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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Government Policy / Business Climate

South Carolina Enacts Key Tax Credits to Boost Economic Development Efforts

John Wall, Partner, Burr & Forman and Jeff Allen, Partner, Burr & Forman (Q4 2024)

SCEDA priority legislation could boost state’s economic development efforts. More

Large-Scale Projects Face Financing Challenges

Adam Glatz, Managing Director , Maxis Advisers (Q4 2024)

Executives have been forced to find new ways to finance projects. More

Top States for Doing Business in 2024: A Continued Legacy of Excellence

Andy Greiner,  Editor, Area Development (Q3 2024)

Certain states just have the right ingredients for attracting and nurturing business growth. The 2024 Top States for Doing Business rankings are in, and guess what? The Southern states are shining bright once again. More

Ensuring Compliance and Maximizing Incentive Benefits

Doug Heinz, Manager, Site Selection & Incentives Advisory, Kroll (Q3 2024)

Managing compliance is key to fully realize and maximize incentive benefits for your manufacturing projects. More

Green Jobs Boom in 2023: Is the IRA a Leading Factor?

Mike Chmura, Economist, Chmura Economics & Analytics (Q3 2024)

Is the IRA driving a surge in green jobs, or is it part of a broader clean energy movement? More

The Critical Role of Real Estate in Site Selection Projects

Devin Hillsdon-Smith, Director, Integrated Site Selection - Industrial, Cushman & Wakefield (Q3 2024)

Strategically selecting sites that optimize economic, logistical, and sustainability factors, not only enhances operational efficiency but also secures a robust foundation for future growth and success. More

What the Latest EPA PFAS Rule Means for Site Due Diligence

Robin L. Main, Partner, Hinckley Allen (Q3 2024)

The new rule brings wide-ranging impacts for property owners and operators. More

Midwest becomes hotspot for semiconductor manufacturing and supply industries

Taylor Stepp,  Ernst & Young LLP’s Global Location Investment (Q2 2024)

Midwestern states compete for semiconductor investments, leveraging new incentives and educational partnerships to attract major industry players. More

First Person: Q&A with Tech Hubs Director Eric Smith

Area Development Research Desk (Q2 2024)

Exploring opportunities for manufacturing growth through the Federal Tech Hubs Program with insights from director Eric Smith on collaboration and regional innovation. More

How to Overcome NIMBYism in Data Centers

W. Ford Graham, Senior Vice President, McGuireWoods Consulting and Christopher D. Lloyd, Senior Vice President and Director, Infrastructure and Economic Development, McGuireWoods Consulting (Q2 2024)

A guide to turning community opposition into constructive criticism and assuaging fears about data center development. More

Location Matters to Your Carbon Goals

Tracey Hyatt Bosman, Managing Director, BLS & Co.; Tim Comerford, Senior Vice President, BLS & Co.; Michael Hirou, USA Chief Representative and Manager, Tractus Asia; and Andreas Dressler, Founder, Location Decisions (Q2 2024)

Exploring how geographical factors influence corporate renewable energy strategies and achievements. More

Buyer Beware: Navigating the Murky Waters of Site Selection

Barry I. Matherly, President and CEO, Hickey Global (Q2 2024)

Executives must meticulously evaluate site selectors, seeking those with a proven track record, deep industry insights, and a strategic approach to partnership. More

The Bring Your Own Energy (BYOE) Party Is Starting

Courtland Robinson, Director of Business Development , Brasfield & Gorrie (Q2 2024)

America is about to shift to decentralized energy and microgrids in a big, big way. More

Skilled Labor, Ample Energy, and Speed to Market Take Priority

Gregg Healy, Executive Vice President & Head of Industrial Services – North America, Savills (Q1 2024)

A location’s labor availability; responsive, pro-business local partners; and ability to support a large energy user are often the main drivers of the site selection decision. More

Site Selection Evolves

Isabel Cyr, Government Relations & Public Affairs Director, Lithion Technologies Inc. (Q1 2024)

Corporate respondents prioritize workforce talent, environmental factors, and permitting/regulatory ease in their location and expansion decisions. More

Manufacturing Projects Dominate the Deal Flow

Brett Bayduss, Senior Partner, Site Selection Group (Q1 2024)

The volume of manufacturing projects across the nation is rising, while office activity has been slow to recover from the pandemic. More

Consultants Survey Reflects Shift in Ranking of Site Selection Factors

Kathy Mussio, Managing Partner, Atlas Insight, LLC (Q1 2024)

A responsive state and local government, incentives offerings, and site readiness now outweigh costs in the location decision. More

38th Annual Corporate Survey: Are Unrealized Predictions of an Economic Slump Leading Small to Mid-Size Companies to Put Off Expansion Plans?

Steve Kaelble, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q1 2024)

Small and mid-size firms — which account for most of our Corporate Survey respondents — are holding their plans for new and expanded facilities in check despite economic news being better than what had been predicted. More

20th Annual Consultants Survey: Clients Prioritize Access to Skilled Labor, Responsive State & Local Government

Steve Kaelble, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q1 2024)

The responding consultants say economic pressures are creating the biggest potential impact for their clients’ location and expansion plans, with finding available skilled labor being the most important concern. More

First Person: Realizing the Inflation Reduction Act’s Full Potential

Brian Murphy, Americas Power, Utilities and Renewables Tax Leader, EY (Q1 2024)

Brian Murphy discusses how tax and finance can collaborate to advance a company’s key sustainability goals. More

In Focus: Working Toward Zero-Emission Buildings Ahead of Regulatory Mandates

Britt Willows, Portfolio Leader, Johnson Controls (Q4 2023)

All stakeholders working in unison will benefit the environment while also resulting in positive business outcomes. More

Future-Proofing Food & Beverage Facilities: Why Site Selection Matters

Brian Miller, Executive Vice President - Industrial, Gresham Smith (Q4 2023)

Access, utilities, workforce, regulatory issues and future-proofing are all key considerations for choosing the right location for a long-term investment. More

Immigration: A Potential Fix for Labor Shortages?

Steve Kaelble, Staff Editor, Area Development (Workforce Q4 2023)

Reforms to U.S. immigration policy may help to supply more of the workers needed by companies that might otherwise choose to locate in other countries. More

2023 Top States for Doing Business Meet the Needs of Site Selectors

Steve Kaelble, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q3 2023)

The states considered the best locations for doing business according to an expert panel of location consultants are the highest performers in more than a dozen categories upon which companies make their site selection decisions. More

The Rise of Mid-Size U.S. Cities: The Industrial Development Boom

Emelie Hegarty, Business Strategy Manager, Quest Site Solutions (Q3 2023)

As company needs have evolved, many are gravitating to smaller urban areas that often provide them with a lower tax burden, affordable real estate, and development-ready sites. More

EV Impacts to Watch in 2023 and 2024

Lauren Berry, Senior Manager, Location Analysis and Incentives, Maxis Advisors (2023 Auto/Aero Site Guide)

The long-term impact of the shift to EVs — including challenges sourcing battery materials and the increased demand on utility capacity — will be far-reaching. More

New/Expanded Incentives for Sustainability-Related Investments

Sean P. Byrne, Of Counsel, Vorys, Slater, Seymour and Pease LLP and Scott J. Ziance, Partner and Economic Incentives Practice Leader, Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP (Q2 2023)

The picture is becoming clearer for the Inflation Reduction Act tax credits, with further guidance to come. More

Is a Flurry of Fads Shaping Economic Development Policy?

Ben Worrell , Principal, McGuire Sponsel (Q2 2023)

Chasing the latest flurry of fads may not help business leaders or the communities in which they locate achieve long-term success. More

Building the Nation’s EV Charging Infrastructure

Josephine Tucker, Managing Director, Clean Energy and Infrastructure Advisory, JLL (Q2 2023)

Public-private partnerships can help states and cities expand their electric vehicle charging infrastructure. More

Companies Are Recalibrating Their Priorities

Eric Stavriotis, Vice Chairman, CBRE (Q1 2023)

In recent years many companies have been propelled to recalibrate priorities for their location strategies and resulting real estate footprints. The top site selection factors for occupiers today include the following: More

Last Word: The CHIPS Act

Liesel Schmader, Senior Consultant; Addison Collins, Consultant; and Sarah Raehl, Senior Manager; Location Strategy, Deloitte Consulting LLP (Q1 2023)

How is the Chips Act driving investment in the U.S., and how can local initiatives help? More

19th Annual Consultants Survey: Clients Challenged by Tight Labor Market, Energy Availability

Geraldine Gambale, Editor, Area Development Magazine (Q1 2023)

Consultants responding to our survey say economic conditions are affecting their clients’ expansion/investment plans, with labor and energy availability and costs of prime concern. More

Federal Legislation Affects Companies’ Investment Plans

Jacob Everett , Founder, Corsa Strategies (Q1 2023)

Companies looking to grow are facing an historically tight labor market and rising costs, but their plans to invest may be buoyed by recent government legislation. More

Corporate Decision-Makers Face a Challenging Environment

Larry Gigerich, Executive Managing Director , Ginovus (Q1 2023)

The rankings clearly reflect the impact of geopolitical and economic instability, as well as technology. More

Labor Related Factors Are Key

Bradley Migdal, Executive Managing Director, Business Incentives Practice, Cushman & Wakefield and Matt Niehoff, Senior Consulting Analyst, Location & Labor Analytics, Cushman & Wakefield (Q1 2023)

Companies are searching for the right balance of labor — at all skill levels — that can satisfy their needs not only now but also into the future. More

Energy Costs Come to the Forefront

Lauren Berry, Senior Manager, Location Analysis and Incentives, Maxis Advisors (Q1 2023)

The shift away from carbon-emitting fuels and the unexpected spikes in natural gas pricing in 2022 have made industrial customers increasingly sensitive to energy costs in their location decisions. More

Deploying Location Strategy + Incentives to Meet ESG Goals

David Hickey, Managing Director, Hickey & Associates (Q1 2023)

CFOs and business leaders can utilize location strategy as part of their ESG mission through their workforce, workplace, and sustainability strategies, as well as by demonstrating social responsibility and good governance. More

37th Annual Corporate Survey: Economic Pressures Exerting Greatest Effect on Decision-Makers

Geraldine Gambale, Editor, Area Development Magazine (Q1 2023)

Companies looking to grow are facing an historically tight labor market and rising costs, but their plans to invest may be buoyed by recent government legislation. More

What in the World? FDI Trends to Watch in 2023

Morgan Crapps, Principal, Parker Poe Consulting (Q1 2023)

Morgan Crapps, Principal at ParkerPoe Consulting, spoke at Area Development’s Women in Economic Development Forum about the trends and factors that shaped foreign direct investment in the United States in 2022, and what we’re tracking for 2023. More

Old Tricks, New Methods: Streamlining the FTZ Process with Software

Brent Dawkins, Director, Product Marketing, QAD (Q1 2023)

Despite the savings garnered by utilizing an FTZ, setting up and managing a foreign-trade zone is often a daunting process, but innovative software solutions can now help. More

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