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GUIDE Service Profile - Location Consulting and
Incentives Consulting
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| Location Advisory Services, Inc. |
| Executive Summary
Details are not available through their website at this time,
as it is going through changes. Call Ron Ruberg, and please let him know how you found him!
In the interim, we have recovered
information from their old website for reference below.
LAS is a relatively small "boutique" consulting firm, but has served
some major clients, as indicated below, and has been successful for many
years as a well-respected specialist.
One area of focus is labor market analysis.
They work with GIS applications and databases as well as
linear programming for facility network optimization, such as for US
distribution operations.
Projects have included corporate and divisional
headquarters and "back office" operations, computer and data centers,
customer contact centers (call centers), R&D facilities, industrial and
distribution operations. |
Contact information
Ronald N. Ruberg ("Ron")
Partner
Location Advisory
Services, Inc.
265 Highway 36,
Suite 202
West Long Branch,
NJ 07764
TEL
732-389-0211
FAX
732-389-0212
e-mail :
las.consulting@verizon.net
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Alternate contacts :
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Website :
www.lasconsulting.com
is being changed - see below |
| Scope of Services
Refer to their old website below |
Biographic Information
- Ron Ruberg - update pending
- Saul Grohs - not available at this time, prior
experience includes work at other leading site selection consulting firms in this specialty.
Well known among peers.
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| Specialties : Types of projects
Refer to their old website below |
Illustrative project summaries
Not available at this time |
| Illustrative client list
Refer to their old website below about the
experience of the partners, plus there are lists for specific services of
LAS. Some examples include : |
Other related services of the firm
This is a niche consulting business for location decisions,
including specialties such as logistics network optimization using linear
programming techniques, particularly in the US.
It generally does not stretch outside this specialty into
other types of services which are not their main focus and, unlike some of
the larger firms, doesn't have related in-house services or "downstream"
work on a project to cross-sell. They focus on the location issues. |
| American
Express |
Hugo Boss |
| AIG - American
Int'l Group |
Lechters |
| BMW |
MicroAge |
| Caterpillar |
Neiman Marcus |
| Citibank |
Ross Stores |
| Fidelity
Investments |
Teradyne |
| First Data
Corporation |
Win-Holt |
| GE Capital |
Verizon |
| Alliances with other firms
None known at this time. They may sometimes work
with independent specialists as appropriate for unique project details, and
have established relationships in several specialties for this purpose but
can work flexibly with clients to assemble a team as appropriate to the
project.. |
Feedback from participants or clients
None available at this time. |
| Relationship Disclosure
There is no relationship at this time beyond general
awareness of prior experience as a respected consultant in this niche.
For details about services, please contact Ron Ruberg or Saul Grohs directly as indicated, and please let
him know
how you found him ! |
Relationship leader at GDI Solutions for potential clients
:
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Standard legal disclaimer
: about
professional service provider participants, contacts, and information |
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The following content has been recovered from their
old website for convenient reference until their new website becomes
available. |
| Location Advisory Services
(LAS) is an independent management consulting firm specializing in business
location and relocation, site selection and other location-related issues.
The consulting philosophy and qualifications of LAS help
differentiate our practice.
LAS is a specialist firm, focusing solely on
location consulting, with particular emphasis on evaluation of labor
markets.
Both LAS Partners work directly on every
project, insuring that senior-level knowledge is applied at every step of a
client assignment.
The experience of the LAS Partners is
unmatched, having counseled leading corporations for a combined total of
over 60 years with location advice on virtually every type of facility,
circumstance, and issue in a broad mix of industries, both white and blue
collar.
We work interactively with clients, helping
to clarify needs, identify opportunities and build consensus.
We continue to invest capital and time in
superior resources to support our practice including up-to-date databases, a
comprehensive GIS capability, and sophisticated computer models.
Our objectivity is guaranteed; location
consulting is our only revenue generator with no potential conflicts from
brokerage or other commissions or shared incentives, and no interests in
downstream business or other consulting practices. |
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About LAS
Location Advisory Services is a team of seasoned management
consultants providing the most extensive experience available in business
location consulting. LAS' goal is to provide our clients with the highest
quality advice and counseling to assist them in positioning their corporate
resources -- labor, facilities and technology -- to optimize operating
costs, satisfy corporate goals, achieve project objectives and gain
competitive advantage. The partners of LAS have advised corporate executives
charged with making hundreds of major strategic decisions for many of the
world's leading companies.
Together the partners of LAS have over 60 years of combined management
consulting experience, having practiced in five diverse consulting firms. In
addition to having specialized expertise in business location consulting,
the experience of LAS's principals covers a broad background of related
areas, forming an essential base of knowledge for dealing with diverse
client issues.
LAS is committed to hands-on senior-level consulting for our clients, with
both Partners personnally involved in every assignment. This provides our
clients with expert guidance and counsel based on both years of insight and
practical experience in every task throughout the project.
LAS maintains in-house the latest databases as well as utilizing a
sophisticated GIS (Geographic Information System) program to profile and map
demographic and other geographic information. We utilize a sophisticated,
extremely versatile linear programming, mixed integer optimization model for
facility network analysis.
Our expertise covers the entire spectrum of location-related issues - from
strategies through labor market analysis and site selection to incentives
negotiations and project implementation. Assignments have involved corporate
and divisional headquarters, industrial plants, distribution centers, R&D
facilities, computer and data centers, call centers, and back offices,
extending across all industry lines. |
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Partner Biographies -
Saul Grohs Saul Grohs, Partner
Saul Grohs has served industry for more than 35 years as a management
consultant and industrial engineer. He is a founding Partner of Location
Advisory Services, Inc., a business location consulting firm specializing in
the positioning of corporate resources. Mr. Grohs was formerly a Principal of Fluor Daniel Consulting and prior to
that a Partner and member of The Executive Committee of PHH Fantus
Corporation. He was responsible for Client Services worldwide, including
development and management of all practice consultants, delivery of services
for all client engagements, business planning, strategies and budgets, and
direction of administrative support services. In his more than 25 years of location consulting, Mr. Grohs has been
directly involved in developing geographic strategies for corporate clients
and in numerous facility location projects representing individual
investments of up to $600 million. These assignments include new and
relocated plants, offices, call centers, computer facilities and
distribution centers ranging from 20 to 5,000 employees. He has also
conducted relocation feasibility studies, labor market evaluations, site
analyses, and production/warehouse facilities network modeling projects. Mr. Grohs' earlier consulting experience, mainly in the field of physical
distribution, was achieved as Vice President of RLS Unitrans and Senior
Associate with Drake Sheahan/Stewart Dougall. Prior to entering the
consulting profession, Mr. Grohs served Allied Chemical Corporation as
Manager of Industrial Engineering in both the Fabricated Products and
Barrett Divisions. Among the hundreds of client companies that have been counseled directly by
Mr. Grohs are such well-known firms as AT&T, Best Foods, Boeing, Boy Scouts
of America, Carrier, Citibank, CPC International, Dun & Bradstreet, Federal
Reserve, Fidelity Investment, General Electric, IBM, Lord & Taylor, Mack
Trucks, Merrill Lynch, MicroAge, Nabisco Brands, National Starch,
NationsBank, Nestle, RJR Tobacco, Stanley Tools, Stouffer Foods, TWA, and
Western Electric. Representative clients outside of the U.S. include BMW,
Bridgestone Tire, Ferrero, Hitachi, Volvo, and Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen. Mr. Grohs received his Bachelor's degree in Management Engineering from
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and holds an MS degree in Computer Science
and Operations Research from Stevens Institute of Technology. A senior
member of the Institute of Industrial Engineers, he is a former Vice
President of the Metropolitan New Jersey Chapter. He is active in the
International Development Research Council (IDRC) and is a member of the
Warehouse Education Research Council (WERC). Mr. Grohs has been a speaker,
panelist and workshop chairman for various organizations and the author of
articles on business location. He frequently serves as a reference source
for the business press and is quoted on location-related issues.
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Partner Biographies -
Ronald Ruberg Ronald Ruberg, CMC, Partner
Ron Ruberg has served industry for 30 years as a management consultant and
in operating management positions in a wide variety of industries and
environments. He is one of the founding partners of Location Advisory
Services, Inc., a business location consulting firm specializing in the
positioning of corporate resources. Mr. Ruberg was formerly a Principal of Fluor Daniel Consulting and, prior to
that, Vice President and a member of the Business Assessment Committee of
PHH Fantus Corporation. He was responsible for all consulting engagements
undertaken at the company's East Coast office. With his direct exposure to a
multitude of projects, Mr. Ruberg became very familiar with corporate
drivers currently active in the location/relocation decision process. As a
director, he had project responsibility for the full gamut of location
related activities: from feasibility studies, to field work including
assessing sites/communities, to implementation management of an R&D facility
build-out. Assignments covered a wide range of locales: BHP Steel (WA); Boy
Scouts of America (NC); CPC-Knorr Swiss (NC); Fulflex (Pacific Rim); Hitachi
(NJ); Metal Leve (SC and Europe); Quickie Manufacturing (El Paso/Juarez);
etc.
Recently, Mr. Ruberg has become known for his work in sophisticated labor
market analyses for call centers, back offices and distribution centers
throughout the United States. His clients have included AIG (FL, NY),
American Express (Mexico), BMW (MS), Chase Insurance Agency (DE), Citicorp
(FL, KY, NJ, NM, TX, VA), Fidelity Investments (KY, MA, NH, RI, TX, UT),
Hecht's (MD), Lechters (PA), Lord & Taylor (PA), MicroAge (NJ and Europe),
NationsBank (AL, FL), Neiman Marcus (TX), Reprogenesis (MA), and Venture
Stores (TX). Mr. Ruberg's previous consulting experience (seven years) was in the field
of physical distribution. While at W.F. Friedman & Company (an ACME firm),
he was lead consultant on projects that covered the full range of
business/technical issues involved in logistics: strategy and network
planning, state-of-the-art facility design and computer support systems.
As a seasoned management consultant, Ron is sensitive to the differing needs
and perspectives of the various departments/groups that must interact
efficiently in a firm. The ability to develop consensus among these diverse
entities and move a company forward to a decision and appropriate action is
an important skill he brings to each consulting engagement.
Prior to entering the consulting profession, Mr. Ruberg served Polygram
Distribution, Inc. as the East Coast Manager for this worldwide
entertainment company. During his seven years at the Rye Distribution Branch
of Avon Products, Mr. Ruberg was responsible for many projects including
overseeing the installation, personnel training and debugging of the first
computerized automated picking system in the company. Mr. Ruberg received his Bachelor's degree from Columbia College and, after
six years in the US Navy, his MBA from Columbia Business School. He has been
a Certified Management Consultant at the Institute of Management Consultants
(IMC) since 1985. He has completed the intensive leadership course at the
Center for Creative Leadership. |
LAS Services/Expertise
Location related issues are among the most complex a business can face. A
single location decision not only can have a dramatic effect on operating
costs, profitability and capital expenditures, but it can impact virtually
every aspect of a company's ability to operate successfully including
customer service, capacity to grow, corporate image, quality of staff,
ability to recruit, and labor-management relations.
While every location project is unique, they require similar techniques and
generally can be grouped into three (sometimes overlapping) categories:
strategies and planning, location selection and evaluation, and project
implementation. LAS has expertise in all three of these practice areas. |
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Strategies/Planning
– Advise and assist in exploring locational options,
determining their feasibility, and evaluating alternatives. Develop plans
for strategic, geographic positioning worldwide of people, facilities, and
technology to meet corporate objectives and achieve competitive advantage.
Examples of assignments include: |
- Corporate needs and opportunities assessment
- Relocation feasibility - office, production, distribution, R&D, computer
units
- Impact of corporate headquarters relocation
- Planning for production/distribution facilities network (optimization model)
- Consolidation/decentralization of office operations
- Long range facilities utilization plan
- Effect of economic geography on business plans
- Decision support and consensus building
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Representative Client List - Strategies/Planning
Among the many clients served by individual LAS principals as project
leaders and/or consultants on strategies or planning assignments are: |
| Australian Trade Commission |
Chanel |
Fidelity Investments |
NBA |
| BMW |
Chase Insurance Agency |
Freightliner |
Quickie Manufacturing |
| Boy Scouts of America |
Citibank |
Hitachi America, Ltd. |
Treasure Chest Advertising |
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LAS Services/Expertise - Location Selection
– Recommend the most suitable location(s) for your office,
plant, distribution center, laboratory, computer center or other business
operation. Determine key locational criteria, identify viable candidates,
and screen for preferred alternatives reflecting your specific goals and
needs. Select and evaluate final contenders based on a detailed review of
geographically variable costs, labor shed analysis, real estate
opportunities, and potential for incentives. Representative project
components, which also can be done on a stand-alone basis, are: |
| Regional/international (country) comparisons |
Comparative operating costs |
Evaluation of incentive programs |
| Community comparisons and screening |
Community evaluations |
Employee retention/defection analysis |
| Search for available buildings/development opportunities |
Site selection and evaluation |
Infrastructure assessment
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| Labor market analysis |
Quality of life appraisal |
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Representative Client List - Location Selection
Among the many clients served by individual LAS principals as project
leaders and/or consultants on facility location or relocation assignments
are: |
| American Express |
Elf Atochem N.A. |
Metal Leve |
Quickie Manufacturing |
| American International Group (AIG) |
Emcore |
MicroAge |
Reprogenesis |
| Best Foods (now Unilever) |
Fidelity Investments |
National Starch |
Ross Stores |
| BHP Steel |
First Data Corporation |
NationsBank |
Shell Chemical |
| BMW |
Hechts |
NBA |
SOC Corporation |
| Boy Scouts of America |
Hitachi America, Ltd. |
Neiman Marcus |
Teradyne |
| Caterpillar |
Lechters |
OCWEN Financial |
Treasure Chest Advertising |
| Citibank |
Lord & Taylor |
Outokumpu |
U.S. Bancorp |
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Win-Holt |
Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen |
LAS Services/Expertise - Project Implementation
– Plan, develop programs, and provide guidance on all aspects of relocating
an entire or partial business operation or establishing a new unit. As the
project proceeds assistance can be in the form of oversight, selection and
management of vendors, direct management participation as desired, or an
advisory role. Some of the key areas addressed in the implementation process
include: |
| Incentive negotiations |
Community relations & economic development interface |
Development of a move plan program |
| Property acquisition |
Vendor selection and management |
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| Employee communications |
Project management |
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Representative Client List - Project Implementation
Among the many clients served by individual LAS principals as project
leaders and/or consultants on implementation assignments are: |
| Best Foods (now Unilever) |
Caterpillar |
Lord & Taylor |
Treasure Chest Advertising |
| BHP Steel |
Citibank |
Neiman Marcus |
Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen |
| BMW |
Hitachi America, Ltd. |
Shell Chemical |
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Resources
LAS relies on a time-tested combination of in-house resource tools and
external contacts. |
Contacts In The Field
Over the years LAS has developed an extensive array of contacts at the
international, state, and local levels of economic development and
government agencies. These contacts, as well as allies at utility and
transportation companies, allow LAS quick access to accurate and "up to the
minute" information on the myriad topics involved in a location decision.
They also assist in providing us access to local companies for interviews in
order to establish current information on labor issues. |
Extensive In-House Database
LAS' in-house database provides the precise, timely information we need to
develop the results you expect. We have extensive data collections on
demographics, labor, cost indices, utilities, business climate, NLRB
election results, quality of life issues, cost of living elements, and
incentives, just to name a few. In addition to North American data, we have
key information on Central America, Europe and other international
locations.
Geographic Information System (GIS)
GIS graphically combines economic, demographic, transportational and
physical geography data, creating a powerful tool for site selection and
location analysis.
Our in-house GIS allows us to perform macro-geoanalysis (international and
national site selection issues) as well as micro-geoanalysis (localized site
selection issues).
We've provided a few low-resolution examples of our GIS capabilities.
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LAS Expert Resources (LASER)
LASER allows clients to benefit from the advantages of working with our
small, focused consulting firm, while seamlessly having access to
specialized expertise needed to address related business location,
relocation and site selection project needs and issues in more depth. All
LASER consultants have had business relationships with the LAS Partners
going back at least 10 years. Each LASER consultant is the Principal in an
independently owned small consulting firm or sole proprietorship. All have
had experience in applying their specialized expertise to location-related
problems and have participated in a number of projects with LAS. Disciplines
covered by these expert resources are centered on:
Agribusiness issues
Computer model development
Data center equipment and operations
Employee retention estimates and relocation packages
International location issues
Telecommunications services |
LAS Alliance Partners
For complex projects requiring a multi-disciplinary consultant team, LAS is
prepared to work with selected groups in whatever configuration the client
desires -- as part of a joint venture, in the role of lead consultant, or as
a subcontractor. Over the years, we have developed relationships with
independent consulting firms in fields that often prove relevant to location
projects, and we can offer the best combination necessary to meet any
project needs. Assignments have included team efforts with consultants in
logistics, warehouse design, data center planning, environmental
engineering, move implementation, personnel relocation, public relations,
and economic development. We also can work as part of a project team
assembled by the client.
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Optimization Model
LAS utilizes a highly sophisticated computer model to assist in determining
the optimum number and location of facilities in a production and/or
distribution facility network. The optimization model, which is customized
for each client project, can be used to determine the impact of opening new
facilities at alternate locations and/or closing existing locations. It also
provides information on reallocating customers, reassigning product lines,
revising customer service levels, and projecting a capital investment
schedule. Our optimization model uses a combination of linear programming
and mixed integer programming to provide results which can be used to plan
facility network strategies as well as identify optimal areas for new
facilities. Inbound and outbound freight costs, all operating and facility
costs, and one-time costs for opening and closing facilities can be
included, and the LAS location database can be used to develop cost figures
for potential new locations. |
Contact Us
Contact Saul Grohs or Ron Ruberg to discuss in more detail how LAS can best
meet your needs, or even if you just want to discuss an issue of concern...
no obligation... confidentiality guaranteed... and we would be happy to
prepare a proposal for you at no cost.
(see updated contact information above) |
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