Consultants Forum Insights
Recent Features
Global Innovation Hubs: Markets Driving the Future of Business
Area Development interviewed David Hickey, Managing Director, Hickey & Associates, at our Houston Consultants Forum. Our discussion covered the factors that go into the making of a global innovation hub.
What Should a CFO Know About Investment Opportunities in Latin America
Jeffrey Garza Walker, Senior Vice President, and Joshua Rodriguez, Vice President, Cresa, spoke with Area Development about the state of cross border investment between the United States, Mexico and Latin America after their presentation at our 2019 Houston Consultants Forum.
Aligning Supply Chain with Corporate Social Responsibility
Area Development interviewed Brian Corde, Managing Partner, Atlas Insight LLC, at our Houston Consultants Forum. Our discussion covered how companies are devising and meeting their corporate social responsibility commitments.
How Site Selection Can Help Meet Corporate Social Responsibility Commitments
Brian Corde, Managing Partner, Atlas Insight LLC, spoke with Area Development about the confluence of corporate social responsibility and site selection strategy at our 2019 Houston Consultants Forum.
Why are Foreign Trade Zones Making a Comeback?
Area Development interviewed Curtis Spencer, President, IMS Worldwide Inc., at our Houston Consultants Forum. Our discussion covered how companies can leverage foreign trade zones to mitigate the impact of tariffs on their bottom line.
How Technology Is Making Data Collection for Incentives Programs Applications Easier
Kenan Gay, Manager, Multistate Tax Services, Deloitte Tax LLP, spoke with Area Development about technology solutions for evaluating incentives programs in site selections after his presentation at our 2019 Houston Consultants Forum.
FDI in Turbulent Times
Karen Hensley-Chelstowska, Managing Director, Site Selection & Incentive Advisory Services, Duff & Phelps, spoke with Area Development about the changing equation for international location decisions at our 2019 Women in Economic Development Consultants Forum.
The Impacts of Data and Future Technologies on Data Center Site Selection
Pat Lynch, Senior Managing Director, Data Center Solutions, CBRE, spoke with Area Development about the data center market and site selection process at our 2019 Houston Consultants Forum.
Finding and Valuing Top Talent
Martha O’Mara PhD. Principal, Place Strategy Partners, LLC, spoke with Area Development about how companies can diversify out of high-cost locations while still accessing talented labor pools after her presentation at our 2019 Houston Consultants Forum.
Global Investment In – and Within – North America
Marc Beauchamp, President and CEO, CAI Global Group, spoke with Area Development about recent Canadian and international investment projects in the U.S. from a site selection perspective after his presentation at our 2019 Houston Consultants Forum.
Foreign Trade Zones: A Key Tool to Navigating Tariffs
Area Development interviewed Curtis Spencer, President, IMS Worldwide, Inc., at our Houston Consultants Forum. Our discussion covered how companies can leverage foreign trade zones to mitigate the impact of tariffs on their bottom line.
Opportunities and Challenges for the CBD and Hemp Industry
Scott Kupperman, Owner, Kupperman Location Solutions, spoke with Area Development about the site selection opportunities - and challenges - for the CBD and Hemp industry at our 2019 Houston Consultants Forum.
Supply Chain Growth in the U.S., Mexico and Latin America
Jeffrey Garza Walker, Senior Vice President, and Joshua Rodriguez, Vice President, Cresa, spoke with Area Development about opportunities for relocation, investment and supply chain extension in Latin America after their presentation at our 2019 Houston Consultants Forum.
The Future of Manufacturing Site Selection is Connected
Area Development interviewed Catalina Valencia, Founding Principal, Terrafinder Consulting, at the 2019 Area Development Women in Economic Development Forum in Chicago about the future of site selection for heavy industry.
What Makes a Megaproject?
Isabel Cyr, Director, CAI Global; and Fatima Halimi, Consultant, CAI Global discuss with Area Development the landscape of megaprojects and the trends and lessons learned from the biggest site selection projects in the U.S.
An Innovative P3 for a Multibillion-Dollar Medical Center
Lisa Clarke, Executive Director, Destination Medical Center Economic Development Agency, spoke with Area Development about the largest public-private economic initiative in Minnesota’s history, at our Women in Economic Development Consultants Forum.
For Chinese Companies, FDI Brings Promise and Risk
Area Development sat with Neale Rath, Specialist Leader, Enterprise Operations, Deloitte Consulting LLP, at our Charlotte Consultants Forum for a discussion on the face of Chinese industrial investment in the U.S. during an era of uncertainty.
A Primer on German Mittelstand Companies
Martin Polivka, Manager - EY Global Location Investment, Credits & Incentives Services, Ernst & Young LLP, spoke with Area Development about German mittelstand companies, after his presentation, “Mittelstand companies investing in the US” at our Charlotte Consultants Forum.
Milestones and Incentives in the Site Selection Process
Area Development sat with Julie Miller, Vice President, Location Economics, JLL at our Charlotte Consultants Forum for a discussion on the incentive process and, how companies can work with economic development organizations to navigate projects, RFPs and offer letters in the right direction.
Automotive Site Selection in Small and Rural Communities
Area Development recently interviewed Alexandra Segers, DIPL.-ING, PE, MS, about automotive industry site selection within small and rural communities at our Charlotte Consultants Forum.
The Disruption of Autonomous Vehicles is Closer Than You Think
Area Development discussed the state of the autonomous vehicle industry with Benton Blaine, Vice President, Infrastructure & Economic Development, McGuireWoods Consulting, following his presentation, “The Disruption of Autonomous Vehicles is Closer Than You Think — Is Your Community Ready?”, at our Charlotte Consultants Forum.
Creative Approaches to Last Mile Distribution
Area Development sat with Matt Powers, Executive Vice President, Retail/E-commerce Distribution, JLL at our Charlotte Consultants Forum after his presentation, “Preparing Your Community - Remaining Nimble in an Evolving Economy”, for a discussion on the evolution of retail site selection and last mile distribution.
Tips for Navigating Incentives in Site Selection Process
Rose Davidson, Sr. Vice President, Business and Economic Incentives, at JLL, spoke with Area Development about navigating incentives during the site selection process, after her presentation, “Moving the Needle - How to Navigate Projects, RFPs and Offer Letters in the Right Direction,” at our Charlotte Consultants Forum.
Siemens’ New Way of Working Brings IT, HR & CRE Together
Michael Kruklinski, Head of Real Estate, Siemens Gas & Power and Siemens USA, spoke with Area Development about how workplace strategy influences corporate real estate strategy, after his presentation, “Creating Spaces that Attract and Retain Talent: Good for Communities, Good for Corporations,” at our Charlotte Consultants Forum.
Attracting, Expanding and Managing FDI in a Disruptive World
Partner Brian Smith and Senior Manager Carter Wood, both with Ernst & Young LLP, spoke with Area Development about foreign direct investment in the U.S. after their presentation, “Attracting, Expanding and Managing FDI in a Disruptive World,” at our Miami Consultants Forum. This article was based on an interview conducted by Margy Sweeney, Founder and CEO, Akrete, Inc. and Area Development Editorial Board member.
The 3 Cs of Successful Site Selection: Company, Culture, and Community
Dan Foster, Executive Managing Director at Newmark Knight Frank and Chris Volney, Senior Director, CBRE Labor Analytics, spoke with Area Development about the less tangible site selection factors, such as local culture and quality of place, at our Miami Consultants Forum.
A Few Friendly Questions Concerning Economic Development Practices (after three decades of location consulting experience)
Area Development discussed economic development best practices with Les Cranmer, Senior Managing Director, Savills Studley, following his presentation on the same topic at our Miami Consultants Forum.
Laying Down the Tracks for Rail-Served Site Selection
Area Development sat with Larry Kahn, Senior Director, Industrial, Franklin Street, at our Miami Consultants Forum for a discussion on rail-served site selection and industrial development.
Aerospace and Defense Investment Projects Take the Long View
Von Hatley, Managing Director at Jones Walker Consulting, spoke with Area Development about the state of site selection and strategic planning within the aerospace and defense industry after his presentation at our Miami Consultants Forum on the same subject.
Opportunity Zones Can Uplift Communities and Investors Alike
Stephanie Yarbrough, Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson, spoke with Area Development following her presentation on qualified opportunity zones and stimulating investment in low-income communities at our Miami Consultants Forum.
Ingredients for a Healthy Site Selection Process in the Food Industry
Area Development interviewed Scott Kupperman, Founder, Kupperman Location Solutions, at our Miami Consultants Forum about the food industry dynamics that are influencing site selection in 2018 and beyond.
Getting the Most Out of Your Economic Development Partners
Courtney Dunbar, Site Selection and Economic Development Leader, Burns & McDonnell, spoke with Area Development about evolving market trends, following her presentation on the subject at our Women in Economic Development Forum.
Site Selection 2020: Riding the Waves of Disruption into the Next Decade
Following our Miami Consultants Forum, Area Development discussed the current and evolving state of the site selection industry and industrial real estate market with Brad Migdal, Senior Managing Director at Cushman & Wakefield.
For Food Manufacturers, the Right Economic Development Partner Is Critical
Area Development interviewed Amy Gerber, Executive Managing Director, Business Incentives Practice at Cushman & Wakefield — and lead moderator at our Women in Economic Development Consultants Forum — about the insights and trends discussed at the conference, including incentives negotiation, labor costs, affordable housing, and the ever-evolving food industry, which was the focus of her own presentation.
Middle Market Investment Decisions
Area Development discussed middle market investment strategies with Kate Crowley, Principal, Baker Tilly, following her “Investment Decisions in the Middle Market” presentation at our Women in Economic Development Forum.
Who is Generation Z, the next workforce pool?
Brian Corde, a managing partner at Atlas Insight, spoke with Area Development about Generation Z, and its impact on the workforce, following his “Not Another Millennial Presentation!” presentation at our Miami Consultants Forum.
What to look for in an economic development partner
Area Development sat with Lindsey Cannon, Director at Quest Site Solutions, at our Miami Consultants Forum for a discussion on how corporates can successfully engage with economic development organizations throughout the site selection project.
Taking a Wider View of the Location Process
Carol Henderson, Director, Business Incentives Practice, Cushman & Wakefield, spoke with Area Development about regional approaches to economic development following her presentation, “Regional vs Local Economic Development: What is the Best Strategy?” at our Women in Economic Development Forum.
The Comeback Kid: Textiles Are Returning Stateside
Area Development sat with Beth Land, vice president of Industrial & Economic Development at Site Selection Group, to discuss the textile industry’s U.S. comeback on the heels of her presentation on the same topic at our Women in Economic Development Forum.
