Rick: Welcome to “Site Selection Matters,” where each week, we take a close look at the art and science of site selection decision making. I’m your host, Rick Weddle, president of Site Selectors Guild. In each episode this year, we’ve introduced you to leaders in the world of corporate site selection and economic development to provide you with key insight into the best and next practices in our profession. In this year-end bonus episode, we have a special treat as we bring you five high-level predictions for the coming year from five leading experts in the field of site selection and economic development.

In today’s episode, we have as our guest Didi Caldwell, principal with Global Location Strategies, Dennis Donovan, principal with Wadley-Donovan-Gutshaw Consulting, Larry Gigerich, executive managing director with Ginovus, Kenny McDonald, president and CEO of One Columbus and 2020 chair of the International Economic Development Council, and Gregg Wassmansdorf, senior managing director with Newmark. Today, we’ll take a look at what to expect in the year ahead. Join me as we welcome this distinguished group to “Site Selection Matters.”

For our first prediction today, let’s turn to Didi Caldwell, principal with Global Location Strategies. Didi, let’s get started. Just what do you see in the year ahead?

Didi: Hi, Rick. It’s good to be with you. I think that 2020 is gonna be a little bit of a continuation of what we’ve seen in 2019. I do think that the world economy is glowing. And I think that the U.S. may splurge with the recession, but my prediction is that due to many factors, political, social, economic that the U.S. will remain a strong target for capital investment, due mainly to very competitive energy costs, due to a strong and growing market entities to the demographics which are very strong for the U.S.

Rick: So, Didi, strong target for capital investment, that means good project flow.

Didi: Yes, I think so. I think there’s gonna be a shakeup that’s going to result in a realignment of many of the global supply chain. We talk about, you know, 20 or 30 years ago, that the world was round, and I think that the world is increasingly becoming more and more flat. And in so doing, I think companies are gonna focus on building, making where they sell. And so, I expect a lot of the companies that service the U.S. market, which is one of the strongest and most robust markets worldwide, they’re going to reallocate some of their manufacturing, either in the U.S. or close to the U.S., perhaps in Mexico.

Rick: Thank you, Didi. That’s very interesting. Making where they sell, that’s something I made a note of. We’ll come back to that maybe as we get in. Let’s see. Now, prediction number two, let’s turn to Dennis Donovan, principal with Wadley-Donovan-Gutshaw Consulting. Dennis, exactly what do you see in your crystal ball in 2020?

Dennis: Rick, thank you. Very happy to be on this podcast. What I see is the ad

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