Location search

Search process

Site search from coarse to fine

Do you want to find the right location for your new production facility? The very first steps you take can determine the success of your company’s choice of location. What is your vision for the new location? What requirements should the location fulfill? Which countries and regions come into question? And which location factors need to be taken into account?

In order to successfully complete these steps, we work with you to design a transparent process. We draw on proven methods and our many years of experience. Regardless of whether you are looking for a second production site, a new warehouse location or a site for an industrial park: By starting from your company’s individual situation, we determine relevant location factors and possible sites on a national or international level. We gradually move from broad patterns to more detailed criteria, comparing countries, regions and specific locations. In this way, we are able to provide a differentiated assessment for companies at every stage of the location selection process.

Our service packages:

• Identify potential locations in North America, Europe and Asia
• Define individually tailored location factors
• Evaluate locations according to proven methodology

Your benefit:

1. You go through an extensive and transparent search and selection process
2. You make a location selection that is precisely tailored to your company’s situation
3. You can draw on local experience for selection and evaluation

Location evaluation

Sound assessment of regional factors

As a first step, many companies often use national averages to evaluate potential locations. However, this entails the risk of prematurely limiting the diversity of possible regions by using too coarse a grid. We therefore consider it more promising to look at individual countries on a regionally differentiated basis.

We propose a two-stage process for this. In a first step, we make a pre-selection of possible countries and compare all the so-called NUTS 2 regions in these countries (according to the Nomenclature des Unités territoriales statistiques, these are regions of the same size as the administrative districts in Germany, for example). Using our Rothbaum regional database, we can then analyze regional location factors such as wage costs, transport costs, availability of labor, educational infrastructure and real estate prices for the various regions. Attractive regions are placed on the longlist.

The most promising results of this initial analysis are put on a longlist, which is then examined in more detail at local level in the second step. Here, very specific criteria based on your requirements are examined: We compare the available real estate (existing and new construction), the surrounding industry, local operational and environmental requirements, available subsidies and the demographics in the immediate catchment area.

In this way, we determine the potential locations that are best suited to your project(shortlist). Thanks to our strong local network, we ensure that you come into contact with the key people and organizations in the most interesting regions at an early stage, giving you access to local politics and business.

Our service packages:

• Develop target image of the future production network
• Stage 1: Select relevant countries and regions (longlist)
• Stage 2: Analyze and compare local site candidates in detail (shortlist)
• Evaluate potential locations according to theirglobal footprint

Your benefit:

1. You receive a detailed and transparent evaluation of possible regions and locations
2. You can make a selection based on sound local experience
3. You gain access to our large partner network, which is rooted in many locations
4. You can get a concrete and reliable picture through local contacts

Concept planning

We give your location project a contour

In order to make a successful and sustainable location decision, it is important to be able to describe in advance what the new production facility should be able to achieve. With data on products, annual quantities, hall space and employees, possible locations can be evaluated more reliably.

We use this information to design your new production facility in the context of your entire value chain and to specify the location search. We use our experience in factory and logistics planning to consider and compare possible relocation scenarios, among other things. In further steps, we develop a suitable distribution concept and calculate the return costs (landed costs). This ultimately results in a reliable utility value analysis for the new production facility, which helps to select the optimal location.

Our service packages:

• Developing a concept for the new production facility
• Compare scenarios for relocation volumes
• Create make-or-buy analyses
• Develop a reliable utility value analysis and apply it to possible locations

Your benefit:

1. You receive clearly comparable models based on our expertise in factory and logistics planning
2. You can develop and define the optimal vertical integration
3. You receive a solid planning basis for the location search

Business case and benefit analysis

Economic efficiency makes the location decision

The choice of a specific new location is an important strategic business decision with economic consequences that will have an impact over a long period of time. It is therefore essential that you make location decisions on the basis of reliable financial key figures to ensure that the purpose of the company you are setting up is actually achieved.

To determine the profitability of your new location, we first calculate the investment, expenses and costs for the new location based on all available information. We compare these calculations with the savings, additional contribution margins, opportunity revenues and capital returns that can be reliably expected. We then combine all the available key financial figures and the qualitative characteristics of the various locations from the shortlist in a technical and economic benefit analysis and derive a recommendation for action. In this way, we can offer you sound validation that you are choosing the right location.

Our service packages:

• Create a comparative economic calculation
• Analyze technical and economic utility value
• Develop a differentiated recommendation for action

Your benefit:

1. You receive a transparent and thorough overview of the expected profitability
2. You can track the financial calculation in key figures individually tailored to your company
3. Ultimately, you decide on the location on a well-founded basis

Location structure

Professional support for your success

Production and logistics are the tried and tested heart of your company, because you have always ensured your competitiveness through operational excellence. But on the one hand, the framework conditions are changing ever faster: the number of variants and costs are increasing, batch sizes are shrinking and products are changing. And on the other hand, new locations always bring new challenges and special features – even if it’s just different labor law conditions in another country.

It has therefore proven to be a good idea to scrutinize tried and tested production structures when planning a new location. In order to increase your added value, we work with you to develop possible new factory layouts, plan logistics, warehouses and production facilities and focus on automation, increased productivity and optimized goods and material flows.

Our service packages:

• Provide project management for site development
• Developing variants for the new factory location
• Designing factory layouts with a focus on automation and increasing efficiency
• Accompany transaction and site development

Your benefit:

1. You receive a variety of different scenarios for possible factory layouts
2. You can identify and utilize potential for increased productivity and flexibility