• COVER PAGE

  • MOTOWN RULES

  • 1998
 PROPORTIONAL
  PERSPECTIVES

  • METHODOLOGY

  • NEW CORPORATE
 FACILITIES AND
 EXPANSIONS

  • THE LONG VIEW:
 MICHIGAN

  • 1999 FORECAST

  • 1998 TOP 20 U.S.
 FACILITIES

"Size Matters." That was perhaps 1998's most inescapable catchphrase, part of the merciless U.S. marketing of Godzilla, which turned out to be a box-office stiff (indeed, as the big, scaly fellow slunk away, a more fitting catchphrase seemed, "He's Huge. He's Angry. He's Invisible!").

Size does matter, though, in gauging state success in landing corporate facilities. To varying extent, larger states have a built-in edge in level-playing-field comparisons, a bit like Goliath (or Godzilla) vs. David, sans slingshot. That's why Site Selection looks at the long-term proportional picture. While many of SS's top 10 in annual overall totals for new facilities and expansions also appear in our proportional top 10s, the perspective can alter dramatically.

Consider North Carolina, the 11th most populous U.S. state, which repeats at No. 1 in both new jobs and new location projects per 1 million residents for the 1996-98 time frame analyzed. Also rising noticeably in proportional comparisons is Virginia, the 12th most populous state, but No. 2 in jobs per person.

South Dakota Soars

The jobs-per-resident lens also brings into focus a number of states unranked in SS's 1998 overall top 10. For example, Kentucky, South Carolina, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia and Georgia respectively rank Nos. 3-8 in jobs per person. Only the 45th most populous state, South Dakota's performance is particularly impressive.

The top 10 for new location projects per 1 million residents also includes several states that finished outside 1998's overall top 10. While respective Nos. 1-3 North Carolina, Michigan and Ohio are established powers in recent SS annual analyses, the jobs-per-person top 10 also includes Kentucky, South Carolina, South Dakota and Georgia, respectively Nos. 4-7, joined by Indiana at No. 10.

Capital investment per 1 million residents yields yet another picture. Repeating at No. 1 is Nevada, only 37th in 1998's overall totals, and repeating at No. 2 is South Carolina.

Perhaps the area in which size matters least is land area, SS's analysis suggests. At a commanding No. 1 is Ohio, the 35th largest state, joined in the top 10 by states like No. 5 Maryland, the 42nd largest state, and New Jersey, the 46th largest. And, yes, at No. 6 in this analysis is Rhode Island, the smallest U.S. state, but arguably the proportional king in matters of size. SS