I was privileged to serve on a panel discussion with fellow site selectors at a recent economic development event. Attendees of the event were from various backgrounds: local economic developers, city officials, county administrators, chamber of commerce executives and utility providers. Many attendees were from smaller, more rural communities, and all had a common question: “What can our community do to gain the attention of site selectors and their projects?”

Many of the panel discussion questions revolved around the process for site selection and what is within the control of communities to make the site selection “cut.” The conversation also addressed those areas that may be entirely out of the community’s power and how to navigate those hurdles. The following are thoughts from the discussion that could help communities ideally position themselves for the site selection process and prepare for future opportunities.

The Facts — Primary Drivers for Site Selection

When working on a site selection project, essential facts about the project must be addressed. Workforce availability and cost, logistics and supply chain access, site readiness and utility capacity are some core project facts that must be checked. If a community cannot meet these critical fact patterns, then the community is likely off the initial list.

One major goal of site selection and location advisory is to mitigate the risk to a business expansion project by limiting the areas that drive up costs for a client. If a community isn’t sure it has the workforce, that uncertainty will cause delays in getting production up to speed — a risk and a cost to the client. In another example, if a community knows it does not have the electrical capacity to meet a client’s needs, the client cannot wait for the community to get approvals, equipment and installation. From what we have heard from our utility contacts, this process alone could take years.

Time is money, and these examples are costs that site selectors must control to the best of our ability. Primary site selection considerations like these must be identified and verified as available within the community — quickly. If a community can meet these factors, it will likely move to the second cut.

As important as the priority needs of a site selection project are, incentives also play a role in mitigating risk for a company. A client will likely spend tens of millions, if not billions, of dollars in today’s site selection landscape to see their project come to fruition. These costs are not insubstantial and are likely to have costs of their own when it comes to financing the project, either with debt or equity.

Incentives provide a planning tool for clients to recoup a portion of those costs. If a community is not sure how incentives work or is unprepared for an incentive opportunity, the community will likely be passed over. Economic developers should lean into this gap in preparedness. It is often the most difficult yet best role of the economic developer to educate public officials and their community on the “tools in the toolbox” — what incentives are available and how they help win projects.

Economic developers also need to advocate for a project if they genuinely want to win the opportunity. Those who are ill-prepared to represent the community or any incentive policy will likely be removed from consideration. This reality may seem harsh; however, it is consistent with the principle that “time is money.” A site selection project may not have the time to allow a community to debate its stance on incentives. The economic developer needs to lead this conversation with elected officials and have a clear vision for what the community is (and is not) willing to support before an information request form comes across their screen.

A Proactive Approach

A follow-up question to these observations might be: “But what if our community can’t get those things — at least not right away?”

Economic developers should be the drivers for establishing a strong community identity. “Who do we want to be?” is a good starting place. “What is realistic?” is another vital question to follow.

Economic development professionals should lead the charge with elected and community leaders to coalesce around a common goal and image for the community. Identifying existing resources and those needed to meet future goals can take time. However, it is time well spent for future success.

The challenge will be when circumstances evolve: elected officials change and bring new ideas and priorities; the global economy changes and redirects priority industries; and even natural disasters can alter a community’s long-term plans.

Economic developers must be the bridge between the business community and government entities to align community growth goals and site selection opportunities.

The Feel

“But our community is such a wonderful place — if only the company could see it, we are sure they would love it!”

This statement is a powerful, motivating force for driving the conversation around identity and what the community wants to look like in the future. But due to the facts surrounding a site selection project’s needs, a community’s “feel” is unlikely to play a role until the final site decisions are made.

Quality of life is essential to the vibrancy of a community. However, as a qualitative factor, it’s difficult to measure early in the site selection process.

Having an A+ rating for the local school district is an outstanding feat. However, it likely does not play into the immediate needs for an expanding industry. A quality primary education system is crucial for executive teams looking to relocate or attract talent, so this factor should not be overlooked. Still, its impact on a location decision is not as substantial as some communities would hope.

Similarly, if a community has a vibrant festival scene, that is an excellent feature for luring tourism dollars and enhancing quality of life. But if the primary site selection considerations are unaddressed or unavailable, an exciting festival scene will not sway an expanding company’s decision to locate there. These features are not unimportant — they are the icing on the cake. But the primary requirements of the project must be addressed first.

Community Follow-through

Where should communities start? Take inventory of what you do have — and be honest.

An honest assessment and awareness of where the community stands is a healthy approach to planning. Review recent projects in other communities and consider what led to their final site decision. Was it access to rail or an interstate?

A community likely cannot build an interstate or rail line on its own. But it may already have infrastructure suitable for secondary industries that support larger projects. Communities can focus on infrastructure they can control — implementing policy and making financial decisions to reach those goals.

Another community goal could be targeting a site for a future industrial park. What would it take logistically and financially to make it shovel-ready?

Active conversations with local leaders can create a roadmap to success. And if the self-assessment reveals a better opportunity in tourism, housing or small-scale manufacturing — communities should lean in.

Site selection projects have many variables. Not every community will check every box. But those that take intentional, proactive steps will be best positioned for long-term success.