Hometown Glory
Texas is No. 1 in corporate expansion, but Houston still loses to Chicago(again)
Site Selection, a magazine focusing on corporate real estate, has awarded its annual Governor's Cup for the state with the most new corporate expansion projects, as determined by the magazine's New Plant Database. (Qualifying projects require private-sector capital investment of at least $1 million in commercial facilities that create at least 50 new jobs or new construction spanning at least 20,000 square feet.)
Texas topped the list this year with 424 projects, up 50 projects from last year. It marked the first time in four years that Texas managed to beat out Ohio for top honors.
And Houston deserves much of the credit for the coup. In the same issue, Houston came in No. 2 in the magazine's list of Top Metros. Houston posted 152 projects last year, shy of No. 1 Chicago's 184.
It's a close loss that stings just a little more due to Continental/United's abandonment. With online e-commerce phenom Groupon on the Windy City's side, how should Houston business outdo Chicago next year?