Texas Dominates the Top 20 Cities in the U.S. for Industrial Project Activity

---

Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). The results are in. The list of the Top 20 of the nation's busiest cities based on current capital and maintenance industrial project activity may reveal some surprises. This list is generated from projects planned at "within the city limits" plant sites and does not include greater metropolitan area plants that fall outside of the city limits. This list is not a list of the most industrialized cities, that is, those cities with the largest number of industrial plants, but is a list of the cities with the most industrial capital spending project activity for new grassroot plants, as well as upgrades, expansions, and major maintenance projects at existing plants. For this reason, it is a good barometer for identifying "hot" cities for equipment and services providers to focus their marketing efforts.

Nine of the Top 20 U.S. Industrial Cities are located in Texas. Houston is the leader with 45 active industrial projects, representing greater than $2.1 billion in Total Investment Value (TIV). All except one of these projects is scheduled to kick off construction between now and the end of 2006. The largest contributors to Houston's industrial project activity are the industrial manufacturing industry with more than $1 billion in planned projects, and the petroleum refining industry with twelve projects representing $451 million. Some of the larger petroleum refining industry
projects include a $150 million desulfurizer unit addition, and a $100 million hydrocracker unit addition.

Click on the image at right to view the Map.

Other Texas cities on the list, in order of greatest to least project activity include Corpus Christi, Pasadena, Port Arthur, San Antonio, Deer Park, Texas City, Beaumont, and Freeport.

Click on the image at the right to view the Top 20 Cities in the U.S. for Industrial Project Activity List.

Second to Texas in the number of appearances on the Top 20 list is Louisiana with four cities: Westlake, Shreveport, Geismar, and Baton Rouge. Westlake, Geismar, and Baton Rouge are heavy hydrocarbon processing, refining, and petrochemical areas. Shreveport, not known as a major industrial hub, may be the surprise on the list, with 21 projects. All except five of these projects have TIVs under $5 million; however, there are several large projects being considered for Shreveport, including a $400 million, 750 megawatt power plant and a $75 million truck assembly plant expansion.

Second on the list after the city of Houston is Baltimore, Maryland, with 36 active industrial projects, representing greater than $1.4 billion in TIV. Almost half of the spending in Baltimore will be for the power industry, with a whopping $589 million planned for ten projects.

For details on the projects in the Top 20 Cities Analysis contact Industrialinfo.com's Member Center at 1-800-762-3361.

PEC – 02005201 02004804 01009871 01007688