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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Frontline

Front Line: Taking a Deep Dive into Suppliers’ Labor Force

Dan Emerson, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q4 2022)

Heightened supply chain visibility will let manufacturers know if their suppliers are using forced labor, which puts them at risk for legal penalties as well as damage to their brand. More

Front Line: Taking an Expanded View of Climate Change

Dan Emerson, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q4 2022)

Climate change, corporate sustainability/ESG ratings, and the use of renewables are becoming increasingly important to companies as the planet heats up. More

Front Line: Is Reshoring Production the Answer to Supply Chain Woes?

Dan Emerson, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q3 2022)

In light of supply chain challenges post-pandemic, some manufacturers have decided to reshore their production, with varying results. More

Front Line: Unionization Efforts Trending Upward

Dan Emerson, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q3 2022)

According to the experts, respecting and listening to employees’ concerns is key to keeping unionizing efforts at bay. More

Front Line: Performing Physical Tasks Remotely

Dan Emerson, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q2 2022)

Rapid advances in automation are even allowing some tasks in manufacturing facilities to be tackled remotely. More

Front Line: Extreme Weather Events Factor into Location and Sustainability Decisions

Dan Emerson, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q1 2022)

The risk of extreme weather events is increasingly being factored into companies’ location decisions, as are sustainability initiatives to reduce carbon emissions that contribute to global warming. More

Front Line: U.S. Automakers Look to Semiconductor Partners

Karen Thuermer, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q1 2022)

In response to supply chain challenges and in order to expand production of AVs and EVs, U.S. automakers are looking to design the highly coveted chips in-house. More

Front Line: Weighing the Costs and Benefits of Digitization

Karen Thuermer, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q4 2021)

Although the pandemic accelerated growth in e-commerce, will companies continue to increase their investment in digital technologies? More

Front Line: Infrastructure Investment Faces Hurdles

Dan Emerson, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q4 2021)

Projects funded by the infrastructure bill are projected to create nearly a million jobs — but filling those jobs may present a challenge. More

Front Line: Finding, Creating, and Supporting Talent

Steve Kaelble, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q4 2021)

By helping to recruit and train workers, the Virginia Talent Accelerator Program gives companies located in Virginia a competitive edge. More

Front Line: Changing the Definition of MSAs

Dan Emerson, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q3 2021)

Will the proposed redefinition of Metropolitan Statistical Areas and subsequent funding communities receive affect your company’s location decision? More

Front Line: U.S. Supply Chains Face Critical Stage

Karen Thuermer, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q3 2021)

The pandemic accelerated the reexamination of U.S. supply chains, and a new report sets out a path for addressing vulnerabilities. More

Front Line: Infrastructure Upgrades Vital to U.S. Economy

Dan Emerson, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q2 2021)

A mediocre grade for U.S. infrastructure indicates there’s much work to be done to bring it up to the safe, sustainable level vitally needed for the supply chain and economic growth. More

Front Line: U.S. Semiconductor Industry Faces Crises, Opportunities

Karen Thuermer, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q2 2021)

Incentives to encourage U.S. chip manufacturing would help to alleviate the current global semiconductor shortage brought about by the pandemic. More

Front Line: Reverse Logistics Opportunities, Challenges

Karen Thuermer, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q1 2021)

As online sales have surged so have purchase returns, resulting in reverse logistics challenges for shippers. More

Front Line: Climate Change Concerns Begin to Take Center Stage

Karen Thuermer, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q4 2020)

Locations that invest in resilience measures against climate change and catastrophic weather may be more attractive to investors. More

Front Line: Vocational Training Alliances in Tough Times

Karen Thuermer, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q4 2020)

Companies and communities must continue to invest in and destigmatize vocational training in order to bridge the manufacturing skills gap. More

Front Line: COVID-19 Spurs More Automated Manufacturing

Karen Thuermer, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q3 2020)

The global pandemic has presented manufacturers with new labor challenges, which are being addressed by new technologies and automation. More

Front Line: Visa Ban Upends Companies and Competitiveness

Karen Thuermer, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q3 2020)

The administration’s freeze and restrictions on visas for foreign workers may only exacerbate the economic crisis brought on by COVID-19. More

Front Line: Inland Ports Spur Distribution Growth

Karen Thuermer, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q2 2020)

Locations in the middle part of the country provide an alternative to coastal seaports while providing quick intermodal connections to the nation’s interior. More

Front Line: NEPA Rule Changes on the Horizon

Dan Emerson, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q1 2020)

Proposed changes to the environmental review have been welcomed by NAM and others. More

Front Line: Trend Toward Microfactories Continues

Dan Emerson, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q4 2019)

By utilizing microfactories, manufacturers can respond quickly to changes in product design and demand. More

Front Line: Manufacturers Look to Nontraditional Locations

Karen Thuermer, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q3 2019)

As the labor supply tightens, nontraditional manufacturing hubs are upping their game by investing in workforce training programs. More

Front Line: Feeling the Effects of New Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum

Dan Emerson, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q2 2019)

Both manufacturers and consumers are paying the price for these new tariffs, with many in the former group asking for exclusions. More

Front Line: Ensuring a “Pipeline” of Qualified Workers

Dan Emerson, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q2 2019)

Pipeline AZ was developed to match job-seekers with industry openings as well as academic institutions and local job training resources. More

Front Line: Attracting Companies in Emerging Industries

Donald F. Smith, Jr., RIDC of Southwestern Pennsylvania (Q2 2018)

Companies in emerging industries need to feel they are working in partnership with the developers/landlords who are trying to attract them to their properties. More

Front Line: Construction Industry Faces a Labor Shortage

Dan Emerson, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q2 2018)

As construction labor market tightens, will project deadlines slip? More

Front Line: A New Age for Trucking

Karen Thuermer, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q1 2018)

High driver turnover, the new mandate limiting drivers’ hours on the road, and the boom in e-commerce are spurring the adoption of driverless trucks. More

Front Line: Amazon’s HQ2 Finalists Reflect a Growing Shift in Geographical Clout

Dan Emerson, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q1 2018)

The 20 finalist locations for Amazon’s second headquarters location include several smaller cities that are not typically thought of as technology centers. More

Front Line: The Competition for Amazon’s HQ2

Dan Emerson, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q4 2017)

Like contestants at a beauty pageant, cities across the U.S. and Canada are eagerly awaiting the announcement: where will Amazon decide to build its new $5 billion second headquarters, which will create 50,000 jobs? More

Front Line: A Federal Attempt to Streamline the Permitting Process

Tom Ewing, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q4 2017)

With the realization that major infrastructure projects are critical to economic development, the federal government is attempting to streamline the environmental permitting process. More

Front Line: A New Focus on Apprenticeship Programs

Tom Gresham (Q3 2017)

Apprenticeships have entered the spotlight as a promising solution to the shortage of skilled workers, especially for manufacturers. More

Frontline: Apple’s $1 Billion Fund to Support U.S. Manufacturing

Mark Crawford, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q3 2017)

Among the goals of Apple’s $1billion fund is the creation of thousands of new manufacturing jobs, especially in the computers and electronics fields. More

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

Frontline: Fourth Industrial Revolution Takes Off, “Localizing” Site Selection Requirements

Dan Emerson, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q1 2017)

The adoption of new technology — in what’s been called “the fourth industrial revolution” — will benefit the entire manufacturing ecosystem. More

Frontline: 21st Century Cures Act May Spur Pharma/ Medical Device Expansions in U.S.

Dan Emerson, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q1 2017)

Funding provided by the 21st Century Cures Act, as well changes in FDA approval procedures, may lead pharma and medical device companies to expand their operations, with an eye on U.S. locations to accommodate the new administration’s interventions. More

Frontline: One-Year Update on the Revised Ozone Standard

Tom Ewing, Staff Editor, Area Development (Directory 2017)

September 30th marked an important clean air deadline. That’s when governors had to send EPA a list of in-state regions judged to comply, or not, with the revised ozone (O3) standard, changed one year earlier, October 1, 2015. More

Frontline: Defend Trade Secrets Act Gives Added Protection for Tech Companies

Karen Thuermer, Staff Editor, Area Development (Directory 2017)

The Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA), signed into law in May, 2016 by President Obama, has received wide industry praise from manufacturers as well as industry trade organizations. More

Frontline: Women Will Help Fill the Manufacturing Skills Gap

Karen Thuermer, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q4 2016)

Realizing that women are an untapped labor pool for manufacturers, several companies are undertaking initiatives to recruit and develop the best female talent. More

Trucking Industry Challenges Impact Costs, Productivity

Mark Crawford, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q4 2016)

Trucking companies are facing numerous regulations, an aging workforce and tightening conditions for hauling capacity, all of which will have a significant impact on corporate supply chains. More

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