Business Facilities - July 2008 - (Page 47)

exposure in sustainability reporting, that is creating the business climate tion of three and a half years of hard it can enhance a company’s bottom to provide you with both needs for work and countywide collaboration line and shareholder value. and represents the single largest ecoyour relocation or expansion. An interconnected world is a nomic development grant received great reason for all of us to create a Genesee County: in our history,” says Hyde when more sustainable world. One way to Home to the Largest announcing the grant. combat rapidly rising input costs is Agri-Business Park “This demonstrates a significant The Genesee County Economic commitment by the state to assist in to—simply enough—use fewer inputs. That’s where sustainability Development Center (GCEDC) capacity building by providing practices come in, because using broke ground this spring on what it strategically critical investments. fewer raw materials is one of the says is the largest agri-business park The Governor’s office and Dan main tenets of sustainability. CPG in the nation, according to a June Gunderson, the upstate Chairman (consumer packaged goods) compa- article in The Buffalo News. The of Empire State Development, had nies, due to the high visibility of Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park, both stated their commitment to their branded products, are—as a a vision of Steven Hyde, president support strategic industry clusters sector—more committed than most and CEO of the GCEDC, will con- and this certainly solidifies that to sustainability. There is great vert nearly 600 acres of former commitment,” Hyde adds. progress being made in corporate farmland into a business park Components of the project sustainability reporting, as well as devoted to food processing. include 1.3 million square feet of GCEDC received a $3 million food processing, research and develthe ways in which forward-looking companies are deriving value from grant from the state of New York in opment and warehouse/distribu2007, the largest single award tion space. The site could yield both sustainability practices. We are learning that, while the received by the GCEDC, according more than 1,000 new jobs to the ever-shrinking world has many ben- to Hyde. “This grant is the culmina- region when complete. Located efits, it also poses challenges; we can harness the How Companies That Report Sustainability Data interconnectedness driving Measure Up Against Those That Don’t accelerated input costs to create superior performWhen compared based on gross marance. The modern CPG gins and return on sales, the companies 75% that reported sustainability data outpersector has shown remarkformed those that didn’t. There are two 50% 49% 49% 49% 49% able adaptive abilities, 50% plausible explanations for those results: responding to recessions in One is that companies committed to sus1973, 1980-1982, 1991, 39% 39% 40% 40% 33% tainable practices tend to operate more 25% and 2001-2002 with its leanly, saving on energy costs and overtrademark resourcefulness all input costs. With energy prices rising 0% and carbon pricing policies becoming and resilience. No doubt, 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 more prevalent, companies employing CPG companies will simiReporting Non-Reporting sustainable practices should continue to larly respond to today’s enjoy the benefits of those initiatives. challenging economic enviThe second possible reason for profronment, as we remain itability is that consumers have begun steadfast in our mission of 20% placing a premium on goods produced providing the safest, highin a sustainable manner. If this is the 13% 14% 15% 14% 14% 15% est quality goods to concase, the willingness to pay extra for goods perceived as more environmensumers the world over. 10% tally friendly is likely to continue. Sustainability also is 8% 8% 8% 8% 8% created when you locate 5% Incidentally, higher margins and return on sales help counter the argument your food processing plant 0% that the expenses related to becoming close to both raw products 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 a “sustainable company,” such as and your customer base. Reporting Non-Reporting higher administrative costs, aren’t Here are some examples worth the benefits. from a key U.S. region 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 47

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

Business Facilities - July 2008 Contents First Word Snapshots Corporate Moves: New York The 2008 Business Facilities Rankings Report 2008 Rankings: Biotech Blasts Off 2008 Rankings: Green with Envy 2008 Rankings: Warm Climate for Business Nanotech Looms Large in Pennsylvania Metro Spotlight: Inland Empire, CA Food Processing Sites: Providing Sustenance as Well as Nutrition Sale-Leasebacks: Easing the Credit Crunch Corporate Moves: Georgia Metro Spotlight: Albuquerque, NM Advertiser Index Inside LiveXchange

Business Facilities - July 2008

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