Simple Steps to Preparing for Site Selector Requests

Follow these Steps to Prepare for Site Selector Requests

Community leaders, property managers, and developers should prepare for the opportunity to attract new manufacturing companies to the area as a result of the recent onshoring trend. Site selectors have been issuing requests for information as companies throughout the United States and the world look to protect their supply chain from future disruptions caused by pandemics like COVID-19 and the growing number of natural disasters. Those who prepare will have the opportunity to compete and hopefully win new business for their communities.

What the Site Selectors Guild had to say about onshoring in 2020 and 2021:

"Guild members predict COVID-19 will accelerate the regionalization of supply chains, with 81% of respondents saying COVID-19 will have a major impact on global supply chain strategies.

Members pointed out that the previous focus on the lowest cost scenario, which led to growth in China and Southeast Asia, will now become more balanced as companies look to reduce risk. This could benefit North American locations as more companies look to locate production facilities close to the customers they serve and increase redundancy. Many Guild members predict an uptick in on-shoring to the United States, Canada, and Mexico - especially in the pharma and life sciences industries."

Be aware of new executive orders

Communities should also be aware of recent executive orders that put pressure on U.S. agencies to purchase PPE, medical equipment, and drugs from U.S. manufacturing companies, and to do so quickly. For example, the executive order signed on August 8th gives agencies 90 days to present a plan for how they will procure medical supplies and drugs from U.S. manufacturers. This is putting significant pressure on companies who want to continue to supply U.S. agencies like Medicare. As companies come home, and current ones expand, there will be communities that win contracts and grow.

How communities can prepare to attract new businesses

Communities should prepare for the opportunity to work with site selectors and executives by preparing information on their community's assets, available properties, location advantages, and workforce. Doing so will make it possible to respond quickly to requests for information. This is an important note to make - time is of the essence. Where location decisions typically take more than a year. there will be companies needing to act fast in order to adjust to changing rules and regulations, new demand within the United States, and in an effort to protect their supply chain from future disruptions. Leaders and property owners should be aware of this and put in the effort upfront so that if a site selector calls, they are ready.

Put together information that contains the following:

#1 Available Commercial Sites

Communities should prepare information on property listings that includes proximity to infrastructure and the availability of utilities. Be sure to include information on how quickly permits could be issued and building commence.

#2 Utility Advantages

Prepare information on utility availability, rate advantages, and broadband access.

#3 Location Advantages

Present location advantages such as proximity to major metropolitan areas.

#4 Transportation Assets

Man communities have rail access and an airport. These location advantages, along with interstate access, need to be quantified and placed into easily read marketing materials.

#5 Strong Workforce

The strength of educational institutions and the local workforce need to be captured in marketing material that can easily be shared with site selectors and executives.

Golden Shovel websites have many of these tools

When we build websites for clients, much of this information becomes available online with the click of a button. We make it possible to search for sites and regional resources and combine them into a report that can be shared with site selectors using our report maker tool.

For more information, contact Laura Christie at lchristie@goldenshovelagency.com.

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References and Further Reading:

- Uptick in On-shoring and Shrinking Demand for Office Space Predicted by Site Selectors on Impact of COVID-19 on Corporate Local Decisions

- Executive Order on Ensuring Essential Medicines, Medical Countermeasures, and Critical Inputs Are Made in the United States