March/April 2014

This special issue of Trade & Industry Development features the 9^th annual edition of the CiCi (Corporate Investment & Community Impact) Awards, a program conducted exclusively by Trade & Industry Development. This unique, unparalleled awards program recognizes 30 businesses for the economic development announcements they made in 2013 as well as the economic development agencies representing the locations in which those developments will take place for their work in attracting those investments.

This issue offers a prime opportunity for corporate site selectors in all industries as well as economic development agency professionals to study the descriptions of the 15 companies that pledged the largest economic development investments in 2013, and 15 companies whose economic development deals announced in 2013 promise to have the most transformational effect on the communities in which they will transpire.

In addition, three of the top challenges faced by corporate site selectors are addressed in this issue: the considerations associated with corporate headquarters relocation; the 800 pound gorilla in the room, namely how to finance any economic development project, with a special look into the role of incentives and credits; and in keeping with our focus on community impact and corporate finance, a discussion of the too-common challenge of defunct, often blighted, properties that corporations still must bear the burden of paying for and  the novel approach all entities in this situation owe it to themselves to explore—design/build.