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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Manufacturing / Industrial

what-does-site-readiness-really-mean

What Does “Site Readiness” Really Mean?

Kimberly Graulein, Staff Writer, Area Development (Q1 2026)

A roundup of programs—and the consultants who know what they’re worth. More
40th-annual-corporate-22nd-annual-consultants-site-selection-factors-survey-results-welcome-to-the-n

40th Annual Corporate and 22nd Annual Consultant Site Selection Survey Results

Area Development Research Desk (Q1 2026)

For decades, the bedrock question of corporate site selection was some version of the same calculation: where can we do this most cheaply? That era is not simply fading. According to the results of Area Development's 2026 Annual Survey of Site Selection Consultants, it has ended. Welcome to the new era of operational certainty. More
beyond-shovel-ready-how-michigans-site-readiness-strategy-is-derisking-investment

Beyond Shovel-Ready

Steve Kaelble, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q1 2026)

How Michigan’s Site Readiness Strategy is De-Risking Investment. More

Phillip Morris International Starting Building Before Plans

Andy Greiner,  Editor, Area Development (Q1 2026)

How a factory went from an idea to operational in about two years. More
dont-lose-by-winning

Last Word: Don’t Lose by Winning

Benton Blaine, Managing Director, Total Workplace and Consulting, Cushman & Wakefield (Q1 2026)

As site scarcity shifts corporate decisions from parcels to people, execution—not assets—is becoming the real differentiator. More

Potential Energy: Why Power Availability is Driving Site Selection

Georgia Power Economic Development (Q1 2026)

In today’s economic development landscape, power availability is no longer an item on a checklist — it's often the entire list. More
what-companies-need-from-modern-manufacturing-sites

What Companies Need from Modern Manufacturing Sites

Beth Buckner, Member, Taxation, Moore & Van Allen and Beth Friedrich, Director of Public Affairs, Moore & Van Allen (Q1 2026)

Capital, infrastructure, power and workforce now define competitive manufacturing locations. More
advanced-manufacturing-isnt-a-buzzword-its-a-different-location-strategy

Advanced Manufacturing Isn’t a Buzzword—It’s a Different Location Strategy

Mario Ochoa, Managing Director, Advanced Manufacturing Practice, JLL (Q1 2026)

Why companies expanding today must rethink labor, sites, and operational resilience. More
when-property-law-becomes-a-location-constraint

When Property Law Becomes a Location Constraint

Tom Croteau, Senior Managing Director, Maxis Advisors (Q1 2026)

How ownership restrictions are complicating industrial site selection. More
industries-of-the-future-arent-speculative-anymore

Industries of the Future Aren’t Speculative Anymore

Mark Cote, Vice Chairman, Savills (Q1 2026)

How federal capital, private investment, and place are quietly reshaping U.S. manufacturing. More
strategic-industries-at-crossroads-defense-aerospace-and-maritime-enter-2026

Strategic Industries at the Crossroads: Defense, Aerospace, and Maritime Enter 2026

Andy Greiner,  Editor, Area Development (Q1 2026)

As industrial policy accelerated, the gap between ambition and execution widened: supply chain security, workforce clearance, and infrastructure bottlenecks revealed the unforgiving realities of building strategic industries at home. More
the-geography-of-packaging-why-location-strategy-matters-more-than-ever

The Geography of Packaging: Why Location Strategy Matters More Than Ever

Ramya Gowda, Managing Director, Global Strategy Consulting, Newmark (Q1 2026)

Smarter expansion begins with smarter location decisions — especially as automation, sustainability, and supply chain risk redefine the packaging industry. More
koreas-blueprint-for-sustainable-us-expansion

In Focus: Korea’s Blueprint for Sustainable U.S. Expansion

Eric Stavriotis, Vice Chairman, CBRE (Q4 2025)

Why advanced manufacturers are treating site selection as a long-term business strategy, not a transaction. More
amazons-first-mass-timber-delivery-station-tests-the-future-of-low-carbon-logistics

Amazon’s First Mass Timber Delivery Station Tests the Future of Low-Carbon Logistics

Area Development Staff (Q4 2025)

In Elkhart, Indiana, a 171,000-square-foot “wood warehouse” built by Graycor may point the way toward a more sustainable model for industrial construction. More
manhattans-old-ramps-new-logistics

Manhattan’s Old Ramps, New Logistics

Kimberly Graulein, Staff Writer, Area Development (Q4 2025)

In an undersupplied NYC market, a historic multistory facility shows why what seemed obsolete is now indispensable for last-mile distribution. More
why-industrial-developers-are-turning-to-on-site-energy

Why Industrial Developers Are Turning to On-Site Energy

Courtney Dunbar, Site Selection & Economic Development Leader, Burns & McDonnell and Kevin Fox, Program Director and National Engineering Manager, Burns and McDonnell (Q4 2025)

Facilities facing interconnection bottlenecks are accelerating production by investing directly in resilient, on-site energy systems. More

Editor's Note: The Year Site Selection Grew Up

Andy Greiner,  Editor, Area Development (Q4 2025)

Energy availability takes center stage as companies compete for grid capacity and rethink growth strategies More
preparing-for-the-next-usmca-shake-up

Preparing for the Next USMCA Shake-Up

Charlie Smith, Geopolitical Strategy Consultant,  (Q4 2025)

Business leaders should brace for potential costs and disruptions as North America’s free trade deal heads for review. More
the-new-industrial-revolution-in-biotech

The New Industrial Revolution in Biotech

Courtland Robinson, Director of Business Development, Brasfield & Gorrie (Q4 2025)

Domestic drug production is becoming a matter of national security, not just market strategy. More
the-cold-chain-sector-recalibration

The Cold Chain Sector Recalibration

Amy Binstein, Head of Midwest Research, David Aschenbrand, Strategic Services Advisory Lead, and Lisa DeNight, Managing Director and Head of North American Industrial Research at Newmark (Q4 2025)

A surge of new supply, aging legacy facilities, and shifting operator strategies are creating a widening divide between modern, efficient assets and obsolete space across the nation’s cold storage footprint. More
tariff-shockwaves-hit-the-industrial-sector

Tariff Shockwaves Hit the Industrial Sector

Ermengarde Jabir PhD, Director of Economic Research, Moody’s (Q4 2025)

How rising tariffs, weak sentiment, and slowing e-commerce are shifting warehouse vacancy rates across major U.S. markets. More

How to Spot a Community That’s Ready for Your Investment

Taylor Stepp, President, Site Selection and Economic Development, Strategic Development Partners (Q4 2025)

A Site Selector’s Guide for Separating the Real Partners From Pretenders. More
smart-executives-are-paying-attention-to-rural-opportunity-zones

Last Word: Smart Executives Are Paying Attention to Rural Opportunity Zones

Kate Crowley, Principal, CapCivic (Q4 2025)

The permanent extension of Opportunity Zones under the 2025 OBBBA creates a rare opening for business leaders to shape where federal investment flows — and rural America may hold the strongest opportunities for long-term strategic growth. More
why-utilities-are-becoming-developers

Why Utilities Are Becoming Developers

Puanani Norwood, Managing Partner, Los Angeles Office, BCLP (Q4 2025)

The energy transition is reshaping real estate strategy as utilities and corporations compete for control of generation assets. More
rethinking-auto-site-strategy-in-the-age-of-tariffs-and-powertrain-shifts

Rethinking Auto Site Strategy in the Age of Tariffs and Powertrain Shifts

Gregory Burkart, Principal - Site Selection Services, Walbridge  (Q3 2025)

As EV momentum slows and tariffs rise, automotive companies are reworking supply chains, production plans, and location strategies to adapt to a rapidly changing market. More
the-site-selection-corporate-checklist

The Site Selection Corporate Checklist

Ramya Gowda, Managing Director, Global Strategy Consulting, Newmark (Q3 2025)

Site selection doesn’t start with “where” — it starts with alignment, clarity and structure. More
if-it-a-site-sounds-too-good-to-be-true

If a Site Sounds Too Good to Be True…

Devin Hillsdon-Smith, Principal, Hyphen Strategies (Q3 2025)

Learn how to separate marketing spin from real-world readiness when evaluating community proposals. More
where-medtech-grows-best

Where MedTech Grows Best

Matt Jackson, Executive Managing Director , JLL (Q3 2025)

How data, labor, and logistics drive location decisions for next-gen MedTech manufacturing. More
your-next-factory-might-already-be-built

Your Next Factory Might Already Be Built

Bradley Migdal, Executive Managing Director, Americas Strategic Consulting, Cushman & Wakefield (Q3 2025)

Vacant factories might be the smartest place to expand—if you know what to look for. More
a-new-course-for-us-shipbuilding

A New Course for U.S. Shipbuilding

Jeff Troan, Managing Director, Vista Site Selection, LLC (Q3 2025)

Maritime Prosperity Zones could reshape shipbuilding and repair across the U.S. — if defined and used wisely. More
americas-aerospace-reboot

America’s Aerospace Reboot

Garrison Partridge, Staff Writer, Area Development (Q3 2025)

Once dominated by legacy clusters, aerospace site selection is evolving rapidly as companies prioritize speed, workforce specialization, and strategic proximity. More
the-permit-puzzle-and-the-path-to-groundbreaking

The Permit Puzzle and the Path to Groundbreaking

Lauren Berry, Director, Location Analysis and Incentives, Maxis Advisors and Andrew Sineni, Senior Vice President, User Development Services, Foundry Commercial (Q3 2025)

Why the most successful projects build permitting strategy into their earliest site and construction decisions. More
too-much-of-a-good-thing-can-overbuilt-spec-development-benefit-manufacturers

Too Much of a Good Thing: Can Overbuilt Spec Development Benefit Manufacturers?

Bradley Migdal, Executive Managing Director, Americas Strategic Consulting, Cushman & Wakefield (Q3 2025)

Power supply, infrastructure, and specs often fall short for manufacturers eyeing overbuilt logistics sites. More
electrons-are-the-new-gatekeepers

Electrons Are the New Gatekeepers

Bradley Migdal, Executive Managing Director, Americas Strategic Consulting, Cushman & Wakefield (Q3 2025)

As grid capacity tightens, manufacturers must treat energy as a core site selection filter. More
label-wars-how-consumer-trends-are-reshaping-food-facilities

How Consumer Trends Are Reshaping Food Facilities

Scott Kupperman, Founder, Kupperman Location Solutions (Q3 2025)

Consumers want cleaner labels, smaller portions, and local stories—and food brands are racing to keep up. Site consultant Scott Kuppermann explains how these evolving demands are changing everything. More
automotive-site-selection-is-evolving-as-future-mobility-takes-hold

Automotive Site Selection Is Evolving as Future Mobility Takes Hold

Kimberly Graulein, Staff Writer, Area Development (Q3 2025)

As the industry accelerates toward electrification and advanced mobility, site selectors and real estate teams are prioritizing adaptable facilities, talent proximity, and logistical readiness over traditional scale. More
first-person-rick-hoskins-filter-kings-expansion-playbook

First Person: Filter King’s Expansion Playbook

Area Development Research Desk (Q3 2025)

CEO Rick Hoskins explains how the fast-growing air filter company selects its sites, scales its labor-heavy operation, and maintains speed-to-customer across multiple U.S. regions. More
nestles-arizona-plant-puts-flexibility-water-innovation-and-robotics-to-work

Nestlé’s Arizona Plant Puts Flexibility, Water Innovation, and Robotics to Work

Kimberly Graulein, Staff Writer, Area Development (Q3 2025)

A lightning-fast build, fully automated systems, and a near-zero-waste water loop make this beverage factory a model for sustainable, high-speed manufacturing. More
supply-chain-whiplash-reshapes-cre

Supply Chain Whiplash Reshapes CRE

Gregg Healy, Executive Vice President & Head of Industrial Services – North America, Savills and JC Renshaw, Senior Supply Chain Consultant, Savills (Q3 2025)

Power, ports, and unpredictability are pushing manufacturers to rethink their entire real estate approach. More
summits-of-significance-why-pittsburghs-ai-and-energy-event-could-set-a-national-precedent

Summits of Significance: Why Pittsburgh’s AI and Energy Event Could Set a National Precedent

Andy Greiner,  Editor, Area Development (Q3 2025)

AI. Energy. $90 billion. Pittsburgh’s high-profile summit wasn’t just a photo op—it was a coordinated move to signal site readiness and sector leadership. Here’s why states are turning summits into strategy. More

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