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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Workforce Training / Education

Five Ways Automation Will Strengthen Your Labor Force

Cristi Waterson (Q1 2022)

Automation, robots, and AI technology can create safer, more fulfilling work environments for employees, while simultaneously creating opportunities for workers to gain new skills and advance their careers. More

The Labor Challenges of Site Selection

Greg Chmura, Chief Quality Office, Chmura Economics (Q1 2022)

A careful evaluation of a site’s labor force is needed to guard against unwelcome surprises. More

Workforce Development Programs Are in Overdrive

Mark Crawford, Staff Editor, Area Development (Workforce Q4 2021)

Job losses resulting from the pandemic have made upskilling of workers for the post-COVID economy even more critical, and government and private organizations are stepping up. More

Labor Challenges in the Industrial and Manufacturing Sectors Persist

Carolyn Salzer, Director, Logistics & Industrial Services, Cushman & Wakefield (Workforce Q4 2021)

Despite an improving economy, businesses are continuing to face obstacles in finding, training, and retaining enough qualified workers. More

First Person: Creating a Work Environment For Employee Growth and Development

Rocki Rockingham, Chief Human Resources Officer, GE Appliances (Q4 2021)

In August, Rocki Rockingham was named Chief Human Resources Officer for GE Appliances. Area Development’s editor recently asked her about the company’s strategy to build upon its recent global “Great Place to Work” recognition and to create a workplace culture that attracts and retains top talent. 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

Tennessee Sees a Surge in Headquarters, Tech, and Finance Facilities

Steve Kaelble, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q3 2021)

With a critical mass of qualified workers, as well as a friendly business environment, the state of Tennessee is drawing new and expanding firms. More

Tech Talent Finding a Home in Kentucky

Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development (Q3 2021)

Those looking to develop a career in technology are being drawn to Kentucky’s innovation ecosystem, with its support for entrepreneurs, as well as the state’s affordable cost of living and enviable quality of life. More

First Person: Building a Sustainable Global Semiconductor Supply Chain

Brooke L. Beebe, Senior Vice President, Advocacy and Engagement, Hemlock Semiconductor Operations (Q3 2021)

Hemlock Semiconductor in Saginaw, Michigan, is the nation’s largest manufacturer of ultra-pure polysilicon that is sliced by other manufacturers into wafers to be used in solar cells and semiconductors. Area Development’s editor recently asked the company’s senior vice president of Advocacy and Engagement about the recent shortage in the global production of semiconductors that has been causing delays in the manufacture of products utilizing these chips. More

Michigan Invests in Its Talent Ecosystem

Mark Crawford, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q3 2021)

The state is doubling down on its efforts to meet current workforce demands while building a pipeline of talent with the in-demand skills for a new generation of jobs. More

2021 Gold & Silver Shovel Awards Project of the Year: Accenture Federal Services’ St. Louis Facility to Offer AI, Cyber Solutions

Steve Kaelble, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q2 2021)

Some 1,400 employees at the technology and consulting company will serve federal agencies from this new facility. More

FDI Creates Symbiotic Relationship With U.S. Suppliers

Jonathan Samford, Senior Vice President, External Affairs, Global Business Alliance (Q2 2021)

Area Development’s editor recently asked Jonathan Samford, Senior Vice President of External Affairs at the Global Business Alliance, about the importance of FDI to the U.S. economy and why U.S. workers — as well as U.S. supplier companies — benefit from this investment. More

Front Line: Job Creation Through Reshoring

Dan Emerson, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q1 2021)

Companies are considering reshoring operations for better supply chain management and are creating jobs in the process. More

Recruiting and Retaining Today’s Manufacturing Workforce

Kylene Zenk, Director, Manufacturing Practice, UKG (Workforce Q4 2020)

Area Development recently asked Kylene Zenk — director of the Manufacturing Practice at UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group), a leading global provider of HR services and workforce management solutions — for her input on recruiting and retaining a skilled workforce in the age of COVID-19. More

Five Key Factors at Play When Satisfying Workforce Requirements

Stephen Akard, Partner, Bose McKinney & Evans  (Workforce Q4 2020)

The global pandemic has magnified the significance of workforce training options and incentives in the site selection process. 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

Supply Chain Execs Respond as Pandemic Creates E-Commerce Surge

Ashfaque Chowdhury, President, Supply Chain – Americas and Asia Pacific, XPO Logistics, Inc. and Erik Caldwell, President, Last Mile Logistics, XPO Logistics, Inc. (Q4 2020)

Supply chain executives at XPO Logistics discuss the surge in e-commerce, which is going to play out for a long time to come. More

Boom in E-Commerce Creating Workforce Opportunities

Matt Powers, Executive Vice President, Retail/E-Commerce Distribution, JLL and Rob Wheeler, Senior Vice President, Industrial Integrated Portfolio Services , JLL (Q4 2020)

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the rise in e-commerce and created opportunities for fulfillment jobs, along with a need for increased automation and training. More

Developing and Executing a Site Selection Game Plan

Taylor Gravois, Principal, CSRS, Inc. and Ron Crum, Practice Leader - Industrial Site Selection, CSRS, Inc. (Q4 2020)

After an internal assessment of the company, the location team should focus on key success variables, appropriately weighted, and consult with needed subject matter experts. More

Finding the Sweet Spot in Food Plant Location Decisions

David Dixon, President, davidcdixonLLC (Q4 2020)

As new food plant construction continues in 2020, companies must take into account the factors most critical to their bottom line in order to maintain profitability for the life of the facility. More

Editor's Note: Navigating the “New Normal”of Work

Geraldine Gambale, Editor, Area Development Magazine (Q3 2020)

Whether it’s workplace layout, remote working, diversity training, or bringing in foreign workers, these are just some of the issues companies will need to navigate in this “new normal” of work. More

Adding “COVID-19 Community Response” to the Site Selection Checklist

Drew Repp, Content Manager, Emsi (Q3 2020)

Communities that use the current crisis to reimagine their solutions to the talent shortage should land on top of a site selector’s list of prospective locations. More

New Strategies for Learning and Development in an Increasingly Virtual World

Bernice Boucher, Managing Director, Strategic Consulting, JLL (Q3 2020)

For companies that want to stay ahead of the pack, now is the time to rethink how they train and empower their employees. More

Accelerated Trends Highlight Importance of Skills-Based Workforce Marketplace

Drew Repp, Content Manager, Emsi (Q2 2020)

Businesses and communities will find that the solution to their post-COVID workforce problems is the same: skills. More

Finding Talent in a Time of Economic Change

Steve Kaelble, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q2 2020)

As millions of idled workers start to return to the workforce, the need for workforce development programs will be greater than ever before. More

A Primer on German Mittelstand Companies

Martin Polivka, Manager – EY Global Location Investment, Credits & Incentives Services, Ernst & Young LLP (Q1 2020)

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. More

Regional Report: Manufacturing Drives Growth in the Southern States

Tom Gresham (Q1 2020)

Big-picture data provides evidence of a regional economy on the rise, with manufacturing as the centerpiece of its growth. More

Has the Value of a Degree Changed?

Steve Kaelble, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q4 2019)

Although higher educational attainment generally correlates with the greatest occupational stability, degree programs still leave some gaps in worker readiness for certain occupations. More

Hiring Challenges Continue Throughout the U.S.

Steve Kaelble, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q4 2019)

With record-low unemployment numbers continuing, many states are engaging in creative tactics to draw in new residents and workers — and keep the ones already there. More

Cultivating Talent from Untapped Communities

Dr. Arthur M. Langer , Chairman and Founder , Workforce Opportunity Services (Workforce Q4 2019)

By hiring from diverse and underserved communities, a company can boost innovation along with its bottom line. More

Regional Report: Talented Workforce Makes Virginia a Top Business Location

Mark Crawford, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q4 2019)

Despite its already having a highly educated workforce and pro-business policies, Virginia continues to expand on workforce training and incentive initiatives to further enhance its business climate. More

In Focus: Taking Steps to Fill Your Company’s Talent Pipeline

Brian Gallagher, Vice President, Corporate Development, Graycor and Shawn Buchanan, Vice President/General Manager, Graycor (Q4 2019)

Companies must take the time to identify potential new hires, build a relationship, and follow up with training and support in order to build today’s — and tomorrow’s — workforce. More

Regional Report: Positive Signs for the Mississippi Economy

Tom Gresham (Q4 2019)

Businesses in Mississippi benefit from customized training programs and enhanced incentives, as well as the state’s investments in infrastructure. More

Regional Report: Population and GDP Grow in South Carolina

Tom Gresham (Q4 2019)

South Carolina’s business-friendly environment is drawing new businesses that can take advantage of its longstanding workforce training program to fulfill their needs. More

Recruiting and Managing the Multigenerational Workforce

Kylene Zenk, Director, Manufacturing Practice, UKG (Workforce Q4 2019)

Area Development recently asked Kylene Zenk — director of the Manufacturing Practice at Kronos, Inc., a leading provider of workforce management and human capital management (HCM) software solutions — for her input on recruiting and managing a multigenerational workforce. More

Bridging the Skilled Trades Gap

Todd Sachse, Founder and CEO, Sachse Construction (Workforce Q4 2019)

Public institutions and private companies are deploying innovative solutions to address the ongoing scarcity of skilled trades workers and narrow the nationwide skilled trades gap. More

A Multipronged Approach to Building a “Smart” Facility Management Workforce

Al Young, Vice President, Field Service and Installation Operations, North America, Johnson Controls Building Technologies & Solutions (Workforce Q4 2019)

New technologies in facility management and maintenance are changing the way the workforce will be trained. More

What Should High-Growth Companies Look for in a Community?

Jason Hamman, President and Founder, The Hamman Consulting Group (Q4 2019)

While there are many key factors to consider when selecting a location, the three “must haves” for entrepreneurial, high-growth companies are an existing entrepreneurial ecosystem, an affordable cost of doing business, and the “cool factor.” More

Editor's Note: Finding the Labor Force Where It Wants to Be

Geraldine Gambale, Editor, Area Development Magazine (Q3 2019)

As companies are increasingly employing AI and other advanced technologies, they are locating where the tech-savvy workforce wants to live instead of asking the talent to come to them. More

Regional Report: Georgia - An International Business Destination

Mark Crawford, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q3 2019)

Foreign direct investment and global trade have had a huge impact on economic development in the state of Georgia. More

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