Weber and Industrial Location

TheoryIndustrial Activity and Geographic Location

Factors of Industrial Location (3)

–Transportation• highly developed industrial areas are

places that are served most efficiently by transportation facilities

• alternative systems• container systems, break of bulk

Factors of Industrial Location (3)

–Transportation• for most goods, truck is cheaper

over shorter distances, railroads cheaper over medium distances, and ships cheapest over longest distances

• must consider loading/unloading, actual transportation (cost of transportation increases with distance at a decreasing rate), and weight and volume

World’s largest container ship

Intermodal Facility: Portland, Oregon

Factors of Industrial Location (4)

–Infrastructure• transportation, telephone,

utilities, banks, postal, hotel

• China-inadequate local and regional infrastructure

• Vietnam-inadequate power, water, transportation

Factors of Industrial Location (5)

–Energy• used to be much more important

than it is today• early British textile mills had to

locate near water power• rarely a problem today, except

industries needing a huge amount of energy--- metal processing and chemical industries may locate near hydropower (TVA or Pacific Northwest)

Map showing location of chemical manufacturing facilities.

Other Factors

• agglomeration• political stability• regional receptiveness to

investment• taxation policies• environmental conditions

(Hollywood)