Site Selection Expert Bob Ady & The Importance of Site Readiness

This year’s Spring Investor Board meeting featured its customary expert site selector keynote speaker. Bob Ady, president of Ady International, had the opportunity to visit sites in LaGrange, Steuben, DeKalb and Whitley counties before speaking. Ady shared valuable information regarding the necessity of site readiness and his impressions of the region to the Partnership’s investors.

Ady noted Indiana’s competitive cost of doing business advantage compared to its neighboring states and the region’s strategic location and proximity to major metropolitan areas in the Midwest, which serve as fundamental site selection attraction tools. Beyond the initial attraction phase, having available properties to complement Indiana’s business environment was strongly emphasized. This requires adaptation to the relevant needs of today’s new and expanding businesses. One trend especially applicable to northeast Indiana is the necessity of high ceilings. Mass square footage is now subordinate to the need for storage racking space to accommodate the integrated assembly lines and stacked goods common in modern production facilities.

Once an area is chosen for a site visit by a site selector, Ady emphasized that it is vitally important for the site to be ready to go and shovel ready. Benefits of this preparation are two-fold: certified sites lessen the risks entailed for companies and they serve the client’s immediate needs. With everything sufficiently complete prior to purchase, there is no chance that a promise of action will go unfulfilled and that expectations will not be met. Fully prepared sites stand the best chance of moving forward in the site location process and generate more site visits.

Ady’s remarks emphasize the importance of site readiness. Providing and fulfilling a clear standard for what truly constitutes a ready site will set northeast Indiana apart from the plethora of sites available across the country. Site readiness allows the marketing of sites that meet a minimum standard level which significantly reduces the risk and time required for evaluation and development.

In 2008, the Partnership began evaluating best practices for increasing the inventory of development-ready sites in northeast Indiana. Following research and the selection of Mark Williams and the Strategic Development Group as lead consultant , the Partnership launched an aggressive site certification initiative in January 2009. Sites certified by Strategic Development Group as part of the Partnership’s program will have appropriate control, planning/engineering and infrastructure in place to ensure fast, efficient and risk-free development.

The Regional Partnership’s development programs and strategies have been ongoing for nearly two years and the site certification program will help ensure northeast Indiana is ready to win competitive projects.