ne reason you don’t find many labor lockouts in the Southeast U.S. is because global manufacturers are locked in on the region’s right-to-work status.       Even as governors in the Northeast and Midwest bemoan the loss of manufacturing jobs to overseas locations, the American South reaps a whirlwind of factory activity. Experts who […]

ven with an enviable transportation infrastructure, the Bayou State has lost out on much of the capital investment pouring into the South in recent years, particularly with respect to automotive industry projects. The bordering states of Texas, Arkansas (see the Spotlight on p. 528) and Mississippi all have seen huge investments on the part of […]

he strengthening economic outlook, fueled by a surge in consumer confidence and an increase in business expenditures, is mirrored in the commercial real estate market. The bottom line? The future looks bright for commercial real estate.       The National Association of REALTORS? (NAR) reported in May 2004 at the NAR Midyear Legislative Meetings […]

From Site Selection magazine, July 2004 ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION Tech Transfer Thrives In Mountain States University research is generating startups, jobs. The scenic University of Utah campus launches three to eight startup companies each year. by JOHN W. McCURRY T       ocky Mountain states have long had a leg up in the all-important […]

by MARK AREND A s this issue was going to press, the Dept. of Labor released some new-jobs numbers that must have left the outsourcing-is-evil crowd in a heightened state of bewilderment. Word that 308,000 new jobs had been created in March alone in the U.S. was no less troublesome to the pols who were […]

From Site Selection magazine, May 2004 WORLD REPORTS Edited by JOHN W. McCURRY Europe Emphasizes Other Means to Power Alternative energy continues to draw more emphasis in Europe. Two recently announced projects take aim at harnessing power from the wind and sun and a third is studying the feasibility of building a power plant based […]

“Great news for Pike County!” Gov. Bob Taft exulted, raising clenched fists aloft after USEC announced plans in January 2004 for a US$1.5-billion uranium enrichment plant in tiny Piketon, Ohio (pop. 1,900).         USEC’s massive news, though, is a complex mix of both past and present, old and new.       […]

  Dear IAMC members and prospective members: What happens when you combine a delightful venue, captivating speakers, enthusiastic sponsors, outstanding and cordial staff and over 60-percent corporate active attendance? Well, you kick it up a notch.         And that’s what IAMC did at its Spring Forum in Tucson. There was a wonderful […]

A myriad of property management software is available today to handle account and reporting needs of industrial sites. One product that has been around awhile and continues to draw favorable reviews for its latest version is Skyline II. SS&C, a Windsor, Conn.-based software developer for a variety of applications, is the creator of Skyline.   […]

ntibiotic resistance is a growing public health problem as disease-causing bacteria continue to find ways to defeat the drugs designed to kill them. It’s a challenge being answered by Rib-X, a young biotech company in New Haven, Conn. Rib-X researchers are using a multi-disciplinary approach to discover new types of antibiotics that will kill or […]

Y ears of championing his state as a top location for business and industry have paid off for Indiana Gov. Joe Kernan in the form of Site Selection magazine’s 2003 Competitiveness Award. As Lieutenant Governor until 2003 – when he took over as governor following the sudden death of Gov. Frank O’Bannon – Kernan personally […]

ndustrial real estate is still riding the coattails of the warehouse/ distribution marketplace, as companies determine where to move their movement operations against the rising background noise of stricter trucking laws, the prospect of radio-frequency identification systems (RFID), tighter shipping security and rising overall shipping and fuel expenses. Regional grocery chain Stater Bros. will build […]

ant to gain an edge over your global competition? Consider locating your next plant in a Foreign-Trade Zone.         If you thought that FTZs were only for distribution centers and freight-forwarding facilities, think again. Locating in an FTZ can save your operation millions of dollars per year, and you can do a […]

H ead East is the name of a semi-famous 1970s rock band that was founded in St. Louis and continues to tour the clubs of the heartland some 30-plus years later. Today, head east might best describe the mindset of automobile makers as they assess the lay of the land in Europe.       […]

T he top economic development groups in the U.S. for 2003 know how to strike the ideal balance – between confidentiality and telling your story; blockbuster corporate deals and incremental company growth; new development and the infrastructure and redevelopment to go with it; simple processes and sophisticated methods of obtaining them.         […]

D ALLAS, Texas – When Texas Instruments opened the world’s most modern semiconductor manufacturing plant in Dallas in 2001, no one knew that this facility would become the first choreographed move in a unique “Texas Two-Step.”         On June 30, 2003, that’s exactly what happened when TI announced that it would build […]

H ungering for some good Tex-Mex cuisine? Well, you’re not alone.         Some of the world’s largest companies soon will be buying a lot of food in Texas and Mexico, which together captured four of Site Selection’s Top Ten Deals of 2003.         From Texas Instruments and Toyota in […]

orporate America is increasingly seeking ways to move real estate assets off balance sheets and free up capital for operations. The sale/leaseback model is a resourceful way to gain immediate access to cash and decrease debt. Sale/leaseback arrangements improve a firm’s debt-to-equity ratio and reduce depreciation and interest costs. What’s more, by selling a real […]

acilities services will play a strategic role in achieving corporate financial goals this year, a new study of corporate executives finds.         The research study by EMCOR Group Inc. of Norwalk, Conn., reveals a growing demand for facilities services among corporate real estate executives. According to the report, nearly half of all […]

I n December 2003, Canada’s new prime minister, Paul Martin, appointed Jim Peterson as his minister of international trade after sweeping into office himself earlier in the month. Martin, a former executive in the shipping and power industries, served as the country’s Minister of Finance from November 1993 until June 2002. Peterson worked under him […]

by MARK AREND W ho says a magazine that publishes just six times a year can’t break news stories? This issue, featuring our annual Governor’s Cup award for the state with the most new and expanded commercial facilities in 2003, is packed with news. Ohio has broken a several-year claim to the Cup held by […]

A ppropriately, the University of Washington Husky Marching Band played “Tequila.”         That 1958 oldie reflected the giddy buzz rippling through the gala toasting Boeing’s decision to bring its US$900-million 7E7 assembly plant to Everett, Wash. Both Boeing and Washington had similar reasons to celebrate. Each had mounted a bold gamble aiming […]

LCD Demand Spurs Huge New Plant Investment WHERE IT ALL BEGINS: Before any LCD panels can be made, you have to have the LCs. That’s why German concern Merck is investing more than $314 million in a new plant that will triple its crystal capacity. Growing demand for LCD (liquid crystal display) televisions and computer […]

  Dear IAMC members and prospective members: This month I am pleased to welcome many of you to the IAMC Professional Forum in Tucson, Ariz., March 13-17, 2004.         Our focus is top-notch professional education and executive networking exclusively for the industrial and manufacturing corporate real estate community. We strive to present […]