Excerpt: Originally posted at thefabricator.com

 

Everyone knows that moving is not easy, especially when you are talking about moving a business. Dennis Donovan, a site selection consultant, provides an overview of the main considerations that a metal fabricator should keep in mind as it looks to make a major move.

 

If you were to look at The FABRICATOR’s 2016 FAB 40 list of successful U.S. job shops (www.thefab ricator.com/fab40), you’d notice that 2015 revenues were flat or a little below the previous year’s numbers for several metal fabricators. That might be cause for concern in certain economic recoveries, but after four consecutive years of fairly robust revenue gains, a little slowdown in sales is not the end of the world. Many metal fabricators remain cautiously optimistic about the future.

With decent economic headlines and a seemingly solid foundation on which to try and build their business, metal fabricators are in a position for long-term planning. For many, that might involve a new facility or another location near a major customer or potential new customers.

Such decisions should not be made likely. Any move or expansion has an impact on the labor force, product delivery, and operational costs.

The FABRICATOR had a discussion with site selection expert Dennis J. Donovan of Wadley Donovan Gutshaw Consulting to cover the main points that a metal fabricator contemplating a move should consider. In short, focus on the business impact, not just potential tax incentives.

 

Read the entire article here.