Logistics / Infrastructure U.S. Tariff Outlook: Key Signals to Watch in 2025
How economic developers, manufacturers, and policymakers can prepare for potential trade shifts.
Read MoreGovernment Policy / Business Climate Power, Policy, and Site Selection in 2025
Energy, tariffs, and trade are going to be a moving target in the coming months.
Read MoreEditor's Picks
The Battle to Break China’s Rare Earth Supply Chain Dominance
U.S. faces challenges in reducing reliance on China for rare earths.
The Rise of Joint Venture Agreements in New Construction Projects

Collaborative joint ventures spread risk and ensure successful project outcomes.
The Role of Data-Driven Site Selection in Modern Manufacturing

Why it’s crucial to leverage data and analytics to make informed and strategic site selection decisions.
The Role of Rail in Industrial Development

Area Development talked with Norfolk Southern’s GVP of Industrial Development, Craig Hudson, about the evolving importance of rail in site selection, supply chain sustainability, and emerging sectors like metals and advanced materials.
Recent Features
Manufacturing / Industrial
Get Your Mega Site ‘Project Ready’

Preparing a mega site requires more than acreage and ambition—it means aligning zoning, utilities, and documentation to reduce investor risk, compress timelines, and compete for transformative manufacturing and industrial projects.
ContinueFood Processing
Why Cold Storage May Defy the Tariff Crunch

Food related projects remain resilient as tariff pressures shake other sectors of commercial real estate
ContinueGovernment Policy / Business Climate
Around the Horn: North America’s Trade Tensions
Charlie Smith, managing director of geopolitical strategy at Newmark Global Strategy discusses the current trade tensions across North America and their implications with his colleagues, managing director Carlos Sanchez (based in Mexico) and senior managing director Gregg Wassmansdorf (based in Canada).
ContinueData Centers
Is It Time to Start Planning for Quantum Data Centers?

It’s looking like a question of when, not if. A look ahead at this emerging technology — and what it means for economic development.
ContinueContributed Content
Kansas Helping Transition Service Members, Families into New Careers

With innovative programs such as SkillBridge — and dedicated workforce development professionals at KANSASWORKS — Kansas is a strong player in assisting and placing veterans and their families into promising careers.
ContinueContributed Content
Ohio’s Dynamic Approach to Economic Development Empowers Inclusive Prosperity

Ohio’s big cities and small towns thrive with a mix of economic development initiatives that drive momentum.
ContinueContributed Content
Tennessee’s Bold Investment in Nuclear Innovation and Workforce

Strengthening its nuclear ecosystem with major investments in workforce training, advanced research, and industry growth.
ContinueGovernment Policy / Business Climate
All Roads Lead to Washington

We are at the dawn of America’s next Industrial Revolution, and it will be shaped in large part by the convergence of technological innovation, climate change and geopolitical pressures.
ContinueSkilled Labor / STEM
Run a Job Task Analysis

Use this analysis to address skills gaps and boost retention.
ContinueCorporate HQ / Office
Less Is More for Energy Industry Offices

Oil and gas industry consolidation will likely lead to increased demands for higher-quality offices in top locations.
ContinueData Centers
Unlock Efficiency and Performance in Data Centers

Aging data centers face mounting pressures to evolve as 55 percent of facilities are over a decade old. Strategic upgrades can unlock new levels of reliability, scalability, and energy efficiency.
ContinueLeading Metro Locations
2024's Leading Metro Locations: U.S. Cities on the Rise Amid an Economic Reshuffling

Area Development’s 2024 Leading Metro Locations report reveals shifting dynamics in America’s cities.
ContinueSite Selection Factors / Strategy
First Person: René Buck, President & CEO, BCI Global
As founder and CEO of BCI Global, René Buck has led site selection projects and supply chain projects across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. We caught up with Buck to talk about the evolution of site selection, the impact of tariffs and geopolitics, and the advice he’s giving manufacturing executives right now.
ContinueManufacturing / Industrial
Siting For Things That Go Boom

Site selectors and engineers must be extra cautious dealing with energetics, like ammunition and explosives.
ContinueBusiness Globalization
A Tale of Two Industrial Winds

Shifting supply chains, evolving trade policies, and new investment trends are reshaping the industrial real estate landscape.
ContinueWorkforce Training / Education
Why Workforce Readiness Can’t Wait

The training program for the new facility can no longer be delayed until the new facility is nearing completion. It should be instituted the day after the site selection decision is announced
ContinueEnergy / Clean Tech
The Location Economics of Advanced Nuclear

Technology gains traction as a strategic investment, with evolving reactor designs, streamlined site selection, and regional incentives shaping the future of clean, reliable power.
ContinueGovernment Policy / Business Climate
Navigating the new era of SCIF construction

Changing compliance standards, heightened geopolitical threats drive SCIF (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities) construction boom.
ContinueAdvanced Manufacturing
First Person: Brent Omdahl, SVP Government Affairs for Global Wafers

The EVP for Government Affairs at GlobalWafers shares insights on a $3.5 billion investment in Sherman, Texas, workforce development, and how the CHIPS Act has reshaped semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S.
ContinueManufacturing / Industrial
Forging Solid Foundations

Four Key Considerations for Building Strong Relationships with Local Governments in Industrial Development.
ContinueSustainable Development
Implementing Effective Sustainability Strategies for Building Projects

Sustainability has moved from a buzzword to a critical business practice, driven by government regulations and building codes as well as end-user expectations.
ContinueBiotech / Life Sciences
Real Estate Hurdles for Cell Therapy

For startups hoping to jump on the CGT bandwagon, decisions around real estate can be a significant obstacle. While CGT research can often be carried out in relatively standard lab spaces, transitioning from research to production can be a leap of faith.
ContinueManufacturing / Industrial
Designing Beyond the Assembly Line

Comprehensive planning transforms manufacturing facilities into hubs of efficiency and community growth, addressing workforce needs, infrastructure, and sustainability.
ContinueProject Announcements
Coast Expands Expands Salt Lake County, Utah, Operations
04/15/2025
KBR Expands Davis County, Utah, Operations
04/15/2025
TL+CO Business Solutions Plans Seabrook, South Carolina, Production Operations
04/12/2025
Paragon Metal Fabricators Plans Falmouth, Kentucky, Manufacturing Operations
04/12/2025
Morris Packaging Plans Marion County, Kentucky, Production Operations
04/12/2025
Bailey Manufacturing Company Plans Laurinburg, North Carolina, Production Operations
04/11/2025
Palmetto Plastics Innovations Plans Hardeeville, South Carolina, Manufacturing Operations
04/11/2025
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Run a Job Task Analysis
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The Location Economics of Advanced Nuclear
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39th Annual Corporate & 21st Annual Consultants Surveys: What Business Leaders and Consultants Are Saying About Site Selection
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NEW NIMBYism: A Threat to The U.S. Economy
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Power, Policy, and Site Selection in 2025
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Designing Beyond the Assembly Line
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