rating, followed by low crime rate in second place, with a
71.6 percent rating. The responding consultants also
ranked the same two quality-of-life factors as least impor-
tant as were ranked as such by the respondents to our
2008 Corporate Survey — recreational opportunities and
cultural opportunities. Again, these factors take a back seat
to other site selection and quality-of-life concerns during
turbulent economic times.
Finally, 78 percent of the responding consultants said
their clients consider whether there are business performing similar activities to theirs in the area of search (70 per-
cent of those responding to our Corporate Survey also said
this was a consideration). And 41 percent of the responding
consultants also said their clients elect to meet with repre-
sentatives of these area businesses during the location
process (Chart Z).
What Are the Consultants’ Sources of Information?
Three-quarters of the respondents to our 2008 Consul-
tants Survey said they obtain their site selection informa-
tion from the Internet. Importantly, nearly 60 percent also
use site magazines like Area Development, more than dou-
ble the percentage reading general business publications
for this type of information (Chart AA).
Nearly all of the respondents who use the Internet
obtain website addresses from general search engines like
Google or Yahoo. Yet more than two-fifths (43 percent) of
those using the Internet for site information also get web-
site addresses off of print ads in magazines such as ours
(up from 33 percent making this claim last year). More
than a third of the responding consultants also obtain web-
site addresses from ads on websites like Area Development
Online (Chart BB).
found online site magazines such as Area Development
Online and property databases like FastFacility.com
equally useful (Chart CC).
Chart X
Are environmental concerns more important to your clients
now than in the past?
• Yes 72%
• No 28%
Chart Y
Percentage of those responding “yes” whose clients are
undertaking “green” measures:
• Energy-saving facility modifications
• Change in supply or distribution methods
• Recycling or re-use of waste products, etc.
• Other measures
100%
48%
70%
12%
Are the communities you have worked with offering specific
incentives for “green” initiatives?
• Yes 37%
• No 63%
Chart Z
When site selecting, do your clients consider whether there are
businesses performing similar activities to theirs in the area of search?
• Yes 78%
• No 22%
Percentage of respondents whose clients wish to meet
with the following individuals during site visits:
• Community representatives
• Representatives of area
businesses similar to theirs
• Educational representatives
• Others
54%
41%
24%
22%
