I joined Area Development Magazine this year as its fourth-ever editor and will be attempting to fill the shoes of the inimitable Gerri Gambale, which is no easy task. She held this position for nearly three decades! I am truly excited for the opportunity to steer the coverage of manufacturing site selection and facility planning during such an incredibly exciting time, when America is again trying to lead the world in making stuff.

In this issue — which we’ve dubbed the planes, trains, and automobiles edition — we bring you a stellar lineup of thought leaders.

To begin with, our esteemed guest editor Dennis Cuneo leaned on his years of experience and deep network of automotive executives to bring together comprehensive coverage of America’s automotive sector. In short, the electric vehicle revolution needs power and talent.

Tom Taylor adds his expertise on aerospace and defense, which also needs talent. Mike Chmura from Chmura Analytics looks at growth in US green jobs and lauds the Biden administration’s IRA investments. We have a robust discussion on rail infrastructure with Joe Dunlap, JC Renshaw, and Matt Powers. From up north, Gabriel Dion and Marc Beauchamp offer insights into Canadian investments. Scott Kuppermann discusses the current state of food processing, and Courtland Robinson looks at America’s energy project pipeline.

Oh, and let’s not forget the annual Area Development ranking of the Top States for Doing Business, which is based on surveys with Americas leading site selection consultants. Have fun reading!

Andy Greiner
Editor