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    1. Global Supply Chain

    Site Selector: The most logistics-friendly cities in the U.S. Southeast, 2006

    Feb. 2, 2006
    Logistics Today's Site Selector offers an objective ranking of 362 U.S. cities based on criteria important to logistics professionals. This customized

    Logistics Today

    Site Selector

    This customized listing looks at the top 50 cites and metropolitan areas located in the U.S. Southeast, which includes Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. The Site Selector is based on material developed by Expansion Management and Logistics Today.

    The Site Selector matrix provides an overall ranking of each city within the Southeast region, as well as an indication of the city's national ranking. Other ranking categories include:

    Transportation and distribution (T&D) industry is based on businesses and employment base providing transportation, distribution, warehousing and related services.

    Work force/labor is geared to existing and available logistics-related workers in the area. Road infrastructure measures factors like available lane miles per capita, interstate highway access, miles of paved roads, etc.

    Road density, congestion and safety ranks the city on traffic volumes and delays as well as accident statistics and other factors affecting the smooth flow of traffic.

    Road condition draws on state performance and includes condition of highways and bridges, among other measures.

    Interstate highway includes access to interstate highways, spending on highway construction and maintenance, etc.

    Taxes and fees provides a measure of logistics-related costs, including highway and fuel taxes, inventory taxes (where present), etc.

    Railroad offers a state-based rank of access to Class 1 and other rail services, miles of track, etc.

    Waterborne commerce includes ocean port capacity as well as inland waterways. Air cargo ranks the city on its access to cargo services, including widebody passenger service by combination carriers, international and expedited services.

    Regional Rank National Rank Metropolitan Area T&D Industry Rank Work Force/Labor Rank Road Infrastructure Rank Road Density, Congestion and Safety Rank Road Condition State Rank Interstate Highway Rank Taxes & Fees State Rank Railroad State Rank Waterborne Commerce Rank Air Cargo Rank
    1 10 Jacksonville, FL 27 21 17 283 24 52 251 63 29 48
    2 16 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Miami Beach, FL 5 4 17 355 24 36 251 151 19 5
    3 16 Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA 39 86 199 233 178 36 61 34 15 39
    4 20 Washington, DC-Arlington-Alexandria, VA 10 18 187 293 209 9 122 63 72 4
    5 23 New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA 20 26 296 252 277 52 62 17 1 42
    6 24 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 6 100 278 341 4 12 1 34 178 8
    7 25 Savannah, GA 84 12 278 244 4 52 1 63 28 108
    8 26 Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro, TN 36 64 226 231 81 36 84 102 48 43
    9 29 Memphis, TN 22 122 274 336 133 52 123 34 30 16
    10 34 Chattanooga, TN 100 77 252 176 49 52 29 63 54 113
    11 40 Richmond, VA 45 109 188 133 161 15 36 225 59 49
    12 42 Birmingham-Hoover, AL 50 69 214 244 197 23 48 24 178 56
    13 45 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 31 16 17 362 24 23 251 310 12 20
    14 46 Charleston-North Charleston, SC 61 13 335 222 169 120 20 63 25 84
    15 48 Mobile, AL 70 63 214 272 197 52 48 24 83 112
    16 49 Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR 61 56 258 76 210 23 171 34 178 74
    17 52 Knoxville, TN 73 44 226 334 81 36 84 102 77 98
    18 67 Baton Rouge, LA 74 93 296 317 277 52 62 102 9 107
    19 75 Greenville, SC 51 111 335 314 169 23 20 102 178 75
    20 77 Greensboro-High Point, NC 40 47 350 174 104 81 144 151 178 57
    21 80 Orlando, FL 36 135 17 352 24 157 251 151 178 14
    22 81 Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, NC 29 128 320 287 276 52 211 34 178 25
    23 82 Columbia, SC 81 29 335 133 169 36 20 225 178 80
    24 84 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL 148 124 17 349 24 120 251 151 64 101
    25 100 Shreveport-Bossier City, LA 102 136 296 72 277 52 62 151 178 120
    26 101 Lake Charles, LA 169 204 296 23 277 120 62 102 11 196
    27 101 Sarasota-Bradenton-Venice, FL 160 152 17 354 24 120 251 225 46 79
    28 106 Raleigh-Cary, NC 56 51 350 318 104 52 144 225 178 40
    29 107 Winston-Salem, NC 146 214 350 138 104 81 144 102 178 57
    30 108 Jackson, MS 83 70 308 138 181 52 139 225 178 86
    31 111 Gulfport-Biloxi, MS 151 140 308 167 181 120 139 102 45 176
    32 113 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL 84 82 17 193 24 157 251 225 178 156
    33 119 Spartanburg, SC 130 130 335 161 169 81 20 225 178 75
    34 124 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL 88 126 17 353 24 157 251 310 47 126
    35 126 Kingsport, TN-Bristol, TN-VA 176 132 209 66 103 120 48 225 178 139
    36 127 Johnson City, TN 119 214 226 298 81 81 84 151 178 139
    37 129 Augusta-Richmond County, GA 134 100 307 276 64 120 15 151 178 164
    38 132 Durham, NC 200 109 350 275 104 81 144 151 178 40
    39 135 Montgomery, AL 167 116 214 311 197 81 48 151 178 136
    40 137 Macon, GA 189 275 278 228 4 52 1 151 178 199
    41 138 Pascagoula, MS 151 140 308 328 181 120 139 151 22 176
    42 140 Fort Smith, AR 125 106 275 146 264 120 116 34 178 266
    43 141 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR 89 3 262 106 221 288 167 151 178 95
    44 142 Wilmington, NC 157 88 350 339 104 157 144 151 42 163
    45 143 Roanoke, VA 157 161 188 259 161 120 36 225 178 105
    46 145 Huntsville, AL 181 137 214 345 197 120 48 151 178 99
    47 147 Dalton, GA 242 53 278 117 4 157 1 225 178 173
    48 154 Gainesville, GA 185 272 278 117 4 120 1 225 178 173
    49 155 Tuscaloosa, AL 215 219 214 325 197 52 48 34 178 237
    50 160 Port St. Lucie-Fort Pierce, FL 188 265 17 278 24 157 251 151 80 237
    Source: Based on material developed by Expansion Management and Logistics Today