Texas, Kentucky Win Site Selection Magazine’s Governors Cup Awards

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Texas, Kentucky Win Site Selection Magazine’s Governors Cup Awards

Top Metro and Micropolitan Areas for Corporate Facility Investment Also Named

Atlanta, March 2, 2015:Texas and Kentucky have won the 2014 Site Selection Governors Cups. This is the second year Site Selection recognizes the state with the most qualifying new and expanded facilities per capita, which Kentucky claims for its capital investment activity in 2014. Texas wins for having the most qualified projects of any state.

The 61-year-old Atlanta-based magazine has awarded the Governor’s Cup annually since 1988 to the U.S. state with the most new and expanded corporate facilities as tracked by Conway Data Inc.’s New Plant Database. Site Selection, published by Conway Inc., is the senior publication in the corporate real estate and economic development fields and is the official publication of the Global FDI Association (www.globalfdia.org) and the Industrial Asset Management Council (IAMC, at www.iamc.org). Site Selection’s yearly analyses are regarded by corporate real estate analysts as “the industry scoreboard.” The magazine’s circulation base consists of 48,000 subscribers, most of whom are involved in corporate site selection decisions at the CEO/President/COO level.

The Lone Star State’s 689-project finish for 2014 is up from its 657-project, first place finish last year but is comfortably ahead of the runners-up in the traditional Governor’s Cup facilities race: Ohio is second with 582, followed by Illinois (394), North Carolina (313) and Georgia (311). In the per capita (per 1 million population) contest, Kentucky’s 258 projects won the day, followed by Ohio, Louisiana (200), Kansas (109) and South Dakota (27). For the second year in a row, Ohio places second in both Governors Cup categories.

“Inclusion of a second, per capita Governors Cup award gives states with smaller populations the opportunity to be recognized for economic development success along with more populous states that tend to draw higher numbers of capital investors,” says Mark Arend, editor in chief of Site Selection. “By either measure, the states ranking at or near the top are to be commended for fostering business climates that are most conducive to attracting capital investment and creating jobs.”

“Our success is based on the personal approach we take to economic development,” says Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear. “We build a partnership with companies that will last not just as they locate here but as they expand and grow here. That is an integral part of our success here in Kentucky.”

Looking to build on his state’s repeated Governor’s Cup wins of recent years, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says, “I have an extensive economic development agenda that includes evaluating and restructuring existing programs, reducing the tax burden on citizens and businesses, reducing regulatory burdens that stifle job creation and improving our roads so goods and commerce can more efficiently move across our great state.”  

Site Selection’s New Plant Database focuses on new corporate facility projects with significant impact. It does not track retail and government projects, or schools and hospitals. New facilities and expansions included in the analyses must meet at least one of three criteria: (a) involve a capital investment of at least US$1 million, (b) create at least 20 new jobs or (c) add at least 20,000 sq. ft. (1,858 sq. m.) of new floor area.

New Take on New Plant Tallies; Top Metros and Micros

The March 2015 issue of Site Selection also features state rankings by region. For 2014, the regional leaders according to the traditional, total new projects measure are Pennsylvania (Northeast); Ohio (East North Central); Kansas (West North Central); North Carolina (South Atlantic); Texas (South Central); Arizona (Mountain); and California (Pacific). Per capita regional leaders are Pennsylvania (Northeast); Ohio (East North Central); Kansas (West North Central); North Carolina (South Atlantic); Kentucky (South Central); Utah (Mountain) and Alaska (Pacific).

The Top Metros for new and expanded corporate facilities for 2014 were led by Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, Ill.-Ind.-Wis., among metro areas with populations over 1 million and Greensboro-High Point, N.C., among areas with populations between 200,000 and 1 million. Odessa, Texas, was first among areas with populations between 50,000 and 200,000. Full lists of the Top 10 Metros in each population category appear below.

In the magazine’s ranking of Top Micropolitans — cities of 10,000 to 50,000 people which cover at least one county — Findlay, Ohio, was tops among the nation’s 576 micropolitan areas, followed by New Philadelphia-Dover, Ohio; Cullman, Ala.; Batavia, N.Y.; and Wooster, Ohio. Ohio led as the state with most Top Micropolitans.

All of the above stories are posted at the magazine’s award-winning website, www.siteselection.com.

Site Selection magazine, published by Conway Inc., delivers expansion planning information to 48,000 executives of fast-growing firms. The senior publication in the development field, Site Selection is also available via Site Selection Online. The publication also publishes or co-publishes e-newsletters, including The Site Selection Dispatch and its Online Insider series, Life Sciences Report, Aerospace Report and Energy Report; Site Selection International; The FDI Report; TrustBelt.com and the OnSITE Travel blog.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., Conway since 1954 has been a trusted advisor to corporations, government economic development and investment promotion agencies around the world. Conway owns and manages London-based Conway Events, organizer of worldwide FDI events; Berlin-based FDI advisory firm Terrain Consulting; and New York-based Conway PR & Marketing, a leading PR and lead-generation firm. In February 2015 Conway formed an exclusive partnership with Silverlode Consulting Corp. as Conway’s corporate location advisory partner in the United States. Conway also manages the Industrial Asset Management Council and the Global FDI Association. Conway in 2013 launched a Custom Publishing Division that has published economic development guides for territories including Texas, California, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Wyoming and Mississippi. Conway employs over 80 people in 10 offices in seven countries.

(Note: All circulation information is publisher’s own data unless otherwise specified).