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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Energy / Clean Tech

Building Smarter: How to Ensure Optimization from Start to Finish and Beyond

Jim Nannini, Vice President, Building Wide Systems Integration, Johnson Controls (Q2 2019)

A high-performing, future-ready, truly smart building can drive value for the occupants and organizations that depend on the facility. More

Electricity 101: How to Work with Your Utility Provider to Determine the Best Service Solution

Mark Crawford, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q2 2019)

By working with a utility early in the location decision process, a company can make sure it chooses the best site to reliably and cost effectively satisfy its energy needs. More

How to Build a Data Center and Keep the Lights On

Steven Cooke, Managing Director, USA West Region, Linesight (Data Centers 2019)

The data center building process is extremely complex, requiring careful planning with input from experts in wide-ranging fields. More

Plastics Industry Flourishes in Response to Market Demand

Dan Emerson, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q3 2018)

With U.S. natural gas costs being so low, the U.S. plastics industry continues to grow, while keeping an eye out for supply chain challenges brought about by changes in trade policy. More

How Innovation and Tourism Work Side By Side in Orlando

Mark Crawford, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q2 2018)

The success of Orlando’s theme park industry and cross-disciplinary technology innovation have led to the region becoming a leading destination for high-tech companies. More

When “Green” Turns to Gold

Dominick Brook, Senior Manager, Tax, Indirect Tax, Ernst & Young LLP and Akshay Honnatti, Senior Manager, Sustainability Tax, Ernst & Young LLP (Q2 2018)

Incentives can help companies improve the ROI of environmental sustainability initiatives. More

The Surge of Hyperscale Data Centers

Will Steffens, Principal, Sugarloaf Associates LLC and Timothy Comerford, Senior Vice President, Biggins Lacy Shapiro (Data Centers 2018)

Large content enterprise users are building data center complexes around the world, with nearly half in the U.S., and many in secondary markets. More

The Renewable Energy Industry Must Adapt to U.S. Tax Reform

Dorian Hunt, Senior Manager, National Tax, Ernst & Young, LLP and Christine Spratley, Senior Manager, National Location Investment Services, Ernst & Young, LLP (Q1 2018)

Renewable energy production facility developers must reconsider how to optimize their capital structures in the new tax environment. More

Advanced Technologies for the “Connected Age”

Dan Emerson, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q3 2017)

With new applications for leading-edge technologies seemingly being developed on an almost daily basis, the eventual implications for business and consumers, and on aspects of daily living, are only just beginning to be understood. More

Advanced Manufacturing Drives Iowa’s Economy

Iowa Economic Development Authority (Q3 2017)

Supply chain mapping, data on autonomous fleets, and low-cost renewable energy can all be found in Iowa…surprised? You shouldn’t be. More

The Value of Sustainability in Business Operations

Cindy Madrick, Vice President, Business Development, Cornerstone Environmental, Health and Safety, Inc. (Q3 2017)

Despite the administration’s focus on removing environmental protections, businesses’ sustainability efforts generally have a positive effect on their image as well as bottom line. More

Powerful Economic Development & Business Partners

Steve Kaelble, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q1 2017)

Publicly owned utilities have always been deeply involved in economic development. More

For Optimized Building Design, Consider the Key Priorities

Al Fullerton, Trane (Q4 2016)

When evaluating efficiency, it’s important to look beyond a single piece of equipment, as the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. More

A Business-Driven Approach to Utility Infrastructure

Jim Lewis, Electrical Controls Department Manager and Principal , SSOE (Q4 2016)

Whether a utility project is driven by production capacity, energy efficiency, regulatory requirements, or environmental sustainability, its ultimate objective is to add value to the business. More

Frontline: “Smart Cities” Use Technology & Data to Improve Citizens’ Lives

Dan Emerson, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q3 2016)

The DOT has awarded a grant to Columbus, Ohio, so that the city can employ numerous “smart mobility” technologies that will help improve citizens’ lives, with the added benefit of showcasing the city to the tech community. More

Reducing Energy Consumption of Manufactured Goods

Mark Johnson, Director, Advanced Manufacturing Office (Q2 2016)

By obtaining technology and scientific grants, government performance contracts, and economic development support, innovative companies can quickly flourish. More

Texas Today 2016: A Diverse Roster of Companies Continue to Seek Out Texas’ Pro-Business Environment

Dale D. Buss, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q2 2016)

Through industrial diversification, Texas has been able to overcome a decline in economic output resulting from lower oil prices and continues to court companies with its pro-business know-how. More

The R&D Tax Credit — A Game-Changer for Manufacturers

Dean Zerbe, National Managing Director, alliantgroup (Q2 2016)

Recent legislation making the R&D tax credit permanent is a big boon to manufacturers of all sizes, helping them to innovate and expand. More

Use of Wind, Solar to Generate Electricity Could Add Millions of Jobs

Geraldine Gambale, Editor, Area Development Magazine (Q1 2016)

According to a recent report from the Virginia-based consulting firm ICF International, a large-scale shift to renewable sources for generating electricity could increase U.S. employment by one million jobs by 2030 and two million jobs by 2050, even after accounting for job losses related to fossil fuels. More

Public Power Communities: Technology for Business Success

Steve Kaelble, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q1 2016)

From powering up huge data centers to providing telecom and water services, and helping customers become energy-efficient through the latest technologies, public power companies re-invest in the communities they serve. More

Advancing Manufacturing Through Public/Private Collaboration

Mark Crawford, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q1 2016)

Mike Molnar, Director of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Advanced Manufacturing Office, based at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, describes what’s being done to maintain U.S. leadership in this arena. More

The Importance of Energy and ICT Infrastructure in Site Selection as Cloud Computing Broadens

Larry Gigerich, Managing Director , Ginovus (Q1 2016)

Reliance on a community’s telecom and energy infrastructure has heightened the importance of these factors in the location decision-making process for both the providers and users of cloud computing services and the IoT. More

Critical Site Selection Factor #9: Energy Availability & Costs Leading Companies To Reshore

Steve Kaelble, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q4 2015)

Competitively priced energy is having a transformative effect on the U.S. economy. More

In Focus: Funding Solar Projects for Commercial Facilities

Megan Birney, Director of Strategic Affairs, Wiser Capital LLC (Q4 2015)

Although companies can reap huge savings from installing solar energy, they may need to employ some creative strategies in order to secure project financing and must also consider the real estate available for such an installation. More

Food Processing Presents Energy Industry Opportunities in Tulare County, CA

Area Development Research Desk (2015 Food Processing)

The nation’s largest food production region, Tulare County, has attracted ethanol producers such as Calgren Renewable Fuels, as well as companies that capture their carbon dioxide emissions such as Air Liquide. More

Canada: A Leader in the Development of Smart Grid Technology

Jiri Skopek, Managing Director, Energy and Sustainability, ECD JLL (Location Canada 2015)

Smart grids and smart buildings work together to save energy and keep the production line moving. More

The Canadian Advantage: Competitive Business Costs and Low Taxes

Steve Kaelble, Staff Editor, Area Development (Location Canada 2015)

Competitive costs and low taxes help to fuel the diverse economy on display in Canada’s 10 provinces and three territories. More

Renewed Expansion for Renewables Industry

Richard K. Greene, Senior Associate, Investment Consulting Associates (Q2 2015)

For companies in the renewables industry, preparing for expansion to capture growth needs to be done with care in order to capture the best deals and position the company in the marketplace. More

Texas Today 2015: Diversified Texas Economy Still in Growth Mode

Dan Emerson, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q2 2015)

Texas’s industrial growth hasn’t been confined to one industry - or one region - and the state is continuing to build on its successes. More

First Person: U.S. Economy Uniquely Positioned for 21st Century

Peter Zeihan, Geopolitical Analyst,  (Q2 2015)

One of Area Development’s staff editors recently interviewed Peter Zeihan, a former analyst at the geopolitical security firm Stratfor and author of The Accidental Superpower. Zeihan discusses the North American shale boom and the role of the U.S. in protecting global trade. More

Public Power Communities Shine the Light on Innovation

Mark Crawford, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q1 2015)

Public power utilities, which are owned by the communities they serve, have an inherent interest in helping those communities to innovate and prosper. More

Building a Sustainable Labor Pipeline

Matt Jackson, Managing Director, JLL and Shannon Curley, Senior Vice President, JLL Business Consulting, JLL (Q1 2015)

More companies are thinking through the long-term goals of training a sustainable supply of labor, and maintaining a productive workforce as manufacturing technology continues to evolve. More

Shale Oil & Gas Development Changing the Way the Nation Does Business

Charlotte Batson, Owner and Principal, Batson & Company (Q1 2015)

The development of oil and gas resources is driving infrastructure and manufacturing location decisions, while boosting U.S. competitiveness. More

Global Supply Chain Faces a Complex Mix of Issues

Tim Feemster, Managing Principal, Foremost Quality Logistics (Intermodal Sites 2015)

From fluctuating fuel costs to fewer drivers to port congestion, logistics providers are facing a host of challenges. With the current transport climate, the ascendance of Inland ports is well-timed and probably part of the answer to both the fuel and congestion issues. More

Regional Report: Auto, Aviation, Energy Drive Growth in the South

Steve Kaelble, Staff Editor, Area Development (Directory 2015)

The Southern States are driving into the future on the strength of the motor vehicle industry. These states tend to be heavy on manufacturing; their manufacturing sectors tend to have strong automotive activity, and it’s a good time to be in that business. That’s among the reasons all six of the states in this region took home Area Development’s Silver Shovel honors earlier this year. More

Regional Report: A Unique Focus on Business Expansion in the Pacific States

Karen Thuermer, Staff Editor, Area Development (Directory 2015)

California is applying unique approaches to economic development programs in order to encourage in-state development while the other Pacific States are leveraging their unique geographic and market positions to focus on aerospace, clean tech and exports growth. More

Regional Report: Tax and Incentives Advantages in Plains States’ Encourage Investment in Renewable Energy and Life Sciences

Karen Thuermer, Staff Editor, Area Development (Directory 2015)

In the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy’s Kansas home is blown away by a powerful tornado. Today, this prairie state is harnessing its wind power for economic development gain. And, the generally low tax environment and plentiful incentives are encouraging investment in renewable energy, life sciences, other R&D throughout all of the plains states. More

Shale Gas Revitalizing U.S. Manufacturing Industry…While Environmentalists Have Their Say

Geraldine Gambale, Editor, Area Development Magazine (Directory 2015)

Although some states are rolling back or banning fracking due to potential environmental impact, overall, U.S. shale gas development and production is surging and helping to trigger a resurgence in manufacturing. More

Advanced Technology and the Changing Face of U.S. Manufacturing

Mark Crawford, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q4 2014)

U.S. manufacturers are investing in advanced equipment, automation, and robotics in order to drive down the cost of production and compete in the global economy. The net result has the potential to transform our industrial base. More

Critical Site Selection Factor #10: Energy Availability and Costs Losing Currency

Dale D. Buss, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q4 2014)

The cost and availability of energy has been dropping in importance as a site selection factor, ranking #10 in the 2013 Area Development Corporate Survey, down from its #6 position a year earlier. The drop seems to reflect a persistent weakness in natural gas prices as well as a steady rise in alternative-energy capabilities across the country. More

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