More than once I have been involved in a site selection process where the losers never knew the real reasons why they lost.  Oh, sure, they were given platitudes and pats on the back by the owner and/or developer, but the truth never came out.

It is quite simple.  Very often a community that loses a major project loses it based on construction labor history. It's true, and you can take it to the bank.

The project owner/developers see construction as a necessary evil.  If they could snap their fingers and have a new plant in place, they would do so in a heartbeat.  Thus, they are looking for the friendliest construction environment they can find.

If your town, county or region has a reputation for construction difficulties, you will be quickly stricken from the short list.  In fact, you may never even make the short list.  Sadly, you may never even get the chance to be a real loser.

I am aware of times in the past where whole swaths of the country were ignored because construction was known to be just too difficult in those areas.  Simply, the community's construction labor leaders were so anxious, perhaps greedy, that their past performance drove away future business.

So, take an honest assessment of your situation.  It may be time to sit down with the local construction trades leaders and contractors and have a talk.