Area Development Editorial Board
2023 Top States Commentary: Top-Ranked States Have What It Takes to Win Mega Projects
Training programs, water and real estate availability, and competitive utility rates are among the factors helping the top states to land billion dollar EV and semiconductor projects.
How ESG Is Driving Canadian Government Programs
Through their ESG-oriented policies, Canada’s federal and provincial governments are working to position themselves as an attractive investment destination for businesses seeking sustainable long-term growth.
E-Commerce and the Struggle Against Space Challenges
In the age of online shopping, retail brand decision-makers must strike a balance between their immediate space requirements and long-term sustainability.
Shifting Priorities: How Companies Are Navigating the Post-2020 Hiring Landscape
The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the overall talent landscape, with the competitive market now driving companies to look at smaller less established markets to satisfy their workforce needs.
Recent Features
Biotech / Life Sciences
First Person: How to Identify and Build a Robust Community Ecosystem to Attract New Businesses

Creating an exceptional business environment to attract certain industries can be a daunting task for any community’s leaders. However, it can be done with focused introspection, research, and strong partnerships. Area Development’s staff editor Lisa Bastian asked Michael Flynn, senior director of Economic Development at Destination Medical Center (Rochester, MN), for his ideas on ecosystem formation.
ContinueData Centers
The Data Center Odyssey in Mexico

Its strategic location, available real estate, and skilled workforce are among the advantages that have made Mexico a hub of data center activity.
ContinueData Centers
In Focus: AI’s Influence on Data Center Growth

The use of AI is driving a surge in demand for computing power and the development of more data centers, which, in turn, have an increasing need for reliable power and water.
ContinueContributed Content
Kentucky’s Logistics Industry is Creating Current & Future Economic Success

Kentucky sits at the center of a 34-state distribution area in the eastern U.S., giving it proximity to key populations and centers of international commerce.
ContinueBusiness Globalization
Navigating the FDI Process

Foreign firms seeking a U.S. location for a new or expanded facility may need assistance in navigating the federal, state, and local environments in which they will operate.
ContinueAdvanced Manufacturing
Front Line: Satisfying the Semiconductor Industry’s Workforce Needs

As the semiconductor industry announces plans to grow domestic production, it is facing a workforce shortage.
ContinueSite Selection Factors / Strategy
A Message to CREs: What’s Old Is New Again

It seems that face-to-face meetings with community leaders and anecdotal research about a prospective location are back in style again as companies make location decisions.
ContinueAutomotive
Critical Considerations for Siting an EV Manufacturing Project

The location process for EV and battery projects must take into account proximity to supply chains and markets, availability of skilled labor, ample power and water supplies, financial and other incentives, as well as cooperation between community stakeholders.
ContinueAutomotive
R&D in the EV/Battery Industry Powers New Technologies

Makers of EVs and the batteries that power them are receiving incentives for their R&D efforts as the technology continues to evolve.
ContinueAutomotive
Tackling EV Charging Hurdles Together

Property-level Infrastructure planning will bring owners and tenants together to meet their green goals.
ContinueWorkplace Trends
How to Factor in Labor Needs While Selecting a Site for Expansion

With today’s low unemployment rates, companies must consider how they will fulfill their workforce needs early on in the site selection process.
ContinueFood Processing
Three Key Location Factors for F&B Industrial Users to Consider

Workforce skills and availability, the need for speed to market, and the condition of existing infrastructure are all key factors in food and beverage companies’ location decisions.
ContinueConstruction / Project Planning
Front Line: Brownfields Offer Redevelopment Opportunities

Found in both urban and rural areas and often with infrastructure in place, brownfield sites can be revitalized and reused with the proper remediation plan in place.
ContinueSustainable Development
First Person: Aligning Energy Needs With Sustainability Goals

Companies are continuing to automate, which is increasing their demand for power while, at the same time, they try to meet sustainability goals and remain competitive.
ContinueSkilled Labor / STEM
Immigration: A Potential Fix for Labor Shortages?

Reforms to U.S. immigration policy may help to supply more of the workers needed by companies that might otherwise choose to locate in other countries.
ContinueSite Selection Factors / Strategy
The Rise of Mid-Size U.S. Cities: The Industrial Development Boom

As company needs have evolved, many are gravitating to smaller urban areas that often provide them with a lower tax burden, affordable real estate, and development-ready sites.
ContinueContributed Content
Virginia Talent Accelerator Program Scores Manufacturing Wins

Companies locating in Virginia tout the benefits of its Talent Accelerator Program, which assists with employee recruitment and provides customized workforce training.
ContinueAerospace
Reviewing the Turbulent Ride, as Aerospace Looks Optimistically Ahead

As aerospace companies continue to rebound and evolve, they need to establish their unique goals in order to make an informed and data-driven location decision.
ContinueAerospace
Diversifying Aerospace: Promoting Women in STEM

Promoting initiatives to educate young people on STEM opportunities, while closing the gender gap, will spur the growth of the U.S. aerospace/aviation sector.
ContinueProject Announcements
IronLink Logistics Plans Ladson, South Carolina, Operations Hub
11/24/2023
Maid-Rite Specialty Foods Expands Dunmore, Pennsylvania, Operations
11/24/2023
Pipe & Steel Industrial Fabricators Expands Livingston Parish, Louisiana, Operations
11/24/2023
Sage Automotive Interiors Expands Abbeville County, South Carolina, Operations
11/23/2023
Katoen Natie Expands Norfolk, Virginia, Operations
11/23/2023
Rocket Lab USA Plans Middle River, Maryland, Space Structures Operations
11/23/2023
Ireland-Based Burnside America Expands Franklin County, Pennsylvania, Operations
11/23/2023
Most Read
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2023 Top States for Doing Business Meet the Needs of Site Selectors
Q3 2023
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The Rise of Mid-Size U.S. Cities: The Industrial Development Boom
Q3 2023
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Front Line: Brownfields Offer Redevelopment Opportunities
Q4 2023
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2023 Top States Commentary: Top-Ranked States Have What It Takes to Win Mega Projects
Q3 2023
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2023 Top States Workforce Development Programs
Q3 2023
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37th Annual Corporate Survey: Economic Pressures Exerting Greatest Effect on Decision-Makers
Q1 2023
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Immigration: A Potential Fix for Labor Shortages?
Workforce Q4 2023