The bottom line is the bottom line. Whoever offers us the best deal will get our business. The bad news is when it comes to facility location, quality of life still matters. Quality employees who contribute the most to information age or New Economy companies will continue to be in short supply for at least a decade, if not longer. If you want to compete in this economy, you need the best people, and the best people are looking for a better quality of life.
Smart growth is all about quality of life.
Smart growth is citizens and communities taking control of their destinies and creating better places to live. Real smart growth communities do not try to stop growth but promote the type of growth they want. In the past, facility location was based on proximity to market or proximity to raw materials. When those issues were addressed, the facility usually was located near where the boss wanted to live. This is still happening.