CFO in focus - Location, location, location...

A look at recent articles from CFO, an Economist Group series of magazines for senior finance executives

“A Tale of Six Cities”

By Alix Stuart

December's cover story for CFO magazine is a thorough study of six cities across America at a time when companies are taking real-estate issues increasingly into account when making expansion or operational decisions. The perks and incentives offered to corporate tenants in three established financial centres—New York, Chicago and San Francisco—and three up-and-coming cities—Charlotte, Austin and Las Vegas—are explored.

A host of executives go on record to advise on the benefits and drawbacks of the cities they’ve chosen. As such, this is a useful primer for executives considering a move, especially as “the advantage is likely to swing back to the tenant side, if only slightly, as new construction reaches the final stages in many big cities and private-equity owners face the prospect of leasing (or selling) at a discount if they can't refinance short-term loans.” A useful checklist for dealing with landlords is included. More...