When Time is Money

Why certified sites make sense

A Word to Remember -- Risk

Life is risky Business is risky Expanding a business entails risk Expanding in any locale means risk Site selection is about reducing risk (and

thereby eliminating sites)

There is No Perfect Place

But there are better places and sites where the risks are acceptable or at least manageable and where business operations can be optimized. But betting on any (your) community will always remain a risk.

Now Let Me Get This Straight

So if my community is not perfect for all businesses under the sun (explain that one to your board) and is even viewed as a risky place, how do I win or at least compete for projects?

Answer: (Drumroll please) …

And the Answer Is …

Reduce Risk!Duh.

But Here’s the Problem

That typically means investing in yourself, which means spending money that you may not have.

Old saying. You gotta spend money to make money.

Think long term journey.

Another Problem or Truism

“Now, when a company needs a site, they needed it six month ago.” – Jim Bruce, a Georgia-based site selection consultant.

Better Faster Now

A ready-to-go site reduces risk (time and money)

Also known as a shovel ready site Also known as a certified site Also known as a now-that’s-what-I’m

talkin’-about site.

Tres Elementos

The Site is AvailableThe Site is Fully ServedThe Site is Developable

The Site is Available

Best case scenario: You own it. Next best: You have an option on the

property Listed with a broker (form of control) with

a published price What It’s Not: My fishing buddy Lem Briggs down at the Texaco has a

brother in law that might have some land that he is willing to part with.

The Site is Fully Served

Ideal: All utilities (water, sewer, electric, natural gas, high-speed telecommunications) are already at the site with adequate excess capacities to meet demand

Acceptable alternative: Detailed plans with the service providers to extend and/or upgrade utilities, including rights-of-way studies and cost and schedule estimates.

Oral promises don’t cut it.

The Site is Developable

All necessary due diligence completed (environmental assessments, wetlands delineations, etc.)

If mitigation not been completed, have a plan in place to mitigate issues.

Site should be free of utility easements and rights-of-way. If not, have detailed plans on

moving with cost and schedule.

The More the Better

So information gathering enables risk mitigation (a deeper dive required)

Acting on that information is key. Fix the negative and accentuate the positive

Your due diligence can assuage the doubts.

God Created Man: Sam Colt Made Them Equal

All sites are not created equal All site certification programs are not

created equal (No national standard) Third party certification is generally a

better idea (but keep in mind you are hearing this from a consultant.)

Trust But Verify

Ultimately, site certification is a marketing tool that a site selection consultant must verify as being accurate.

It should mean the site can be developed faster

Document, document, document

Call Me If I Can Help or Further Confuse