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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Workforce Training / Education

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brian Gallagher, Vice President, Corporate Development, Graycor Southern and Shawn Buchanan, Vice President/General Manager, Graycor Southern (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: 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

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

Gen Z: Shaping Location and Expansion Decisions

Tracy King Sharp, Chief Operating Officer, Boyette Strategic Advisors and Reteisha Byrd, Research Manager , Boyette Strategic Advisors (Q3 2019)

Companies using artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and other technology are seeking out Gen Zers to fulfill their workforce needs — in places this most tech-savvy cohort of the labor force wants to be. More

Regional Report: Energy and Infrastructure Lead the Way in Louisiana

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

Through its infrastructure upgrades and workforce development initiatives, Louisiana is drawing investment from both traditional and advanced technology companies. 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

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

Regional Report: Arkansas Making Strides in Manufacturing and Technology

Tom Gresham (Q3 2019)

Although its GDP growth has been sluggish, Arkansas boasts a low cost of doing business and of living. More

What Makes a Successful Innovation District?

Stephen Coulston, Principal, Perkins+Will (Q2 2019)

Prosperous innovation districts have diversified economies and are integrated into the fabric of a community, drawing workers who seek out such environments and the companies that are trying to attract them. 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

Apprenticeships Are Key to Building a Workforce for the Future

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

Apprenticeships are powerful economic development tools, with long-term commitment and collaboration among key players including chambers of commerce, economic development groups, business and industry leaders, public schools and community colleges. More

First Person: Building a Long-Term Manufacturing Workforce

Amanda Hutchings, President, Peak Manufacturing (Q2 2019)

Area Development’s staff writer, Mark Crawford, recently spoke to Amanda Hutchings, president of Peak Manufacturing in Pleasant Lake, Mich., about addressing the looming shortage of workers in manufacturing by hiring women, who are underrepresented in this field, and educating the youngest generation about the rewarding careers that await them in manufacturing. More

Who is Generation Z, the next workforce pool?

Brian Corde, Managing Partner, Atlas Insight (Q1 2019)

Brian Corde, a managing partner at Atlas Insight, spoke with Area Development about Generation Z, and its impact on the workforce, following his “Not Another Millennial Presentation!” presentation at our Miami Consultants Forum. More

Location Notebook: Tennessee Builds on Its Business Retention and Attraction Efforts

Tom Gresham (Q1 2019)

A commitment to manufacturing, its logistical advantages, and a workforce development push are at the core of Tennessee’s economic strength. More

Miami’s Entrepreneurial Spirit Attracts Multicultural Talent and Investment

Mark Crawford, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q1 2019)

As a global business hub with a diverse and talented workforce, Miami-Dade County continues to draw innovative companies, further enhancing a robust business climate. More

Taking a Wider View of the Location Process

Carol Henderson, Director, Business Incentives Practice, Cushman & Wakefield (Q1 2019)

Carol Henderson, Director, Business Incentives Practice, Cushman & Wakefield, spoke with Area Development about regional approaches to economic development following her presentation, “Regional vs Local Economic Development: What is the Best Strategy?” at our Women in Economic Development Forum. More

Evaluating a Workforce Pipeline During Times of Low Unemployment

Ann Petersen, Managing Director, Business Incentives Practice, Cushman & Wakefield (Q4 2018)

Although the education levels of a state’s workforce should be a significant consideration for any project expansion or relocation, that data alone may not be sufficient to tell the whole story of the workforce for a particular market. More

Due Diligence in Today’s Site Selection World

Sarah White, Director, Quest Site Solutions (Q4 2018)

You’ve made your list — now check it twice for ownership issues and site suitability, as well as workforce and financial considerations. More

Exclusive Research