March 2002

Cortland Picked One of Top 50 US Small Towns by Site Selection Magazine

The listing was the result of a survey of Fortune 500 companies by Moran, Stahl & Boyer, LLC an Atlanta-based firm that is one of the largest, oldest and most respected global site selection and relocation consulting firms. Companies surveyed were asked to rank communities by such attributes as quality of life, economic vitality, sense of community, perspective on economic development, and strategy for attracting knowledge-based businesses or high tech manufacturing operations with low environmental impact. Other components of the survey included labor-draw, work ethic and employee turnover, crime, low-cost housing, clean air, short commutes and unique recreational opportunities. Finally, the survey factored in the number of new and expanded corporate facilities in communities from 1998 to present. The survey included communities across the country with a population less than 50,000.

Cortland ranked 41 on a list of the top 100 US small towns published in the March 2002 issue of Site Selection, accompanied by an article, "Take A Closer Look At Small Towns," by John M. Rhodes, president of Moran, Stahl & Boyer. Cortland scored high for its level of new corporate investment, with 15 noteworthy economic development projects included on the list.

New York State ranked number seven on the list of the top 20 states for small town projects in 2001, in a listing in the same issue of Site Selection.

"The index of a good atlas proves there many hundreds of small communities scattered throughout North America," notes Rhodes in the article. "They appear only as small dots on the map, but for the million of local residents living there, these communities represent places that support business and a quality of life that would be the envy of many big city executives and commuters."

"This is a tremendous honor," said BDC/IDA Board Chairman Paul Slowey. "This confirms that we've created a first class climate for small town economic development here. It also says that we've done a good job getting the word out through our marketing campaign, 'Small Town America in a Very Big Way' which has now gained us national and international attention as a great place to live, work and invest."

A Sample of the Listing ...

For more information about site selection criteria: Moran, Stahl & Boyer, LLC, at <http://www.msbconsulting.com>. and Site Selection magazine at <http://www.siteselection.com>.