• COVER PAGE

 •  INTRODUCTION

  •  EUROPEAN
    CHAMPION:
THE UNITED KINGDOM

 •  THE RUNNER-UP:
     FRANCE

 •  GERMANY GRABS
     THIRD PLACE

 •  BELGIUM, NO. 4

 •  POLAND TAKES
     FIFTH PLACE

 •  IRELAND, NO. 6

 •  HUNGARY TAKES
     SEVENTH PLACE

 •  SPAIN, NO. 8

 •  THE NETHERLANDS
     RECORD BREAKING
     YEAR

 •  AUSTRIA ROUNDS
     OUT THE TOP 10

Belgium, Europe's No. 4 country overall in 1998's facilities competition (with 132 major investments), also turned in top performances in several other categories: customer service and marketing facilities, headquarters operations, research and development facilities, and call centers.

Two of the year's biggest capital investments (both expansions of existing chemicals plants) went to Belgium. 3M Healthcare announced plans to spend $2 billion at its Zwijndrecht facility, and Degussa will invest $350 million in its Antwerp plant.

Major new locations in Belgium include Gabriel Technologie, which chose Mons for a $60 million polystyrene plant; Avent, which tapped Tongeren for a $21 million electronic components distribution center; and Staples, which selected Liege (www.liegeonline.be/) for a call center employing at least 350 workers.

Wallonia, in southern Belgium, is one of the country's most active regions. It's known as a maker of steel and glass, but Wallonia is also making significant inroads in high-tech fields like aerospace and telecommunications. For a detailed report on the region's business advantages, visit Site Selection's Website (www.conway.com/webss1.htm) and click on the Wallonia Investment Guide.