Consultants Forum Advertise
Subscribe
Close

  • Free for qualified executives and consultants to industry

  • Receive quarterly issues of Area Development Magazine and special market report and directory issues

Subscribe Now
Renew

Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Q2 2017
Advanced Technology Playbook
Advanced Manufacturing >>

Innovation Is Changing Companies’ Locational Needs

Cassie Branum, Senior Urban Designer, Senior Associate , Perkins+Will (Q2 2017)
In the field of manufacturing, a domino sequence is changing the locational needs of companies. What does this mean for decision-makers and what criteria should be used for evaluating the next wave of sites and facilities? More
Advanced Manufacturing >>

The CEO’s Toolkit to Lead Through the Digital Disruption

Dushyant Sukhija (Q2 2017)
Companies are fighting for survival as the era of digital disruption dawns; a robust people strategy” is one foundational element that should not be overlooked. More
Advanced Manufacturing >>

How Technology Will Overcome Demographics

Randy Thompson, Senior Managing Director, Build-to-Suit Advisory Group, Cushman & Wakefield (Q2 2017)
As robotics continue to evolve in both agility and intelligence, the day may come when site selectors can take labor availability out of the location equation. More
Features
Government Policy / Business Climate >>

Corporate Tax Reform to Have Positive, Domino Effect on U.S. Industrial Economy

Stephen Gray, President & CEO, Gray, Inc. (Q2 2017)
While the timing and details of a new corporate tax policy are still uncertain, it will change the business landscape for U.S. companies of all sizes for the better. More
DCs / Warehousing >>

Supply Change: Why A Modular Approach To Warehousing Could Be The Wave Of The Future

David Frentzel, New Harbor Consultants (Q2 2017)
With the supply chain challenges that companies will inevitably face, the time is now to explore a more varied approach to warehousing. More
Special Reports
Leading Metro Locations >>

Leading Locations for 2017: West Coast "Tech" Cities Top List, Smaller MSA's Show Workforce Chops

Area Development Research Desk (Q2 2017)
It’s not surprising to see larger MSAs at the top of the list due to their economic diversity and advantages of scale. But, mid-size and small cities built upon clusters that are in high demand, and where a prime workforce exists, can also be economic powerhouses. More
Texas >>

Texas: Attracting Large and Small Companies Through Innovative Initiatives

Dan Emerson, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q2 2017)
State and local leaders are continuing to drive economic growth in Texas through pro-business policies and workforce training initiatives. More
Annual Econdev Awards >>

2017 Gold & Silver Shovel Awards Recognize States Compiling Healthy Rosters of New and Expanded Facilities

Geraldine Gambale, Editor, Area Development Magazine (Q2 2017)
The work of economic development is a complicated mix of salesmanship, customer service, technical and legal expertise, communications, relationship-building, and a healthy dose of good fortune. More
Front Line
Government Policy / Business Climate >>

Frontline: Regulatory Reform Taking Center Stage

Tom Ewing, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q2 2017)
Comments in response to the Office of Policy and Strategic Planning’s request-for-information about federal permitting and regulatory challenges will identify some of the specific obstacles businesses face when trying to achieve growth. More
Departments
Workplace Trends >>

First Person: Finding and Preparing the 21st Century Manufacturing Workforce

Larry E. Fast, Founder & President,  Pathways to Manufacturing Excellence (Q2 2017)
Larry E. Fast, a 35-year veteran of the wire and cable industry and author of The 12 Principles of Manufacturing Excellence: A Lean Leader’s Guide to Achieving and Sustaining Excellence, 2nd Edition. In this interview, Fast explains how manufacturing plants can institute a strategy for excellence on the shop floor and why soft skills are as important as hard ones. More
Workplace Trends >>

In Focus: Alternative Workplace Strategies: Open Offices Gaining Traction

Robin Weckesser , President & Founder, a3 Workplace Strategies (Q2 2017)
An open or hybrid office can help to promote employee collaboration and boost productivity, while also resulting in cost savings. More
Exclusive Online Content
Construction / Project Planning >>

Greater Predictability, Fewer Surprises Through Use of BIM for Front-End Planning

David Hardy, Preconstruction Facilities Manager, O'Neal (Q2 2017)
Using building information modeling (BIM) during pre-construction planning now leads to lower risk and improved predictability during the actual construction phase of a facility. More
Government Policy / Business Climate >>

Raising Minimum Wages: A Double-Edged Sword

Dale D. Buss, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q2 2017)
While raising the minimum wage puts more money into the pockets of low-wage workers, it also incentivizes employers to hold the line on job creation or even reduce employment. More
Advanced Manufacturing >>

Textile Industry Making a Comeback in the U.S. Southeast

Beth H. Land, Vice President, Site Selection Group (Q2 2017)
As the textile industry becomes transformed by technology, companies are considering highly automated, environmentally conscious production facilities in the U.S. Southeast, where the infrastructure necessary for this industry’s success is already in place. More
Government Policy / Business Climate >>

Industry Leaders Speak on Issues Facing Small Manufacturers, and Optimism for the Future

Gray Construction (Q2 2017)
Small-to-medium-sized manufacturers are the backbone of the supply chain, making the parts and products that enable their larger counterparts to compete, grow and thrive. They constitute nearly 90 percent of manufacturing's contribution to the economy so it’s vital to understand and address the issues facing them. More
Sustainable Development >>

Edible Gardens Enliven Industrial Properties, Accelerate Valuations

Lara Hermanson, Co-Founder & Principal, Farmscape (Q2 2017)
Urban farms can help to attract new industrial businesses, accelerate property values, and engender camaraderie between co-workers. More
Tennessee >>

Location Notebook: Tennessee Automotive on the Road to Prosperity

Steve Kaelble, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q2 2017)
The automotive industry is making a significant contribution to Tennessee’s economic growth, while partnering with the state’s educational institutions in order to satisfy its need for workers with specialized skillsets. More
Biotech / Life Sciences >>

Lab Space is Hard to Find in Top U.S. Life Sciences Clusters

Roger Humphrey, Division President, Life Sciences, JLL (Q2 2017)
The 5th annual JLL report identifies where life sciences companies are locating — and the trends driving them there. More

Exclusive Research