Site Selection
COMPREHENSIVE, OBJECTIVE AND UNBIASED
Our proven, transparent, and confidential methodology defines project requirements with the help of our in-house engineering professionals. We can identify the highest-performing candidate regions, communities, and properties using advanced spatial and analytical techniques along with our robust proprietary and subscription databases. We will establish next steps for project execution.
location screening
Narrow the search area based on location attractions and constraints.
- Requirements Gathering and Prioritization Analysis.
- Assessment of Area Labor Market Conditions.
- Assess Transportation Requirements and Considerations.
- Initial Operating Cost Assessment for Major Factors (Labor, Freight, Energy).
- Identification of Most Favorable Locations.
property
search
Comprehensive site search to identify suitable sites or buildings
- RFI to State/Local Economic Development Organizations.
- Desktop-Level Site and Infrastructure Review.
- Drivetime-Level Labor Market Analysis.
- Develop a Short List of Best Candidate Sites for Further Evaluation.
field
investigation
Travel to each site location to perform deep dive analysis and refine/expand cost and qualitative analyses.
- Tour of Community.
- Meetings With Local /State EDOs, Government Representatives, Utilities, and Community Colleges.
- Gauge and Build Local Support.
- In-Depth Comparisons.
- Confidential Employer Interviews.
- Property Tax Analysis.
- Incentives Opportunity Assessment.
- Detailed Infrastructure Evaluation.
UNBIASED SCREENING of COMMUNITIES and PROPERTIES
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 helps you determine the most strategic location for each manufacturing plant and distribution center for your network’s operations. Consideration is given to all critical variables, such as proximity to suppliers and customers based on current and projected growth estimates.
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.