The Chicago metropolitan area saw 373 corporate facility investment deals in 2013, more than any other metro area in the U.S, according to Site Selection magazine.
“Chicago is certainly one of our major markets in the US, especially with the focus on the financial customers that we have,” Howard Horowitz, senior vice president of global real estate for Equinix, told the magazine's Ron Starner. “Corporate headquarters are there for many firms. Geographic reach is there. If you want a Midwest location, Chicago is the first place you look.”
Horowitz also said latency — the delay in sending an electronic signal — was also a critical factory, especially among trading companies. Chicago remains home to one of the largest bond and commodities pits in the world, the CME.
Site Selection counts deals thusly:
- At least $1 million or more in capital investment; or
- At least 20,000 sq. ft. or more of new floor area; or
- At least 50 new jobs or greater
And, it must be a corporate firm, though retail and health-care are also excluded.
With permission from SS, here's the full table. Houston was a distant second at 255; Dallas an even more remote third at 178. Omaha was No. 1 for mid-sized metros, while there was a three-way tie among some Midwest bantam-weights among smaller metros.
Read the full story at Site Selection »
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