Austin has a proven, confidential methodology for successful corporate site selection that defines project requirements, screens and evaluates communities and properties, identifies those that best meet operating requirements, and establishes next steps for final selection.
OPERATING COST ANALYSIS
Austin evaluates annual costs for transportation, labor, fringe benefits, electricity, natural gas, water, waste water and state and local property taxes in selected trial locations to determine the optimal location that has the overall lowest variable operating costs.
TRANSPORTATION ASSESSMENT
Austin identifies site proximity to interstate highways, airports, rail access and water ports, evaluating service characteristics to customer demand points. We also analyze load bearing capacity of roads and bridges, and other important considerations that will impact the movement of products, employees and visitors to the proposed operation.
COMMUNITY SCREENING
Community attitudes toward the development of a facility may be more favorable in certain areas than in others. Austin analyzes the availability of employee amenities, political stability, development trends and industrial mix as part of the assessment of a community’s climate.
SITE AND BUILDING EVALUATION
Austin analyzes each site or building relative to your needs, including: size configuration, expansion opportunities, soil conditions, environmental issues, development costs, access to area highways, neighboring land use, adherence to image requirements and security features.
UTILITY SERVICE ASSESSMENT
The cost and quality of electric power, natural gas, water and wastewater services can vary from site to site. Austin identifies utility sources and evaluates annual cost, one-time connection and impact fees, quality, availability and reliability.
LABOR MARKET AND WORKFORCE ASSESSMENT
A market’s labor force is one of the most critical factors to consider when qualifying a candidate site. Austin carefully analyzes labor-related variables that can affect your profitability, including: labor and management relations, wage and fringe benefit structure, productivity, labor costs, availability of skilled or specialized workers and availability of training resources.
PROPERTY TECHNICAL EVALUATION
Austin also provides specialized Property Technical Evaluation services through the technical and engineering expertise and resources of The Austin Company. This is especially important when evaluating sites to ensure constructability, review building and zoning codes, verify utility infrastructure and confirm other critical aspects are suitable for your operations. For existing buildings, we can also determine the suitability of the facility for your use and the estimated costs to retrofit.
WHAT INDIRECT OR HIDDEN COSTS ARE LURKING IN YOUR LOCATION PROJECT?
When evaluating multiple locations for new industrial facilities, cost is always a component of the analysis, if not the most important aspect of the ultimate decision.
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