Making a decision to relocate takes time, so many larger companies just hire consultants to do the legwork. They are less involved in making selections than they are in eliminating cities to be considered. So, if they are looking for cities of 500,000 or more, Spokane as a single MSA falls short of that figure. But when considered as a region, the Spokane-Kootenai County region is well above that figure. Although it becomes obvious once somebody visits the area, we currently have to convince some businesses that we're a single MSA already.
Quality of life is something both communities can offer potential new industries.
It's important to family members to locate in an area where quality of life is a factor, and their kids can benefit from a low-crime area with clean air and water. It was never as important as transportation, utility rates, those sorts of things. But the labor market has tightened and employees influence a company's decisions greatly. Smaller companies have almost always considered quality of life when moving their companies. But now, even larger companies are placing it high on their list of considerations.