Tips on How to Prepare for Influx of Site Selector Requests

Many companies have decided to onshore manufacturing operations due to delays and supply chain disruptions caused by COVID-19. As the onshoring trend grows, community leaders, property managers and developers should be preparing for the opportunity to attract these companies. As manufacturers in the United States and worldwide seek out ways to protect their supply chains from future disruptions caused by pandemics and a growing number of natural disasters, site selectors are issuing requests for information. The most prepared leaders will have the opportunity to compete and win new business for Red Wing. 

The Site Selectors Guild predicts the onshoring trend will continue to grow in 2020 and 2021 -

“Guild members predict COVID-19 will accelerate the regionalization of supply chains, with 81 percent 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.”

New executive orders require changes

A recent executive order puts pressure on U.S. agencies to purchase PPE, medical equipment and drugs from U.S. manufacturing companies, and to do so quickly. The executive order that was signed on August 8th gives agencies 90 days to present a plan for how they will obtain medical supplies and medications from manufacturers located in the United States. Companies who want to continue to supply U.S. agencies like Medicare are experiencing the most pressure. As companies return home, and current ones expand, many communities will have the opportunity to win contracts and grow. 

How community leaders can prepare to attract new businesses

As requests from site selectors come in, community leaders should be ready to prepare information on community assets and incentives, available properties, location advantages and workforce. If preparations are made ahead of time, it will be possible to respond quickly to requests for this information. Companies need to act fast, so time is of the essence. In the past, location decisions could take more than a year. As a result of the pandemic, now companies must quickly adjust to changing rules and regulations. Leaders, developers and property owners should be aware of this and be proactive so that if a site selectors calls, they are ready. 

The following information should be kept on hand for a quick response- 

#1 Available Commercial Sites

Updated information on property listings that includes convenience to infrastructure and the availability of utilities should be ready to share. A guide on how quickly permits could be issued and building commenced should also be included. 

#2 Utility Advantages

Utility advantages like utility availability, rates and broadband access should be highlighted.

#3 Location Advantages 

Proximity to major metropolitan areas should be listed. 

#4 Transportation Assets

Transportation assets like rail access and airports should be clearly listed. These location advantages, along with points of interstate access, need to be organized and placed into easily read marketing materials. 

#5 Strong workforce

The strong workforce of Red Wing is the result of the fine educational institutions and widely available training programs. The expertise and tenacity of the local workforce needs to be captured for site selectors and executives. 

Many of these tools are available on our website

Community leaders can find much of this information already available on our website. We can search for sites and regional resources and combine them into a report that can be shared with site selectors. To do so, simply click the icon on the page that says “Add to report”. Once each page has been added, click “View custom report” to generate it. Since we know that site selectors and executives are making fast decisions, the ability to create this report immediately could be very useful. For more information regarding how to prepare for site selector requests, contact us.

References and further reading

https://siteselectorsguild.com/news/covid-19-impact-on-site-selection/ 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-ensuring-essential-medicines-medical-countermeasures-critical-inputs-made-united-states/