ED411 | 2017 | Track 1: The Site Selection Short List - How to Get On and Stay On the List

1. #ED411
SITE SELECTION SHORT LIST –
HOW TO GET ON AND STAY ON
THE LIST
December 1, 2017

2. #ED411
Adam Bering, Principal, Ernst & Young LLP
Paul Naumoff, Principal, Ernst & Young LLP

3. The better the question. The better the answer.
The better the world works.
December 1, 2017
ED 411

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Tax reform
► Tax reform contains several major changes that will impact federal
corporate tax liabilities including:
► Reducing the 35% corporate tax rate to 20% (House version begins
in 2018; Senate version begins in 2019);
► Repealing the corporate alternative minimum tax (AMT) (House
and Senate versions both begin in 2018);
► Eliminating various deductions and credits, such as the work
opportunity tax credit and the new markets tax credit; and
► Repatriation
NOTE: As of November 17, 2017

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Potential impact of federal tax reform on state budgets
► The overall goal of tax reform is to lower the rate while broadening the base so that the result
ends up being revenue neutral.
► If states adopt the new structure, which is not guaranteed as each state may be impacted
differently based on the make-up of the companies in their state, they would have a broader
base upon which to apply their tax rate.
► It is likely that states do not cut the state tax rate proportionally to the cut at the federal level.
If that tactic is employed by states they may see increased revenue which can be utilized to
close deficits and/or provide additional economic development programs to improve the
states competitive position within the U.S.
► A concern remains that in getting the federal budget to a revenue neutral positions, programs
which send funds to the state will be cut and/or Federal programs maybe cut which will require
increased state expenditures to maintain the same level of service.
► As such once Federal Tax Reform is settled there may likely be a number of years where we
see a ripple effect at the state level as each state will have to deal with the budgetary results
along with decide whether or not to implement tax reform of their own.

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Repatriation: impacts on capital expenditures?
► The goal of repatriation is to encourage multinational companies headquartered in the U.S. to bring
foreign-earned income back into the U.S. by assessing a lower tax rate on the income when it is brought
back.
► Last repatriation in 2004 saw over $300 billion in income brought to the U.S. from foreign subsidiaries.
Companies indicated they would put such funds toward financing capital spending, paying down debt,
R&D, venture capital, and acquisitions.
► Repatriation of foreign-held earnings typically comes with requirements to invest in U.S. domestic
operations to encourage job creation and economic growth.
► Combined with potential for imposing new tariffs on imports, this creates enhanced reasons for future
investment domestically.

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What you can do to be ready
► First, estimate the static impact of changes in tax base and tax
liability, by industry. This may include the following:
► Estimate share of sales from export sales;
► Estimate share of cost of goods sold from imports;
► Estimate annual capital investment and interest deduction;
► Estimate total change in tax base; and
► Estimate total change in federal tax liability.
► Next, test the relevance of the national, industry-level results to
companies in your local jurisdiction (or target companies in
other jurisdictions). This may include the following:
► Analyzing publicly available financial statements from the
company and other available data to show:
► Geographic location of sales and assets;
► Capital intensity; and
► Leverage.

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Key considerations for a successful investment
Strategy: Align the business strategy with the federal, state, and local economic development and job creation
strategies
Public relations: Preserve confidentiality, manage the press and reputational risk. Communicate positively
about your proposed plans and their positive community impact
Human Capital: Assess the attractiveness of the local labor market in terms of labor availability, skills, wages,
union relations, and other factors
Project costs: Understanding and quantifying the total project cost and potential cost offsets through the
application of an integrated incentives process
Political environment: Analyze strategic priorities for economic development and the enthusiasm of States to
attract new capital investment and job creation

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The location advisory process
Location Evaluation
Index ranking
Financial and tax
modeling and
incentive identification
Location visits
and incentive
negotiation Selection of
final location
01 02 03 04
• Develop operating and
financial profiles for the
proposed facilities
• Project cost levels at each
finalist location
• Estimate tax liabilities by
year
• Compute present value of
operating costs
• Prepare credits and
incentives assessment
• Coordinate community
visits with relevant
stakeholders
• Draft economic impact
report for distribution to
state and local
governments
• Prepare required
applications
• Negotiate and review
incentive proposals
offered; discuss project
terms
• Identify location
evaluation factors that
reflect business
objectives
• Rank locations using a
customized, weighted
score
• Identify finalist locations
for financial and tax
modeling
• Filter and reduce number
of locations based on
critical location criteria
• Review and finalize any
incentives agreements
• Develop compliance work
plan to track and maintain
incentives agreements
• Preform final stage cost
modeling inclusive of
incentive benefits
$

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Locations are typically defined as the relevant metropolitan statistical area (MSA) or county. Factors to consider vary from company to company. Below are
example factors that companies consider:
Labor
► Population
► Population growth
► Workforce
► Workforce growth
► Occupational employment
► Occupational wages
► Industry employment
► Industry wages
► Labor productivity
► Wage trends
► Demographics
► Commuter patterns/local draw
► Effective labor force
► Unemployment rates
► Unemployment demographics
► Degree attainment, rate & type
► Percentage unionized
► Days lost to union strikes
► Number of colleges & universities
► Number of STEM graduates
Infrastructure/Logistics
► Utility costs
► Accessibility (freight/port)
► Proximity to airport
► Supplier proximity
► Future local production
► Logistics for semi-finished parts
► Location of customers
► Climate and natural disasters
► Time zone
► Construction costs
Tax landscape
► State and local tax rates
► Federal taxes (if including Mexico)
► Tax credits and incentives (tax and non-tax
incentives)
► Major discretionary and statutory credit and
incentive programs:
► Usable value
► Retroactive
► Transferable
► Refundable
► Labor incentives
► Expedited permitting
► Workforce training support
► Foreign Trade Zone
Quality of life
► Quality of life
► Crime rates,
► Teachers / pupil,
► Public school spending
► Cost of living levels
► Cost of living growth rate
► Availability and quality of health care
services
► Current housing stock
► Average home prices
Potential location evaluation factors

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Ohio example when analyzing for a manufacturing company
Ohio currently has a Republican Governor, Senate and House. Ohio voted for
President Trump and Vice President Pence in the 2016 presidential election in 2016.
Pros
► Seventh most populous US state (11.6m residents)
► Second largest manufacturing workforce in the US (689,000 workers)
► Third largest state for job creation in 2015 (25,800 jobs created)
► Sixth most capital investment in 2015 ($5.1b)
► Seventh largest University for Bachelor’s degrees in Engineering (The Ohio State
University)
Cons
► Low unemployment rate (5.0%)
► Not a right-to-work state
► Median hourly wage in industry: $16.34 (+5% above US average)
Business environment Tax attributes
Pros
► No personal property tax
► No income or franchise tax
► No inventory tax
Cons
► The Commercial Activities Tax is a gross receipts tax that does
not allow for the same deductions and credits as an income ta
► High real property tax
► Municipal-level income taxes

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Manufacturing project case study
• Location analysis (cost-benefits-risks) including determination of location criteria, weighting scenarios and conducing a high-level location
assessment to identify and rank potential target US states and sites
• Due diligence and cost analysis on sites that meet client’s requirements and business needs in order to prioritize sites
• Conduct RFP process with targeted states to understand baseline incentives packages and develop economic impact study for negotiation
purposes
• Performed a comprehensive study from a supply chain and logistics perspective at specified locations in targeted states
• Conduct community evaluations (in-person site visits)
• Incentives negotiation process at the federal, state and local levels
• Negotiating final commitments from state and local municipalities
• Perform financial modeling to support final location decision along with review of incentives agreements
• Company located to the Midwest
• The negotiations resulted in multiple incentives offers
Outcome
Approach
Large-scale US inbound contract manufacturer

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A balanced economic development agenda
Balanced
Economic
Development
Agenda
Objectives and
Strategy
Analysis
Economic
Development
Funding
Return on
Investment
Execution
Deployment
Accountability
and
Predictability
Benchmarking

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Objectives and Strategy
► What is the mission of the economic
development group or department?
► Is the mission to attract new companies?
► Is the mission to retain existing companies?
► Is the mission to grow the existing industrial
base?
► Are you trying to pivot to attract a new
industrial base?
► What are the tools in the toolbox?
► How are those tools deployed?
Balanced
Economic
Development
Agenda
Objectives and
Strategy
Analysis
Economic
Development Funding
Return on
Investment
Execution
Deployment
Accountability
and
Predictability Benchmarking

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Benchmarking
► How is your county, district, city, etc. faring against the
competition?
► Are you seeing a return on your investment?
► How are you measuring that return, i.e. new jobs,
higher wages, new company commitments, etc.
► What are your peer municipalities doing to attract and
retain companies?
► Are they offering different incentives? Are they
being more or less aggressive than you are?
► What are your strengths and weaknesses? Have you
done a SWOT analysis?
Balanced
Economic
Development
Agenda
Objectives and
Strategy
Analysis
Economic
Development Funding
Return on
Investment
Execution
Deployment
Accountability
and
Predictability Benchmarking

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Analysis
► Have you analyzed assets/liabilities (availability of land,
labor, logistics, workforce training, etc.)?
► Have you conducted an analysis to identify key growth
sectors?
► Economic impacts for consideration:
► Budget changes
► Tax law changes
► Business changes
► Labor changes
► Incentives analysis:
► Which economic development programs are used and
to what effect?
► Which economic development programs should be
used?
Balanced
Economic
Development
Agenda
Objectives and
Strategy
Analysis
Economic
Development Funding
Return on
Investment
Execution
Deployment
Accountability
and
Predictability Benchmarking

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Economic Development Funding
► Are your programs performance based, i.e. tax
credits, or grants?
► Leading practices:
► Federal programs
► State programs
► Local programs
► Utilities
► Universities
Balanced
Economic
Development
Agenda
Objectives and
Strategy
Analysis
Economic
Development Funding
Return on
Investment
Execution
Deployment
Accountability
and
Predictability Benchmarking

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Execution Deployment
► How are you communicating your competencies,
resources, tools, partnerships and collaborations
to the private sector?
► Leading practices:
► Policies and procedures
► Marketing
► Lead generation
► Organizational structure
Balanced
Economic
Development
Agenda
Objectives and
Strategy
Analysis
Economic
Development Funding
Return on
Investment
Execution
Deployment
Accountability
and
Predictability Benchmarking

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Accountability and Predictability
► How is your jurisdiction handling GASB 77
reporting?
► Is your jurisdiction getting a return on their
investments?
► Are the jobs that were committed actually
occurring?
► Do the incentives that were offered meet the
requirements of the company?
► Is the company abiding by the terms of the
agreement?
Balanced
Economic
Development
Agenda
Objectives and
Strategy
Analysis
Economic Development
Funding
Return on
Investment
Execution
Deployment
Accountability
and
Predictability Benchmarking

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Return on Investment
► Is your jurisdiction seeing a return on their
investments?
► If so, what can you do to replicate and continue
that success, if not, what changes need to be
made?
Balanced
Economic
Development
Agenda
Objectives and
Strategy
Analysis
Economic Development
Funding
Return on
Investment
Execution
Deployment
Accountability
and
Predictability Benchmarking

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Questions?

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THANK YOU