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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

High Tech/Nano/Electronics

Tech Innovators Find a Home for Invention and Growth in Canada

Tom Gresham (Q4 2018)

New incentives are making Canada an attractive place to invest. More

Which Locations Are Drawing FinTech Companies?

Tedd Carrison, Financial Analyst, CBRE and Kristin Sexton, Senior Managing Director, Labor Analytics, CBRE (Q3 2018)

Irrespective of their size, the strongest markets for financial technology companies have a workforce that aligns to best serve all distinctive skill set and cost requirements. More

Tech Firms Find New Opportunity in Emerging Hotspots

Steffen Kammerer, Senior Vice President, Technology Practice Group, JLL (Q3 2017)

“Hidden gems” like Sacramento and Albany are winning more industry interest thanks to affordable, talent-rich ecosystems. More

Personal VTOL Aircraft Take Off: What It Means for U.S. Manufacturing

Doug Gates , Global Head of Industrial Manufacturing , KPMG and Tom Mayor, Principal, Strategy Practice Leader, Industrial Manufacturing, KPMG (2017 Auto/Aero Site Guide)

The personal vertical takeoff and landing aircraft business may be in its infancy, but it is clear that it will be a big market. Existing aerospace and defense OEMs have the experience, technology, and capital to win in this emerging market adjacency. More

Foxconn: Breaking Down a $3 Billion Incentives Package

Wade Goodsell, Consulting & Incentives Program Director, Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP (Q3 2017)

As the “Wisconn Valley” special legislative session examines the structure, performance based metrics and magnitude of an incentives package tied to what would be the largest greenfield investment by a foreign company in U.S. history, it is paramount to understand the road to a $3 billion incentives package. More

Arkansas’ Thriving Timber Basket

Arkansas EDC  (Q2 2017)

With its healthy forests, modern transportation infrastructure, and an available trained workforce, Arkansas’ timber industry has recently enjoyed a resurgence. More

Arkansas: Creating a Technology Narrative

Arkansas EDC  and Dale D. Buss, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q2 2017)

With its new coding initiative and other tech-friendly steps, Arkansas is attempting to recruit and retain companies that are focused in computer science and software engineering. More

Six Factors to Consider When Selecting a Location for a Mission-Critical Data Center

Mark Bauer, Managing Director and Co-Lead Data Center Solutions , JLL (Data Centers 2017)

When searching for a location for their next data center, companies need to take a holistic view of the process, prioritizing and balancing all the factors involved in site selection. 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

North America’s Robotics Renaissance Fueled by Skilled Labor

Stephen Thompson, Senior Economic Officer – San Francisco , Ontario's Ministry of International Trade (Q4 2016)

A new generation of collaborative robots is increasing industrial efficiency and productivity while the increasing affordability of advanced robotics technology has the potential to quickly make smaller businesses more competitive. A key to unlocking that potential will be meeting the industry’s need for skilled labor to drive robotics-related research and commercialization. More

The Reasons Corporate Headquarters are Heading Back Downtown

Dale D. Buss, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q3 2016)

In order to lure tech-savvy millennials, many companies that years ago moved out to the suburbs are heading back to the urban downtowns that offer the lifestyle this generation of employees desires. And the trend isn't confined to just North America’s biggest cities. More

Key High-Tech Sectors Transform Lives and Businesses

Mark Crawford, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q3 2016)

Groundbreaking discoveries in key high-tech fields are transforming lives while making businesses more competitive More

Mexico Positioned to Attract Increased Foreign Investment, Anchored by Manufacturing

Mark Crawford, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q3 2016)

A solid economic performance and a pro-business climate — enhanced by political reforms and improved government stability — are helping to attract FDI to Mexico. More

The “Northern Secret” of Canada’s Cities Revealed

Michael Darch, Founding President, Consider Canada Cities Alliance (Location Canada 2016)

Advanced technology companies are drawn by Canada’s overall cost and other advantages, while recognizing the synergism found in its urban centers. More

Frontline: New Tech Havens Bloom as Digitization Transforms U.S. Economy

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

The fluidity of digital innovation - and its lack of dependence on a traditional industrial infrastructure - means that tech havens are blooming in newer magnets where tech-savvy workers are prevalent, ranging from Ann Arbor, Michigan to Richmond, Virginia. 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

Becoming Digital — and Innovative — Manufacturers

Michael Walton, Global Head of Manufacturing Industry, Google for Work (Q2 2016)

In an exclusive Area Development interview, Michael Walton, Global Head of Manufacturing Industry, Google for Work, explains why it is important for manufacturers of all sizes to establish a culture of innovation within their organizations and how they can go about doing this. More

Beyond Silicon Valley: Promising New Tech Boomtowns

Steffen Kammerer, Senior Vice President, Technology Practice Group, JLL (Q1 2016)

In its quest for lower costs, modern facilities, and access to talent, the booming tech sector is finding it can strike gold outside California. 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

Emerging Clusters Take Up the Technology Challenge

Dale D. Buss, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q3 2015)

Rivaling the reigning tech hubs, city and state leaders are seizing opportunities to grow their cutting-edge electronic and digital sectors. 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

Capital Investment, Technology Upgrades to Bolster Mexico’s Diverse Manufacturing Sectors

Dan Emerson, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q3 2015)

Whether they are manufacturing vehicles, airplanes, electrical cable, or something else, companies are finding the resources they need to compete in Mexico. More

First Person: Manufacturers Turn to Contingent Workforces to Increase Production and Invest in Future Hires

Becca Dernberger, Vice President and General Manager, Northeast Division, Manpower (Q3 2015)

A staff editor for Area Development recently interviewed Becca Dernberger, vice president and general manager of Manpower’s Northeast Division, about the use of the contingent workforce in today’s more technology-driven manufacturing sector. 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

Location Notebook: Economic Innovation in the “New” New Orleans

Craig Guillot, Staff Editor, Area Development (Directory 2015)

As New Orleans approaches the 10-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina in 2015, the city is in many ways barely recognizable to what it was years ago. Economists and national publications say it has undergone one of the most rapid and dramatic economic turnarounds in recent American history. More

Urban vs. Suburban: Which Location Will Allow Your Company to Grow?

Julia Georgules, Vice President, Associate Director of Office Research, JLL (Q4 2014)

The key to urban vs. suburban or balancing millennial interests and boomer practicality is deciding which location and workplace strategy will accommodate growth. 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

Electronics, Photonics, and Digital Media Sectors: Key to Future U.S. Competitiveness

Mark Crawford, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q3 2014)

These interconnected industries will be drivers in stimulating economic growth, creating jobs, and improving global competitiveness. Collaboration among private-sector companies, universities, and government on research and commercialization will be vital. More

The Role of Labor in Advanced Manufacturing

Brad Lindquist, Senior Managing Director, Newmark Knight Frank (Advanced Industries 2014)

Advanced manufacturing will continue to be reliant upon human interaction for the application and management of technology. More

Communities Enable “Disruptive” Advantage for Advanced Manufacturers

Jeff Troan, Principal, Hickey & Associates, LLC (Advanced Industries 2014)

To attract and retain core manufacturing businesses in the twenty-first century, communities will have to offer significant workforce development support, combined with a business climate package that makes their companies competitive with producers that enjoy lower labor costs and more favorable taxation throughout the rest of the world. More

At the Forefront of the Advanced Manufacturing Movement, Canada Embraces Transformation

Mark Crawford, Staff Editor, Area Development (Location Canada 2014)

A leader in innovative manufacturing, Canada recognizes and supports its knowledge-based, high-tech industries which, in turn, continue to invest in cutting-edge R&D More

Canada’s Clean Little Secret

Sean Dyke, Economic Development Manager , City of St. Thomas, Ontario (Location Canada 2014)

Canada’s clean-technology sector — including water, wind, solar, smart grid technology, and more — offers numerous opportunities and advantages to relocating or expanding companies. More

Leading Locations for 2014 Commentary: One Industry, or Many, Can Lead to Economic Success

Jim Eskew, Senior Vice President, JLL (Q2 2014)

As revealed in the overall “Leading Locations” rankings, there is more than one way to become an attractive location. Some locations have risen on the strength of a dominant industry sector. Others have prevailed by offering low-cost real estate, talent, and other resources in a balanced, diversified economy. More

Leading Locations for 2014 Commentary: Much Depends on Company’s Industry & Life Cycle

Eric Stavriotis, Executive Vice President, Advisory & Transaction Services, CBRE (Q2 2014)

A quick review of the 2014 Leading Locations research confirms what we have been seeing from our clients and the markets overall: Companies with a preponderance of technology workers are thirsty for more talent, and the needs of these companies can vary significantly based on their industry and life cycle. More

Frontline: Micro Factories of the Future

Karen Thuermer, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q2 2014)

Today everything seems to be “micro-sizing,” including manufacturing. With companies scrutinizing all expenses — including the cost of factory floor square footage, equipment, and energy, some executives are finding that micro production might offer advantages. More

Adapting to Growing Workforce Mobility Issues

Richard Jordan, eBusiness Strategies, LLC (Q2 2014)

Tomorrow’s workforce will not necessarily change space requirements but rather how that space is organized and utilized. Therefore, a shift has been made from strict workplace utilization into a more flexible occupancy measure. More

The Production and Corporate Headquarters Connection

John Minervini, Executive Director, Cushman & Wakefield of California, Inc. and Andy Mace, Managing Director, Global Business Consulting , Cushman & Wakefield Business Consulting  (Q2 2014)

In many key sectors, the initial alignment of corporate and production operations has shaped regions and influenced the industrial landscape in a very permanent way. More

Cultivate STEM Talent to Grow Your Bottom Line

Elizabeth Narehood, Community Innovation Consultant and Coordinator of Workforce Development , Central Virginia Community College and Catherine Mosley (Workforce 2014)

Industrial, educational, and government leaders are joining forces to build the robust STEM talent pipeline necessary for U.S. companies to compete in the global economy. More

The Southland Delivers a Solid Economic Performance

Mark Crawford, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q1 2014)

The southern states have embraced the transition from traditional to knowledge-based economies and work hard to attract new projects and the high-paying jobs that come with them. More

In the Battle for Talent, Real Estate Leads the Tech Conversation at SXSW

Area Development Research Desk (Q1 2014)

Workplace strategy was a trending topic at the recent South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive conference, as tech leaders are increasingly seeing the value that real estate can have in driving talent recruitment. More

Exclusive Research