Contact: Adam Bruns
Managing Editor, Site Selection
Mobile: (404) 482-9785
adam.bruns@siteselection.com
6625 The Corners Parkway, Suite 200
Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 • USA
Site Selection Online
Site Selection Names Top Territories for Infrastructure, Top U.S. Utilities in Economic Development and Canada’s Best Locations
Atlanta, September 8, 2020: The United States, Canada and the United Arab Emirates lead the way globally, and Texas, Louisiana and upstart Arizona lead U.S. states, when it comes to the powerful blend of infrastructure project investment and corporate facility investment over the past several years. These are among the locations ranked in the third annual Global Groundwork Index, published in the September 2020 issue of Site Selection magazine. (See full lists below.) The index is a blend of proprietary data from Conway Analytics’ Conway Projects Database and an equally robust database from global infrastructure advisory and events firm CG/LA.
The Global Groundwork Index identifies where billions of dollars in corporate facility activity intersect with billions of dollars in roads, bridges, airports, tunnels, pipelines, utilities, railroads and other major infrastructure projects to “lay the literal groundwork for prosperity,” says Adam Bruns, managing editor of Site Selection.
The Index also features commentary from CG/LA President Norman Anderson highlighting how the “black swan” of COVID-19 has disrupted the infrastructure market, but how technology, private capital and user experience may provide opportunity in the midst of bleakness. He also highlights some of the work the CG/LA team has been doing analyzing the value and opportunity inherent in more than 500 shovel-ready projects across the U.S. “We believe that, both globally and in the U.S., this is a glass-half-full moment,” he writes, “an opportunity to rethink the infrastructure investment model, creating a new perspective, new tools and new sources of funding through which to channel investment into projects.”
Top Utilities in Economic Development
Also featured in the September issue are Site Selection’s Top U.S. Utilities in Economic Development (see list below), based on analysis of corporate end-user project activity in 2019 in those utilities’ territories (from Conway Projects Database and submitted materials). In addition to examining facility investment project totals and calculating those projects’ jobs and capital investment numbers on a cumulative and per-capita basis, Site Selection also looks at website tools and data; innovative programs and incentives
for business (including energy efficiency and renewable energy programs); and the utility’s own job-creating infrastructure and facility investment trends.
“The elite Top 20 we named this year earned the honor amid a field of around 3,300 electric utilities across the country, including around 900 cooperatives,” says Managing Editor Adam Bruns of the rankings Site Selection has published since 1999. “Like the power they generate, their robust economic development teams and programs are well distributed throughout the country.”
Canada’s Best Locations
In this same issue, and based on the same Conway Analytics project data from corporate end-users, Site Selection’s Canadian Competitiveness Award recognizes Ontario as the most competitive province in a competitive nation, followed by Alberta and British Columbia. And metro areas from Montréal to Oakville to Calgary and Vancouver fill Site Selection’s annual Canada’s Best Locations list of top Canadian economic development groups (see full lists below). Eleven of the 20 regions are in Ontario.
“The annual Canada’s Best Locations feature sheds additional light on Canada’s many location options for corporate site selectors,” says Mark Arend, editor in chief of Site Selection. “We salute the provinces and communities that made this year’s rankings.”
The new issue of Site Selection also includes stories on Asian life sciences IPOs; grocery and cold-chain logistics; innovative urban Eds & Meds developments; Tesla’s blockbuster investment in Texas; how Charlotte snared Centene’s headquarters; Silicon Valley’s role in fighting COVID-19; and spotlights on Missouri, Nevada, the Mid-Atlantic, the Southeast and the Upper Midwest.
Site Selection magazine, published by Conway Data, Inc., delivers expansion planning information to 47,000 executives of fast-growing firms. The senior publication in the development field, Site Selection and its affiliated e-newsletters are also available via Site Selection Online. Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., Conway Data since 1954 has been a trusted advisor to corporations, government economic development and investment promotion agencies around the world. In addition to also operating a Custom Publishing Division, Conway owns and manages Conway Events; consultancy Conway Advisory; and New York-based Conway PR & Marketing. Conway also manages the Industrial Asset Management Council.
2020 Global Groundwork Index Rankings
Global Groundwork Index: Top 10 Countries (strong upward movers in bold) (combined infrastructure and corporate end-user project investment strength)
- United States
- Canada
- United Arab Emirates
- Australia
- United Kingdom
- Bahrain (9)
- Costa Rica (NA)
- Singapore
- Mexico
- Ireland (NA)
Global Groundwork Index: Top 10 U.S. States
- Texas
- Louisiana
- Arizona (6)
- Illinois
- Ohio
- Virginia
- New York
- North Carolina
- Georgia
- Florida (NA)
2020 Canadian Competitiveness Rankings
1. Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade
2. Alberta Ministry of Jobs, Economy and Innovation
3. British Columbia Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness
2020 Canada’s Best Locations (alphabetical order by region)
Alberta HUB (Northeast Alberta)
City of Brantford Economic Development and Tourism Department
Calgary Economic Development
Edmonton Global
Halifax Partnership
Invest in Hamilton
London Economic Development Corp.
City of Mississauga Economic Development Office
Montréal International
City of North Bay
Invest Oakville
Invest Ottawa
Québec International
Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership
Toronto Global
Vancouver Economic Commission
Waterloo EDC
WindsorEssex Economic Development
Economic Development Winnipeg
Wood Buffalo Economic Development
2020 Top Utilities In Economic Development (alphabetical order)
Alabama Power, Birmingham, Alabama
Alliant Energy, Madison, Wisconsin
Ameren, St. Louis, Missouri
American Electric Power, Columbus, Ohio
Arizona Public Service, Phoenix, Arizona
Consumers Energy, Jackson, Michigan
Dominion Energy, Richmond, Virginia
Duke Energy, Charlotte, North Carolina
Entergy, New Orleans, Louisiana
Evergy (formerly KCP&L), Kansas City, Missouri
FirstEnergy, Akron, Ohio
Georgia Power, Atlanta, Georgia
Hoosier Energy, Bloomington, Indiana
LG&E/KU Energy LLC, Louisville, Kentucky
NextEra Energy, Juno Beach, Florida
Omaha Public Power District, Omaha, Nebraska
PECO- An Exelon Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Salt River Project, Phoenix, Arizona
South Carolina Power Team, Columbia, South Carolina
Tennessee Valley Authority, Nashville, Tennessee
