Trade & Industry Development Magazine

This issue features several timely topics, including supply chain management and logistics, plastics, and metalworking and fabricating. In the COVID-19 era, the norms of supply chain logistics have been thrown out, and companies are discovering that the processes that once worked well to keep costs down are actually driving up the cost of doing business. In this issue, we feature several editorials that discuss the new challenges to supply chain, and how manufacturers, suppliers, warehouses and ports and depots are handling these new realities.

Trade & Industry Development’s 15th Annual Corporate Investment/Community Impact Awards (CiCi Awards) issue honors key projects around the country that promise—through extensive capital investment or influential community impact—to help shape the communities in which they are located, and in which they continue to develop and grow. Read about our 30 winners in our CiCi Awards coverage starting on page 12. This issue also has three special reports: finding the best location for a corporate HQ (even in a pandemic), short-term realities and the commercial real estate long game, and workplace flexibility in the twenty-first century.

Global manufacturing has always been dynamic, but today, we are facing what can only be described as a sea change. Technology-intensive processes being developed in the United States and abroad are helping to drive competitiveness by increasing research, development and manufacturing efficiency. Additionally, challenges to the economy (not the least of which is the COVID-19 pandemic) have wrought other developments that will impact not only the ongoing push for reshoring but the increasingly competitive drive to develop a vaccine. At the same time, companies are striving to keep customers satisfied and to continue to attract a skilled workforce. This issue covers all these topics and we invite you to read on.

To say that 2020 has proved to be challenging to business and industry might be one of the understatements of the century. Most of the world was blindsided by the global COVID-19 pandemic and there was not a sector of the economy that went untouched. But our country is nothing if not nimble and adaptive, and vital industries such as food production, aerospace and automotive, our themes for this issue, began rethinking their supply chains, leading to an avalanche of reshoring plans, with the intention of bringing at least some of that production back to the U.S. In this issue, professionals are sharing their insights on all the ways the country’s industries have pivoted to adapt to the new reality. We can all learn from them.

This issue features a number of important topics, including supply chain management & logistics, plastics and metalworking & fabricating. But there seems to be one theme that continues to find its way into virtually every area, and that has to do with workforce—development, training and availability. One of the biggest concerns and considerations that companies, executives and site selectors need to factor into any decision is how they can conduct their business with their current workforce, how to improve their talent and how to ensure they’ll have the qualified labor needed for the future.

There are both similarities and differences between traditional and advanced manufacturing, as our feature, “Creating an Environment to Attract Advanced Manufacturing,” points out. Another feature in this issue helps to determine if a community is “utility-friendly” for business expansion. We also look at the U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones Program, which helps an ever-growing number of U.S.-based businesses maintain their international competitiveness. “Sites & Programs” focuses on workforce training and education, and we look at four key states for growth: Florida, North Carolina, Kentucky and Ohio.

Alternative energy and fuels certainly is a hot topic, and our feature, “Renewable and Cleaner Energy,” focuses on three energy sources that stand out as efficient, scalable and commercially viable solutions: solar, biofuels and decarbonized natural gas. We continue the clean industry and renewables theme with Outlooks by the AWEA and USGBC, and with our Sites & Programs article. We also have features to help tech companies find the best locations and on how import tariffs will affect the U.S. economy. Also check out our spotlights on South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and Ontario, Canada.

While no one can predict the ultimate impact tariffs will have, there’s good news on the reshoring front: experts Harry Moser and Sandy Montalbano say reshoring and foreign direct investment job announcements in 2018 reached the second highest annual rate in history. We’ve also tapped the expertise of Dustin Jones with Ginovus to talk about diversification in the automotive industry, and for our aviation/aerospace feature, we called on Scott Thompson of PwC. Check out our focus on Light Manufacturing and Top Sites for Business Growth, and spotlights on Michigan, Georgia, Kansas and Mississippi.

Trade & Industry Development’s 14th Annual Corporate Investment/Community Impact Awards (CiCi Awards) issue honors key projects around the country that promise—through extensive capital investment or influential community impact—to help shape the communities in which they are located, and in which they continue to develop and grow. Read about our 30 winners in our CiCi Awards coverage starting on page 28. This issue also has three special reports: finding the best location for a corporate HQ, site selection for the financial services industry and keys to winning in corporate real estate.

In this issue, we tap experts in three growing fields: biotechnology, medical manufacturing and agriculture/food processing. In biotech, we focus on access to a qualified workforce capable of keeping pace with advances in the industry. The medical manufacturing field is expected to see continued growth and expansion—and location changes will be part of the strategic choices. Food manufacturing executives know proper location of their facilities can have a dramatic impact on operational and cost-related variables. Our Sites & Programs this issue also deals with food and agriculture production.

This issue dives into a number of key areas for site selection that decision-makers today need to consider. Our feature story on supply-chain management and logistics focuses on distribution centers and the importance of addressing a critical need today: attracting and retaining good employees. American consumers would be hard-pressed to find anything they do or use today that doesn’t involve plastics. Siting a facility that deals with this ubiquitous commodity involves many critical factors, and we help executives sort through and prioritize them. When it comes to metalworking and fabricating, we’re seeing a “rise of the machines,” as revenue for companies in the machinery manufacturing sector has been steadily rising, and there is a trend toward digitization of manufacturing that includes machines to monitor production facilities and the design of manufacturing processes with robotics. The ramifications and impacts for site selectors are expertly laid out in our feature. This issue also looks at ports/inland ports, identifying a number of key shipping locations.

This issue takes us through the last of the fall. Don’t miss our special features, all of which contain great information that can help you create long-term strategy. The article on factors for site selection consideration is a must-read. And when was the last time you thought about utilities in the context of siting for your facility? They’re absolutely critical – yet they might not be top-of-mind for many people. Don’t miss the insights on Foreign-Trade Zones either – it has never been more relevant. Of course, there is plenty of other excellent content. Workforce development, for example, is covered with case studies using real-life examples to show how corporations are ushering in the next generation. Throughout this issue, you will see the fine hand of our managing editor, Linda Dobel – who passed away suddenly as we were going to press. We will miss her guidance and her expertise, as well as her passion for this magazine, and we know you will as well.

Want to purchase something new? This issue will enlighten you to the trends in U.S. shopping habits and how it is affecting the site selection world. Transition is the keyword, and you’ll learn the insider’s story here. Don’t miss it. If that hint of the word transition in regard to retail makes you think about technology, you’ll be delighted to know this issue has an exclusive Feature on the technology industry even beyond retail and what’s trending in site selection for that industry. And what do you need for retail and technology and every other business and homestead? Energy, of course. This issue treats you to insight into some of the most knowledgeable people who share their know-how in state-of-the-art in alternative energy and storage. Don’t forget — you will find the scoop on four states you will want to know more about as well as a peek into locations where clean energy thrives and areas that exude a great quality of life. What could be better?

Get your engines running — this is an issue for everybody in the automotive, aerospace and reshoring businesses to catch up with the latest happenings in your unique business space. Top leaders in the know reveal statistics that show enormous growth that may astound you and will likely have a tremendous impact on where you decide to locate your business as well. To top it off, you’ll get to know about the offerings of a great site in four states, including their incentives and reasons you might consider them prime contender s in your site selection decision.

Corporate investment and development are going strong and making a huge impact on some very fortunate communities across the U.S. In this issue, Trade & Industry Development heralds 30 companies that in 2017 announced plans for corporate development that truly stand out from the vast number of development announcements made that year. Read their stories in the CiCi (Corporate Investment Community Impact) Awards coverage starting on page 28. You won’t be able to resist admiring these companies and being inspired to contact economic development agencies to get your company started on the road to your own corporate development glory. To ensure you’re fully knowledgeable to begin your journey to a new site or make the best expansion choices, first do your homework and read all three information-packed Special Report articles you’ll find in this issue.

The first issue of the year 2018! As always with a new year, everybody is all about health, nutrition and overall wellbeing. And guess what? So is this issue. The issue is brimming with fresh, new information about the food and agriculture industry as well as bio/pharma and medical manufacturing to help companies locate in great areas and keep us all healthy and on top of our games. The Feature medical manufacturing article provides a great heads-up on locations that are dominated by companies in the industry. The food and ag Feature dives in-depth about the new industry trends and how to accommodate the workface in the face of that. And the bio/pharma Feature introduces a modern concept for the industry and what is needed for its workforce. In addition, the issue is chockful of location advice for corporate site selectors and locations to put on short lists for these particular industries.

This issue of Trade & Industry Development has all the best and freshest information on the Logistics and Supply Chain industry, along with both the Plastics and Metalworking industries you will not find anywhere else. Top-notch industry insiders open their knowledgebases and share the most pertinent things site selectors in these fields need to know to make the right moves. You’ll also find exclusive interviews with economic development offices and business executives who have happily located in their areas for port operations, both water and land. Going the extra mile in a special section you will be introduced to some of the nation’s leaders who work at economic development agencies to aid site selectors’ searches for a perfect business location. There are plenty more surprises and facts you need to know about four great locations you may find perfect for you next business location.

Site selectors for manufacturing businesses, this issue is for you. It is chock full of current information about the manufacturing industry. The information comes from some of the top names in the industry and prominent site selection consultants. From two in-the-know manufacturing associations, to exclusive interviews with economic development agencies and the manufacturing companies located within their domains to designated sites that may be of great interest to manufacturers to a Feature that has the latest information of benefit to manufacturers. In addition, the issue covers Utilities with a slant toward the utilities manufacturers need and Foreign-Trade Zones that should help manufacturers stay competitive globally. And that’s not all. There are five Spotlights on states very conducive to manufacturing business to help lighten the load for site selection information gathering.

Talk about hot topic industries; this issue of Trade & Industry Development brings you three Feature articles with expert insight in the technology, retail and alternative energy industries. Not only that, but the topics are geared to be relevant to the needs of corporate site selectors. Plus, the alternative energy Feature is complemented by two articles coming directly from related associations — Solar Energy Industries Association and U.S. Green Buildings Council — that are on the frontlines every day. In addition, as every site selector knows, it is extremely helpful to easily find information on specific locations, and that’s the exact aim of the four Spotlight articles, the Sites & Programs article and the Short List article. Workforce is always a concern and the Insights article broaches the topic of robotics in the workplace. Will robotics replace the human workforce, or is that far-fetched? The opinion in this column is a must read.

They say summer flies by, but not at the speed of the automotive and aerospace and defense industries’ innovations. Corporate leaders charged with making location decisions for these growing, fast-paced industry sectors don’t need to break a sweat, though, worrying that they’ll be left in the dust. One of the easiest solutions is simply absorbing the knowledge on trends and location options jam-packed into this issue. And guess where the best location options are? Right here onshore. Take a good look at the issue’s third feature article: the trend for businesses is reshoring, and you won’t be left guessing why. So dive in: not only will you discover great ideas and lots of knowledge sharing, but there a deep pool of location choices presented with concise, factual descriptions all within these pages.