Business Facilities - February 2008 - (Page A-4)

as the Skills Development Fund and the Customized Workforce Training program, offer opportunities to hire and retain employees prepared to meet the specific needs of a company. San Antonio’s location near Mexico, amid the intersection of major north-south and east-west interstate highways and rail lines, provides ample accessibility for the distribution of goods internationally. Union Pacific celebrated the groundbreaking of its new $90 million intermodal terminal in 2007. The new 300-acre rail port is expected to begin shipping and receiving goods for retailers and distribution centers in the fall of 2008. In addition, the Port Authority of San Antonio is a 2,000-acre master-planned hub of integrated air, rail, and highway logistics with an 11,500-foot, heavy-duty runway. The San Antonio International Airport is a two-terminal, 2,600-acre U.S. port of entry serving 16 major airlines. CPS Energy, the local electric and gas utility company, consistently offers reliable, diverse energy sources and maintains excess generating capacity of more than 18%. The annual average electric utility rates for industrial users are the lowest of the major Texas cities and among the lowest in the nation. With this in mind, new companies will find San Antonio to be a location that combines high productivity with an extremely competitive cost of doing business in order to achieve long-term profitability. The city of Austin, TX is actively working to promote and develop Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) technology, which includes a test center for PHEVs. Austin’s Automotive Advantage While the Greater Austin area doesn’t feature any Great Lakes and isn’t noted for its snowfall, it has quietly positioned itself as a new center for innovation in the automotive industry, just as Detroit has traditionally been the North American hub for manufacturing. In general, Texas offers costs for real estate, energy, wages, and taxes A-4 below those of most other states. Austin’s deep reservoir of technology expertise and engineering talent coupled with a business friendly environment and a central location have attracted the attention of business leaders and decision makers in diverse industries. The automotive industry is changing rapidly in response to new global demands. The next phase in the evolution of the industry calls for research and development, and innovative new approaches to manufacturing and assembly. This need for innovation requires more than just hard work—it calls for brain power. The Greater Austin area has an ample supply of both. The labor pool may be the most energetic, innovative, and educated in the world, with almost 40% of workers having attained a college degree or higher, well in excess of the national average of 27%. The productivity of the workforce is among the greatest in the U.S.—in fact, Austin ranks 10th in value added per production worker hour among the top 363 metropolitan areas in the United States. A workforce this educated and productive doesn’t happen by chance. Central Texas is distinguished by close collaboration Tower at the University of Texas, Austin between business, government, and educational institutions. Within the 100-miles surrounding Austin are 38 colleges and universities, working closely with local employers to produce world-class research and an educated, motivated workforce. Key among these is the University of Texas (UT) at Austin, a leading research university noted for its topranked electrical and computer engineering department. Every year, UT Austin graduates a new crop of talented engineers who are supplying the talent to fuel the kind of innovation needed by the automobile industry. A S P E C I A L A D V E RT I S I N G S E C T I O N O F B U S I N E S S FA C I L I T I E S A N D WA R D ’ S A U T O W O R L D PHOTO CREDITS: AUSTIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Business Facilities - February 2008

Business Facilites - February 2008 Contents First Word Snapshots Corporate Moves: Texas Capturing the Creative Class Green with Energy Automotive Opportunities in a Green Economy Corporate Moves: Wyoming Metro Spotlight: Overland Park, KS Metro Spotlight: Long Island, NY Get Ahead in Alabama Indiana: Sending Tech Messages How to Successfully Negotiate a Lease in Today's Real Estate Environment Legislation Spurring Innovation in Kentucky New Center will Propel Ontario's Automotive Future Virginia's Vital Signs Eating Well in the North of France Advertiser Index Ask the Expert

Business Facilities - February 2008

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