November 27, 2025 • 32 mins
Want a front-row seat to how billion-dollar location decisions actually get made? We sit down with Ron Starner, executive vice president of Conway Data and a leading voice at Site Selection magazine, to unpack the data, discipline and real-world tradeoffs behind corporate expansion and economic development.
Ron traces his path from a scrappy small-town newsroom to steering award-winning coverage for a global C-suite audience. He explains how the Conway Projects Database—built over four decades—anchors every ranking and feature, with clear thresholds for jobs, capital and square footage. No favorites, no spin, just verified projects and credible outside data. We dig into the misconceptions that dog the field, including the myth that editors choose winners, and explore why companies only invest where workers thrive and infrastructure delivers.
From the Mountain West’s rapid ascent to the Great Lakes’ industrial strengths, Florida’s Space Coast surge, and Delaware’s surprising talent magnetism, we map where capital is flowing and why. Ron also breaks down the growing pushback from NIMBY to BANANA—build absolutely nothing anywhere near anybody—and what that means for communities vying for high-wage jobs. Then we look ahead: how AI is reshaping site selection modeling, redefining workforce needs and elevating demand for engineers and AI-ready technicians across sectors.
If you work in PR or economic development, you’ll hear practical guidance on pitching corporate real estate stories that matter—think outcomes, not hype, and understand the difference between commercial and corporate real estate. If you’re an operator or policymaker, you’ll learn what moves the needle: policy clarity, talent pipelines, reliable power and water, and a culture that says yes to sustainable, community-friendly investment.
Enjoy the conversation? Follow Ron on LinkedIn and subscribe to Site Selection’s Investor Watch newsletter.
And if this sparked fresh ideas, subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a quick review so more listeners can find the show.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Angela (00:05):
Welcome to Media in Minutes.
This is your host, AngelaToole.
This podcast features in-depthinterviews with those who report
on the world around us.
They share everything fromtheir favorite stories to what
happened behind the lens andgive us a glimpse into their
world.
From our studio here atCommunications Redefined, this
is Media in Minutes.
Today we're talking with RonStarner, executive vice
(00:31):
president of Conway Data andSite Selection magazine, one of
the most respected publicationsin corporate real estate
facility planning and economicdevelopment.
For more than 25 years, Ron haswritten and led editorial
coverage for site selection,delivering award-winning stories
on business expansion,corporate investment, and the
communities that make thosedeals possible.
(00:52):
He also oversees Conway'scustom content publishing
division and has become atrusted voice in the world of
corporate location strategy andeconomic development
storytelling.
Hello, Ron.
How are you today?
Ron (01:06):
I'm doing great, Angela.
Great to be with you.
Angela (01:08):
Yes, I'm looking forward to speaking with you.
I must start with you know,you've been with Conway in Site
Selection for more than twodecades.
What first brought you into theworld of business journalism
and that economic developmentmedia?
Ron (01:24):
Well, Angela, from the time I was about 12 years old, I
always wanted to be a writer.
And uh, you're probably gonnalaugh when I tell you this.
But I began my writing careerwriting and drawing comic books
just for my own amusement andentertainment when I was 12.
And I um I guess maybe a partof me hoped that I would, you
(01:47):
know, one day be a comic book,you know, author or illustrator
or whatever.
But I think mainly what I wasdoing was really developing a
passion for storytelling.
Angela (01:59):
Yeah.
Ron (01:59):
And um, so I I really knew from a young age that what I
wanted to do.
And uh so I studied journalismat Liberty University in
Virginia, and uh, you know, butthe rest, as they say, is
history.
Angela (02:14):
It's history.
So how did you get into thistype of journalism though?
Ron (02:19):
Well, as most young Cub journalists start out, uh, you
probably know this better thanmost, Angela.
You know, you go, you you'llyou'll go to anyone who will
take you, right?
And uh it took me a while tofind my footing, but I caught on
with a small community dailypaper in Central Florida called
the Winter Haven News Chief.
Angela (02:40):
Uh-huh.
Ron (02:41):
Uh small town, small paper.
But the beauty of that, Angela,was I got to do a little bit of
everything.
I mean, not just going out andcovering City Hall and writing
stories about it, but you know,fielding phone calls in the
newsroom from little old ladieswho are complaining because the
paper boy threw through herpaper under her car and she
(03:05):
can't get to it.
So I would I would grab a freshpaper, get in my car, drive
down the street, give it to thehand it to the lady in person,
and go back to the shop.
When you're at a smallcommunity paper, you do
everything, right?
You empty the waste baskets,you do everything but clean the
(03:25):
toilets.
And so uh I took pictures, so Ilearned how to become a
photographer, I did layout anddesign.
Um, and the interesting thingabout that, Angela, is every
single skill that I learned aton the job at that small paper,
um, I would later put intopractice in my journalism career
(03:46):
in one form or the other.
But basically, after being atthe local paper for eight years,
I then went to a businessjournal in Central Florida.
It was actually called theFlorida Real Estate Journal.
And that's where I basicallylearned the ropes about
commercial real estate,corporate real estate, site
selection, and economicdevelopment.
(04:09):
And it was the experience Igained there that prepared me
well for site selectionmagazine.
Angela (04:15):
Yes, that that makes perfect sense now.
So tell us a little bit moreabout Conway data and its
relationship with Site SelectionMagazine.
How do the two work together?
Ron (04:26):
Well, it comes by its name, honestly, because it was
founded by Mac Conway in Atlantain the 1940s.
Mac was a true visionary inevery sense of that word.
I mean, he was literally wayahead of his times.
Um, he basically founded theprofession of economic
(04:46):
development.
And in 1954, he launched ajournal to chronicle the growth
of economic development, both athome and abroad.
Um, he called his flagshippublication site selection.
And here we are, nearly 72years later.
In fact, on January 1 of 2026,we will officially celebrate our
(05:12):
72nd anniversary as a magazine.
And I'm proud to say it's stillgoing strong and still making a
difference in the world.
Angela (05:19):
Yes, and very credible.
I mean, it's a it's an outletthat many turn to and trust.
So that is definitely somethingto be proud of.
What is your role like asexecutive vice president?
I know I'm sure no two days arethe same, but tell us a little
bit about you know yourresponsibilities and role.
Ron (05:39):
So it it encompasses quite a lot.
Um, I mean, I'm involved in theexecutive management of the
company.
Um we uh we we are still familyowned by the Conway family.
Wow, but um they actually liveuh in another state.
So they have basically ceded toto me and the other senior
(06:04):
managers at the company the Iguess the freedom, if you will,
to run the day-to-day operationsin the best interest of company
ownership.
And that's what we strive to doevery day.
Uh as far as on a besides that,um, I'm still very much
involved on the editorial andproduction side of the magazine.
Um, you'll you'll see mybyline, you know, throughout the
(06:27):
magazine.
We not only publish siteselection, but we also publish a
series of custom contentmagazines for economic
development clients.
So these would be people whoyou might see, you know, run a
full-page ad in the magazine,and they decide, you know what,
we'd like to have a magazine ofour own.
(06:47):
And you guys seem to be prettygood at making magazines.
So would you do one for us?
And so now we have a wholeroster of states.
We have about 15 states that weeither annually or biannually
produce an official stateeconomic development guide for
them.
Uh, among the among the clientswe have are like the state of
Texas, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan,Arkansas, Illinois,
(07:13):
Mississippi.
I mean, the the list goes on,but um, you kind of get get the
gist of it is you know, we we'vejust parlayed what we do um,
you know, uh regularly for ourbusiness as an opportunity to to
produce custom content forclients that need that.
Angela (07:28):
Yeah, that's great.
What a way to evolve and tofill a fill a need as well.
So, how for those who are notsuper familiar, how would you
describe site selection'smission and audience?
Ron (07:40):
So we are we I mean, we call ourselves, you know, the uh
the official journal ofcorporate real estate and site
selection strategy.
And our mission, I guess you'dboil it down, Angela, to say is
to help our readers make thebest possible decisions for
where and how to select theoptimal locations for all of
(08:03):
their business operations andfacilities, as well as their
workforce.
So our target audience is theC-suite of large and growing
companies, and approximatelytwo-thirds of that uh audience,
which is our controlledqualified circulation, would be
senior leaders at very largemanufacturing companies.
(08:23):
So these are like your CampbellSoups of the world, you know,
General Mills, Glaxo SmithKlein, Pfizer, you know,
wherever you find a Fortune 500company, you're probably gonna
find multiple subscribers tosite selection.
Angela (08:39):
Okay, if that makes sense.
So, how do you decide whichprojects or stories to
highlight?
I'm sure a lot come your way.
Ron (08:49):
Absolutely.
People like you keep us verybusy because you're constantly
calling me and emailing me andsaying, Hey, look at me over
here, write about me, cover me,give me an award, give me a
ranking.
You know, so I'm I'm I'm beingfacetious about it.
Right, right.
But I mean, obviously, my inboxis full every day with dozens
(09:10):
and dozens of uh pitches.
Yeah, and um, I I must say,Angela, yours are better than
most.
So thank you for for the jobthat you do.
But um ultimately at the end ofthe day, what makes the biggest
difference in what we choose tocover, Angela, is our database.
So you'd ask, what's thisrelationship like between Conway
(09:32):
data and site selection?
Well, I'm about to answer thatquestion.
We're called Conway Databecause our chief product output
is the Conway ProjectsDatabase.
So we are the only mediacompany in the world that has
systematically tracked,recorded, measured, quantified,
(09:55):
and reported on uh significantcorporate real estate investment
activity worldwide.
And we've done that for thepast 40 years.
This content that we have inour proprietary database um is
what is used to inform ourwriting.
There's hardly a story that weproduce that isn't influenced in
(10:20):
in some way, shape, or form bythe data in our project's
database.
It's really the the lifeblood.
Like if we had a circulationsystem for the company, it would
be the project's databasebecause everything that flows
out of it informs our stories.
Angela (10:37):
Wow, that's great.
That that gives some realinsight to that as well.
If you could correct onemisunderstanding that people
either have about that some haveabout site selection or even
economic development in general,what would it be?
Ron (10:52):
I would have to say it would be the misperception that
economic development is somehowharmful or dangerous, or you
know, that progress is harmful,and that companies don't care
about their communities and thepeople who live there.
Um, I would like to set therecord straight for those folks
and say it is quite theopposite.
(11:14):
Um and site selection reallyproves it because companies only
feel safe when they invest inplaces that treat people well
and offer good surroundings fortheir employees.
I mean, look, at the end of theday, we write about companies
that pay good living wages, thatput food on the table and
(11:38):
shelter over the heads ofworking families.
We like to think that in somesmall way, you know, those of us
that work at Conway Data andSite Selection Magazine, that by
shining a bright light on thatactivity activity, that we help
create more of it.
Angela (11:54):
Yes.
Oh, I love that perspective.
You had also mentioned umrankings a little bit.
And I know the magazine's knownfor its influential rankings
like the Governor's Cup, TopMetros.
Can you share how thoserankings come together and
what's you know a commonmisconception misconception
about how they're determined?
Ron (12:13):
Sure.
I'd love to, and thanks forgiving me the opportunity to
talk about them, Angela.
Um as I mentioned, just likeall of our stories are informed
by our data, all of our rankingsare based on our data, which
comes from the Conway Project'sdatabase.
So every so to qualify forinclusion in the database, a
(12:35):
project must meet one of threeminimal criteria.
It must be a capital investmentof $1 million or greater, or
result in the creation of 20,000square feet of new space or
greater, or result in thecreation of 50 new jobs or
greater.
As long as it meets one ofthose three thresholds, it will
(12:56):
be included in the database.
It also must be corporate-ownedand occupied space.
Certain leases will qualify ifthey meet certain criteria, but
for the most part, we're talkingabout manufacturing plants,
data centers, call centers,corporate and regional
headquarters, other back officeoperations, and other uh
(13:19):
operational facilities thatserve the corporate interest.
Okay.
So for example, we don't trackchurches, schools, colleges and
universities, institutions, um,museums.
Uh, we don't track retailspace.
Um, we really track thefacility investments of primary
(13:44):
industries, people that areactually creating and adding
value.
So um, and we actually employ afull-time team of at least four
researchers who literally, thisis all they do, Angela.
They spend the entire yearscouring the planet for project
data.
So those numbers then form thebasis of all of our rankings and
(14:07):
all of our articles, becausenot only do we do we put the
project the projects in there,but we have like job numbers,
capital investment numbers,square footage numbers, the
locations, um, and and allwhether they're new or an
expansion, what type of facilitythey are.
There, there are so many datafields that we fill out, and
(14:28):
that forms the basis ofeverything we do from Governor's
Cup to business climaterankings to most competitive
states.
Now, in some of those rankings,we do supplement our own
project data with otherreputable outside sources, such
as the Tax Foundation, theLumina Foundation, and others
that we believe to be credible,reputable, and have sound
(14:50):
methodology uh for their uh fortheir criteria.
Angela (14:55):
Wow, what an undertaking.
But that's that's why it's socredible, right?
Ron (14:59):
And it's important that we stick to that because you know,
you had asked it, you know, dopeople have any, are there any
common misperceptions about howour rankings are determined?
And I would say that the answerto that question, Angela, is
yes, there are commonmisperceptions.
One is that there is thatsomehow we the editors pick our
(15:20):
favorites that we just like tosit around, you know, we all
light up cigars and we're in theback room and we're drinking
bourbon.
Right.
We think, hey, who do we wantto win top business climber this
year?
I don't know.
I'm kind of partial to Texas.
I've always wanted to be on aranch in Texas.
So why don't we just give it toTexas?
I'm serious.
Isn't people think that we justsit around and it's like a it's
(15:42):
like a beauty contest, right?
And nothing could be fartherfrom the truth.
I mean, we honestly, those ofus who are who are the editors,
the journalists doing the workat site selection, um, we we
really uh do not care who wins.
We don't we play no favorites,so that's why it's always based
on the data.
(16:02):
And at the end of the day, thedata is what it is.
Trust me, I hear all the timefrom people who do not win our
rankings or don't score in thetop 10.
I'm sure, Ron, how could you dothis?
I thought you were my friend.
Why are you stabbing me in theback?
And I'm like, I'm sorry, thenthe data is what it is, and you
(16:23):
know, just do better next yearand maybe maybe you'll be
ranked.
But I I have no influence overthat, right?
I know and like I can't tellyou why you finished 17th
instead of seventh, or why youfinished last instead of first,
but the numbers are what theyare, so sometimes it's hard to
get that through the minds ofpeople where you know, most
(16:45):
people tend to view their stateor their community in
rose-colored glasses, yes,particularly if they're in
economic development.
So they're typically onlyseeing the shiny parts, and you
know, they're not um as readilywilling to admit publicly that
things may not always be thatshiny, you know, and that's
(17:06):
okay.
I mean, we all live in floggedcommunities, so you know you
can't win them all.
Um, the key is, you know, tryto make positive progress.
You know, if you're 37th inbusiness climate, maybe you can
make some actual policy changesat the state level to go up from
37th to 27th.
Well, that's a huge improvementthat shows progress, and that's
(17:29):
how you take a uh a poor orunderperforming situation and
turn it around.
Angela (17:35):
That's such great advice.
So you've watched economicdevelopment evolve for more than
25 years.
What changes have surprised youthe most?
And and what are you seeingnow?
Ron (17:46):
That's a great question, and it's a hard one to answer
because the answer is a lot.
But I'm I tried to uh inpreparation for this, I boiled
it down to a couple of things.
Angela (17:56):
Okay.
Ron (17:56):
One is the rise of the mountain west region as a
preferred destination foreconomic development,
particularly in the form ofinvestment projects.
When I got to site selection,honestly, most of those states
were places that investors wouldfly over.
There wasn't a lot going on inIdaho, Nevada, Utah, you know,
(18:21):
Wyoming, Montana.
And now they've become like thehottest destination in the
country.
And so that's that's kind ofblown me away.
The second thing is in terms ofwhat surprised me the most, I
would say the rising tide ofNIMBYism as a roadblock to
economic development, um,particularly in places that
(18:43):
really need growth anddevelopment.
And um I would say this issomething not just over the past
25 years, but particularly overthe past five years, uh, we
we've seen NIMBYism like thisrise to a whole nother level.
Angela (18:57):
For those who don't know, can you describe to us
what NIMBYism is?
Ron (19:00):
Yeah, yeah, it's it's an it's an acronym for not in my
backyard.
So these are people that don'twant, they really are opposed to
progress.
It goes back to my earlierpoint.
Yeah, when I said like thecompanies aren't the enemy here
because they're employers,they're providing good jobs,
good wages, they're raising thestandard of living in the
community, which ultimatelyraises the quality of life.
(19:23):
So we have to stop looking atthe employers as the enemy, and
we should start looking at themas the investors who are helping
make a better tomorrow for thepeople who live there.
The NIMBY's of the world aresaying, well, just build this
someplace else.
Angela (19:41):
Yeah.
Ron (19:41):
You know, and you know, if everybody says that, well, guess
what happens?
It's not long before nothinggets built anywhere.
That leads to my new favoriteacronym, which is Banana.
And banana stands for buildabsolutely nothing anywhere near
anybody.
And and and we're actuallyseeing groups like this.
(20:04):
I actually interviewed theexecutive, I'm not gonna name
him or his group, but Iinterviewed the executive
director of a very influentialnational organization about two
weeks ago on on a topic I waswriting about, and he said his
(20:24):
advice to every community inAmerica is to say no to every
single project in thisparticular sector.
So that's that's not NIMBYism,Angela, that's bananaism, right?
That's build absolutely nothinganywhere near anybody, and
(20:47):
that's where we've come totoday.
And that's you know, it'sdisappointing, but it is a
challenge, it's an ongoingchallenge for our subscribers,
our readers, because they're thepeople that are building these
projects and want to build themin your community.
And, you know, the more theyencounter opposition like this,
the more they just move on tothe next location that does want
(21:09):
them.
So I would say the winners inthe future are gonna be those
locations that embrace umsustainable, wise,
community-friendly corporateinvestment, work with them to
find creative solutions to theirproblems.
Those are the places that aregoing to prosper.
(21:29):
And the community is full ofthe bananas and nimbies of the
world, they're gonna be leftbehind.
Angela (21:34):
Yes, absolutely.
What are some of your favoriteor most memorable stories you've
done over the years?
Ron (21:42):
Well, that's another great question.
I had to think about this onefor a long time, but I'd have to
say the one that stands out themost to me was titled The
Anatomy of a Deal.
It was about the decision madeby Hertz Rental Cars about a
decade ago to relocate itscorporate headquarters from New
(22:04):
Jersey to Fort Myers, Florida.
Um, and so what I did is Ideconstructed that entire deal
from start to finish.
I looked at every possibleangle of it.
I interviewed virtuallyeveryone who had anything to do
with the deal.
Angela (22:20):
Wow.
Ron (22:21):
And I would say that to this day, I think that is
probably the best story thatI've ever written for site
selection.
Angela (22:27):
How long did it take?
Do you know what I'm saying?
Ron (22:29):
I worked on it for many weeks, I mean, maybe even
months, but it was it wasfascinating because you know,
every time you talk to adifferent person who had
something to do with a project,you learn something new.
And so it was like put stackinglayer upon layer upon layer,
you know, and at the end of it,it was like, wow, this really
(22:51):
all made sense.
I can see why they did this.
And, you know, I looked at theimpact on not just both not just
both communities.
There was the impact on thecommunity that lost it, which I
think was Bergen County, NewJersey.
Right.
There was the impact on thecommunity that won it, which was
Lee County, Florida.
But I also looked at the impacton uh Tulsa, Oklahoma, which
(23:15):
was also in the running for thisproject.
And and and so I and Iinterviewed people in all three
of these communities and I askedthem, you know, like, why did
you win or why did you lose?
And they had some veryinsightful things to say.
Angela (23:30):
That's fantastic.
I think you know, that's one ofthe reasons a lot of us love
journalism is hearing fromeveryone, finding all the
angles, all the sides, and thenputting it out there for the
readers to, you know, interpretwith all of the information.
And I think that's just one ofthe best things about
journalism.
Absolutely.
You mentioned the AmericanWest, but are there other
(23:51):
emerging regions?
Or I don't know that they'reemerging anymore, but um, or
cities you believe are ones towatch for business investment
right now.
Ron (23:59):
Yeah, for sure.
I thought of three that I wouldpoint out for the purpose of
this discussion.
One is the Great Lakes regionof the upper Midwest.
The reason I mentioned that ithas all of the essential
infrastructure needed byexpanding manufacturers, that
being power, water,transportation, supportive
communities, and especially acapable and well-trained
(24:21):
workforce in manufacturing.
The second would be the area wecall the Space Coast, which is
basically uh East CentralFlorida, stretching all the way
from Melbourne, Titusville toOrlando.
Right now, some of the largestcompanies in the world are
already investing literallybillions of dollars to build a
(24:42):
base of infrastructure in thatregion.
Not many people know about it,but they will in the years to
come.
Um, and then the third one isthe state of Delaware.
So Delaware is the secondsmallest state in the country.
Angela (24:56):
Yeah.
Ron (24:57):
It's also the first state in the country, um, but not many
people know about it.
And yet, when I recently didsome digging into it, I found
that it is actually growing its25 to 44-year-old population at
a rate that is much faster thanthe national average.
Angela (25:14):
Really?
Ron (25:15):
Delaware is so small, it only has three counties.
Angela (25:18):
Yeah.
Ron (25:18):
The southernmost county is called Sussex County, and uh
that's where you have thebeaches and the the coastal
communities.
It's absolutely beautiful.
Angela (25:27):
Yes, yes, yes.
Ron (25:28):
But um it's one of the fastest growing counties in
America for that younger half ofthe workforce.
And the reason that's importantis that is the demographic
cohort of the workforce thatemployers covet the most.
It's the most highly trained,the most highly educated.
That's the thing that youcompanies build a future around,
(25:50):
our 25 to 44-year-olds.
And so Delaware is kind of likethis oasis of middle America
affordability on the easternseaboard.
You know, it's only two hoursfrom New York City and only two
hours from Washington, D.C.
But those are very expensivemarkets.
The average company cannotafford to do business there,
(26:12):
cannot afford to hire workersthere, but the average company
can in Delaware.
So that's just a place I'd keepan eye on.
Angela (26:19):
Oh, those are great.
We will definitely keep bekeeping an eye on those for
sure.
Many of our listeners work inpublic relations.
So, and we mentioned that alittle bit before, but what's
the best way for them tocollaborate with you or pitch a
story idea?
Ron (26:34):
Great question.
Again, I would say start bygetting to know our publication.
Uh the start by getting to knowthe topics that we frequently
cover and our audience, start tothink like our audience would
think, and then ask, what wouldI want to know more about if I
were a regular reader of siteselection?
(26:56):
So I I think you kind of haveto try to get inside the mind of
a manufacturing executive orthe CEO who um has operations
all over the country and think,you know, what what would she or
he want to know in a magazinethat would help that person run
(27:18):
their company more effectively?
So I would say it's kind of,you know, start by getting to
know us and the topics we writeabout.
Angela (27:24):
Yeah, that's great advice.
And I know we've talked alittle bit about misperceptions,
mistakes.
You know, what do you think aresome common mistakes aside from
not getting to know what youwrite about and about the
outlet?
Ron (27:35):
So the biggest one is confusing commercial real estate
for corporate real estate.
They are really not the samething.
Commercial real estate is inbusiness to make money from
leasing and selling space.
Angela (27:51):
Right.
Ron (27:52):
Corporate real estate is all about implementing corporate
strategy to yield the bestpossible outcomes for all facets
of the company.
And one of the ways they dothat is by maximizing
efficiencies in the overallcorporate real estate portfolio.
Angela (28:10):
Okay.
Ron (28:11):
So it's sort of like the difference between the landlord
and the tenant, right?
Angela (28:16):
Yeah.
Ron (28:16):
Commercial real estate really represents the landlord's
interest.
Corporate, corporate realestate basically are the
tenants.
So um commercial real estateare the sellers of space,
corporate real estate are thebuyers of space.
Angela (28:34):
Yes, that's a great way to explain it.
Before we go, I have to askwhat trends or issues or even
technologies do you think willmost shape site selection and
economic development in the nextfew years?
Ron (28:47):
Well, certainly the growing influence and impact of AI on
site selection decision makingand corporate real estate
management is probably numberone.
But a close second would be theongoing impact that AI is
having on the workforce at alllevels of production, from the
frontline to the C-suite.
Um, obviously, there arecertain industries where the
(29:11):
workforce is being replaced uhby automation.
And that's something to keep aneye on moving forward because
it is going to ultimately impactwhat types of facilities are
built, where they're built, andthe types of people they will
hire to staff them.
So one of the things that we'refocusing on now is um it kind
(29:36):
of behooves locations to have anAI ready workforce.
If you have a workforce thatknows how to work with AI,
you're probably gonna stand abetter chance of landing the
manufacturing projects of thefuture.
So uh these are things thatwe're covering now in more in
more detail, in more depth.
And I and I think I think it'sonly gonna grow in importance as
(29:59):
time goes on.
Angela (30:00):
On yes.
Are you seeing more high-levelor highly paid jobs, but less of
them?
Ron (30:07):
Yeah, look, it's already impacted the legal profession.
Angela (30:10):
Yeah.
Ron (30:11):
Um, it's um it's impacted my profession.
I mean, certainly publishersare not immune to this, so it's
having an impact there.
Um, I would say the themid-level management uh sector
is being affected the most.
But certainly um on the on theassembly line, you know,
(30:32):
automation um is advancing byleaps and bounds every year.
And it doesn't mean that therewon't be a need for production
employees, but it does mean youneed a higher skilled, a higher
level of production employee,someone who's well versed in
computer technology and quitefrankly, AI.
(30:54):
So um, I mean, we're we'regonna need a lot more engineers,
uh, not fewer engineers movingforward.
So, you know, if I wereadvising a young person that's
trying to think about, you know,picking uh a rewarding and
long-lasting career that's gonnapay well, uh, you really cannot
(31:14):
go wrong with engineering.
Angela (31:16):
That's great.
I'll have to tell my tell mychildren that.
That is something they wereconsidering for sure.
This has been fascinating.
I love all of your insight, andwe can continue to read it
through site selection.
Uh, tell us what the best wayis to connect with you online.
Ron (31:34):
So I'm pretty active on LinkedIn.
So I said probably the best wayif you want to follow what I
have to share.
And pretty much everything Ishare on LinkedIn comes straight
from our company and ourpublication.
Okay.
So I'm you can find me I'm RonStarner with uh Site Selection
magazine on LinkedIn, prettyeasy to find there.
And then the other thing is umI would encourage listeners to
(31:54):
subscribe to our freee-newsletter.
It's called the Site SelectionInvestor Watch.
It comes out every Monday andThursday.
It's it's fairly short, it'spretty concise.
Like literally, you can readthe whole thing in five minutes.
But if you want to keep up withwhat's happening in corporate
real estate, site selection andeconomic development, I would
(32:15):
say reading the investor watchtwice a week is the way to go.
Angela (32:19):
Wonderful.
Thank you for your time, Ron.
Ron (32:21):
Of course.
Thank you.
Angela (32:24):
That's all for this episode of Media and Minutes, a
podcast by CommunicationsRedefined.
Take a moment to rate, review,and subscribe to our show.
We'd love to hear what youthink.
You can find more atCommunications
Redefined.comslash podcast.
I'm your host, Angela Toole.
Talk to you next time.
Welcome to Media in Minutes.
This is your host, AngelaToole.
This podcast features in-depthinterviews with those who report
on the world around us.
They share everything fromtheir favorite stories to what
happened behind the lens andgive us a glimpse into their
world.
From our studio here atCommunications Redefined, this
is Media in Minutes.
Today we're talking with RonStarner, executive vice
(00:31):
president of Conway Data andSite Selection magazine, one of
the most respected publicationsin corporate real estate
facility planning and economicdevelopment.
For more than 25 years, Ron haswritten and led editorial
coverage for site selection,delivering award-winning stories
on business expansion,corporate investment, and the
communities that make thosedeals possible.
(00:52):
He also oversees Conway'scustom content publishing
division and has become atrusted voice in the world of
corporate location strategy andeconomic development
storytelling.
Hello, Ron.
How are you today?
Ron (01:06):
I'm doing great, Angela.
Great to be with you.
Angela (01:08):
Yes, I'm looking forward to speaking with you.
I must start with you know,you've been with Conway in Site
Selection for more than twodecades.
What first brought you into theworld of business journalism
and that economic developmentmedia?
Ron (01:24):
Well, Angela, from the time I was about 12 years old, I
always wanted to be a writer.
And uh, you're probably gonnalaugh when I tell you this.
But I began my writing careerwriting and drawing comic books
just for my own amusement andentertainment when I was 12.
And I um I guess maybe a partof me hoped that I would, you
(01:47):
know, one day be a comic book,you know, author or illustrator
or whatever.
But I think mainly what I wasdoing was really developing a
passion for storytelling.
Angela (01:59):
Yeah.
Ron (01:59):
And um, so I I really knew from a young age that what I
wanted to do.
And uh so I studied journalismat Liberty University in
Virginia, and uh, you know, butthe rest, as they say, is
history.
Angela (02:14):
It's history.
So how did you get into thistype of journalism though?
Ron (02:19):
Well, as most young Cub journalists start out, uh, you
probably know this better thanmost, Angela.
You know, you go, you you'llyou'll go to anyone who will
take you, right?
And uh it took me a while tofind my footing, but I caught on
with a small community dailypaper in Central Florida called
the Winter Haven News Chief.
Angela (02:40):
Uh-huh.
Ron (02:41):
Uh small town, small paper.
But the beauty of that, Angela,was I got to do a little bit of
everything.
I mean, not just going out andcovering City Hall and writing
stories about it, but you know,fielding phone calls in the
newsroom from little old ladieswho are complaining because the
paper boy threw through herpaper under her car and she
(03:05):
can't get to it.
So I would I would grab a freshpaper, get in my car, drive
down the street, give it to thehand it to the lady in person,
and go back to the shop.
When you're at a smallcommunity paper, you do
everything, right?
You empty the waste baskets,you do everything but clean the
(03:25):
toilets.
And so uh I took pictures, so Ilearned how to become a
photographer, I did layout anddesign.
Um, and the interesting thingabout that, Angela, is every
single skill that I learned aton the job at that small paper,
um, I would later put intopractice in my journalism career
(03:46):
in one form or the other.
But basically, after being atthe local paper for eight years,
I then went to a businessjournal in Central Florida.
It was actually called theFlorida Real Estate Journal.
And that's where I basicallylearned the ropes about
commercial real estate,corporate real estate, site
selection, and economicdevelopment.
(04:09):
And it was the experience Igained there that prepared me
well for site selectionmagazine.
Angela (04:15):
Yes, that that makes perfect sense now.
So tell us a little bit moreabout Conway data and its
relationship with Site SelectionMagazine.
How do the two work together?
Ron (04:26):
Well, it comes by its name, honestly, because it was
founded by Mac Conway in Atlantain the 1940s.
Mac was a true visionary inevery sense of that word.
I mean, he was literally wayahead of his times.
Um, he basically founded theprofession of economic
(04:46):
development.
And in 1954, he launched ajournal to chronicle the growth
of economic development, both athome and abroad.
Um, he called his flagshippublication site selection.
And here we are, nearly 72years later.
In fact, on January 1 of 2026,we will officially celebrate our
(05:12):
72nd anniversary as a magazine.
And I'm proud to say it's stillgoing strong and still making a
difference in the world.
Angela (05:19):
Yes, and very credible.
I mean, it's a it's an outletthat many turn to and trust.
So that is definitely somethingto be proud of.
What is your role like asexecutive vice president?
I know I'm sure no two days arethe same, but tell us a little
bit about you know yourresponsibilities and role.
Ron (05:39):
So it it encompasses quite a lot.
Um, I mean, I'm involved in theexecutive management of the
company.
Um we uh we we are still familyowned by the Conway family.
Wow, but um they actually liveuh in another state.
So they have basically ceded toto me and the other senior
(06:04):
managers at the company the Iguess the freedom, if you will,
to run the day-to-day operationsin the best interest of company
ownership.
And that's what we strive to doevery day.
Uh as far as on a besides that,um, I'm still very much
involved on the editorial andproduction side of the magazine.
Um, you'll you'll see mybyline, you know, throughout the
(06:27):
magazine.
We not only publish siteselection, but we also publish a
series of custom contentmagazines for economic
development clients.
So these would be people whoyou might see, you know, run a
full-page ad in the magazine,and they decide, you know what,
we'd like to have a magazine ofour own.
(06:47):
And you guys seem to be prettygood at making magazines.
So would you do one for us?
And so now we have a wholeroster of states.
We have about 15 states that weeither annually or biannually
produce an official stateeconomic development guide for
them.
Uh, among the among the clientswe have are like the state of
Texas, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan,Arkansas, Illinois,
(07:13):
Mississippi.
I mean, the the list goes on,but um, you kind of get get the
gist of it is you know, we we'vejust parlayed what we do um,
you know, uh regularly for ourbusiness as an opportunity to to
produce custom content forclients that need that.
Angela (07:28):
Yeah, that's great.
What a way to evolve and tofill a fill a need as well.
So, how for those who are notsuper familiar, how would you
describe site selection'smission and audience?
Ron (07:40):
So we are we I mean, we call ourselves, you know, the uh
the official journal ofcorporate real estate and site
selection strategy.
And our mission, I guess you'dboil it down, Angela, to say is
to help our readers make thebest possible decisions for
where and how to select theoptimal locations for all of
(08:03):
their business operations andfacilities, as well as their
workforce.
So our target audience is theC-suite of large and growing
companies, and approximatelytwo-thirds of that uh audience,
which is our controlledqualified circulation, would be
senior leaders at very largemanufacturing companies.
(08:23):
So these are like your CampbellSoups of the world, you know,
General Mills, Glaxo SmithKlein, Pfizer, you know,
wherever you find a Fortune 500company, you're probably gonna
find multiple subscribers tosite selection.
Angela (08:39):
Okay, if that makes sense.
So, how do you decide whichprojects or stories to
highlight?
I'm sure a lot come your way.
Ron (08:49):
Absolutely.
People like you keep us verybusy because you're constantly
calling me and emailing me andsaying, Hey, look at me over
here, write about me, cover me,give me an award, give me a
ranking.
You know, so I'm I'm I'm beingfacetious about it.
Right, right.
But I mean, obviously, my inboxis full every day with dozens
(09:10):
and dozens of uh pitches.
Yeah, and um, I I must say,Angela, yours are better than
most.
So thank you for for the jobthat you do.
But um ultimately at the end ofthe day, what makes the biggest
difference in what we choose tocover, Angela, is our database.
So you'd ask, what's thisrelationship like between Conway
(09:32):
data and site selection?
Well, I'm about to answer thatquestion.
We're called Conway Databecause our chief product output
is the Conway ProjectsDatabase.
So we are the only mediacompany in the world that has
systematically tracked,recorded, measured, quantified,
(09:55):
and reported on uh significantcorporate real estate investment
activity worldwide.
And we've done that for thepast 40 years.
This content that we have inour proprietary database um is
what is used to inform ourwriting.
There's hardly a story that weproduce that isn't influenced in
(10:20):
in some way, shape, or form bythe data in our project's
database.
It's really the the lifeblood.
Like if we had a circulationsystem for the company, it would
be the project's databasebecause everything that flows
out of it informs our stories.
Angela (10:37):
Wow, that's great.
That that gives some realinsight to that as well.
If you could correct onemisunderstanding that people
either have about that some haveabout site selection or even
economic development in general,what would it be?
Ron (10:52):
I would have to say it would be the misperception that
economic development is somehowharmful or dangerous, or you
know, that progress is harmful,and that companies don't care
about their communities and thepeople who live there.
Um, I would like to set therecord straight for those folks
and say it is quite theopposite.
(11:14):
Um and site selection reallyproves it because companies only
feel safe when they invest inplaces that treat people well
and offer good surroundings fortheir employees.
I mean, look, at the end of theday, we write about companies
that pay good living wages, thatput food on the table and
(11:38):
shelter over the heads ofworking families.
We like to think that in somesmall way, you know, those of us
that work at Conway Data andSite Selection Magazine, that by
shining a bright light on thatactivity activity, that we help
create more of it.
Angela (11:54):
Yes.
Oh, I love that perspective.
You had also mentioned umrankings a little bit.
And I know the magazine's knownfor its influential rankings
like the Governor's Cup, TopMetros.
Can you share how thoserankings come together and
what's you know a commonmisconception misconception
about how they're determined?
Ron (12:13):
Sure.
I'd love to, and thanks forgiving me the opportunity to
talk about them, Angela.
Um as I mentioned, just likeall of our stories are informed
by our data, all of our rankingsare based on our data, which
comes from the Conway Project'sdatabase.
So every so to qualify forinclusion in the database, a
(12:35):
project must meet one of threeminimal criteria.
It must be a capital investmentof $1 million or greater, or
result in the creation of 20,000square feet of new space or
greater, or result in thecreation of 50 new jobs or
greater.
As long as it meets one ofthose three thresholds, it will
(12:56):
be included in the database.
It also must be corporate-ownedand occupied space.
Certain leases will qualify ifthey meet certain criteria, but
for the most part, we're talkingabout manufacturing plants,
data centers, call centers,corporate and regional
headquarters, other back officeoperations, and other uh
(13:19):
operational facilities thatserve the corporate interest.
Okay.
So for example, we don't trackchurches, schools, colleges and
universities, institutions, um,museums.
Uh, we don't track retailspace.
Um, we really track thefacility investments of primary
(13:44):
industries, people that areactually creating and adding
value.
So um, and we actually employ afull-time team of at least four
researchers who literally, thisis all they do, Angela.
They spend the entire yearscouring the planet for project
data.
So those numbers then form thebasis of all of our rankings and
(14:07):
all of our articles, becausenot only do we do we put the
project the projects in there,but we have like job numbers,
capital investment numbers,square footage numbers, the
locations, um, and and allwhether they're new or an
expansion, what type of facilitythey are.
There, there are so many datafields that we fill out, and
(14:28):
that forms the basis ofeverything we do from Governor's
Cup to business climaterankings to most competitive
states.
Now, in some of those rankings,we do supplement our own
project data with otherreputable outside sources, such
as the Tax Foundation, theLumina Foundation, and others
that we believe to be credible,reputable, and have sound
(14:50):
methodology uh for their uh fortheir criteria.
Angela (14:55):
Wow, what an undertaking.
But that's that's why it's socredible, right?
Ron (14:59):
And it's important that we stick to that because you know,
you had asked it, you know, dopeople have any, are there any
common misperceptions about howour rankings are determined?
And I would say that the answerto that question, Angela, is
yes, there are commonmisperceptions.
One is that there is thatsomehow we the editors pick our
(15:20):
favorites that we just like tosit around, you know, we all
light up cigars and we're in theback room and we're drinking
bourbon.
Right.
We think, hey, who do we wantto win top business climber this
year?
I don't know.
I'm kind of partial to Texas.
I've always wanted to be on aranch in Texas.
So why don't we just give it toTexas?
I'm serious.
Isn't people think that we justsit around and it's like a it's
(15:42):
like a beauty contest, right?
And nothing could be fartherfrom the truth.
I mean, we honestly, those ofus who are who are the editors,
the journalists doing the workat site selection, um, we we
really uh do not care who wins.
We don't we play no favorites,so that's why it's always based
on the data.
(16:02):
And at the end of the day, thedata is what it is.
Trust me, I hear all the timefrom people who do not win our
rankings or don't score in thetop 10.
I'm sure, Ron, how could you dothis?
I thought you were my friend.
Why are you stabbing me in theback?
And I'm like, I'm sorry, thenthe data is what it is, and you
(16:23):
know, just do better next yearand maybe maybe you'll be
ranked.
But I I have no influence overthat, right?
I know and like I can't tellyou why you finished 17th
instead of seventh, or why youfinished last instead of first,
but the numbers are what theyare, so sometimes it's hard to
get that through the minds ofpeople where you know, most
(16:45):
people tend to view their stateor their community in
rose-colored glasses, yes,particularly if they're in
economic development.
So they're typically onlyseeing the shiny parts, and you
know, they're not um as readilywilling to admit publicly that
things may not always be thatshiny, you know, and that's
(17:06):
okay.
I mean, we all live in floggedcommunities, so you know you
can't win them all.
Um, the key is, you know, tryto make positive progress.
You know, if you're 37th inbusiness climate, maybe you can
make some actual policy changesat the state level to go up from
37th to 27th.
Well, that's a huge improvementthat shows progress, and that's
(17:29):
how you take a uh a poor orunderperforming situation and
turn it around.
Angela (17:35):
That's such great advice.
So you've watched economicdevelopment evolve for more than
25 years.
What changes have surprised youthe most?
And and what are you seeingnow?
Ron (17:46):
That's a great question, and it's a hard one to answer
because the answer is a lot.
But I'm I tried to uh inpreparation for this, I boiled
it down to a couple of things.
Angela (17:56):
Okay.
Ron (17:56):
One is the rise of the mountain west region as a
preferred destination foreconomic development,
particularly in the form ofinvestment projects.
When I got to site selection,honestly, most of those states
were places that investors wouldfly over.
There wasn't a lot going on inIdaho, Nevada, Utah, you know,
(18:21):
Wyoming, Montana.
And now they've become like thehottest destination in the
country.
And so that's that's kind ofblown me away.
The second thing is in terms ofwhat surprised me the most, I
would say the rising tide ofNIMBYism as a roadblock to
economic development, um,particularly in places that
(18:43):
really need growth anddevelopment.
And um I would say this issomething not just over the past
25 years, but particularly overthe past five years, uh, we
we've seen NIMBYism like thisrise to a whole nother level.
Angela (18:57):
For those who don't know, can you describe to us
what NIMBYism is?
Ron (19:00):
Yeah, yeah, it's it's an it's an acronym for not in my
backyard.
So these are people that don'twant, they really are opposed to
progress.
It goes back to my earlierpoint.
Yeah, when I said like thecompanies aren't the enemy here
because they're employers,they're providing good jobs,
good wages, they're raising thestandard of living in the
community, which ultimatelyraises the quality of life.
(19:23):
So we have to stop looking atthe employers as the enemy, and
we should start looking at themas the investors who are helping
make a better tomorrow for thepeople who live there.
The NIMBY's of the world aresaying, well, just build this
someplace else.
Angela (19:41):
Yeah.
Ron (19:41):
You know, and you know, if everybody says that, well, guess
what happens?
It's not long before nothinggets built anywhere.
That leads to my new favoriteacronym, which is Banana.
And banana stands for buildabsolutely nothing anywhere near
anybody.
And and and we're actuallyseeing groups like this.
(20:04):
I actually interviewed theexecutive, I'm not gonna name
him or his group, but Iinterviewed the executive
director of a very influentialnational organization about two
weeks ago on on a topic I waswriting about, and he said his
(20:24):
advice to every community inAmerica is to say no to every
single project in thisparticular sector.
So that's that's not NIMBYism,Angela, that's bananaism, right?
That's build absolutely nothinganywhere near anybody, and
(20:47):
that's where we've come totoday.
And that's you know, it'sdisappointing, but it is a
challenge, it's an ongoingchallenge for our subscribers,
our readers, because they're thepeople that are building these
projects and want to build themin your community.
And, you know, the more theyencounter opposition like this,
the more they just move on tothe next location that does want
(21:09):
them.
So I would say the winners inthe future are gonna be those
locations that embrace umsustainable, wise,
community-friendly corporateinvestment, work with them to
find creative solutions to theirproblems.
Those are the places that aregoing to prosper.
(21:29):
And the community is full ofthe bananas and nimbies of the
world, they're gonna be leftbehind.
Angela (21:34):
Yes, absolutely.
What are some of your favoriteor most memorable stories you've
done over the years?
Ron (21:42):
Well, that's another great question.
I had to think about this onefor a long time, but I'd have to
say the one that stands out themost to me was titled The
Anatomy of a Deal.
It was about the decision madeby Hertz Rental Cars about a
decade ago to relocate itscorporate headquarters from New
(22:04):
Jersey to Fort Myers, Florida.
Um, and so what I did is Ideconstructed that entire deal
from start to finish.
I looked at every possibleangle of it.
I interviewed virtuallyeveryone who had anything to do
with the deal.
Angela (22:20):
Wow.
Ron (22:21):
And I would say that to this day, I think that is
probably the best story thatI've ever written for site
selection.
Angela (22:27):
How long did it take?
Do you know what I'm saying?
Ron (22:29):
I worked on it for many weeks, I mean, maybe even
months, but it was it wasfascinating because you know,
every time you talk to adifferent person who had
something to do with a project,you learn something new.
And so it was like put stackinglayer upon layer upon layer,
you know, and at the end of it,it was like, wow, this really
(22:51):
all made sense.
I can see why they did this.
And, you know, I looked at theimpact on not just both not just
both communities.
There was the impact on thecommunity that lost it, which I
think was Bergen County, NewJersey.
Right.
There was the impact on thecommunity that won it, which was
Lee County, Florida.
But I also looked at the impacton uh Tulsa, Oklahoma, which
(23:15):
was also in the running for thisproject.
And and and so I and Iinterviewed people in all three
of these communities and I askedthem, you know, like, why did
you win or why did you lose?
And they had some veryinsightful things to say.
Angela (23:30):
That's fantastic.
I think you know, that's one ofthe reasons a lot of us love
journalism is hearing fromeveryone, finding all the
angles, all the sides, and thenputting it out there for the
readers to, you know, interpretwith all of the information.
And I think that's just one ofthe best things about
journalism.
Absolutely.
You mentioned the AmericanWest, but are there other
(23:51):
emerging regions?
Or I don't know that they'reemerging anymore, but um, or
cities you believe are ones towatch for business investment
right now.
Ron (23:59):
Yeah, for sure.
I thought of three that I wouldpoint out for the purpose of
this discussion.
One is the Great Lakes regionof the upper Midwest.
The reason I mentioned that ithas all of the essential
infrastructure needed byexpanding manufacturers, that
being power, water,transportation, supportive
communities, and especially acapable and well-trained
(24:21):
workforce in manufacturing.
The second would be the area wecall the Space Coast, which is
basically uh East CentralFlorida, stretching all the way
from Melbourne, Titusville toOrlando.
Right now, some of the largestcompanies in the world are
already investing literallybillions of dollars to build a
(24:42):
base of infrastructure in thatregion.
Not many people know about it,but they will in the years to
come.
Um, and then the third one isthe state of Delaware.
So Delaware is the secondsmallest state in the country.
Angela (24:56):
Yeah.
Ron (24:57):
It's also the first state in the country, um, but not many
people know about it.
And yet, when I recently didsome digging into it, I found
that it is actually growing its25 to 44-year-old population at
a rate that is much faster thanthe national average.
Angela (25:14):
Really?
Ron (25:15):
Delaware is so small, it only has three counties.
Angela (25:18):
Yeah.
Ron (25:18):
The southernmost county is called Sussex County, and uh
that's where you have thebeaches and the the coastal
communities.
It's absolutely beautiful.
Angela (25:27):
Yes, yes, yes.
Ron (25:28):
But um it's one of the fastest growing counties in
America for that younger half ofthe workforce.
And the reason that's importantis that is the demographic
cohort of the workforce thatemployers covet the most.
It's the most highly trained,the most highly educated.
That's the thing that youcompanies build a future around,
(25:50):
our 25 to 44-year-olds.
And so Delaware is kind of likethis oasis of middle America
affordability on the easternseaboard.
You know, it's only two hoursfrom New York City and only two
hours from Washington, D.C.
But those are very expensivemarkets.
The average company cannotafford to do business there,
(26:12):
cannot afford to hire workersthere, but the average company
can in Delaware.
So that's just a place I'd keepan eye on.
Angela (26:19):
Oh, those are great.
We will definitely keep bekeeping an eye on those for
sure.
Many of our listeners work inpublic relations.
So, and we mentioned that alittle bit before, but what's
the best way for them tocollaborate with you or pitch a
story idea?
Ron (26:34):
Great question.
Again, I would say start bygetting to know our publication.
Uh the start by getting to knowthe topics that we frequently
cover and our audience, start tothink like our audience would
think, and then ask, what wouldI want to know more about if I
were a regular reader of siteselection?
(26:56):
So I I think you kind of haveto try to get inside the mind of
a manufacturing executive orthe CEO who um has operations
all over the country and think,you know, what what would she or
he want to know in a magazinethat would help that person run
(27:18):
their company more effectively?
So I would say it's kind of,you know, start by getting to
know us and the topics we writeabout.
Angela (27:24):
Yeah, that's great advice.
And I know we've talked alittle bit about misperceptions,
mistakes.
You know, what do you think aresome common mistakes aside from
not getting to know what youwrite about and about the
outlet?
Ron (27:35):
So the biggest one is confusing commercial real estate
for corporate real estate.
They are really not the samething.
Commercial real estate is inbusiness to make money from
leasing and selling space.
Angela (27:51):
Right.
Ron (27:52):
Corporate real estate is all about implementing corporate
strategy to yield the bestpossible outcomes for all facets
of the company.
And one of the ways they dothat is by maximizing
efficiencies in the overallcorporate real estate portfolio.
Angela (28:10):
Okay.
Ron (28:11):
So it's sort of like the difference between the landlord
and the tenant, right?
Angela (28:16):
Yeah.
Ron (28:16):
Commercial real estate really represents the landlord's
interest.
Corporate, corporate realestate basically are the
tenants.
So um commercial real estateare the sellers of space,
corporate real estate are thebuyers of space.
Angela (28:34):
Yes, that's a great way to explain it.
Before we go, I have to askwhat trends or issues or even
technologies do you think willmost shape site selection and
economic development in the nextfew years?
Ron (28:47):
Well, certainly the growing influence and impact of AI on
site selection decision makingand corporate real estate
management is probably numberone.
But a close second would be theongoing impact that AI is
having on the workforce at alllevels of production, from the
frontline to the C-suite.
Um, obviously, there arecertain industries where the
(29:11):
workforce is being replaced uhby automation.
And that's something to keep aneye on moving forward because
it is going to ultimately impactwhat types of facilities are
built, where they're built, andthe types of people they will
hire to staff them.
So one of the things that we'refocusing on now is um it kind
(29:36):
of behooves locations to have anAI ready workforce.
If you have a workforce thatknows how to work with AI,
you're probably gonna stand abetter chance of landing the
manufacturing projects of thefuture.
So uh these are things thatwe're covering now in more in
more detail, in more depth.
And I and I think I think it'sonly gonna grow in importance as
(29:59):
time goes on.
Angela (30:00):
On yes.
Are you seeing more high-levelor highly paid jobs, but less of
them?
Ron (30:07):
Yeah, look, it's already impacted the legal profession.
Angela (30:10):
Yeah.
Ron (30:11):
Um, it's um it's impacted my profession.
I mean, certainly publishersare not immune to this, so it's
having an impact there.
Um, I would say the themid-level management uh sector
is being affected the most.
But certainly um on the on theassembly line, you know,
(30:32):
automation um is advancing byleaps and bounds every year.
And it doesn't mean that therewon't be a need for production
employees, but it does mean youneed a higher skilled, a higher
level of production employee,someone who's well versed in
computer technology and quitefrankly, AI.
(30:54):
So um, I mean, we're we'regonna need a lot more engineers,
uh, not fewer engineers movingforward.
So, you know, if I wereadvising a young person that's
trying to think about, you know,picking uh a rewarding and
long-lasting career that's gonnapay well, uh, you really cannot
(31:14):
go wrong with engineering.
Angela (31:16):
That's great.
I'll have to tell my tell mychildren that.
That is something they wereconsidering for sure.
This has been fascinating.
I love all of your insight, andwe can continue to read it
through site selection.
Uh, tell us what the best wayis to connect with you online.
Ron (31:34):
So I'm pretty active on LinkedIn.
So I said probably the best wayif you want to follow what I
have to share.
And pretty much everything Ishare on LinkedIn comes straight
from our company and ourpublication.
Okay.
So I'm you can find me I'm RonStarner with uh Site Selection
magazine on LinkedIn, prettyeasy to find there.
And then the other thing is umI would encourage listeners to
(31:54):
subscribe to our freee-newsletter.
It's called the Site SelectionInvestor Watch.
It comes out every Monday andThursday.
It's it's fairly short, it'spretty concise.
Like literally, you can readthe whole thing in five minutes.
But if you want to keep up withwhat's happening in corporate
real estate, site selection andeconomic development, I would
(32:15):
say reading the investor watchtwice a week is the way to go.
Angela (32:19):
Wonderful.
Thank you for your time, Ron.
Ron (32:21):
Of course.
Thank you.
Angela (32:24):
That's all for this episode of Media and Minutes, a
podcast by CommunicationsRedefined.
Take a moment to rate, review,and subscribe to our show.
We'd love to hear what youthink.
You can find more atCommunications
Redefined.comslash podcast.
I'm your host, Angela Toole.
Talk to you next time.
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