Labor/Education/HR >>

Innovative Programs that are Developing Skilled Workforces for Today’s Jobs

Steve Stackhouse (November 2012)

Although unemployment numbers are high in many areas of the nation, finding workers with the right skills is a problem; here are some innovative solutions. More

Economics/ Government Policy >>

Economic Development in an Era of Political Uncertainty

Christopher D. Lloyd, Senior Vice President and Director, Infrastructure and Economic Development, McGuireWoods Consulting (November 2012)

The election results point to continued fiscal and tax uncertainty and no clear direction for economic development policy on federal, state, and local government levels. More

Asset Management >>

Facilities Data That Captures C-Suite Attention

Chris Browne, Director, Corporate Solutions Operations, Jones Lang LaSalle (November 2012)

Buildings talk — but do they talk to your CFO? If you listen carefully and through the right system, your facilities could tell you how to reduce operational failure risk, increase energy efficiency, and anticipate capital expenditures. More

Energy/Sustainable Development >>

When Mother Nature Outsmarts the Power Grid: Planning for Power Outages

Craig Guillot (November 2012)

With the unpredictability of global weather patterns (as evidenced by Hurricane Sandy, which battered the U.S. Mid-Atlantic coast causing billions of dollars of damage) it's more important than ever for businesses to assess the potential impacts of power outages and have contingency plans in place. More

Logistics/Infrastructure >>

The Confluence of Facility Planning and Supply Chain Strategy

Richard J. Maturi (November 2012)

An efficient, cost-effective supply chain can be achieved by considering logistics early in the location decision process and continuously sharing information. More

Labor/Education/HR >>

Is Healthcare Part of the Facility Location Decision?

Mark Crawford (November 2012)

Skyrocketing Costs and shifting legislation have pushed an area’s healthcare affordability and quality into the mix of primary site selection considerations. More

Energy/Sustainable Development >>

Energy Availability & Costs: Impacted by Reliability and “Going Green”

Mark Crawford (November 2012)

Respondents to Area Development’s 26th Annual Corporate Survey (Published Winter 2012) ranked energy availability and costs seventh among the factors, with 84. 8 percent considering this factor as “very important” or “important.” And, the greater a project’s consumption of energy, the more important the availability and total cost of energy becomes in the final selection decision. More

Logistics/Infrastructure >>

Highway Accessibility: An On-Ramp to Success

 (November 2012)

Area Development’s 26th annual survey of corporate executives (published Winter 2012) found that highway accessibility topped the list of individual site selection factors, with 93.8 percent of those surveyed ranking this factor as “very important” or “important.” Here is an analysis of its importance… More

Labor/Education/HR >>

Labor Costs: Generating Savings Through Lower Wages

Beth Mattson-Teig (November 2012)

Saving even $1 per hour on employee wages can translate into hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings each year for some companies. Given those statistics, it is no surprise that labor costs consistently rank as one of the top factors in site selection decisions. More

Logistics/Infrastructure >>

Proximity to Major Markets: Affecting Business Success

Mali R. Schantz-Feld (November 2012)

In Area Development’s 26th Annual Corporate Survey, proximity to major markets was considered “very important” or “important” by 83 percent of the survey respondents. The category jumped 8 places in the rankings — the survey’s greatest jump in importance - from the previous year’s Corporate Survey results. More

Labor/Education/HR >>

Right-to-Work/Low-Union-Profile States: Making or Breaking a Deal

Beth Mattson-Teig (November 2012)

Low-union and right-to-work (RTW) status may not rank at the top of the list when it comes to site selection criteria, but those factors certainly carry considerable weight in the overall decision-making process for many manufacturers. Choosing a state with a low-union profile or locating in a RTW state only ranked 10th and 12th respectively among a list of 26 different site selection factors, according to Area Development’s 26th Annual Corporate Survey. More

Site Selection/Facility Planning >>

Occupancy & Construction Costs: Existing or Build to Suit?

Mark Crawford (November 2012)

One of the biggest up-front costs for expansion or relocation is occupancy and construction. This factor was ranked fifth in importance by the respondents to Area Development’s 26th Annual Corporate Survey, with 85.9 percent of the respondents considering it high in importance. Fortunately, it is one of the most easily controlled costs. More

Labor/Education/HR >>

Skilled Labor Availability: States Step Up Training Programs To Fill the Gap

 (November 2012)

It goes without saying that available labor, especially skilled labor, is considered to be a key driver in site selection decisions. Workers are often the lifeblood for a company’s operations. More

Taxes/Incentives >>

Tax Rates, Exemptions, & Incentives: States Up their Game to Close Deals

Mark Crawford (November 2012)

Tax rates, incentives, and exemptions have always been important to corporate site selectors. These factors were rated fourth, fifth, and eighth, respectively, among the site selection criteria by the respondents to Area Development’s 26th Annual Corporate Survey (published Winter 2012), more than 80 percent of whom rated them as “very important” or “important.” More

Economics/ Government Policy >>

Editors Note: Cushioning the Fall Off the “Fiscal Cliff”

Geraldine Gambale, Editor, Editor, Area Development Magazine (November 2012)

Some economists say it is necessary for the nation to “fall off” this cliff in order to stop the economic “hemorrhaging,” other economists believe the nation will slide back into recession if corporate taxes are increased and federal spending is cut. More

Site Selection/Facility Planning >>

In Focus: Design-Build Is Delivering Quality Projects Faster and More Cost-Effectively

Richard Thomas, Vice President of Legislative Affairs, Design-Build Institute of America (November 2012)

Getting projects done on time and on budget has always been a priority for private and public owners; however, today’s difficult economic times have made these two challenges more important than ever. More

Asset Management >>

First Person: Redeveloping Former GM Sites for New Job-Creating Uses

Bruce Rasher, Redevelopment Manager, RACER Trust (November 2012)

The editor of Area Development recently spoke with RACER Trust’s Redevelopment Manager Bruce Rasher about his organization’s goal of cleaning up and marketing former GM properties to companies that will invest in the communities where these facilities are located and create good-paying jobs. More

Site Selection/Facility Planning >>

Open Standards Consortium for Real Estate: Helping to Measure Productivity, Manage Risk

Jones Lang LaSalle (November 2012)

As the importance of business intelligence rises for corporate real estate and IT departments alike, so does the need for common data standards. More

Labor/Education/HR >>

Department of Labor Grants To Help Fill the Skilled Labor Gap

Dave Claborn , Director of Development and Community Relations, Ohio State University, Marion (November 2012)

The U.S. Department of Labor is betting $2 billion that an injection of funds into community colleges around the country will pay off by helping fill the skills gap in the manufacturing, information technology and healthcare sectors. More

Medical/Pharmaceutical >>

Drug Companies Relocating R&D to Urban Labs

John K. Borchardt (November 2012)

Pharmaceutical firms, large and small, have long favored locating their research operations on suburban campuses. Now this trend is changing. More

Economics/ Government Policy >>

Economic Forecast 2013: Overcast with Clearing Skies

Phillip M. Perry (November 2012)

Consumers have trimmed their debt loads and large corporations are creating treasure chests of cash to invest when market uncertainties are resolved; businesses should take steps now to position themselves for a revival of activity. More

Labor/Education/HR >>

Trends in “Engaging” Employees to Boost Productivity

Woodruff Imberman, President, Imberman and DeForest (November 2012)

A survey of executives reveals the trends in efforts being made by companies to improve on-the-job performance of employees - and the effectiveness of these efforts. More