iowa’s top-ranked infrastructure, ample resources and business-friendly regulatory climate. And while low costs and operational savings help the potential for profitability, we have adapted the certification program to place sustainability considerations at the forefront of planning and implementation.
Going (Certifiably) Green
For example, one need to look no further than Woodward Eco Business Park, the first site to receive Green Business Park certification (a program distinct to Iowa for businesses with conservation in mind). This site has over 190 available acres designed to meet the needs of companies eager to demonstrate a commitment to reducing their environmental impact. The Green Business Park category applies the same due diligence of the Industrial Certification program, but includes additional criteria, such as the preservation of natural features and requirements for environmentally sensitive design.
Iowa also ranks first in the nation in wind energy (as a percentage of total power output), which has led companies to heavily invest in wind power throughout the state. Both private and public sectors are committed to furthering investments in wind energy with more than $14.2 billion allocated to wind-related projects and an additional $4.6 billion to wind capacity planned by the state’s utilities.
Forget what you think you know about Iowa — take another look. We invite you to explore opportunities here and grow with us. For a comprehensive list of Iowa’s certified sites, visit iowaeconomicdevelopment.com
Adam Bruns
Editor in Chief of Site Selection magazine
Adam Bruns is editor in chief and head of publications for Site Selection, and before that has served as managing editor beginning in February 2002. In the course of reporting hundreds of stories for Site Selection, Adam has visited companies and communities around the globe. A St. Louis native who grew up in the Kansas City suburbs, Adam is a 1986 alumnus of Knox College, and resided in Chicago; Midcoast Maine; Savannah, Georgia; and Lexington, Kentucky, before settling in the Greater Atlanta community of Peachtree Corners, where he lives with his wife and daughter.
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