The Project: Inside Corporate Location Decisions

From Pittsburgh to the Moon: Astrobotic Grows in Pennsylvania

Wed, 17 Mar 2021 17:18:02 +0000

In October 2020, Astrobotic, the world's leading lunar logistics service provider, unveiled its new headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Later this year, they will embark on their first mission to the moon. To get the full story on why the out-of-this-world company decided to stay and grow in Pittsburgh, we spoke with John Thornton, CEO of Astrobotic, and Mark Thomas, President at the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance.

Accenture Federal Services Finds Net New Talent in St. Louis

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Amid COVID-19, there is a lot of uncertainty in corporate site selection, particularly around office projects and whether they will move forward more slowly – or not at all. But today's episode focuses on a company that did not let the pandemic impact its plans for office expansion. Accenture Federal Services announced plans in June 2020 to open an advanced technology center in St. Louis. To get the full story, we spoke with Molly Ketcham, Managing Director, Strategic Planning & Operations at Accenture Federal Services, and Steve Johnson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Alliance STL.

How COVID-19 Is Changing Corporate Location Strategy: New Research From The Site Selectors Guild

Thu, 23 Jul 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Last week, the Site Selectors Guild released the findings of its latest membership survey titled, "How COVID-19 Is Changing Corporate Location Strategy." The Project hosts had the chance to sit down with Jay Garner, Chair of the Site Selectors Guild and President of Garner Economics, and Rick Weddle, President & CEO of The Guild, to discuss the key findings. Listen in for insights on what percentage of projects are moving forward, industries with the most project activity and the cities best positioned to win projects, according to the world's foremost site selection consultants.

Microsoft Bets Big On Costa Rica

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 13:08:18 +0000

With more than 150,000 employees and a market value over $1 trillion, Microsoft is one of the largest and most successful tech companies in the world. Microsoft has been in Costa Rica for over 25 years, with their operation averaging between 50-80 staff members. But, just two years ago, they made a big bet on the country, expanding to over 800 employees. To get the full story behind the decision, we spoke with Ineke Geesink, Country Manager and a native of Costa Rica, and Vanessa Gibson, Director of Investment Climate for CINDA, Costa Rica's investment attraction agency.

The Pivot: Five Economic Development Leaders Share Post-Corona Changes

Wed, 29 Apr 2020 10:00:00 +0000

The current global health crisis is impacting every business and industry – and economic development is no exception. This week on The Project, we interview five economic development leaders from across America about how their organizations are adapting and pivoting to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and help position their communities for recovery. Listen in for insights from Chris Camacho, President and CEO of Greater Phoenix Economic Council; Susan Davenport, Chief Economic Development Officer of Greater Houston Partnership; Tim Giuliani, President and CEO of Orlando Economic Partnership; Cecilia Harry, Chief Economic Development Officer of Colorado Springs Economic Development Corporation; and Victor Hoskins, President and CEO of Fairfax County Economic Development Authority.

Canada's Largest Food Delivery Network Skips the Relocation, Grows in Winnipeg

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 14:04:59 +0000

In an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19, restaurants and bars across North America are limited to takeout and delivery. As app-to-table dining becomes the new norm, we bring you the story of SkipTheDishes, Canada's largest food delivery network, and its decision to establish new Canadian headquarters in Winnipeg. While the company considered other markets, including Calgary and Toronto, ultimately, its existing presence in Winnipeg went a long way to solidify the decision to stay. To get the full story, we spoke with Kevin Edwards, CEO of SkipTheDishes, and Dayna Spiring, President and CEO of Economic Development Winnipeg.

Got Milk? Glanbia And Their Partners Invest in $555 Million Dairy Processing Plant In Michigan

Tue, 24 Mar 2020 10:00:00 +0000

St. Johns, Michigan is a small community of just under 8,000 people. A half-billion dollar dairy processing plant is being built here by Glanbia, an Irish nutrition group with operations in 32 countries. The project is a joint venture between Glanbia and their partners Dairy Farmers of America, Select Milk Producers and Proliant Dairy Ingredients.

Expected to open in November 2020, the "Midwest Cheese" plant will employ 290 people and process 8 million pounds of milk every day.

For the company perspective, we interview Glanbia's senior vice president John Dardis. And for a description of the dozen-plus, state and local entities that were involved in this complex project, we interview Keith Lambert, Vice President of Business Attraction of the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP).

The Secret Sauce: City Barbeque Opens R&D Center in Dublin, Ohio

Tue, 26 Nov 2019 11:00:00 +0000

Just in time for Thanksgiving, we bring you a particularly tasty episode. City Barbeque is an award-winning barbeque empire that began in a garage in the Columbus Region of Ohio in 1999 and has since expanded rapidly across seven states, with its 50^th restaurant opening next year. In June 2019, the company announced plans to expand operations in Dublin, Ohio, creating 35 new jobs and investing nearly $1 million. To get the full story, we spoke with Rick Malir, CEO and co-founder of City Barbeque, and Rachel Ray, economic development administrator for the City of Dublin.

Fast-Growth Company Drives Fast-Track Location Search…AML RightSource's Path to Buffalo

Wed, 18 Sep 2019 10:00:00 +0000

Among fast-growing companies, AML Rightsource is in a category all by itself. Over the past five years, this Cleveland-based company has grown from 35 employees to 950. Their latest expansion took them to Buffalo, New York, where the company will open an 11,000-square-foot office with plans to hire 100 people. True to the company's fast-moving mentality, the site selection process happened at hyper-speed…in just 10 weeks. To get the full story, we spoke with Frank Ewing, the 38-year-old CEO of AML RightSource, and Alan Rosenhoch, Director of Business Development with Invest Buffalo Niagara.

Coming To America: World's Largest Solar Panel Manufacturer Finds A Home In Jacksonville

Tue, 13 Aug 2019 10:00:00 +0000

According to the US-based, Solar Energy Industries Association, solar energy has experienced an average annual growth rate of 50% over the past decade. Jinko Solar, a Chinese company founded just 13 years ago in 2006, has emerged as the largest manufacturer of solar energy panels in the world. Jinko employs 13,500 people and has eight factories around the globe that produced an estimated 30 million panels in 2018. But what they didn't have was a US manufacturing presence.

That all changed in the past year with Jinko's decision to build a $50 million manufacturing facility in Jacksonville, Florida. For today's story we interview Jinko Solar's Jeff Juger, the JAXUSA Partnership's Aaron Bowman and Florida Power & Light's Crystal Stiles. The episode includes tales of a rain-drenched economic developer, a flat tire while traveling with the company and a Sunday morning site inspection arranged at the last minute.

From VW Bus to 800,000 Square Feet: Sweetwater Sound Grows in Fort Wayne

Mon, 10 Jun 2019 10:00:00 +0000

This week we bring you the story of Sweetwater Sound, a homegrown Fort Wayne, Indiana company that started as a one-man operation in a Volkswagen bus in 1979 and has since grown to become the No. 1 online retailer of music instruments and audio gear. The company announced plans in October 2018 to invest $76 million in two new facilities at its 163-acre campus in Fort Wayne, bringing its facilities to a total of 800,000 square feet. To get the full story behind this impressive growth, we spoke to Sweetwater's visionary Founder and CEO Chuck Surack and John Urbahns, CEO of Greater Fort Wayne Inc.

A Vision And A Subway: Surprising Recipe Brings KPMG Regional HQ to Vaughan, Ontario

Tue, 28 May 2019 10:00:00 +0000

KPMG is one of the "big four" accounting firms and has over 200,000 employees across the globe. The firm's practice in the Greater Toronto Area was growing and needed to find a new regional headquarters. At the same time KPMG was looking for a new headquarters, the city of Vaughan had a new Mayor who was focused on building a new and vibrant central business district. To get the story, we spoke with Sebastian Distefano, regional managing partner of KPMG, and Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua, Vaughan's mayor since 2010.

Silicon Valley Born, Midwest Made: Nexient Selects Columbus, OH for Delivery Center

Fri, 10 May 2019 10:00:00 +0000

This week, we bring you the story of Nexient, a digital product services company that was born in Silicon Valley, but has expanded rapidly across the Midwest. In March 2019, the company announced its newest center will be in Columbus, Ohio, where the company will add more than 200 jobs over the next three years. To get the full story, we spoke with Colin Chapman, Chief Delivery Officer with Nexient and Matt McQuade, Director of Business Development for Columbus 2020.

Notebook from The Guild: Four Takeaways from Four Consultants

Mon, 22 Apr 2019 10:00:00 +0000

Last month The Project Podcast traveled to the Site Selectors Guild Annual Conference in Salt Lake City. And we conducted a series of one-on-one interviews with some of the nation's top site selection consultants. For the second installment from the Salt Lake City meeting, we just picked out some of the most interesting takeaways from our discussions with four, different Guild consultants.

Data Not Words (Darin Buelow, Deloitte Consulting LLP)
Try Before You Buy Emerges in Site Selection (Larry Gigerich, Ginovus)
Keep Your Money…Show Me The Training (Mike Mullis, J.M. Mullis)
Talent Rules But Don't Ignore Business Climate (Jay Garner, Garner Economics)

We cover these topics in rapid-fire approach in this 13-minute episode.

Talent is the New Currency of Economic Development (And Other Insights from the Site Selectors Guild)

Thu, 11 Apr 2019 10:00:00 +0000

In the world of corporate location decision making, The Site Selectors Guild Annual Conference is a "not to be missed" event. So we took "The Project" on the road to Salt Lake City, Utah to sit down with ten Guild members for a discussion about a single topic: Talent. Here are key insights from our interviews with Darin Buelow (Deloitte Consulting LLP), Dennis Donovan (Wadley Donovan Gutshaw Consulting), Deane Foote (Foote Consulting Group), Jay Garner (Garner Economics), Larry Gigerich (Ginovus), Jeanette Goldsmith (Strategic Development Group), Chris Lloyd (McGuire Woods Consulting), Seth Martindale (CBRE), Mike Mullis (J.M. Mullis) and Rajeev Thakur (Newmark Knight Frank) all distilled into an 18-minute episode.

After The HQ2 Reversal: 25 Minutes With Mike Grella, Amazon's Former Director of Economic Development �

Wed, 20 Feb 2019 11:00:00 +0000

The news that Amazon had reversed its decision to create a technology campus in Long Island City with 25,000 jobs ripped through the national media and economic development world last week. And it the wake of this extraordinary announcement, The Project Podcast had the good fortune to land an exclusive interview with Mike Grella, Amazon's Director of Economic Development for the past seven years. Mike departed Amazon last week (completely unrelated to the HQ2 news) to launch his own consultancy. From his unique vantage point, he shared his thoughts on the future of mega-deals, incentives and site selection searches.

The Project co-host Andy Levine caught up with Mike by telephone while he was on a Caribbean cruise with his wife and family.

Winning Amazon HQ2: A Conversation With Virginia's Stephen Moret

Tue, 29 Jan 2019 11:00:00 +0000

Yes, Amazon HQ2 was the big, economic development story of 2018. It was one of those rare moments when the topic of economic development actually snuck into national headlines. And on November 13th, 2018 the company finally announced its decision to locate 25,000 people in Northern Virginia and another 25,000 in New York City.

"The Project" co-host Andy Levine traveled to Richmond, Virginia to meet with a chief negotiator of this landmark project. He sat down with Stephen Moret, President and CEO of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership for a behind the scenes look at this deal.

Gray's Anatomy…Examining The Top 5 Issues Of 2018Â

Wed, 19 Dec 2018 11:00:00 +0000

Earlier this month we traveled to Nashville for the Economix Conference. It's run by a group called Consultant Connect and a gathering of 250 economic developers and site selection consultants -- terrific content and great networking opportunities.

One of the sessions that stood out was a presentation made by Gray Swoope of Vision First Advisors. Gray previously headed up economic development in the states of Florida, Mississippi and Arkansas. His session was titled "The Ten Big Issues of 2018." For today's podcast, we asked Gray to trim this down to the "Top 5 Issues" of the past year. Here's the countdown from #5 to #1:

5) Trade

4) Disappearing Workforce

3) Disruption

2) Incentives Under Attack

1) Amazon HQ2

Special thanks to Gray for the chance to reflect back on the past year in economic development.

Hail to the Victors: KLA-Tencor Selects Ann Arbor, Michigan For Major R&D Facility

Thu, 06 Dec 2018 14:35:46 +0000

The Michigan fight song and an interview with KLA-Tencor's Chief Strategy Officer Bobby Bell is featured in this podcast. Bobby describes how the company and consulting partner Deloitte navigated a search that went from 350 locations to 12 communities to 3 finalists. And in the end, Ann Arbor, Michigan was the last location standing. The new, $70 million research and development center will house an estimated 500 positions. Ann Arbor Spark SVP Phil Santer also describes how a "trip to the big house," the University's fabled football stadium, helped add some color to a three-day site visit with the company's selection team.

Confessions of a Millennial Site Consultant: An Interview with John Longshore

Mon, 05 Nov 2018 11:00:00 +0000

On this special episode, we interview a rare Millennial Site Consultant. John Longshore is a Senior Consultant with Global Location Strategies (GLS) out of Greenville, SC. He entered the job market during the 2008 recession with a special appreciation for what it means to create jobs and has been helping companies and communities ever since. We asked John for his take on Amazon's public location search, the process for evaluating a community's talent pool, his economic development marketing peeves and much more.

Shindigz Brings the Party (and 50 Jobs) to Downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana

Mon, 22 Oct 2018 10:00:00 +0000

Shindigz, one of the largest dealers of party supplies in the U.S., has been based in South Whitley in Northern Indiana for 92 years. With a growing need to hire creative and digital talent, the company considered moving its headquarters and manufacturing operations out of state to Austin, Texas or the Research Triangle in North Carolina. Ultimately, Shindigz was convinced that the talent they needed was right there in Indiana, and opted to move its headquarters to downtown Fort Wayne, keeping its manufacturing operations in South Whitley. To get to the bottom of the decision, we spoke with Shep Moyle, Chairman and Co-owner of Shindigz, and John Urbahns, Executive Vice President of Economic Development at Greater Fort Wayne Inc.

Trade Shows + Persistence = 105 New Jobs: The Story Behind ACMT's Move to Bay County, Florida

Tue, 18 Sep 2018 10:00:00 +0000

According to Ben Franklin, "Energy and persistence conquers all things." And that's a good way to describe this story.

It took three years, two trades shows, six site visits, dozens of telephone calls and probably hundreds of letters and emails. But in the end, aerospace manufacturer, Advanced Composites and Metalforming Technologies (or ACMT for short) decided to build its first new facility outside its home state of Connecticut in Bay County, Florida. ACMT is making a $20 million investment that will initially create 105 new jobs. In today's podcast, we speak with Michael Polo, President of ACMT and Becca Hardin, President of the Bay County Economic Development Alliance.

The Great Debate with Greg LeRoy and Ron Kitchens: Predicting the Future of Economic Incentives

Tue, 04 Sep 2018 10:00:00 +0000

For this special episode, we brought together two leading thought leaders in the economic development space and put them on the phone together with "The Project" host Andy Levine in the middle. Greg LeRoy is the Executive Director/Founder of Good Jobs First. And Ron Kitchens is the CEO of Southwest Michigan First. And they both have strong opinions on the use of economic incentives past, present and future.

Looking forward, we examined the question of "What role will incentives play in America's future?" The format involved a three-minute opening statement from Ron and Greg. This was followed with twenty minutes of discussion where we found our two participants often in agreement. And then each speaker had time for a one minute summary. Special thanks to Greg and Ron for their preparation and intelligent thinking/predictions on the direction which economic incentives will take in the years ahead.

It's Always Sunny in Florida: Biotech Giant Amgen Builds Shared Services Center in Tampa

Wed, 22 Aug 2018 10:00:00 +0000

This week, we bring you the story of biotech giant Amgen and their decision to establish a shared service in Tampa, Florida. To gain insight into how this world-class company makes and implements site selection decisions, we spoke with Michael Frankel, Amgen's Executive Director and Head of Global Business Services in Tampa. For the economic development perspective, we talked to Bea Bare, Senior Business Development Executive at the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation.

Examining the Mega Deals: 26 Minutes with the Site Selection Group's Brett Bayduss

Mon, 09 Jul 2018 10:00:00 +0000

Last month, the Dallas-based Site Selector Group came out with a new report that really caught our eyes here at DCI. The report was titled "Megasite Selection Deals Winning Big Incentive Packages and Tightening Labor Markets Across the United States." The report looked at 35 major projects – a mix of new location and expansions – that have taken place in recent years. These projects involved big job numbers (generally 1,000 or more new positions) and well-known companies (Facebook, State Farm, USAA, Adobe Systems, Apple, Liberty Mutual and Salesforce). We wanted to know more about the report so we invited the Site Selection Group's Executive Vice President Brett Bayduss to sit down with us in our New York City offices.

New Orleans Rising: DXC Technology and the Project That Launched a Louisiana Tech Hub

Mon, 25 Jun 2018 10:00:00 +0000

This week we bring you the story of DXC Technology, one of the world's largest technology companies, which announced plans in November 2017 to open a Digital Transformation Center in New Orleans. It was reported that New Orleans beat out 30 other communities to win this latest project, which involves bringing 2,000 jobs to the city over the next six years. Key to the decision was collaboration with local higher education institutions, in particular an innovative apprenticeship program piloted by GE and the University of New Orleans. To get the full story, we talk to Terrell Boynton, Director & General Manager of the New Orleans Digital Transformation Center at DXC Technology, and Michael Hecht, President and CEO of Greater New Orleans, Inc.

Rise of the Co-Bots: LiveTiles Selects Rochester for Intelligent User Experience Hub

Mon, 04 Jun 2018 10:00:00 +0000

Imagine never having to file an expense report again. Sounds pretty good, right? This and other workplace efficiencies are the mission of LiveTiles, a fast-growth Australian company specialized in integrating automation technology and user experience to make companies and their employees more productive.

LiveTiles announced plans in May 2018 to open an Intelligent User Experience Hub – or IUX Hub – in Downtown Rochester New York, creating at least 500 new jobs. Rochester beat out locations in the Carolinas and others on the East Coast for the project. To get the full story, we talk to Dan Diefendorf, SVP of Americas at LiveTiles, and Matt Hurlbutt, President and CEO of Greater Rochester Enterprise.

If You Build It…We Will Grow: Ceres Nanosciences Utilizes New Accelerator to Scale Up

Mon, 21 May 2018 10:00:00 +0000

According to Brookings Institution research, there are approximately 700 business incubators or accelerators in the United States. Accelerators and incubators offer entrepreneurs good opportunities early on. Company founders get help to quickly grow their business and they often better their chances of attracting a top venture capital firm to invest in their startup at a later point.

Today's episode focuses on a company called Ceres Nanosciences which evolved out of George Mason University campus in Manassas, Virginia. In 2014, they were the first company to sign-on with the newly-created Prince William Science Accelerator. Four year later they have grown dramatically and they are the first company to graduate from the facility.

We interview two key players in this episode. Ross Dunlap is a founding member and the CEO of Ceres Nanosciences. Jeff Kaczmarek is the Executive Director of the Prince William County Department of Economic Development which manages the Accelerator.

And Then The CEO Said, "Let's Build A Colosseum"�

Thu, 10 May 2018 13:19:51 +0000

Jackson Healthcare, one of the nation's largest healthcare staffing firms, recently broke ground on a $100 million expansion for its corporate headquarters that will accommodate 1,400 new associates. Based in Alpharetta, Georgia, the company frequently tops the list of "best places to work" in the Atlanta region.

The new expansion adds an 267,000 square-foot headquarters building to its campus in Italian Renaissance-inspired architecture. But the most interesting aspect of the expansion is a 36,000 square foot "amenities building" that is modeled after the Roman Colosseum.

We interview two key players in this episode. Leslie Day-Harrell is a Senior Vice President of Corporate Real Estate who has been with Jackson Healthcare since 2007. Peter Tokar is the Economic Development Director for Alpharetta, Georgia, a community that markets itself as the "Technology City of the South."

The Long and Winding Road: How an $87.5 Million Hotel Gets Built in Rockford, Illinois

Mon, 23 Apr 2018 10:00:00 +0000

Back in 2012, Larry Morrissey, the now-retired Mayor of Rockford, Illinois and Gary Gorman, Chairman of the development company, Gorman and Company, sat at a hotel bar in Shanghai, China over a glass of scotch. It was the beginning of a six-year project that is that has led to the construction of a $87.5 million Embassy Suites Hotel and conference center in downtown Rockford, Illinois.

Now this is not any simple hotel. This is the renovation of a hulking, 13-story manufacturing plant that was formerly owned by a company called Amerock. It has been empty for 25-plus years and has served as a massive eyesore in Downtown, Rockford.

It's been a long road with lots of detours and barriers. But after years of political battles (including a 7 to 6 City Council vote to approve the project) and financial challenges (the project has $30 million in EB-5 funding from international investors), the transformational project is now under construction.

Next Practices in Site Selection: Insights from the Site Selectors Guild

Mon, 02 Apr 2018 10:00:00 +0000

The Site Selectors Guild Annual Conference is arguably the most important conference in the world of corporate location decisions. So, naturally, we took "The Project" on the road to Cincinnati, Ohio to hear from some of the smartest minds in corporate site selection about what we like to call "next practices" in corporate location decision-making. On this special episode, we share three insights from interviews with Guild members Didi Caldwell, Principal at Global Location Strategies; Darin Buelow, Principal at Deloitte Consulting; Angelos Angelou, Founder and Principal Executive Officer of AngelouEconomics; Mike Mullis, President and CEO of J.M. Mullis Inc.; Tracey Hyatt Bosman, Managing Director at Biggins Lacy Shapiro; Jay Garner, President of Garner Economics, LLC; and Jeanette Goldsmith, Vice President of Strategic Development Group.

Going the Distance: How Rhea County Landed Nokian Tyres' First North American Plant

Mon, 12 Mar 2018 10:00:00 +0000

This week we bring you the story of Nokian Tyres, the world's northernmost tire manufacturer. The Finland-based company announced plans last year to invest $360 million to build its first North American plant in Rhea County, Tennessee. The battle for the plant, which involved 20 different communities across the U.S., took the winning community from Tennessee all the way to Russia and Finland and even involved a major change in legislation. We spoke with Tommi Heinonen, Head of Nokian Tyres North America, and Dennis Tumlin, Executive Director for Rhea Economic and Community Development, to get the story behind the decision.

Cardone Industries Grows in Harlingen, Texas: The Power of Trust, a Tax Exemption and a Football RivalryÂ

Mon, 26 Feb 2018 11:00:00 +0000

You might call Cardone Industries America's original green manufacturer. Founded in 1970, the company specializes in remanufacturing used automobile parts – items like brake calipers, drive shafts, steering pump and camshaft synchronizers. By remanufacturing these items, the company saves raw materials, saves energy and keeps the old parts out of landfills and junkyards.

The Philadelphia-based company needed to build an enormous, new distribution center. They looked in a wide range of states and communities but settled on an area of the country where they already had major operations: the Rio Grande Valley in the city of Harlingen, Texas. At 920,000 square feet and an overall construction cost of $50 million, the recent announcement is the largest economic development project in Harlingen's history.

We interview two key players in this episode. George Zauflik is a twenty-year veteran of the Cardone Industries. He is the Senior Vice President of Compliance and Government Relations and had primary responsibility for the site search. Raudel Garza is the CEO of the Harlingen Economic Development Corporation, a position he has held for the past five years.

A Conversation with Richard Florida about Amazon HQ2: "Now is the Time for a Reset."

Wed, 07 Feb 2018 11:00:00 +0000

Dr. Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class and The New Urban Crisis, did something unusual last week. After conferring with other leading experts on cities, he created a "Support for a Non-Aggression Pact on Amazon HQ2" petition and put it on Change.org. So far over a thousand leading thinkers from across the country have signed the document.

We spoke with him about the pact, his candid "this is nuts" view on Amazon HQ2 and why he thinks this is a "teachable moment" for the economic development profession. Listen to this high-energy conversation on your phone, tablet or computer.

Behind the Mercedes-Benz Expansion: An Unlikely Win for Rural Bibb County, Alabama

Mon, 22 Jan 2018 11:00:00 +0000

Mercedes-Benz has been successfully building vehicles in Tuscaloosa, Alabama for twenty years. But with a decision to move forward with two major expansion projects -- an 800,000 square foot global logistics center and a 1.3 million square foot after-sales parts hub – the company quietly began looking for new location options in Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi.

Bibb County – a rural Alabama county with a population 22,000 – was the winner of both projects. We talk Jason Hoff, CEO and President of Mercedes-Benz in the United States about the decision. But we also talk with Jeff Traywick, an economic development from the regional group the Birmingham Business Alliance who managed the project. He helped us identify and recognize two unsung heroes that made the deal possible.

Top Consultants Forecast Site Selection Trends for 2018

Mon, 08 Jan 2018 11:00:00 +0000

So what does 2018 look like in terms of site selection? Will Amazon's HQ2 search process be replicated by other companies? What will happen in the area of foreign direct investment? And how will the recently approved tax bill impact investment decisions?

"The Project" Podcast gets face-to-face with Mark Williams, President of the Strategic Development Group and Dennis Donovan, a Principal with WDG Consulting for their perspective on the year ahead. Both individuals are members of the Site Selectors Guild. They share interesting answers to some difficult questions in the first podcast of the new year.

The Cost of Corporate Culture and Why It Pays to Stay: M&M Industries Expands in Chattanooga, TN

Mon, 11 Dec 2017 11:00:00 +0000

In November 2017, M&M Industries announced a $42 million expansion in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where the company has been based since its founding in 1986. The manufacturer of plastic containers for the chemical, paint and bioscience clients looked at locations in other parts of Tennessee as well as the states of Georgia, Texas and Ohio. And while many factors played a role in the location decision, ultimately, it came down to the costs – both hidden and direct – of building a company culture. To get the full story, we spoke with Glenn Morris, President & CEO of M&M Industries, Inc. and Steve Hiatt, Director of Existing Business Development for the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce.

Evoqua Upgrades Corporate Image with Move to Downtown Pittsburgh

Mon, 27 Nov 2017 11:00:00 +0000

Evoqua Water Technologies moved just 20 miles from suburban Warrendale, Pennsylvania to the top floors of a 37-story corporate office building in the heart of Pittsburgh's central business district. The company press release said it was all about tapping into the "vibrancy and energy" of downtown. But in the wake of the company's rapid growth and a successful, initial public offering, it was also about sending a message to employees, customers and the entire Pittsburgh region that Evoqua is a company on the move. To get the full story, we speak with Christopher Wild, Evoqua's Global Corporate Real Estate Manager and Patty Horvatich, Vice President, Business Investment for the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance.

As One Door Closes…How Bluffton, Indiana Lost and Gained a Major Manufacturer in 6 Months

Tue, 14 Nov 2017 11:00:00 +0000

When a manufacturer announces plans to shut down its plant in a rural community, it's not often followed by good news. But for Bluffton, Indiana, the loss of a major employer was the start of positive change and, ultimately, a happy ending. This week we bring you the story of 20/20 Custom Molded Plastics and its decision to take over the factory and machinery of a competitor company, along with much of its workforce, in Wells County, Indiana. To get the full story, we talk to Ron Ernsberger, Owner and President of 20/20 Custom Molded Plastics, and Chad Kline, Executive Director of the Wells County Economic Development Corporation.

Alabama Bets the Farm on Mercedes-Benz (and Wins)

Mon, 30 Oct 2017 10:00:00 +0000

"Tell me if this is true or false. If it's true, I'm gonna throw you out this window." This was one of the more colorful exchanges when a member of the Alabama economic development team confronted a Mercedes-Benz negotiator with a USA Today article that said the company's automotive manufacturing plant was headed for the state of North Carolina.

In our continuing "The Big Deal" series, we take a look at Mercedes-Benz' announcement of plans to open its first and only manufacturing plant to North America in 1993. Tuscaloosa County, Alabama was the winner of this 1,500 person manufacturing plant that has grown to nearly 7,000 workers over the past 20+ years. To get the full story, we talked to Dara Longgrear, Executive Director of the Tuscaloosa County Industrial Development Authority, Samuel Addy is a Senior Research Economist with the University of Alabama and Neil Wade, a veteran economic developer who was the President of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama at the time of the Mercedes-Benz announcement.

30 Hutterite Colonies, 800,000 Chickens and 1 Economic Developer

Mon, 16 Oct 2017 10:00:00 +0000

This week we bring you a bit of an unusual site selection story involving Montana Eggs, a company formed as a partnership of 30 Hutterite colonies, a denomination of communal Anabaptists, like the Amish and Mennonites, in Montana. In September 2017, the company celebrated the grand opening of its $9 million, 58,000-square-foot egg grading facility in Great Falls, Montana. The new operation will process more than 280 million eggs annually. To get the full story, we talked to Mike Kleinsasser, Secretary-Treasurer of Montana Eggs and Brett Doney, President and CEO of the Great Falls Montana Development Authority.

The New York Times Solves Amazon's HQ2 Puzzle: An Interview with Reporter Emily Badger

Mon, 02 Oct 2017 10:00:00 +0000

Of the hundreds of articles written about Amazon's HQ2 search, only one publication has taken the bold step to apply the criteria outlined in Amazon's public request for proposal and independently conduct its own search. That was The New York Times, which published "Dear Amazon: We Picked Your Headquarters for You" on September 9, 2017. The article has been widely read and created a storm of discussion on social media—so we decided to interview the Emily Badger, the reporter behind the somewhat controversial piece. Here's our conversation.

Tech on the Bayou? Looking Back at IBM's Surprising Decision to Locate in Baton Rouge

Mon, 25 Sep 2017 10:00:00 +0000

In March 2013, IBM shocked the tech community with its plan to build an 800-job technology center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In our second episode of "The Big Deal" series, we take a look at the impact of this major announcement on Baton Rouge and the State of Louisiana as a whole. To get the full story, we talked to Adam Knapp, President and CEO of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) and Greg Trahan, Director of Economic Development for Louisiana State University (LSU). Finally, to zero in on the effect of the project on the community, we asked our DCI colleague and current resident of Baton Rouge, Rebecca Gehman, to conduct some "woman on the street" interviews with local business owners.

Who Will Win $1.6 Billion Toyota/Mazda Plant? Site Consultants Speculate

Mon, 11 Sep 2017 10:00:00 +0000

On August 4, 2017, the presidents of Toyota and Mazda held a joint press conference and announced they had formed a joint-venture to construct a $1.6 billion manufacturing plant in the United States. US governors and their economic development chiefs were hot on the trail of a prize that promised 4,000 direct jobs to the winning state.

The Project tackles this high-profile search in two parts. First we speak to Dean Barber, Principal at Barber Business Advisors for his take on the Toyota/Mazda Project and where it will land. But we also share the findings of a DCI survey of 70 site selection consultants for their best guess at the winning state.

North Carolina Wins Second Infosys Innovation Hub…Who is Next?

Mon, 28 Aug 2017 10:00:00 +0000

In May 2017, India-based IT consulting firm Infosys announced plans to hire 10,000 workers across four new innovation and technology hubs in the U.S. The first hub was announced for Indianapolis in May and, in July, it was announced that the second hub would go to Wake County, North Carolina. To get the full story behind Infosys' decision to bring 2,000 jobs to North Carolina's Research Triangle region, we talked to Ravi Kumar, President and Deputy Chief Operating Officer at Infosys, North Carolina Senator Jay Chaudhuri and Chris Chung, CEO of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC).

The Curious Case of Foxconn: Site Selection in the Age of Trump

Thu, 10 Aug 2017 10:00:00 +0000

On Wednesday, July 26, Foxconn announced its decision to build a $10 billion manufacturing plant in Wisconsin with the promise to create at least 3,000 jobs. In return, the Taiwanese company will receive $3 billion in incentives from the State of Wisconsin. From the moment the announcement was made in the East Room of the White House, it has caused a bit of a stir in the economic development community. Given that the major players in the decision weren't able to speak with us, we queried a range of smart people – some on-the-record and some off-the-record – to bring you this special episode of "The Project."

One Potato…Two Potato…The Little Potato Company Builds U.S. Headquarters in Wisconsin

Mon, 07 Aug 2017 10:00:00 +0000

With over 300 employees and facilities in Edmonton and Prince Edward Island, Canada, The Little Potato Company isn't exactly small potatoes. The company has experienced double-digit growth since 2012 and finally decided it was time to set-up its first major facility in the United States. Sanford Gleddie, a company Vice President who had never conducted a site location search in his life, raised his hand and was charged with finding a U.S. headquarters for the company. And his search led him to the state of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.

BMW and South Carolina…The Big Deal That Almost Never Happened

Tue, 25 Jul 2017 10:00:00 +0000

This week, we bring you a new sub-series called "The Big Deal," which takes a look at some of the biggest economic development deals in history and how they impacted communities. We start with BMW's decision to bring its first facility outside of Germany to Spartanburg, South Carolina in 1992. To get the full story, we talked to Douglas Woodward, an economist with the University of South Carolina, Bobby Hitt, a former BMW staffer who became the Secretary of the South Carolina Department of Commerce in 2011, and Wayne Sterling, a legendary economic developer who managed the BMW project 25 years ago. Listen on to learn how Governor Carroll Campbell convinced BMW's Chairman to reverse an initial decision to locate the plant in Omaha, Nebraska.

China's Ruyi Group Finds "High Cotton" in Arkansas

Mon, 10 Jul 2017 10:00:00 +0000

The Shandong Ruyi Technology Group is a privately-held textile manufacturer based in China that employs 20,000 people around the globe. The company already had operations everywhere from Japan to Italy, but determined in 2015 that it was time to set up a major manufacturing facility in North America. They "followed the cotton," their primary natural resource, to Texas, North Carolina and South Carolina, but ultimately chose a location in Arkansas – a state that barely made it on their short list, but impressed the company's Chairman and his team with their responsiveness and tenacity. We spoke with two key players to get the full story: Jane Liu, a company legal advisor who was a key player guiding the company's site selection process, and Danny Games, Deputy Director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.

Behind AETNA'S Headquarters Relocation Decision: Top Consultants Weigh In

Fri, 30 Jun 2017 19:52:45 +0000

On Thursday, June 29th, AETNA, Inc., a Fortune 50 insurance giant, announced a decision that had been months in the making. The company would relocate its corporate headquarters from Hartford, Connecticut, the company's home base for 146 years, to New York City.

On the day after the announcement, we set-up a conference call with two highly-respected site selection consultants to get their take on AETNA's decision. You'll hear from Larry Gigerich, Managing Director of Ginovus and Jay Biggins, Executive Managing Director of Biggins Lacy Shapiro, another highly respected site consulting firm. Both firms are members of the Site Selectors Guild.

Act Two: Indian Pharmaceutical Company Grows in Fairfax County, Virginia

Mon, 26 Jun 2017 10:00:00 +0000

This week, we bring you the story of Granules Pharmaceuticals, an Indian manufacturer of generic pharmaceuticals, which announced plans in May 2017 to invest $35 million and more than double its workforce in Fairfax County, Virginia. The company initially established a physical presence in the U.S. in 2014 with an R&D facility in Fairfax County and will soon begin manufacturing there as part of the expansion. We talked to Priyanka Chigurupati, Executive Vice President of Corporate Strategy & Business Development at Granules India Limited, and Dr. Gerald Gordon, President and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, for the story.

In Data We Trust: How Companies Select Data Center Locations

Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:00:00 +0000

As "big data" comes to the world of commerce, we've seen a major spike in the creation of new data centers for companies like Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and IBM. To gain insight into this trend, we arranged an interview with Joe Suppers, Principal of NodeCom, Inc. Joe is the only consultant we know that is solely focused on data center site selection. He has worked with companies like America Online, Metromedia Fiber, 360 Networks and Switch since 1995.

Phoenix Rising: Quality of Life Drives Kudelski's HQ Location Decision

Mon, 22 May 2017 10:00:00 +0000

This week we bring you the story of the Kudelski Group, a Swiss company that was looking to open its first corporate headquarters in North America. The company looked at three regions in the Western United States – Denver, San Francisco and Phoenix – and, in the tradition of amazing Swiss efficiency, they made the decision in just 90 days. Quality of life, according to Rich Fennessy, President & CEO of Kudelski Security, was the single most important factor in the decision—a first for "The Project." Chris Camacho, President and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC), weighs in on the decision process from the economic development perspective.

Game On- Trump Administration Moves Forward with SelectUSAÂ

Mon, 01 May 2017 13:36:02 +0000

While a lot is changing in Washington this year, new Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross recently confirmed one important initiative that is full steam ahead. SelectUSA, a program focused on helping the United States attract more foreign direct investment, is continuing and will be holding its fourth investment summit in the Washington area on June 18-20.

"The Project" travels to Washington for an interview with Fred Volcansek, SelectUSA's New Executive Director. Anne McKinney, the organization's Director of Investment Services, joins Fred for the interview.

We also hear from the leader of one economic development group that has successfully worked with SelectUSA in the past. Jan Rogers, CEO for the Regional Economic Development Corporation for Eastern Idaho (or REDI for short) talks about her collaboration with the organization and success attracting two Japanese companies to Idaho as a result.

Talent, Talent, Talent: Citrix Picks North Carolina Over Georgia and Florida

Sun, 16 Apr 2017 10:00:00 +0000

For a multinational software company like Citrix, people are the secret sauce to success. We bring the story of how talent trumped just about every other factor that goes into a location decision to allow Raleigh, North Carolina to win a 400-job expansion, beating out competition in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Alpharetta, Georgia, Santa Clara, California and Austin, Texas. We interview Nate Spilker, Citrix Vice President of Product Management and James Sauls, Economic Development Director for the City of Raleigh.

Talent, Facilities and Market Access Drive NEST iON to Rochester, New York

Mon, 03 Apr 2017 10:00:00 +0000

Welcome to our most international episode of "The Project" to date. NEST iON is a start-up company that manufactures specialized batteries for the law enforcement and security profession. The company was founded by a Spanish entrepreneur who relocated to Ireland, initially outsourced all of his manufacturing to South Korea and now has his sights on entering the U.S. market. In February 2017, the company announced plans to open a research & development/manufacturing facility at the Eastman Business Park, a 2.5 million square foot facility owned by Kodak. We interview company founder Boris Gragera, Matt Hurlbutt of Greater Rochester Enterprise and Matt Fronk of NY BEST (New York Battery & Energy Storage Technology Consortium) for the story behind NEST iON's decision to locate in Rochester, New York.

Inside the Site Selectors Guild

Mon, 20 Mar 2017 10:00:00 +0000

The Site Selectors Guild started in 2010 with a dozen or so individuals quietly agreeing to create the world's first trade association of site selection consultants. Seven years later, the organization has been wildly successful growing their ranks to 43 current members and hosting professional conferences that literally sell out in minutes. To gain insight into the Guild and its members, "The Project" sits down with Phil Schneider, an industry veteran who has worked nearly 400 site selection projects over the past 31 years. Phil recently stepped down as the organization's Chair but remains an active member of the Guild's Board of Directors.

Episode 13: A Guide to Winning Amazon's Next Announcement

Mon, 06 Mar 2017 11:00:00 +0000

With plans to add 100,000 new, full-time, full-benefit jobs across the U.S. in the next 18 months, Amazon is the world's leading e-commerce company and one of the most sought-after companies for communities looking to attract jobs and investment. This week, to gain insight into the process of winning an Amazon project, we looked over the long list of communities that have successfully landed Amazon facilities in the past two years and arranged a conference call with two seasoned economic developers: Adriana Cruz, President and CEO of the Greater San Marcos Partnership, and Jerry Mallot, President of the JAXUSA Partnership in Jacksonville, Florida. Here are their insights into successful working with this fast growing company and our guide to winning Amazon's next project.

Sweden, Germany or USA? Packsize Selects Utah for International Headquarters

Mon, 20 Feb 2017 11:00:00 +0000

Packsize is a pioneer in "on-demand packaging systems," a technology that allows companies to create custom boxes for their products, reducing packaging volume by about 40 percent. With customers like Staples, Cabela's and Boston Scientific, the company is rapidly growing and, though they considered Sweden and Germany, decided to make their biggest expansion to-date in Salt Lake City, Utah. We talk to Hanko Kiessner, CEO of Packsize and Brad Baird, Senior Business Development Manager at EDCUtah.

Goodbye Atlanta…Hello Fayetteville: Menguin Thrives as Big Fish in a Small Pond

Mon, 06 Feb 2017 11:00:00 +0000

This week, we bring you the story of Menguin, a company that sought to bring the somewhat dated and often frustrating world of tuxedo rentals into the digital age with an online retail platform. The company was conceived on the campus of Indiana University and got its start in Atlanta, Georgia, but really found its stride when its co-founders took the advice of investor John James of Hayseed Ventures and relocated to Fayetteville, Arkansas. We talk to Justin Delaney, CEO of Menguin, and Brett Amerine, COO of Startup Junkie Consulting, to get the full story.

A Cyclist and An Engineer Invest $125 Million in Tennessee

Mon, 23 Jan 2017 11:00:00 +0000

In October 2016, three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond took the stage in Oak Ridge, Tennessee to announce one of the most significant developments in carbon fiber production over the past 50 years—the opening of his company, LeMond Composites. The project involves $125 million in investment and the creation of 250 jobs in Tennessee over the next five years. To get the full story, "The Project" talked to Connie Jackson, research engineer and CEO of LeMond Composites, and Gary Human, East Tennessee Regional Director at the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.

Two Consultants Forecast Site Selection Trends for 2017

Mon, 09 Jan 2017 11:00:00 +0000

So what does 2017 look like in terms of site location decisions? How will the Trump Presidency impact corporate decision-making? And will new minimum wage increases in states like New York, California and Colorado change the landscape at all?

"The Project" sits down with Kathy Mussio, Managing Partner with Atlas Insight and Brett Bayduss, Executive Vice President of the Site Selection Group for their perspective on the year ahead. They share interesting answers to some difficult questions in the first podcast of the new year.

Charles Schwab's Crystal Ball: Projecting the Location of "Future Talent" Leads to Texas

Mon, 12 Dec 2016 11:00:00 +0000

Charles Schwab recently announced plans to build a $100 million campus that would initially house 1,200 staffers in Westlake, Texas, a growing suburb of Dallas. Understanding where the right financial services talent "is going to be" in the next 20 years was the key to selecting a location in the Dallas region.

To get the inside story we decided to "Talk to Chuck" – or in this case Chuck's Senior Vice President of Corporate Real Estate Glenn Cooper. We also interview Larry Gigerich, Managing Director of Ginovus (a site selection firm engaged by the company) and the Honorable Laura Wheat, Mayor of Westlake, Texas.

Trump and Carrier Corp: The Deal That Saved 1,000 U.S. Jobs

Fri, 02 Dec 2016 03:16:27 +0000

It started with a Thanksgiving Day Tweet from Donald Trump: "I am working hard, even on Thanksgiving, trying to get Carrier to stay in the U.S. MAKING PROGRESS - Will know soon!"

On December 1^st, just a week later, President-Elect Trump, Vice-President-Elect Pence and Greg Hayes, President of Carrier Corp's parent company, stood on-stage together and announced that 1,000 jobs would stay in the United States and not relocate to Mexico. It was an extraordinary reversal and Carrier's local workforce couldn't have been happier.

So on the day of the announcement, we set-up a conference call with two highly-respected site selection consultants to get their take on this decision. You'll hear from Larry Gigerich, Managing Director of Ginovus and Michelle Comerford, Industrial & Supply Chain Manager with Biggins Lacy Shapiro, another highly respected site consulting firm. Both firms are members of the Site Selectors Guild.

Should I Stay or Should I Go? Illinois Manufacturer Weighs Move to Wisconsin

Mon, 28 Nov 2016 11:00:00 +0000

Vonco Products, a manufacturer of flexible packaging products with 80+ employees, recently announced plans to move its operations across state lines from Lake Villa, Illinois to Salem, Wisconsin. If you're up on your Midwestern geography, you know that move was just 20 miles to the North. But the deal at the center of this episode was nearly two years in the making.

We talk to Keith Smith, President at Vonco Products, and Todd Battle, President of the Kenosha Area Business Alliance, to get the full story.

Under the Radar: Telecommunications Firm Quietly Explores Headquarters Relocation

Mon, 14 Nov 2016 11:00:00 +0000

Hotwire Communications is a fast-growing, privately held company that was rapidly outgrowing its headquarters in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. When they began exploring a new location, they did so quietly without the help of consultants or economic development organizations. Their search led them to purchase a 180,000 square foot building in Fort Lauderdale that was a perfect match with their needs. And they called upon both the city and the state for a $1.9 million incentive package that would seal the deal.

We interview Dan O'Connell, Vice President of Sales for Hotwire Communications and Bob Swindell, President/CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance in this episode.

Waiting for Alorica

Mon, 31 Oct 2016 10:00:00 +0000

Alorica is a $2 billion company with 92,000 employees. And you've probably never heard of them. They are the largest customer engagement company in the United States and they run 162 centers in America. We're going to mix things up a bit and tell the story of Alorica's search as a three-act drama with three central characters telling the story.

Go West Young Firm… Tech Start-up Finds Home in Reno

Tue, 11 Oct 2016 16:00:00 +0000

The name of the company is CAEK – which stands for Catherine, Anna, Elizabeth, and Katie – four entrepreneurial women who started a software development company in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Their growth plans will take them from 9 employees today to a staff of 150 people in five years. So the need for talent and venture capital took them to the West. They looked at tech hotspots of Silicon Valley, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Austin but ultimately they decided to relocate their growing company to Reno, Nevada. We talked to CAEK Founder Katie Lay and Stan Thomas, Executive Vice President of the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (or EDAWN for short).

If You Build It…Will They Come? Dana, Toledo and the Spec Building

Tue, 27 Sep 2016 16:00:00 +0000

When Dana Incorporated was selected to supply axles for the next-generation Jeep Wrangler, the company chose the Overland Industrial Park in Toledo, Ohio – the exact site where the first Jeeps were built in the 1940's – as the site of its new manufacturing facility. For the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, which purchased the site in 2010 and invested heavily to attract tenants, the decision represented a big risk that ultimately paid off. We talked to Ken Andres, Global Director of Real Estate and Construction at Dana, and Paul Toth, President and CEO of the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, to get the full story.

Fast Growth Tech Company Finds New Home in Old Space

Tue, 13 Sep 2016 16:00:00 +0000

iCIMS, a technology firm that had been on the Inc. 500 list for ten years in a row, had outgrown its existing space. Based in Central New Jersey, they needed a new home that would be appeal to the company's millennial talent. Their search took them to Bell Works, a former research laboratory constructed in 1962 with a long history of innovation. They hit some bumps along the way but with the help of a pioneering real estate developer, our story has a happy ending.