1. 2008 Transportation Summit
Charlotte Chamber
2008 Transportation Summit

2. What are the top site selection factors of corporate decision makers?

3. The decision is first and foremost, a bottom-line, cost based decision.

5. Least Important: 34. Waterway & Oceanport Accessibility
33. Recreational Opportunities
32. Cultural Opportunities
31. Proximity to a Technical University
30. Accessibility to a Major Airport
29. Climate
28. Colleges and Universities in the Area
27. Housing Availability
26. Housing Costs
25. Ratings of Public Schools

6. Most Important: 1. Highway Accessibility
2. Availability of Skilled Labor
3. Labor Costs
4. Low Union Profile
5. Energy Availability & Costs
6. Environmental Regulations
7. Available Land
8. Tax Exemptions
9. State & Local Incentives
10. Availability of Advanced Telecommunications Technology

7. “Remember that time is money.”
- Benjamin Franklin

8. You are at the point of no return," warned Dennis Donovan, a corporate relocation expert for Fortune 500 companies who spoke during a forum at the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce earlier this year. "It's out of control.“
Donovan said more of his clients are expressing serious doubts about moving their businesses to Atlanta, often ticking off concerns about how the region's ever-growing gridlock might negatively affect their employees' quality of life.

9. Donovan also pointed out:
Westvaco moved their corporate headquarters to Richmond over Atlanta due to the perceived traffic issues in Atlanta.
Traffic will diminish the number of people moving to an area, thus reducing the labor supply.
Traffic patterns will also truncate the flow of labor and in effect cut off labor force in one part of the community from employers in another part.

10. Increasingly, alternatives to automobiles for their workforce is becoming a factor in location decisions.
Light rail/commuter rail is seen in a very positive light, especially by companies leaving or expanding from an area that has an established system.
International companies appear to be placing an even higher priority on having a transit system.

11. Despite what the Area Development survey says, corporate headquarters also value a hub airport as a very important site location factor.
Most projects, including industrial users, want to be no more than one hour’s drive from a major airport. For many, it is less than thirty minutes.

12. Railroad service has not historically been as big a factor as roads and air service but is showing up more and more with industrial projects looking to hedge their bets on where fuel costs will be over the next several years. Having an alternative to trucking raw materials and finished goods is increasingly important.

13. Economic Development Transportation Challenges/Needs for Charlotte

14. More direct non-stop international flights to Europe and Asia are needed.
Too many farm-to-market roads remain two- lane. Too often, infrastructure follows the development.
Our interstates are at or near capacity. Expedited I-485 completion is critical. Widening of certain existing sections are also critically needed.
The Northeast and Northern transit routes need to be expedited.