Site Selection Magazine Names Top Metro Areas for New and Expanded Corporate Facilities

Wichita, Kan. – Site Selection magazine released its top 10 lists of metro areas in the nation with the most new and expanded corporate facilities in 2007. Wichita tied for fourth with Dayton, Ohio, in the tier of metro areas with populations between 200,000 and 1 million.

The full top 10 in this tier were:

Greensboro/High Point, N.C.,
Omaha/Council Bluffs, Neb./Iowa and Akron, Ohio (tied for second)
Wichita and Dayton (tied for fourth)
Syracuse, N.Y and Raleigh/Cary, N.C. (tied for sixth)
Grand Rapids/Wyoming, Mich.
Tulsa, Okla.
Lexington/Fayette Co. Ky. and Knoxville, Tenn. (tied for tenth)

Based in Atlanta, Site Selection magazine is the oldest publication in the corporate real estate and economic development field. Site Selection’s yearly analyses are regarded by corporate real estate analysts as a key industry scoreboard. The magazine has a circulation base of 44,000 executives involved in corporate site selection decisions.

For this analysis, the Conway Data Inc. New Plant Database tracks the number of new and expanded corporate projects with significant impact. New facilities and expansions included in the analyses must be corporate and meet at least one of three criteria: involve a capital investment of at least $1 million; create at least 50 new jobs; or add at least 20,000 square feet of new floor area.

Site Selection also named Ohio the recipient of its Governor’s Cup as the state with the most new and expanded corporate facilities. More information can be found at www.siteselection.com

“Wichita continues to be recognized for its growth and expansion,” said GWEDC Interim President Al Higdon. “This recognition from one of the most respected magazines in economic development will continue to help us position the Wichita community as a great place to locate and grow business.”

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Wichita, Kan., February 5, 2008 - Wichita State University now ranks third among all U.S. universities in aerospace engineering research and development. According to the most recent National Science Foundation data, WSU has improved its 4th place ranking and ranks above prestigious universities like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The top ten universities in aerospace research are the Johns Hopkins University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Wichita State University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Texas A&M University, University of Maryland, University of Colorado, University of Texas, University of Tennessee and University of Florida.

Wichita State’s No. 3 rank is largely due to the research and testing programs at the National Institute for Aviation Research. This significant growth is due in part to the support of the local and national aviation industry, the State of Kansas and numerous federal agencies.

“This ranking is a demonstration of the commitment from our Federal congressional delegation, Kansas legislature and the surrounding aviation industry to support additional research to help ensure the United States and Kansas will remain strong in aviation pioneering,” said NIAR executive director Dr. John Tomblin.

NIAR has grown at a steady rate for the past ten years, increasing its operating budget from $10 million in 1997 to $35 million in 2007.

“With the growth and work accomplished at NIAR over the last few years, we expected to move up in the ranking,” said Tom Aldag, director of research and development. “It is exciting to be in the company of these prestigious research institutions.”

Continued growth and high ranks in aerospace research are expected for Wichita State and NIAR with the addition of a new test facility, laboratories and involvement in the National Center for Aviation Training managed by Wichita Area Technical College.

NIAR’s new facility, located behind the main facility on the WSU campus, houses several of NIAR’s new environmental testing laboratories, which provide DO-160 certification testing.

The National Center for Aviation Training will be located at Jabara Airport and will provide a wide range of aviation training services. NIAR will have facilities dedicated to CATIA training, composites research, non-destructive inspection and advanced joining technologies at this facility, which is scheduled to open to students in the fall of 2010.

CONTACT:
Tracee Friess
Marketing & Communication
National Institute for Aviation Research
Wichita State University
(316) 978-5597
tracee.friess@wichita.edu

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The National Institute for Aviation Research is a prestigious state-of-the-art aerospace research and development laboratory with global reach and expertise in research, design, testing, and certification. The Institute’s clientele includes many of the world’s aerospace manufacturers, NASA and the FAA. It is the largest aviation R&D academic institution in America. The National Institute for Aviation Research is an unincorporated division of Wichita State University.

The South Central Kansas region is one of the largest centers of composite aircraft component design and fabrication. Companies such as Boeing, Cessna and Hawker-Beechcraft have utilized these materials in aircraft for over 25 years, and recent technological advances are increasing the use of advanced materials and polymers in commercial and general aviation manufacturing. The growth in composite structural aircraft is estimated to be 14 percent per year over the next 20 years.

While much of the demand for composites and advanced materials is driven by the aviation manufacturing cluster in South Central Kansas, these materials are being used in medical devices, machinery components, building materials and other commercial applications. South Central Kansas has an opportunity through this WIRED Initiative to become the global center for composite expertise.

The goal of the South Central Kansas WIRED Initiative is to accelerate economic growth and transformation in the region by fostering innovation and talent development critical to both the aircraft and healthcare industries. The South Central Kansas WIRED project will foster emerging growth and innovation in the areas of advanced materials and polymers by encouraging the alignment of investments in research and development.

The resources funded through WIRED will increase the use and transparency of career pathways supporting aircraft and healthcare to secondary students and adults in order to provide a nimble pipeline of credentialed, skilled workers to businesses in these and related cluster areas. In addition, entrepreneurship will be cultivated through the coordination of a single point of contact delivery system. WIRED will also provide opportunities for collaboration between and among education institutions, industries, economic development organizations and, the public workforce system.

In the summer of 2001, the City of Wichita was one of five cities that took part in the Clusters on Innovation Initiative conducted by the Council on Competitiveness. The final report revealed that the region needed a comprehensive workforce strategy that included a state-of-the-art workforce facility and programs. Subsequently, a targeted study in 2004 identified plastics and other advanced materials (such as composites) as industrial sectors in which Wichita already had a significant competitive advantage.

WSU spent more than $20.6 million on aerospace research in FY 2004, with about 70 percent of that total coming from Federal sources. The remainder of the total was split between state funding and the aircraft industry at both local and national level.