Location Determinants of Food Manufacturing Investment: Are Non-metropolitan Counties Competitive?

Food manufacturing site selection is determined by infrastructure, agglomeration, product and input markets, labor markets, and fiscal attributes of local communities. This article examines how these factors influence location decisions across the rural-urban continuum in the lower forty-eight states of the U.S. Negative binomial regression and spatial clustering methods are used to forecast new food processor location patterns at the county level, 2000-2004. Remote rural areas are at a comparative disadvantage with respect to attracting food processors, but non-metropolitan counties with economic links to urban core areas may be attractive investment sites for footloose, supply, and demand-oriented food manufacturers.firm location, food manufacturing, negative binomial regression, spatial clustering, Community/Rural/Urban Development, R1, R3,

Location Determinants of Food Manufacturing Investment: Are Non-metropolitan Counties Competitive?

Food manufacturing site selection is determined by infrastructure, agglomeration, product and input markets, labor markets, and fiscal attributes of local communities. This article examines how these factors influence location decisions across the rural-urban continuum in the lower forty-eight states of the U.S. Negative binomial regression and spatial clustering methods are used to forecast new food processor location patterns at the county level, 2000-2004. Remote rural areas are at a comparative disadvantage with respect to attracting food processors, but non-metropolitan counties with economic links to urban core areas may be attractive investment sites for footloose, supply, and demand-oriented food manufacturers