General Business News

Switzerland Tops The United States

Switzerland tops the overall rankings in The Global Competitiveness Report 2009-1010, which is published by the World Economic Forum. The United States fell to second place due to the weakening in its financial markets and macroeconomic stability. Singapore, Sweden and Denmark round out the top five. The report surveyed more than 13,000 business leaders in 133 economies. It is designed to capture a broad range of factors affecting an economy's business climate. The report also includes comprehensive listings of main strengths and weaknesses of countries, making it possible to identify key priorities for policy reform. The rankings are calculated from both publicly available data and the Executive Opinion Survey, a comprehensive annual survey conducted by the World Economic Forum together with its network of partner institutes. In addition to detailed profiles for each of the 133 economies featured in the report, there are also data tables with global rankings for more than 110 indicators. The report also includes discussions of selected countries and regions. To learn more, visit www.weforum.org/gcr.

U.S. Wind Energy Industry Sluggish

Industrial Info Resources says that after a record-setting year in 2008, wind power is on target for a mediocre 2009, but prospects for 2010 and beyond are extremely bright, says Shane Mullis, Industrial Info Resource's vice president of product development-power industry. In an article written by John Egan, Mullins goes on to say “Last year was a great year for wind power installations, so good, in fact, that a lot of projects scheduled for construction in 2009 were pulled into 2008. But last year's collapse of the tax equity market cut new wind construction in half.” Last year, construction began on more than 9,000 megawatts of new wind power in the United States, but through mid-September, construction began on only 4,162 megawatts of new wind projects, based on data collected by Industrial Info. “For all of 2009, we'll be lucky if we see construction begin on a total of 4,500 megawatts of new wind projects,” Mullins says. To learn the complete details, visit www.industrialinfo.com.

Canada's Launches “Wind Vision 2025”

Industrial Info Resources also reported that the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) announced at its annual conference that the country's wind energy generating capacity would reach 3,159 megawatts by the end of this year. In addition, the country is expected to set a record by adding 790 megawatts of wind power generating capacity. What's more, wind farms are being installed in every province in Canada for the first time. Canada has embarked on “Wind Vision 2025,” with the aim of increasing the contribution of wind energy to 20 percent of the country's total energy needs. At the end of 2008, wind energy contributed less than 1 percent to the national energy grid. The initiative is expected to require investments of nearly $72.47 billion, and will add about 55,000 megawatts of wind power capacity, create 52,000 new jobs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 17 million tons. To learn more about Canada's wind power capacity and initiatives, visit www.industrialinfo.com.

Robust Growth Expected After Slow Start

The Great Recession has officially ended and recovery will be far more robust than anyone can imagine, says a white paper written by Dr. Peter Linneman, NAI Global's chief economist. The paper provides insight into the leading indicators that the market is stabilizing and investment activity is on the rise. “Although news continues to focus on the negative, the economy has bottomed and is on the road to recovery,” Linneman says. “Historically, the U.S. economy has rebounded in ways that were unimaginable at that time and usually within two years of a recession.” The paper offers proof that the recession has come to an end and that recovery, however slow, is under way. Linneman predicts a robust recovery by 2012. To download the paper, visit www.naiglobal.com.

Real Estate And Business Parks

Land Purchase Approved For Tennessee Megasite

The Tennessee Building Commission executive subcommittee recently approved $40 million in state funds to purchase more than 3,800 acres of land for a site called the West Tennessee Megasite, located in Haywood County. The site is expected to transform the economy of this rural region, which features high unemployment rates, by attracting business investments and creating jobs. The next steps for this megasite include an engineering assessment to determine infrastructure improvements needed to make the site shovel-ready and even more attractive to potential corporate investors. To learn more, visit the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development at www.tnecd.com.

Employees More Productive In “Green” Buildings

Employees who work in green buildings, defined as those that are LEED-certified at any level or those that carry the Energy Star label, are more productive than employees who work in non-green buildings. Researchers at the University of San Diego's Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate, and CB Richard Ellis, surveyed 154 green buildings nationwide containing more than 2,000 tenants, 534 of which participated in the study. The researchers gauged two measurements of productivity: sick says and self-reported productivity percentage change after moving into a new building. Forty-five percent of the respondents experienced an average of 2.88 fewer sick days at their new, green office location, versus their previous non-green office location. An equal amount noted no effect, while 10 percent reported more sick days. That 10 percent were residents of Energy Star labeled facilities, which do not have the air quality requirements that LEED-certified buildings do. In regard to the self-productivity measure, 12 percent of respondents strongly agreed that employees were more productive in green buildings; 42.5 percent agreed that employees were more productive; and 45 percent noted no change in productivity. “If you consider the benefits in terms of recruitment, retention of employees, less sick time and greater productivity, tenants should be willing to pay more rent for such space or require steep discounts for less healthy spaces,” says Norm Miller, academic director at the Burnham-Moores Center. For complete details, visit www.usdrealestate.com.

Social Networking And Trust Key To Workplace Success

A study of U.S. business leaders commissioned by Regus, a global provider of workspace solutions, found that more than eight out of 10 business leaders see significant change occurring in their workplaces; while only six out of 10 claim to have successfully changed in the past, a gap that has tripled since 2006. “Today's workforce thinks beyond the four walls of an office, but today's business leaders continue to restrict their thinking to these traditional office environments,” says Guillermo Rotman, CEO, Regus Group Americas. “Our study found that organizations with trust-based workplaces, those that grant their employees a level of independence over when and where they work, are financially outperforming their competitors.” Over-performing companies are also socially networked, where business leaders actively encourage employees to engage and collaborate with like-minded people beyond the traditional workplace boundaries. What's more two-thirds of leading companies are implementing extensive innovations to their workplace models. More than 40 percent of business leaders surveyed said they are changing their workplace models to become more collaborative. More than 80 percent believe investment in socially networked workplaces will have a positive organized impact. To learn more about the study, visit www.regus.com.

States

Florida

Panama City's New Airport Tops Out Control Tower

The Panama City-Bay County International Airport Authority recently celebrated the topping-out of the new airport's 147-foot air traffic control tower. The 100,000-pound, prefabricated, steel-framed cab section was set atop the concrete tower structure; workers will build out the glass-enclosed structure and install an elevator. The new airport is expected to open in May 2010. The airport will be the first international airport built in the United States since 9/11. To learn more about the airport, visit www.newpcairport.com.

Georgia

Mitsubishi Power Systems Selects Site In Pooler

Mitsubishi Power Systems announced in September that it would locate a new manufacturing facility to a 119-acre site in Pooler at the Chatham County Industrial Site. The company will ultimately create 500 jobs, with an investment of $325 million. The company will produce advanced steam and gas turbines at the site, and will also service turbines and related components for power generation. The facility will be constructed in three phases, serving the company's customers in North and South America. Georgia offered Mitsubishi a skilled and deep labor pool, ease of access to ports, such as the Port of Savannah, a nearby rail spur, and interstate highways. The company will begin construction this year; begin hiring in early 2010, making use of the Georgia Quick Start workforce training program; and expects to begin making components in the early fall of 2010. To learn more, visit the Georgia Department of Economic Development at www.georgia.org.

Wiregrass Power To Locate Renewable Energy Plant In Valdosta

Wiregrass Power LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sterling Energy Assets, recently announced its plans to locate a 40-megawatt renewable energy power plant in Valdosta. The Wiregrass Electric Generating Facility is a $110 million investment that will be developed on 22.1 acres next to the Mud Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, with commercial startup to begin in 2012. The electricity from this project will be sold to utilities in Georgia and put to the electric grid via a 115-kilovolt transmission line located adjacent to the project site. The biomass project will be powered by clean wood waste that would otherwise go unused and sludge from the wastewater treatment plant. By consuming an estimated 12 tons of sludge daily, Wiregrass will prevent disposal of that same volume of sludge in landfills. What's more, the project will use reclaimed water, the byproduct of the wastewater treatment plant. The project will use 750,000 gallons per day of the reclaimed water, which will eliminate an external source of cooling water and reduce the discharge of reclaimed water into Mud Creek. For complete details on this project, visit the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority at www.industrialauthority.com.

Idaho

Turning Point Promotes Regional Job Opportunities

Southern Idaho's Workforce Development Alliance (WDA) is underway with the Turning Point initiative, promoting non four-year degree career opportunities available in the region. The aim is to change perceptions and raise awareness about job opportunities that are available as the region's labor market and economy change as a result of a more diversified business base. The initiative's Web site, www.turningpointcareers.org, guides students, parents, educators, businesses and the workforce on career opportunities, course training and support programs in the manufacturing, construction and alternative energy industries. Entrepreneurial initiatives are also addressed at the Web site. Additional industries will be added as they become part of the WDA, officials note. In addition to promoting these job opportunities online, WDA will conduct career fairs and high school and CSI vocational classes. The efforts are funded by the region's Workforce Innovations in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) grant.

Illinois

Chicago Green Manufacturing Network Formed

The Chicago Manufacturing Renaissance Council and the Cleveland-based Great Lakes Wind Network have established the Chicago Green Manufacturing Network. The new initiative aims to establish Chicago as a base for the global supply chain for wind turbine manufacturing. The program aims to connect wind energy OEMs to local manufacturing companies that can produce highly specialized, technologically complex turbine parks that are in short supply. For complete details, visit www.chicagomanufacturing.org.

Kansas

Siemens Wind Power Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony

Siemens Wind Power broke ground in September for a nacelle factory, which will be located in Hutchinson and Reno County, to be built in the Salt City Business Park. The nacelles will be used for the company's 2.3 megawatt wind turbine product family. Initially, the factory's planned annual output is approximately 650 nacelles or 1,500 megawatts. Construction of this 300,000-square-foot facility began in October. In addition, the company plans to construct a 90,000-square-foot service and repair facility at the same location. The company expects to begin hiring in the spring of 2010. Siemens plans to hire 400 workers at Kansas' first major wind turbine equipment factory. The state ranks third in the country for its wind energy resource potential. To learn more about the Siemens project, visit www.hutchchamber.com.

Louisiana

Darling International Teams With Valero Energy

Darling International, Inc., a food processing byproducts recycling company, recently announced it has teamed with a subsidiary of Valero Energy Corp., to take the initial steps to form a joint venture to build a facility capable of producing more than 10,000 barrels per day or 135 million gallons per year of renewable diesel fuel. The proposed site is located adjacent to Valero's St. Charles refinery near Norco, La. The company owns and operates 16 refineries through the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. Valero also owns seven ethanol plants located in the Midwest. This proposed facility would principally convert waste grease — primarily animal fats and used cooking oil supplied by Darling — and potentially other feedstocks that become economically and commercially viable into renewable diesel. Darling and Valero will jointly seek a loan guarantee for the proposed joint venture from the U.S. Department of Energy under the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Darling International's officials caution that the proposed project is still in its early phases. In addition to gathering sufficient funding for the parties to proceed with the project, the companies' boards must also approve the project. To learn more, visit www.darlingii.com and www.valero.com.

South Carolina

Waste-To-Energy Firm Relocates To Greenville, S.C.

Waste2Energy Holdings, Inc. recently announced it will relocate it corporate headquarters from New York City to Greenville. The firm is a global supplier of proprietary gasification technology designed to convert municipal solid waste, biomass and other solid waste streams traditionally destined for landfills into clean, renewable energy. The company designs, builds and installs waste-to-energy plants that generate renewable green power, and are scalable, modular and environmentally friendly, and operate in remote environments. Waste2Energy's headquarters will initially house administration, engineering, sales and marketing, and customer service support to customers, which primarily include landfill owners/operators; project developers; municipalities; hospitals, military bases and mining sites. The firm was drawn to Greenville due to its engineering and project management talent pool, its regional airport, reasonable costs for conducting business, temperate climate and high quality of life factors. For complete details visit the Greenville Area Development Corp. at www.gogadc.com.

Texas

Coaire Selects Fort Worth

Coaire Corp., an international manufacturer and distributor of advanced energy efficient heating, air conditioning, hot water and energy-product units, announced it will site in the 80-acre Northern Crossing Business Park in Fort Worth. The company has leased an approximately 64,000-square-foot facility to serve as its central and Midwest distribution center. The company will add another 60,000 square feet for a solar panel manufacturing center during the next year. Coaire moved into the distribution center in September; and expects its manufacturing center will come online during the next year, following completion of a facility in Korea that will produce the solar cells necessary for solar panels that will be assembled at the Fort Worth facility. “We are especially pleased to welcome a company that is working to increase the use of advanced technologies that are energy efficient and environment friendly,” says David Berzina, executive vice president, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. To learn more about this project, visit www.fortworthchamber.com.

West Virginia

State's Credit Ratings Improve

In the September issue of “Open For Business,” an e-newsletter, the state of West Virginia notes Standard & Poor's Rating Service raised the state's credit rating on general obligation debt from AA- to AA. The rating means government agencies such as local school boards will be able to finance projects at lower interest rates. The state was found to have stable fiscal policies and a relatively stable economy during the downturn. What's more, Fitch Ratings gave the state's revenue bonds an A+ and upgraded the state's Rating Outlook from stable to positive. The rating reflects the state's strong financial management, in particular, the state's disciplined efforts to address financial challenges such as workers' compensation insurance systems. To learn more, visit www.wvdo.org.