Skilled Labor / STEM
Recent Features
Last Word: When Incentives Lead, Projects Follow—Often in the Wrong Direction
Why chasing the biggest package can derail site selection decisions before they begin.
What Companies Need from Modern Manufacturing Sites
Capital, infrastructure, power and workforce now define competitive manufacturing locations.
Advanced Manufacturing Isn’t a Buzzword—It’s a Different Location Strategy
Why companies expanding today must rethink labor, sites, and operational resilience.
Strategic Industries at the Crossroads: Defense, Aerospace, and Maritime Enter 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.
The Workforce Bottleneck in America’s Manufacturing Revival
As investment surges, a thinning workforce forces companies to rethink where—and how—they build in America.
The Skilled Trades Are Ready for a Digital Future
AI is freeing skilled tradespeople to focus on craftsmanship, safety, and growth as labor pressures intensify.
Navigating Generational Differences in Location and Workplace Strategy
Workforce demographics are reshaping how and where companies design and locate their offices.
Why People Now Drive Place Strategy
Companies nowadays must understand how people live, work, and connect to the workplace.
The Office Is Back but Is the Portfolio Strategy Aligned?
Reestablishing the value of the office has driven trends in workplace investment and location strategy
If a Site Sounds Too Good to Be True…
Learn how to separate marketing spin from real-world readiness when evaluating community proposals.
America’s Aerospace Reboot
Once dominated by legacy clusters, aerospace site selection is evolving rapidly as companies prioritize speed, workforce specialization, and strategic proximity.
Scoring the Site
How site selectors score locations — and what executives should know about the process.
What We’re Getting Wrong About Gen Z’s Future in the Skilled Trades
Employers must modernize their training programs if they want to attract and retain the next generation.
The Compliance Reckoning Is Here
New challenges—from automation to federal fallout—are testing how companies manage risk in incentive-backed projects
Site Selection Numbers vs. Reality
Why You Should Question Every Stat in a Site Proposal.
Workforce Is the New Incentive in Life Sciences
Companies choosing where to locate life sciences facilities are prioritizing talent pipelines and workforce adaptability.
Tariffs, Talent, and U.S. Expansion
International executives reveal what’s driving their U.S. site decisions amid policy changes and workforce pressure
How Muskogee Aligned to Win a $1 Billion Lithium Refinery
Targeted infrastructure, homegrown workforce strategies, and transparent community engagement helped bring Stardust Power to town.
How to Manage the Surge in Building Costs
Construction firms are navigating supply shocks, labor shortages and policy pressures with smarter, early-stage coordination.
Rewriting the Rules of Warehouse ROI
Embedding automation into leases may offer companies a smarter way to balance risk, cost and productivity.
Optimizing Your Rail-Served Transportation Network: Strategy Before Steel
Infrastructure can power your supply chain—but only when planned with foresight.
How Innovation and Investment Are Reshaping Life Sciences in 2025
Talent shortages, financing volatility, and supply chain shifts define the life sciences outlook.
In Focus: AI Is Changing Incentives Math
Headcount-focused incentives punish evolving companies, payroll helps reward a different kind of growth.
The New Math Behind Mexico and U.S. Manufacturing Decisions
Rising wages, grid strain, and policy shifts are changing the calculus for manufacturers in North America.
What You Need to Know About NMTCs
New market tax credits offer millions in upfront funding for projects that create jobs and serve underserved communities.
Editor's Note: Raising the Bar on Readiness
Contributed Content
Montgomery County, Maryland: A Global Hub for Growth and Innovation
Just outside Washington, D.C., Montgomery County pairs one of the nation’s most educated workforces with federal research assets, transit-connected development, and a deep life sciences cluster poised for its next phase of expansion.
Contributed Content
How Georgia Power’s Proprietary Tools and Data Analytics Are Reshaping Site Selection in Georgia
In today’s fast-moving business environment, site decisions increasingly hinge on the ability to turn complex data into actionable insights. Companies demand sites that can quickly meet operational, workforce, and infrastructure needs.
Contributed Content
Life Sciences Successes Validate Virginia’s Partnership-Focused Economic Development Model
Virginia’s life sciences surge in 2025 reflected years of coordinated workforce, education, and site readiness, attracting major investments from Lilly, AstraZeneca, and Merck through fast permitting and partnership-driven economic development.
Editor's Note: The Year Site Selection Grew Up
Energy availability takes center stage as companies compete for grid capacity and rethink growth strategies
Contributed Content
Strategy Driven Location Decisions
How aligning operations with regional strengths drives better long-term performance than cost-focused site selection.
Contributed Content
Montgomery County, Maryland: A Launchpad for Innovation and Development
A top-tier workforce and major developments position the county as a leading destination for modern industry.
First Person: Filter King’s Expansion Playbook
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.
Building the Nation's First AI-Ready Workforce
“Charm City” is forging technology partnerships to build an AI workforce equipped to serve every industry.
Reclaiming the Launchpad
How Mississippi is turning a federal legacy into a commercial space hub.
Contributed Content
Wisconsin: A Launchpad for Innovation and Industry
From AI and fusion to biomanufacturing, Wisconsin’s tech economy is attracting global and local bets.
