by Josh Bays, on Jun 23, 2015 10:18:00 AM
Site Selection Group, a location advisory and economic incentives firm, works with industrial clients from a variety of industries to find the optimal location for their manufacturing and distribution operations. Given the need to expedite project timelines, companies often start the site selection process looking for second-generation manufacturing plants, but the inventory for quality production buildings is tight. 
Another trend that drives site selection is the need to be served by rail. “Couple the demand for rail accessibility with the tight inventory of quality industrial buildings, and ideal options become few and far between,” said Josh Bays, Principal. “That said, there are still good opportunities to be found.”
Site Selection Group maintains an inventory of rail-served industrial buildings around the country. To demonstrate which regions of the country had the most available product, Site Selection Group identified buildings with the following criteria:
- Single tenant production facilities
- 75,000 to 150,000 square feet
- 28-foot or taller ceilings
- Served by rail
The table shows the 20 states with the most buildings fitting the above criteria.
| State | Number of Buildings | State | Number of Buildings |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 21 | New Jersey | 9 |
| Ohio | 15 | North Carolina | 9 |
| Wisconsin | 14 | Tennessee | 8 |
| Illinois | 13 | Maryland | 7 |
| Pennsylvania | 13 | Virginia | 6 |
| Arizona | 11 | Mississippi | 5 |
| Texas | 11 | Missouri | 5 |
| Georgia | 10 | Oklahoma | 5 |
| Florida | 9 | Alabama | 4 |
| Michigan | 9 | Arkansas | 4 |
