![27th Annual Survey of Corporate Executives and 9th Annual Survey of Consultants](https://cdn3.areadevelopment.com/static_images/article/2013Survey/27thCorpLogo.png)
CONSULTANTS COMMENTARY
![Brett Hunsaker](https://cdn3.areadevelopment.com/static_images/article/2013Survey/brett-hunsaker.png)
Brett Hunsaker, executive vice president and regional managing director at Newmark Grubb Knight Frank
![Bill Luttrell](https://cdn3.areadevelopment.com/static_images/article/2013Survey/bill-luttrell.png)
Bill Luttrell, senior locations strategist at Werner Enterprises
![Christopher B. Schastok](https://cdn3.areadevelopment.com/static_images/article/2013Survey/chris-schastok.png)
Christopher B. Schastok, vice president at Jones Lang LaSalleg
![Thomas Stringer](https://cdn3.areadevelopment.com/static_images/article/2013Survey/thomas-stringer.png)
Thomas Stringer, Business Advisory Services, Ryan & Company
The results indicate a continued focus is on managing costs and that any optimism in the economy is being cautiously managed. The facility decision-making process is now expected to monetize real estate assets through cost savings and incentives, while achieving skill set value-add.
Labor again remains the most critical component of the process, as it should be. Unless a product or service can be produced or performed to its maximum, no amount of cost savings or incentives could cover the loss differential. There is no question that the true balancing act in site selection involves maximizing labor and skill set value-add, while minimizing the cost functions surrounding it. After labor, all of the other factors in the top 15 continue to be costs and those that influence the margins of the decision-making process.
Regions would be wise to focus their energies and funding, maximizing their value propositions to target industries that fit their labor sweet spots.