May/June 2022

May/June 2022 | bxjmag.com

2022 NATIONAL DIRECTORY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS

INTERMODAL DISTRIBUTION

DEALING with CONSTANT SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES

AIRPORTS

Readying for Surge In Traffic

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TABLE OF

CONTENTS

MAY/JUNE 2022

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FEATURES INDUSTRY OUTLOOK: Intermodal Operations are Addressing Congestion, Holdups, and New Ways of Managing Freight Getting freight to its destination has been a major issue across the globe during the pandemic - but new ideas are gaining traction

By David Hodes

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INNOVATION AND STRATEGIES: Finding How to Deal with the Constant Supply Chain Disruptions Disruption began with the pandemic, but now there are other global issues that a successful logistics operation has to manage

By David Hodes

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Alan Reyes-Guerra areyes@bxjmag.com 205-862-5175

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS David Hodes

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Clint Cabiness clint@dialedinmediagroup.com 205-613-5910 EDITORIAL OFFICE King Publishing, Inc. 1000 Stafford Court Birmingham, Alabama 35242 Tel: 205-862-5175

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INDUSTRY INSIGHT: Airports Readying Facilities for the Coming Surge in Traffic

ONLINE MEDIA ASSISTANT Sonia Buchanan

As the pandemic appears to be waning, developments at airports accelerate to help prepare for a streamlined, safer, and more technology-connected passenger experience

Nick Boliek

By David Hodes

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30 INDUSTRY N E W S

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34 2022 National Directory of Economic Developers 2 |

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INDUSTRY

OUTLOOK

INTERMODAL DISTRIBUTION

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Intermodal Operations are Addressing Congestion, Holdups, and New Ways of Managing Freight BY: DAVID HODES

Getting freight to its destination has been a major issue across the globe during the pandemic - but new ideas are gaining traction

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istribution managers are taking a closer look at the value that intermodal delivery brings to their operations. ....................................................................................................................................

Intermodal distribution, compared to a single road system (haulage), represents a 20 percent savings in transport costs, according to recent study “Intermodal transport in freight distribution: a literature review.”

Research has also shown that there is a growing importance due to the role of intermodal transport in reduced environmental impacts on transport. It has been discovered that an intermodal system can minimize environmental impact by as much as 57 percent in terms of CO2 emissions compared to a unimodal system.

Newer research has addressed other topics with great future potential, according to the study, such as the development of new policies and network design.

There is also a desire to arrive at a more precisely defined term for intermodal than simply “the technical exercise of transporting goods by two or more modes of transportation using a loading unit.”

The terms multimodal, co-modal and synchromodal transportation are all used to refer to multimodal transportation. Industry developers are looking at proposals for the construction of a suitable administrative and legal framework to mark the boundaries of intermodality.

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INDUSTRY

OUTLOOK

INTERMODAL DISTRIBUTION

Research has also found that the analysis of determining factors, such as the advantages associated with the use of each of the modes, the congestion of the road transportation system, transportation costs and environmental impact with frequent greenhouse gas emission, among other things, offers competitive

intermodal solutions that are framed in road–rail, air–road, sea–rail and sea–road mode systems.

But infrastructure availability and vehicle capacity are variables that may restrict the use of a specific mode, according to the study.

What is Changing in the Supply Chain

One of two inland ports managed by the South Carolina Ports Authority. The port is developing an intermodal container transfer facility project that would allow near-dock rail adjacent to a new container terminal. Courtesy SCSPA

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Bill Thayer is the co-founder and CEO of Fillogic, working in retail and logistics. He came up with a unique idea of how to handle some of the freight handling lack of capacity that he sees in the supply chain for retail operations. “There are not enough warehouses, not enough trucks, and now not enough truck drivers and warehouse workers,” he said.

Since the start of the pandemic, eCommerce has just grown astronomically, he said, and even though it’s starting to level off a little bit, the change is still impacted heavily by just the lack of capacity.

So he found underutilized spaces in shopping malls. “We’re not taking portions of shopping malls, and knocking them down and putting up warehouses,” he said. “We’re taking existing infrastructure which is outside of the gross leasable area and converting them into micro distribution centers. We’re big believers in that physical retail is not dead. It’s in transformation.

And what it’s transforming to is mixed use. Physical retail is a mixture of retail, experiential entertainment and food.”

What he does see that is really unique is connectivity, or the

data visibility platforms, and companies making better utilization of infrastructure.

“You’re taking a business that was built on relationships for many years that is highly averse to technology, and then getting them to understand that it’s no longer about your truckload relationships,” Thayer said. “It’s now about the technologies that can improve visibility. That’s tough for a lot of supply chain folks to get their heads around.”

The supply chain disruption issues are going to get fixed by technology and innovation by the private sector, Thayer said, and not by getting legislated. “Big trucking companies aren’t going to wake up and say, ‘Hey, this is what we’re going do.’”

Intermodal distribution as supply chain are all about reducing touches, he said.

“It takes five touches to move something.

So how do you get to three? How do you get it to two?,” he said. “There’s just lots of things that we don’t have to be figured out.”

Better Planning and Collaboration The study noted that attention needs to be paid to planning and linkage processes, the abilities of meeting the requirements for the service to be delivered, the importance of systems and communication technologies, and the personnel with enough basic skills to keep the system running efficiently.

“Collaboration, integration and linkages among the transport network actors is essential through technology and the flow of suitable information for undertaking planning that enables maximum benefit to be taken from system capacities, freight traffic to be increased, and its security to be impacted,” the study concluded.

The study found that optimizing intermodal systems mostly pivots around a relationship based on minimizing costs and time, and maximizing users’ profits.

“Other variables are included in the process in order to find solutions that broaden and limit the objectivity spectrum of the results: numbers of vehicles and their capacity, intermodal terminals, distances between hubs and the speed bxjmag.com

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with which they can be covered, freight transshipment times and keeping to scheduled activities and times.”

The Pandemic as Change Agent Intermodal distribution, like a lot of the elements of the supply chain, was and is still trying to manage the pandemic.

It has struggled operationally and has not yet recovered, according to Larry Gross, a freight transportation sector specialist and intermodal analyst. “When we talk about intermodal, one important concept to understand is that intermodal is really two different sectors. There’s the international piece, which is the movement of containers from the ports to inland locations. That’s

Maersk just opened new sea-rail-sea intermodal freight services between the Far East and Europe

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about how half of all intermodal revenue moves. The other half is the 53 foot domestic containers and trailers, which are mostly domestic containers. That is the more truck competitive piece.

“Those different sectors have different characteristics, and different drivers. The international side is going to be very heavily influenced by what’s happening with regards to imports. Where are the imports arriving? And are they moving inland or not?”

Domestic v. international product movement Domestic product movement is affected more by competitive aspects with truck fuel prices, truck capacity and availability, Gross said. “It tends to be more dispersed in terms of its origins and destinations, and more surface sensitive, than the international side.”

Gross said that the international freight movement side is going through some exceptional difficulties in the last four months or so. “Just looking at the year to date through February, it’s down 16.5 percent,” he said. He cited a couple of reasons: One is the west to east coast shift in terms of where the imports are landing. “It’s shifting to the east coast to get away from some of the congestion that has plagued the west coast,” Gross said. “There’s also a potential labor situation come July, as the dockworkers contract is expiring.

“When stuff lands on the east coast, intermodal has a tougher time getting its piece of the pie because the lengths of haul off the east coast are shorter. So that is not an intermodal-favorable development.”

The International Side Most of what happens on the international side of intermodal operations is that the ship’s containers are moved inland on trains that are bought from the railroad by the ocean carriers such as Maersk, Gross said. Having a rail line in or near the port helps them extend their services from the seaport to the inland point, he said, adding that they do that because the international containers have been in short supply due to congestion and longer cycle times. “You have many ports now have rail intermodal ramps literally on the dock,” Gross said. “So that it is as seamless as possible to get the containers off the ship and onto the train, without an intermediate trip over public highways and having to go through the gate.”

All of that freight movement is problematic right now due to congestion, Gross said. “There have been issues at the inland port locations, primarily revolving around shortages of the chassis, which are the skeletal trailers that transport the containers on the highway. Because the volumes have been high and the cycle times have been elongated, there haven’t been enough chassis to go around. And that causes backups at the end of location which has been problematic from an operational standpoint.”

Looking for Solutions to Operational Problems Those operational problems are tricky to work out, because new disruptions, some geopolitical in nature, cannot be predicted. “Oftentimes during this recovery, when things have been so volatile, decisions that made sense at the time turned out to be badly timed,” Gross said. “And when everybody is

making the same ‘intelligent’ decision, it becomes not intelligent, because everybody’s trying to crowd through the same keyhole.”

The new supply chain = a supply web One methodology that is being considered is where intermodal operators get a more diverse set of origins for shipments.

“People are not really comfortable anymore (with freight) being sourced in China, or at least most aren’t,” Gross said. “Where that freight now originates from now is a broad array of locations, such as southeast Asia, India, eastern Europe, even Africa and South America, as well as Mexico,” he said. “So when we talk about a supply chain, I actually think that a better term is supply web.

That’s where we are seeing is a lot of fragmentation.”

When Will Intermodal Recover?

Gross said that he doesn’t think things are going to go back to where they were pre-pandemic in regards to intermodal distribution. “Not only are we seeing dispersal in origin, but we’re seeing dispersal in destination,” he said. “Because we now all have the ability to work from home. And that reduces the need to be downtown, reduces the need to be in a city altogether.”

Intermodal has become more of the focus of businesses across the country now, having emerged as the most economic way of delivering freight. But it’s under intense scrutiny today. “I think anytime that the supply chain is on the front page of The New York Times or The Washington Post above the fold, it’s not because we’re doing such a great job,” Gross said. X

The Port of Baltimore Economic Impact ai160191945717_Loation.pdf 1 10/5/2020 1:37:38 PM

revenues. Activities of the Port generated $395 million in state, county, and municipal tax revenues.

Approximately 101,880 other jobs in Maryland are directly related to activities at the Port. Related jobs are those with Maryland companies that choose to import and export their cargo through the Port of Baltimore, but they have the option of shipping their products or supplies through other ports.

Combining direct, induced and indirect jobs with related jobs, there are over 139,180 jobs linked to the Port.

For more information on the Port of Baltimore, please visit www.mpa.maryland.gov

... get there from here.

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Approximately 37,300 jobs in Maryland are generated by port activity. 15,330 are direct jobs generated by cargo and vessel activities at the Port. 16,780 are induced jobs, i.e. jobs supported by the local purchases of goods and services by direct employees. 5,190 are indirect jobs, i.e. jobs supported by the business purchases of the employers who create the direct jobs.

The Port of Baltimore is a major source of personal and business revenues in the State of Maryland. The Port was responsible for $3.3 billion in personal income. The Port’s average annual salary for the direct job holder is 9.5% higher than the average annual wage for the State of Maryland (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The Port generated $2.6 billion in business

INNOVATIONS & STRATEGIES

LOGISTICS

Artificial Intelligence and data analytics in logistics. Courtesy Defense Acquisition University

Finding How to Deal with the Constant Supply Chain Disruptions BY: DAVID HODES

Disruption began with the pandemic, but now there are other global issues that a successful logistics operation has to manage

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ike many events within the supply and distribution chain today, the organizing of logistics has been confronted with a good/bad scenario of accumulating more and more data to analyze, while being delayed by disruptions caused by the pandemic, while trying to be flexible with the reality of fewer available options. ...........................................................................................................................

Supply chain disruptions are driving a focus on reviewing purchasing data for cost reductions, building early warning dashboards to spot potential shortages before they occur, and using artificial intelligence to drive inventory planning, according to the industry paper “Thriving in 2022: Learning from Supply Chain Chaos.”

Data Does it All

Data is everything for the logistics industry. The more aggressive, transformational companies focus heavily on data quality improvements: master data management, master data governance and cataloging, and more, according to the industry paper.

Customers are using data analytics to help analyze “what-if” scenarios to understand how potential changes in demand and supply lead times affect inventory levels they hope to keep, according to the study.

The paper also found that clients have had to deal with supply chain issues in tandem with labor issues. While labor issues appear to be cooling down, supply chain companies anticipate other supply chain management issues to continue through the early part of 2022, then even out and normalize by the summer.

While not returning to pre-pandemic levels, logistics companies anticipate a reduction or rollback to some degree of the increased shipping and logistics costs they experienced in the Q3 and Q4 of 2021.

What About Today – and Tomorrow?

Significant supply chain delays, supply chain company material disruptions, resource constraints, and cost increases—all disruptions that began in 2019 will continue into 2022, according to Diane L. Garcia of Lorraine Consulting, LLC, as reported by the Society for the Advancement of Consulting (SAC). “With such dramatic changes, it’s critical to align your supply chain performance to meet changing demand,” Garcia wrote. “To do this, my best clients focus on building flexibility, predictability, and scalability into their supply chain processes and relationships.”

Disruptions can be hard to forecast, Lisa Anderson, president of a logistics consulting firm, LMA Consulting, said. “From all indications, there’s so many things going on in the world and there’s certain things that no one can predict, like weather events for example,” she said. “I think we are in a new era of volatility. And so the disruptions will continue. I think the more successful people are going to take control, and innovate, and become more resilient.

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They will become less disruptive, only because people are going to become more resilient to these volatile conditions.”

There’s still a lot different strategies for the last mile delivery, she said, using such innovative ideas as micro fulfillment centers that are still popping up close to groups of customers.

Anderson said that there’s still a lot of activity on how to make the transportation piece more efficient, certainly with rising gas prices, but also to make it more environmentally friendly. “How do you do it so there’s less (transportation) congestion?,” she said. “All these types of scenarios are still being evaluated.”

What she is seeing is folks looking at sales and operations planning, or sales inventory operations planning. “That means looking at how you get a better handle on your demand,” she said. “Get a handle on that volatility associated with demand so that you can better plan your individual supply chain and figure out where you should manufacture. Which logistics partners should I partner with? How do I set things up to be successful and to serve customers and to be profitable?” .

Workforce Rebuild

With all of this disruption, and calls for better and faster data analytics, and with import/export costs accounting for up to 20 percent of bottom-line expenses for many U.S. corporations, there is an urgent need for more global supply chain professionals.

Classes for supply chain students offered through the American Management Association are exhaustive and show just how broad and all-encompassing the work can be.

It includes understanding global trade opportunities, risks and operational concerns, logistics of import and export supply chains, dealing with carriers, managing inbound supply chains from Asia, creating leverage to reduce risk in the global supply chain, successfully working with U.S. and foreign government agencies, and navigating free trade agreements with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

But there is even more to consider.

For example, Amazon holds their workforce and suppliers to a code of standards they created from the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the Core Conventions of the International Labor Organization (ILO), and the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. “We engage with suppliers that are committed to these same principles, and we set exacting standards for suppliers of goods and services for Amazon and Amazon’s subsidiaries,” Amazon states on their supplier standards guidelines page.

How to Deal with the New Level of Complexity

It’s been true for years: Amazon is the hands-down leader in supply chain management.

Amazon acknowledges that today’s supply chains, which are global networks of manufacturers, suppliers, logistics, and eCommerce retailers that work together to deliver products to the end customer, are becoming more complex.

Logistics managers require a unified view of data, as well as the ability to independently verify their transactions, such as production and transport updates. Solutions built using Amazon Web Services (AWS), such as Amazon Managed Blockchain and Amazon Forecast, provide the end-to-end visibility today’s supply chains need to track and trace their entire production process efficiently.

The Amazon Managed Blockchain Quick Start, for example, allows customers to set up and manage a scalable blockchain network with just a few clicks. It eliminates the overhead required to create the network, and automatically scales to meet the demands of thousands of applications running millions of transactions.

Amazon’s Improving Forecast Accuracy with Machine Learning solution automatically produces forecasts and generates visualization dashboards, for a quick, easy, drag-and-drop interface that displays time series input and forecasted output.

Company’s using Amazon’s services are some of the fastest growing and most popular in the world.

For example, Adidas took the plunge with Amazon to upgrade and streamline both its manufacturing and logistics. Adidas is modernizing its management manufacturing software system with the Amazon data management platform to give Adidas the ability to connect its data across its entire global operations.

This new cloud-based system will support the company’s physical sales channel by enabling manufacturing environments to be integrated with AWS capabilities, such as machine learning and analytics, to streamline supply chain, inventory, and merchandising operations for retail stores around the world.

By creating a cloud-based consumer experience, Adidas can offer personalized discounts, early access to new releases and collaborations, priority consumer service, and the ability to personalize experiences and offers.

Another AWS example: Carrier is a 100-year-old company that provides cold-chain solutions—uninterrupted refrigerated distribution for perishable foods and medicines. It’s using AWS to transform how food and pharmaceuticals are shipped, preserved and protected.

Carrier is building Lynx, a digital connected platform for cold-chain logistics, using AWS IoT, AWS Analytics, and AWS Machine Learning. Lynx will provide end-to-end visibility and intelligence across the cold chain to help deliver food and pharmaceuticals safely and with much less waste.

Surviving, Thriving and Changing

“What is happening that will affect logistics for sure is that people are changing their sources of supply,” Anderson said. “They’re partnering with new people, they are reshoring and near shoring, they are moving production. But they’re not really communicating this throughout their supply chain. So as things continue to move around, people who are resilient and innovative will be successful, and the rest are going to give up and say it’s enough.”

The whole supply chain will continue to be disrupted, she said. “It by no means appears like it’s (the disruption) going to stop,” she said. “It could level out to some degree, but we’re just in a period of volatility and disruption. There’s no one who thinks that it’s going to catch itself up globally, because, for example, there is still a backlog of shipping traffic at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.”

Another trend she is noticing is that people are starting to become more concerned about inventory levels. “That could really create a little bit more volatility.”

In general, she said, we as a country accelerated faster than we were expecting because of the pandemic. That applies to logistics. “Everyone’s just having trouble keeping up with that level of change. I think that they’re looking for automation solutions. And any technological solution that will help alleviate some of the stress.”

Today, inflation on supply chain and logistics operations is creating an impact, going back several months to the middle of 2021, or even sooner.

According to a survey by Logistics Management, inflation has thwarted the sector with factors like port congestion and import container backlogs, labor availability, and fuel prices, among others.

The survey of 100 freight transportation, supply chain, and logistics stakeholders reinforced how inflation continues to affect things, from both an operational and business perspective.

Logistics business managers are urging calm, careful assessment of the situation, keeping an eye on world geopolitical events, including inflation, and essentially riding out the storm. X bxjmag.com

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AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT

INSIGHT

A corridor in Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport lined with translucent photographs of New York’s skyline

Airports Readying Facilities for the Coming Surge in Traffic

BY DAVI D HO D E S

As the pandemic appears to be waning, developments at airports accelerate to help prepare for a streamlined, safer, and more technology-connected passenger experience

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he survival, reorganization, and renewal of airports across the country has begun as more airports are relaxing pandemic standards and have used some of the downtime from the last two years to accelerate airport facility updates. ...........................................................................................................

According to a 2018 study by Airports Council International (ACI) airports are critical economic engines for the U.S. The total economic output of the 493 U.S. commercial airports exceeds $1.4 trillion annually, supporting more than 11.5 million jobs with a payroll of more than $428 billion. The 20 commercial airports in Florida alone account for $201 billion in economic development; California’s 26 commercial airports account for $171 billion.

Since 2013, the overall economic output of America’s airports has grown 24 percent.

As airports grow, they will need to stay flexible about updating their offerings. In the United States alone, airports needed nearly $100 billion in infrastructure upgrades and maintenance between 2017 and 2021, according to the report.

The Pandemic Affect is Getting More Manageable The ACI also reported that passenger volumes remained under considerable stress due to the lasting adverse impact of the pandemic.

For the full year 2021, with final statistics being tabulated now, the pandemic is expected to have removed 5.4 billion passengers compared to the projected forecast for 2021, representing a loss of 55 percent of global passenger traffic.

Global passenger traffic in 2021 is expected to reach less than half of what it was in 2019, with traffic for 2021 totaling only 4.4 billion of the over 9 billion passengers served two years ago.

In 2022, the pandemic is expected to remove close to 3.7 billion passengers during the year compared to original projections, representing a 36.1 percent decline in global passenger traffic.

North America will continue to outperform other regions in 2022, reaching 88.5 percent of its

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Building the Future of Aerospace Boom Supersonic, developer of a new supersonic aircraft called Overture, has chosen to locate its new superfactory at Piedmont Triad International Airport, which is located in the heart of North Carolina and at the center of the East Coast. Boom is not the only global brand to discover the advantages of locating at PTI. Honda Aircraft Company, HAECO Americas, FedEx Express and Cessna/Textron are among 50 companies that already call the airport home, generating $8.6 billion for the local economy and employing 8,600 workers on the airport campus. With 1,000 acres ready for development, the airport has room for more.

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INDUSTRY

AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT

INSIGHT

2019 level by the end of the year, according to the ACI study.

ACI estimates that, globally, airports have lost more than $83.1 billion in revenues in 2021. The effects of the pandemic is expected to cut by half airport revenue expectations for 2021 compared to the original projections.

The impact of the pandemic on airport revenues will continue in 2022, reducing revenues by an additional $60.8 billion, or 34.6 percent, compared to the original projections.

Airports Stepping Up Development Now that a slow recovery is happening, airports need to look for solutions that enable them to become more efficient, reduce costs, deal with an evolving workforce including the loss of experienced staff, and find new revenues all while ensuring cybersecurity, safety and aviation security levels are sustained.

The ACI study confirmed a commitment by a significant percentage of airports planning major programs plus research and development in new technologies to enhance operations and business results, including: cyber security (94 percent); cloud services (90 percent); business intelligence (87 percent); in-house virtual and IT services (84 percent); staff mobile services (84 percent); and biometrics and passenger ID management (83 percent).

Updates or other significant developments are happening at many U.S. airports this year.

For instance, Denver International Airport, the largest in North America, is working on extensions of its concourses in its Great Hall Project. The first two phases of the three-phase project will be completed within the original $770 million budget, and will focus on building a new ticketing/check-in space for some of the airlines as well as one new security checkpoint in the northwest corner of Level 6.

The final phase of the project will include completion of the full build-out of the Jeppesen Terminal, bringing it up-to-speed for future growth and critical infrastructure needs. The project is expected to be completed by the summer of 2028.

Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport is planning a $3 billion renovation of its terminal C. Los Angeles International Airport is working on extensions and updates of two of its terminals in preparation for the 2028 Summer Olympics.

The Kansas City International (KCI) Airport is three years into a new

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terminal project. At one million square feet, the terminal is the largest single infrastructure project in the city’s history. Completion of the KCI terminal is estimated to be in 2023, with 39 gates and the ability to expand to 50 in the future. The terminal project will include a 6,300-space parking structure along landside and airside improvements.

The Pittsburgh International Airport is in the early stages of modernizing its facility, including a terminal modernization program, designed to reduce travel and wait times for passengers and their bags; and the construction of a new 700,000 square foot terminal facility that is expected to generate $2.5 billion in economic activity.

One of the most anticipated new airport developments is happening at LaGuardia Airport in New York. The comprehensive $8 billion construction of a new LaGuardia airport is happening while keeping the existing airport fully operational. Contracts for the construction at the LaGuardia Airport Redevelopment Program exceeded $1.58 billion, the largest for any publicprivate partnership project in New York State.

When complete, expected to be sometime in late 2022, LaGuardia will be the first new major airport in the United States in more than 25 years, according to information from the airport’s development website.

Other airport developments of interest include Chile’s new 2 million square foot square international terminal that was expected to triple Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport, also known as Santiago de Chile Airport (SCL), by the end of 2021.

Focus on Toronto’s Airport Deborah Flint, president and CEO of the Toronto Pearson Airport, is currently overseeing updates at that airport after the work she managed at her previous job with the Los Angeles World Airports, where she initiated the $14-billion modernization of its terminals, runway improvements, and a comprehensive ground transportation and transit program that brought the first rail line to LAX. According to Toronto Pearson Airport spokesperson Tori Gass, responding via email to questions for Flint, at the outset, with public health as their first priority, management at Toronto Pearson implemented a range of health and hygiene measures which ended up being one of the first workplaces in Canada to require mandatory masks for both employees and the public.

The airport deployed new technologies to support a hygienic environment. “We worked together with all of our airport partners and tenants, including the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, our airline partners, the Canada Border Services Agency, Public Health Agency of Canada, and many others to collaborate on safety issues and protocols,” Gass said.

They also looked into innovative ways of updating the airport, including using autonomous robot floor cleaners and Bluetooth-enabled elevators, ultraviolet light to kill pathogens on floors, escalators, moving walkways and specialized air handling systems. “We expect increased cleaning, hygiene and air quality measures that have been introduced will remain in place even when the pandemic has been declared to be over,” Gass said.

Toronto Pearson Airport management worked with their government partners to get funding for new infrastructure projects, the largest being a complete rehabilitation of their 06L/24R runway, originally built in the 1960s, according to Gass.

Cautious Optimism for the Future The airport industry is cautiously optimistic that revenue earnings have bottomed out at last and passenger traffic levels will slowly but surely increase.

For example, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reports North American carriers experienced a 236.7 percent passenger traffic rise in February, 2022 compared to February 2021.

IATA Director General Willie Walsh said that, as the long-awaited recovery in air travel accelerates, it is important that infrastructure providers are prepared for a huge increase in passenger numbers in the coming months. “We are already seeing reports of unacceptably long lines at some airports owing to the growing number of travelers. And that is even before the surge of Easter holiday travel in many markets next week,” he said. “Now is the time to prepare.” X

Boom Supersonic Lands at PTI in Central NC Piedmont Triad, NC. – Boom Supersonic has chosen to manufacture its groundbreaking supersonic passenger aircraft, named Overture, at the Piedmont Triad International Airport (airport code GSO) located in central North Carolina.

Overture will be capable of flying faster than the speed of sound and twice as fast as today’s subsonic jets. Passengers will be able to fly on Overture from New York to London, for example, in less than four hours.

“We are happy to welcome Boom Supersonic to the Piedmont Triad International Airport family of companies,” said Kevin Baker, the airport’s executive director. “When Boom needed a place to build its aircraft, our airport had a site ready to go.”

Production of the Overture will take place in a new “superfactory” facility to be constructed on a 65-acre site at PTI. The initial 188,000 square foot production facility will be located on a shovel ready site adjacent to one of the airport’s parallel runways. Boom plans to add a second manufacturing facility once production is underway.

Boom Supersonic will not be the first aircraft company to manufacture aircraft at PTI. Honda Aircraft Company manufactures the HondaJet at the airport, which is also home to the company’s world headquarters. HAECO Americas, one of the world’s largest maintenance and repair companies, has its North American headquarters at PTI. Cessna operates a major mid-Atlantic maintenance hangar at the airport and the FedEx mid-Atlantic hub is located at the airport. ““The airport’s governing board has made it part of the airport’s mission to recruit industry and to create jobs,” Baker said. “The Airport Authority has purchased land and graded sites to be prepared for an opportunity just like this one.”

The Authority’s aggressive approach to economic development has paid off in new investment and jobs. The airport generates almost $9 billion in economic activity each year.

Approximately 8,600 people currently work on the airport’s campus.

Boom will bring more than 1,750 jobs to the airport by 2030. North Carolina economists estimate that the Overture Superfactory will grow the state’s economy by at least $32.3 billion over 20 years. With most of 1,000 acres still intact, the airport is poised to attract even more industry.

Boom Supersonic conducted a nationwide search for a place to locate its first factory.

It’s no accident that the company decided that PTI would be the best fit.

PTI has a central East Coast location, a talented workforce, an adjacent network of Interstate highways and an advanced worker training system. The region is also home to nearly 200 aerospace companies, which creates a natural supply chain.

Boom cited all of these advantages when asked why the company chose PTI. “Selecting the site for Overture manufacturing is a significant step forward in bringing sustainable supersonic air travel to passengers and airlines,” said Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic. “With some of the country’s best and brightest aviation talent, key suppliers, and the state of North Carolina’s continued support, Boom is confident that the Piedmont Triad will emerge as the world’s supersonic manufacturing hub.”

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Airport management is also pursuing improvements to check-in and border processing technology, as well as modifications in Terminal 3 to streamline the connection process for transfer passengers.

Work continues to support the connection of a light rail line called the Eglinton Crosstown LRT to Toronto Pearson.

Most airport update work is expected to be completed by 2023.

Forecasts report that normal air travel to pre-pandemic levels will happen within three to five years, Gass wrote.

But Toronto Pearson’s annual report for 2021 states that there continues to be limited visibility with regard to future travel demand given changing government policies about travel and a lack of harmonizing of testing requirements in Canada and around the world. “These restrictions and concerns about travel due to COVID-19 are severely inhibiting demand,” the annual report concluded.

The annual report added that, while the full duration and scope of the pandemic cannot be known at this time, “in the long term the Greater Toronto Airport Authority believes that recovery will happen, and the pandemic will not have a material impact on the long-term financial sustainability of the airport.”

In the meantime, Gass wrote, they are seeing passenger volume peaks which make their facilities appear as busy as they were prior to the pandemic during certain times of the day. “Airlines are choosing to condense the majority of departures in the morning with arrivals in the evening, leading to longer wait times for passengers at busier times of the day,” Gass wrote.

She adds that business was impacted greatly by the reduction in passenger volume during the pandemic, which is what drives their revenue. “As a result, we reduced our capital program significantly in order to focus on immediate and essential areas to ensure our passengers and employees were safe and protected while they passed through Pearson.”

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TEXAS:

Best State for Business

C

EOs who have relocated to or expanded their businesses in Texas talk about the state’s endless opportunities and its endless freedoms. Economic data supports the notion that everything’s bigger in Texas. ..........................................................................................

Last year turned out to be a banner year for economic development in Texas.

For example, Texas notched its 20th consecutive year as the top exporter among all of the states. On top of that: • Tesla opened a $1.1 billion auto manufacturing plant just outside Austin and moved its corporate headquarters from Northern California to that factory.

• Texas Instruments unveiled plans for a $30 billion complex in Sherman, about 65 miles north of Dallas, that will make semiconductor wafers.

• Samsung announced it would spend $17 billion to build a semiconductor manufacturing plant in Taylor, an exurb of Austin.

• Great Lakes Cheese revealed plans for a $185 million cheese packing and distribution facility in Abilene, about 150 miles west of Fort Worth.

• Leprino Foods announced a $870 million dairy products manufacturing facility in Lubbock, located in the Texas Panhandle.

For Robert Allen, president and CEO of the Texas Economic Development Corp., more eyes on Texas translates into more chances to capitalize on economic development opportunities and to “show decision makers the full package here in Texas.”

Consultants who specialize in economic development projects, corporate relocations and corporate expansions are intimately familiar with the “full package” that Texas offers.

Matt Patton, executive vice president of AngelouEconomics, an Austin-based consulting firm specializing in economic development and site selection, rattled off some of the items in that package: • No state income tax.

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• Light regulation of businesses.

• Investment in infrastructure such as roads, rail and ports.

• Access to the Texas Enterprise Fund, which offers financial incentives to attract employers and jobs.

• High-quality colleges and universities.

• Strong talent pool.

“Texas shines as a beacon of hope, prosperity and freedom — an economic and innovation powerhouse offering unmatched opportunities for families and businesses to grow and succeed,” Gov. Greg Abbott said in February 2022.

The semiconductor, automotive, food-processing and corporate services sector are among those fueling economic growth in Texas, where preliminary, current-dollar GDP surpassed $2 trillion in the third quarter of 2021.

The rise of the semiconductor sector

One of the sectors lifting Texas’ status as an economic and innovation powerhouse is the semiconductor industry.

Two massive semiconductor projects in Texas were announced last year: a complex of Texas Instruments wafer fabrication facilities to be built in Sherman at a cost of nearly $30 billion, and a $17 billion chip manufacturing plant that Samsung plans to build in Taylor.

If Dallas-based Texas Instruments opens all four facilities that are potentially in the works, the company eventually could employ as many as 3,000 people in Sherman. The first two facilities are expected to start production in 2025.

TEXAS Best State for Business

Pro-Business Economic Development Strategy | Reasonable Regulatory Environment | Ease and Cost of Doing Business | No State Income Tax | Skilled, Diverse Workforce | Tier 1 Universities | Sophisticated Transportation Infrastructure | Affordable, Available Land Office of the Governor Texas Economic Development & Tourism

@TexasEconDev gov.texas.gov/business

@GoBigInTexas businessintexas.com

WORKING TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE CONTINUED ECONOMIC GROWTH AND PROSPERITY FOR TEXAS.

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“In addition to bringing billions of dollars in capital investment and thousands of new jobs to North Texas, this historic investment will keep Texas a national leader in semiconductor manufacturing while also strengthening the domestic semiconductor supply chain,” Abbott said.

A week after the Texas Instrument announcement, South Korea-based Samsung selected Taylor as the site of its second U.S. chip manufacturing plant.

It represents the largest foreign direct investment ever in Texas. Production at the new facility is set to begin in the second half of 2024. Samsung says the plant will employ more than 2,000 people.

“Samsung’s decision to expand first in Austin and now in Taylor, Texas, is the prime example of a business that has found success in Texas and is now doubling down,” Allen said when the Samsung expansion was announced.

Patton said geography plays a big part in companies like Samsung and Texas Instruments opening large plants in Texas. Aside from undeveloped land being plentiful, Patton said Texas benefits from having few mountains or other challenging landscapes that impede growth. In addition, he said, Texas’ relatively mild climate offers a respite from frequent snowstorms in other sections of the country.

“Really, the sky is the limit for potential growth in Texas,” Patton said.

Texas economic development officials credit U.S. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas with helping spur expansion of the semiconductor industry in the Lone Star State and elsewhere in the U.S. Co-authored by Cornyn, the CHIPS for America Act is aimed at ramping up semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S. “There’s probably no greater vulnerability in the United States from a national security and economic perspective than our dependency on supply chains of semiconductors that are made outside of the country, primarily Asia, and then shipped here to the United States,” Cornyn said a day after Texas Instruments’ Sherman project was announced.

other vehicles will be made.

In 2020, Texas exported more than $1.3 billion worth of cars, putting it at No. 11 among the states based on the value of car exports.

John Boyd, principal of The Boyd Co., a site selection consulting firm based in Boca Raton, Florida, said Texas is poised to become a leader in the production of electric vehicles (EVs). He envisions Texas attracting a big chunk of federal infrastructure dollars tied to EVs. Just one example of the EV industry’s trajectory in Texas is a 2021 announcement from Wallbox, a Spanish maker of EV charging equipment, that its first U.S. assembly plant will be a 130,000-square-foot factory in the DallasFort Worth suburb of Arlington. The plant will employ about 250 people.

Wallbox says it chose Arlington for the plant because it’s a central transit hub between the East and West coasts, it affords easy access to cross-country highway corridors and it’s close to major cities like Dallas and Fort Worth.

“The sheer size of the market, Texas’ central U.S. location, its abundance of wind power and the presence of industry leaders will help generate new jobs in this high-growth sector as the North American auto industry moves away from internal combustion engines to EV,” Boyd said.

Texas is milking the value of cheese

Wisconsin reigns as the country’s top producer of cheese, but Texas is nipping at its cheddar.

Queso in point: In April 2021, Great Lakes Cheese introduced plans for a nearly $185 million cheese packing and distribution facility in Abilene that will create more than 500 new jobs. The facility is expected to generate an economic impact of $1.3 billion over 10 years.

“This is the biggest opportunity recruited to the city of Abilene in the last 30 years and is the perfect example of what strategic economic development should be. This successful partnership with Great Lakes Cheese will benefit Abilene and the state of Texas by generating opportunities for decades to come,” Abilene Mayor Anthony Williams said.

Two months later, in June 2021, California-based Hispanic foods company Cacique said it will open a new food-processing operation in Amarillo with a capital investment of $88 million and the creation of 187 jobs. Cacique produces Mexican-style cheeses, cremas and chorizos.

“Amarillo is a natural home for Cacique, as the Texas Panhandle is a magnet for the manufacturing and food-processing industries,” Abbott said.

Automotive industry keeps driving growth in Texas

The engine that is the automotive sector is revving up in Texas.

Last December, electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla added to its Texas footprint by relocating its headquarters from the San Francisco Bay Area to its manufacturing plant near Austin. That same month, Tesla began vehicle production at its Texas factory. Allen said the relocation of Tesla’s headquarters bolsters the state’s reputation as a business-friendly environment.

South of Austin, DeLorean — the automotive brand that gained fame in the movie “Back to the Future” — revealed plans in February 2022 to resurrect itself as a maker of electric vehicles. Pending approval of financial incentives, DeLorean’s headquarters will be located at the Port San Antonio development and employ about 450 people.

San Antonio already is home to a Toyota plant employing 3,200 Toyota workers and 4,000 on-site workers from Toyota suppliers. The factory makes Toyota Tundra and Toyota Tacoma pickup trucks. And in February 2021, Navistar unveiled plans for a second facility that will complement its 900,000-square-foot plant under construction in San Antonio, where electric-powered trucks and 18 |

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Growth of corporate services sector is exploding

CBRE, Charles Schwab, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Oracle and Tesla are just five high-profile examples of companies pulling out of other states (especially California) and relocating to Texas. And the stream of businesses planting their flag in the Lone Star State isn’t drying up.

For instance, engineering and construction giant AECOM moved its headquarters from Los Angeles to Dallas in October 2021. AECOM said it made the move to take advantage of Dallas’ growing stature as a home for corporate headquarters and its pool of corporate talent.

MarbleFallsEconomy.com

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And even the new arrivals are already growing. For instance, CBRE, a commercial real estate services and investment company, said in November 2021 that it will create 460 new jobs and more than $29 million in capital investment over the next 13 years at its Dallas headquarters and 550 new jobs and more than $13 million in capital investment at a new operations center in nearby Richardson. CBRE relocated its headquarters to Dallas in October 2020.

Observers anticipate other companies will follow in AECOM’s and CBRE’s footsteps and set up shop in Texas.

“We have seen unprecedented interest in Texas among our site-seeking clients. This is a time of historic mobility for people eager to relocate to less expensive areas with new career opportunities,” Boyd said.

“Texas, despite all of its record-setting growth, still offers our manufacturing, office and logistics clients compelling business cost savings in most measures, especially versus states like California, Illinois, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut,” Boyd added.

What’s on the horizon for Texas?

Experts generally agree that Texas sits in a prime position to score even more economic victories in 2022. In part, Allen said, that’s because “Texas offers a verified track record of success.” Throughout the state, business executives can attest to how relocating to or expanding in Texas has been lucrative, according to Allen.

Aside from industries like semiconductor and automotive, economic development experts mention cryptocurrency, aerospace, renewable energy and life sciences as sectors to watch in Texas. As it relates to the emerging cryptocurrency sector, Abbott has embraced the industry and has said he would like Texas to be the country’s cryptocurrency “leader.”

“Texas continues to attract businesspeople and is a leader in innovation,” Boyd said. “The state and its lawmakers and regulators treat business and job creators as partners in building a viable and sustainable economy — in many less business-friendly states, that is not the case. In many states, business and job creators are treated like the antagonist.”

Patton said Texas also holds appeal because its population growth continues to add to the state’s talent pool. From 2010 to 2020, the Texas population jumped by 15.9%. By comparison, the population of California grew just 6.1% during that period. Boyd said some executives and officials in California continue to be “business climate deniers” regarding their state’s eroding position as an economic force.

In tandem with Texas’ population growth, Allen pointed out that the state shattered an all-time record for job creation by reaching nearly 13.06 million jobs in January 2022.

“The Lone Star State has long led the nation in job creation as we attract more business investments and greater opportunity for working Texans each and every day,” Abbott said. “Thanks to employers large and small, the future of Texas shines bright with the best workforce in America … .”

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Allen said the state’s Tier 1 and Tier 2 colleges and universities, top-notch community colleges and high-quality trade schools contribute substantially to filling the state’s talent pipeline.

“This means that not only can we help you with your talent today, but we can help you with your talent for years to come,” Allen said. “We’ve got you covered in three years, we’ve got you covered in five years, we’ve got you covered in 10-plus years.”

TEXAS: CROCKETT Crossroads of East Texas .......................................................................................

Welcome to the best of both worlds: state-of-the-art manufacturing and local hamburger joints; International commerce and Friday night football; multimillion-dollar deals and downtown parades; excellent logistics and easy access. Discover what makes Crockett, Texas a place you and your business can call home. A close-knit community with a storied past and drive for the future is what you’ll find when you come to Crockett.

Crockett is referred to as the crossroads of East Texas, as several highways converge on the city, and is a multimodal transportation channel. Crockett offers access to Highways 7, 21, 19, and 287. There is air access to three nearby airports: Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW), George Bush International (IAH), and Crockett Municipal (DKR). Dallas is only 150 miles away; Houston is 120 miles; and Austin is 175 miles.

Crockett Economic & Industrial Development offers aggressive incentive packages to attract new business. They will negotiate with local, state and federal governments to provide financial assistance to your company. For more information, please call 936-546-5636 or visit www.crockettedc.org

TEXAS: DICKINSON Crossroads of East Texas

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Once a rural community in the Houston-Galveston MSA, Dickinson is quickly becoming a city hitting its stride. Situated between downtown Houston and Galveston along Interstate 45, Dickinson’s location makes it the perfect place for businesses and mixed-use development as it is minutes away from world-class medical, international travel, education, entertainment, and industry.

Dickinson established itself initially as a farming community alongside the Bayou. Formed along this navigable waterway around 1850, Dickinson became a central stop via the Henderson Railroad between Houston and Galveston. The primary attraction to the city was the local soil’s proven suitability for growing fruit, cane, berries, and potatoes, eventually becoming known as the Strawberry capital of the world.

During this time, Fred M. Nichols converted over 40 acres of his private

Providing retail space with high traffic counts, headquarters with expansive property to develop, office space for both small and large businesses, and mixed-use development.

Available property for upscale affordable housing, rural living, and exquisite residential properties with direct access to the Dickinson Bayou and its tributaries.

As a “Fiber City” we are able to proactively enhance our current medical uses and attract state-of-the-art medical providers while supporting nearby teaching hospitals.

Our community is home to high-level educational opportunities starting with our high school, local community college, and 28 regional fouryear Occupational, Engineering, and Medical Universities building an incredibly qualified workforce for you.

Strategically located along Interstate 45 between Houston and Galveston, Dickinson offers waterfront access to the bayou, which leads directly to Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel.

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estate into a public park known as the Dickinson Picnic Grounds. Over the next 3 decades, large groups came out from Galveston to picnic and holiday on the grounds. A Texas Coast Fair was organized there in 1896, and a harness racetrack where the great harness champion Dan Patch supposedly ran was built to attract more people to Dickinson. By 1911, the Galveston and Houston Electric Railway Company had 3 stops in Dickinson, and prominent Galvestonians had established the Oleander Country Club and built homes there.

Gambling became prominent in Dickinson and stayed active until 1957.

When the state laws changed and outlawed gambling, Dickinson became a family community that enjoyed boating, canoeing, fishing within the Dickinson Bayou, and direct access to the Gulf of Mexico.

Today the City of Dickinson maintains a bedroom community feel sitting on the outskirts of the big city and covering about 10 square miles that are quietly nestled into a forested area along to the Gulf of Mexico. Unlike neighboring cities, Dickinson is not focused on heavy industry allowing the city to attract those who demand a better-relaxed quality of life away from the stresses associated with highly built-out industrial communities. Societies such as Texas City and La Porte, which Dickinson is between, are heavily industrialized, limiting their capacity to provide housing and a quality-of-life environment that most families desire.

Dickinson has a goal to attract qualified and quality businesses but to achieve this; we need to support our business community by providing a qualified workforce. In Dickinson, we have many partners to develop our workforce with proven success, starting with the Dickinson Independent School District. DISD is a highly rated school district, per the latest state accreditation status, ensuring our students graduating from high school have a quality foundation for employers and college.

The College of the Mainland is the county’s local Junior College and is working to open a satellite operation at the future I-45 / FM 517 mixed-use development. Within a short drive are many prestigious four-year colleges and universities.

The DEDC also has a business incubator where one of its tenants, a first of its kind 501c3 nonprofit organization called Higher Up Texas (HUT), has partnered with Dickinson ISD, AMOCO Federal Credit Union, College of the Mainland, and others that teach life skills to young adults and guide them to their successful futures. HUT saw the potential and recognized that the future workforce was in dire need of tools, connections, opportunities, and community to realize their career dreams and goals.

Dickinson’s industry focus is on providing retail spaces with high traffic counts, headquarters with expansive property to develop on, office space for both small and large businesses, and mixed-use developments.

The real-estate focus for Dickinson is centered around upscale affordable housing, rural living, and exquisite residential properties with direct access to the Dickinson Bayou and its tributaries. Many of the homes along Dickinson Bayou range from a quarter-acre property to estates that span over 17 acres.

These bayou front properties are within attainable price ranges that offer the potential for investment, redevelopment, or renovations.

Dickinson is now focusing on being a business-friendly, resident-focused organization. The City’s efforts are locked in on infrastructure improvements, redevelopment of underutilized spaces, and expansion of transportation corridors to attract and incentivize commercial and mixed-use developments.

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community at the crossroad of FM 517, a four-lane thoroughfare.

The highway expansion has already attracted a significant mixed-use development on a former underutilized 16-acre retail property. This development will front Dickinson Bayou and I-45 and incorporate the benefits of the bayou for a central hotel and conference center venue, class-A apartments, retail shopping, and quality dining establishments.

With the high traffic counts due to the freeway frontage, the city is in the process of developing a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone of about 135 acres.

This TIRZ would allow existing businesses the opportunity to expand their operations while attracting developers who could redevelop underutilized interstate highway property. The available properties that border the Interstate allow for vertical development up to 6 stories without a variance per the City’s current land-use regulations.

Like any aging community, things change, and the city is working tirelessly to remain competitive. One effort to embrace change has been to allow Comcast and Frontier Communications to make Dickinson into a Fiber City by installing new fiberoptic lines and services to the homes and businesses throughout the community allowing speeds up to 1 Gigabit of internet speed.

This also enables medical uses, trade desks, and headquarters of various sized industries to be competitive in today’s environment. As part of that change, the city and the Dickinson Economic Development Corporation recently hired Halff and Associates to create a new Comprehensive Plan, an Economic Strategic Plan, Future Land Use Zoning Plan, and to help City staff update city codes and ordinances to a unified development code.

Dickinson IS a business-friendly community with a desire to treat all developers and businesses as customers. In an effort to ensure that the development process is seamless and that businesses are able to obtain their permits and open their businesses with ease, the City has hired new staff who are experts in their field. The entire team is dedicated to ensuring the business community is provided with an excellent experience, while the community’s interests are protected. They recently welcomed a new City Planner, Communications Director, Technology Director, and Assistant City Manager.

Recently surpassing 20,000, Dickinson is in a growth boom with five housing subdivisions under construction. Four of them are along the Dickinson Bayou, and one is just off the bayou either for sale or rent products to allow for a very diverse clientele depending upon their needs. Other housing developers have been touring the city looking for property they can develop into for sale and rent offerings due to the demand facing Dickinson and the surrounding areas.

Housing growth creates opportunities and needs for commercial services along our significant corridors of Hwy 3, FM 517, FM 646, and I-45 to provide services to customers with an average income of $106,000 and high education.

Dickinson IS a city that has arrived. I invite you to explore the City of Dickinson, Texas, and be part of our success story that is being written by opening your business in our community. You’ll want to be a part of what’s coming.

TEXAS: MARBLE FALLS Marble Falls’ Growth Leads to Major Community Investments

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Like most communities, Marble Falls has commercial and industrial land that is available for development. The town of just over 7,500 also has

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reasonably good transportation infrastructure and proximity to large urban centers like Austin (60 minutes away) and San Antonio (75 minutes away). The area can start claiming some advantages as a scenic lake town in the Texas Hill Country, popular for retirees and tourists alike, with recent growth creating new opportunities in the healthcare, light manufacturing, and professional office sectors. Being a regional shopping hub for more than 112,000 people has helped Marble Falls weather the current economic storm very well—in fact, monthly sales tax allocations have averaged more than 20% growth over the prior year.

What sets Marble Falls apart, however, now more than ever, is the community’s small-town values coupled with its welcoming attitude toward newcomers. Those who are buying land in the Business and Technology Park are coming from nearly everywhere. The community supports law enforcement and first responders, holding multiple events every year to honor their service.

The Marble Falls Independent School District is the area’s largest employer, so

teachers, administrators, and other support staff provide a strong foundation at all levels of the workforce.

Roughly 100 businesses open or expand annually in Marble Falls, with about 70% of those being locally-owned and operated. The Downtown area in particular has been a major contributor to that growth. Professional offices and small headquarter facilities would be well-situated here with proximity to quaint shops, great restaurants, and amazing park space. People are realizing that, if they can work from anywhere, they want to work from Marble Falls.

New subdivisions will support recent developments that include Baylor Scott & White’s $100 million regional medical center, a 110,000-square-foot H-E-B grocery store, and a $20 million operations center for Pedernales Electric Cooperative. There are also several medical office facilities and a new family entertainment center that just opened, and the development pipeline includes some exciting retail development, multi-family properties, and a public/private Downtown hotel and conference center project slated to break ground summer 2022.

While the emergence of Marble Falls as the retail and entertainment hub of the Highland Lakes area is a relatively recent development, the community’s draw for generations has been its connection to the outdoors. Beautiful Lake Marble Falls is ideal for skiing, kayaking, canoeing, and paddleboarding, and the Downtown parks along the waterfront are going to be enhanced by a $25 million improvement plan that began in 2019.

It should come as no surprise that the quality of life that Marble Falls enjoys is influenced heavily by the people who live and work in the community as well as the organizations they represent. In its first few years of existence, the Marble Falls Education Foundation has raised millions of dollars to support student scholarships, teacher grants, and a new college and career counselor. Recently, the founder of a local workforce development initiative was honored as the Highland Lakes Nonprofit Executive of the Year. Her efforts have led to nearly 200 people earning training and credentials—at no cost to them—through several Texas Workforce Commission grants and matching funds from the Marble Falls EDC. After record-breaking floods hit the area in 2018, the Highland Lakes Crisis Network, a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation, was established to coordinate with governmental entities, disaster agencies, businesses, and churches to help area residents and neighbors in times of crisis or disaster.

Marble Falls is already a special place, and community leaders are focused on making incremental improvements to a few areas while maintaining momentum in others. When it comes to new businesses, size and fit are critical considerations. Small- to medium-sized companies will likely have an easier time with real estate and employment than very large firms—and the community likes it that way. If the prospects of a charming small town with steady, manageable growth and a surprising set of amenities sounds appealing, give Marble Falls a shot. Whether your interests lead to a greenfield development in the Business and Technology Park or the restoration of an historic downtown structure into a live/work/shop space, opportunities abound in Marble Falls. For more information about investing in Marble Falls, contact Christian Fletcher, Executive Director of the EDC, at 830/798-7079 or cfletcher@marblefallseconomy.com.

TEXAS: PFLUGERVILLE Making An Impression!

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Pflugerville has one of the largest additive manufacturing clusters in the country. Currently, they have three additive manufacturing companies: 24 |

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• EOS of North America (North American Headquarters) • Cumberland Additive, Inc. • Essentium In 2020, the City of Pflugerville announced the Amazon distribution and fulfillment center, bringing 1,000 jobs to the region. Operations for Amazon began in October of 2021. As they are entering the third quarter for FY22, they have already announced 4 new companies that will either relocate or expand to Pflugerville: Skybox Datacenters; REE Automotive; MoboTrex; and the expansion of Cumberland Additive to a 36K SF facility in the One Thirty business park.

We’re Not Austin ...But We’re Close Companies experiencing fast growth are choosing Pflugerville.

Welcoming Amazon and our newest neighbor, Tesla !

Pflugerville target industries include: • Advanced Technology & Manufacturing • Life Sciences • Software & IT • Headquarters & Corporate Campuses Pflugerville is a fast-growing community that is proximity to three major highways, a great school district and plenty of retail opportunity. Pflugerville is where “Quality meets life” because of its trail systems, library, recreation center and business ecosystem. Once a bedroom community, Pflugerville embraces the small town feeling yet boasts it’s diverse and talented workforce and encourages businesses to the area by creating partnerships to train and upskill residents which will allow them to live here and work here.

Pflugerville’s labor shed captures more than 1 million individuals spread across 59 zip codes and seven counties. This is an incredibly diverse labor shed, with a mix of skill sets to serve industries, including manufacturing, professional services, technology, healthcare, and more.

The PCDC partners with many organizations to provide opportunities for training and upskilling our current workforce. They have partnered with Pflugerville Independent School District and Workforce Solutions Capital Area to provide High Demand Job Training Grants for Emergency Medical Technicians. The PCDC has also partnered with Austin Community College and local Additive Manufacturing companies EOS of North America and Cumberland Additive to provide a 40-hour 3D Manufacturing course, “The Pflugerville Manufacturing Academy”. Currently, the PCDC is working with NANA Academy to provide toolkits for their upcoming Refrigeration Appliance repair class in Austin.

The City of Pflugerville has more than 50 miles of trails and 1500 acres of parks and greenbelts. Lake Pflugerville offers plenty of activities along with swimming, biking, paddleboarding and kayaking. The Parks and Recreation department offers plenty of classes all the way from toddlers to adults.

Pflugerville is also home to Typhoon Texas, where guests can ride waterslides, enjoy the lazy river and delicious food.

In 2021 the PCDC Celebrated its 20th anniversary as an economic development organization. The year was commemorated with social media posts, looking back to images of Pflugerville before SH-130 was built and before the growth boom. They ended the milestone year with an event to host 48 previous board members and 80 guests.

For more information, please contact Pflugerville Community Development at 512-990-3725 or visit www.pfdevelopment.com. X

Welcome Home to Pflugerville, Texas!

The fastest toll road in America leads to one of the fastest growth cities in the U.S. Our highly skilled labor shed is 800,000+ strong - serving companies like Apple, Google Samsung, Dell and the Army Futures Command.

Minutes from downtown Austin, Pflugerville offers fast-permitting processes, proximity to airports, and direct access to three super highways putting it on a short list for many companies. With over 2000 prime acres along major highways available for development, come see what Pflugerville can do for you!

Highly Skilled Workforce · Foreign Trade Zone 183 · Deregulated Electric Rates · Triple Freeport · Opportunity Zone

www.pfdevelopment.com · (512) 990-3725 ·

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OPPORTUNITIES

ONTARIO, CANADA:

In the Heart of North America

O

ntario’s mass of land and lakes extends from a mineral-rich north to the farms and vineyards of the south, pierced by a dense urban corridor that runs east-west along the United States border. ...........................................................................................

Like the freshwater Great Lakes that shape its borders, it’s big.

Bigger than Texas and more than double the size of California.

Ontario is connected, with an easy drive across any of the 14 border crossings to the United States, just a hop by air to New York City, Washington or Chicago, and a straight shot to Tokyo, London, or any major destination.

A diverse population of more than 14 million, Ontario is home to 40% of Canada’s population and one of North America’s largest jurisdictions. Millennials, those ages 18-34 constitute the largest generation in many of their largest cities, including Toronto, Ottawa, and Kitchener-Waterloo.

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In the 20th century, Ontario’s economy was built on the strength of traditional industries: natural resources, manufacturing, farming, and food production. Those mainstay sectors remain vibrant, even as they retool to apply new technologies and innovations to compete in the digital age.

Ontario is also where the new economy has emerged in force, where financial services are broadening into fintech and revolutionizing the way we invest. Where artificial intelligence is ushering in the era of safer, cleaner connected transportation. Where stem cell research is leading to a world where we cure and even prevent deadly diseases.

That’s what’s special about Ontario: it’s where new innovations, platforms and technologies meet the muscle of the industrial economy. It’s a place to test new ideas. A place that can drive real economic growth for the next generation. For more information on all the opportunities, please visit www.investontario.ca

Middlesex County’s Sparking a lot of Investment Interest These Days...

Middlesex County offers a rich rural-urban landscape in the heart of southern Ontario complete with all the must haves for mul�-na�onals or local businesses looking to expand or upgrade facili�es like prime loca�on, affordable land prices, educated workforce, mul�level government support, and desirable quality of life.

If your company relies on ‘on �me’ deliveries, you’ll appreciate the access to three border crossings within a two hour drive. Our 401 and 402 series highways are vital in transpor�ng goods to des�na�ons across the globe. Rail and air transport are locally available with both Canadian Na�onal and Canadian Pacific traveling through the County and the London Interna�onal Airport offering a central loca�on for both cargo and people. Also located about an hour from here is port access to the Great Lakes’ shipping channels.

Middlesex County’s recent growth pa�erns reflect posi�vely on how firms are responding to what they find. The municipality’s ‘prepared-to-do-business’ approach is credited as one of the many reasons why companies such as Bonduelle North America, Gray Ridge Eggs, Catalent Pharma Solu�ons (Molnar Park), Armatec Survivability (DaVinci Park), Ideal Pipe and Algonquin Bridge (Thorndale Park) call Middlesex home. Risk reviews can be reduced and construc�on �me advanced with the completed upfront work of gathering property informa�on, mapping, and already completed environmental, heritage, archaeological, and species assessments. Companies prospec�ng for the op�mum mix of loca�on, (including a�rac�ve property priving) and addi�onal ameni�es, really strike it rich in Middlesex.

Middlesex has a growing popula�on of 79,000 residents and its inclusion in the Greater London Region (pop. 505,780) gives manufacturers access to Canada’s 11th largest market, and two large educators: Western University and Fanshawe College. Both ins�tu�ons rank as leaders in research and public/private partnerships.

Short commutes, traffic that moves, fresh air, safe spaces, many ac�ve living op�ons, and access to world-class healthcare are all just part of the Middlesex appeal. There’s also the county’s rich offering of arts, entertainment and culture that create an amazing quality of life for families of all types.

www.investinmiddlesex.ca

EXPANSION

OPPORTUNITIES

ONTARIO, CANADA: AURORA The Greater Toronto Area’s Best Kept Secret is Revealed

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Throughout the pandemic, the Town of Aurora, Ontario came together to keep the community engaged and connected while supporting the local economy. This is nothing new for Aurora, as local businesses continue to demonstrate the kind of entrepreneurial spirit that was behind its original founding in the early 1800s, when business owners began purchasing land in the area.

“Aurora was built by innovators and entrepreneurs in metal works and blacksmithing, as well as manufacturers of agricultural equipment and local merchants that supported the growing population. These were the people behind great ideas and community-building. Since those early days, Aurora has been one of the Greater Toronto Area’s best kept secrets for many years, and with the emerging growth and revitalization underway, we are pleased to share that what is great is about to become exceptional,” says the town’s mayor, Tom Mrakas, who ran a small business himself before entering politics in 2018.

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station, in 1853.

Today, the same train station stills stands as a symbol of the town’s history and growth, according to Mrakas, and Aurora is home to a bevy of powerhouses such as Magna International and Desjardins Insurance.

Additionally, there are over 2,000 grassroots entrepreneurs in healthcare technology, food and beverage manufacturing, marketing, media, education and more — all drawn by the town’s unique community environment that helps businesses grow, and, in return, helps grow the community.

“Aurora is unique in that it is small and connected, but also big in that you have everything you need within minutes.” Keith Loo, CEO, Skinopathy ‘Aurora is growing, but in a unique way, where the uniqueness and attractiveness of a small town remains a vital factor in a business or resident choosing Aurora as home. It’s the little things that make Aurora a big destination.’ Thai Pham, Owner, Replenish General Store “I truly encourage anyone looking to open a business, big or small, to consider Aurora. The people and business owners are supportive and truly make you feel welcomed.” Mae Khamissa, Owner, Omar Shoes “It’s that feeling you get when you know you have found the right location for your home or business. Aurora can quickly make you feel at home.” Steve Falk, CEO Prime Data The Town of Aurora is emerging as the area’s leader in connecting business leaders to the resources and network needed to expand operations. Find out more at www.aurora.ca/business X

EMERGING

AURORA ‘Aurora is a vibrant community both for families and businesses where we all collaborate to create unique experiences and lifelong friendships. I moved here with my family to give my children a safe place to grow and connect with a community. I opened my business here as we have all the support, networks and an eco-system to grow a viable business which services communities. It is an exciting destination to live and grow!’

- Anu, Stem Minds

Established in the 1800s, Aurora is a growing town with the essence of new ideas, new technologies and constant learning.

What’s great is about to become exceptional!

Learn more at aurora.ca/business

INDUSTRY

NEWS

Novelis Announces Major Investment at the South Alabama Mega Site in Baldwin County, Alabama BAY MINETTE, AL – Novelis, the leading sustainable aluminum solutions provider and world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling, has announced plans to build a new advanced manufacturing facility at the South Alabama Mega Site in Baldwin County, Alabama. With plans to invest $2.5 billion, Novelis is expected to create approximately 1,000 jobs with its new low-carbon recycling and rolling plant at the 3,000-acre site in Bay Minette. The plant will be the first fully integrated aluminum mill built in the United States in 40 years.

“Through this investment, we are making a demonstrative commitment to continue to grow alongside our customers and meet their needs for low-carbon, highly sustainable aluminum solutions,” said Steve Fisher, president and CEO of Novelis Inc. “In addition, we are well-positioned to efficiently expand capacity at this facility in the future – above the 600kt announced today – to capture ongoing strong demand. Our readiness to invest to serve growing markets is a perfect example of how we are delivering on our company purpose of shaping a sustainable world together.”

The fully integrated plant will leverage the company’s long-term relationships with many of the world’s leading beverage, packaging and automotive brands to meet growing demand for sustainable aluminum solutions. The plant will be primarily powered with renewable energy, use recycled water and be a zero-waste facility. Novelis is committed to being a carbon-neutral company by 2050 or sooner, and plans to reduce its carbon footprint by 30% by 2026.

The new facility in Baldwin County will be the most sophisticated and sustainable of its kind, and will have a strong focus on employee safety. It will also make use of advanced automation and digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, augmented reality and robotics. The facility will have an initial 600 kilotonnes of finished aluminum goods capacity per year.

The new facility will bring high-wage, high-skill jobs to Baldwin County, with Novelis projecting an average annual salary of $65,000 for its employees.

Novelis also announced plans to develop an Advanced Manufacturing and Leadership Training Center in Daphne, Alabama, where best-in-class training will be provided to industry leaders across Novelis’ footprint. The leadership center will be located at the Daphne Innovation + Science Complex and will help push Baldwin County to the forefront of innovation in workforce training and leadership in the metals industry.

Temple Economic Development Corporation recognized at state level for industry excellence The organization received the recognition from the Texas Economic Development Council TEMPLE, TX – The Temple Economic Development Corporation (Temple EDC) recently received the Economic Excellence Recognition for 2021 from the Texas Economic Development Council (TEDC). The program recognizes economic development organizations throughout the state for their commitment to professional excellence in the industry.

“We are honored to receive this recognition from the Texas Economic Development Council. Our team at Temple EDC works diligently to provide exemplary economic development services to both new and existing

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“The Baldwin County Commission’s strategic investment in the South Alabama Mega Site was made with a return in mind, and that return has come to fruition with this major investment by Novelis,” stated Baldwin County Commissioner Jeb Ball. “Having an innovative partner like Novelis located in North Baldwin County will propel our economy forward in new and exciting ways. We are honored to welcome the Novelis team to our community.”

“Baldwin County’s accelerated growth and forward-thinking leadership has made it possible to attract Novelis, a world-class company, to our community,” shared Lee Lawson, president and CEO of the Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance. “The economic and generational impact this investment will have on Baldwin County will help further diversify and grow our economy for years to come.”

Novelis serves customers from a wide variety of industries including beverage packaging, automotive, building & construction, aerospace and consumer electronics. The Baldwin County facility will primarily serve the growing beverage can market. Aluminum beverage cans, bottles and cups are seeing rising consumer demand due to the desire for sustainable packaging that is part of a circular economy.

The plant will also serve the automotive market, where aluminum is the fastest-growing material, as automakers make plans to achieve their sustainability goals. As the world’s leading provider of aluminum automotive sheet, the company’s aluminum can be found in more than 225 vehicle models produced by leading automakers around the globe.

“Bay Minette is excited to have a new partner for economic growth in Novelis, and we welcome this industry-leading company to our community. The economic impact of this investment will benefit our residents for many years to come,” said Mayor Bob Wills.

“CSX is pleased to welcome Novelis to the South Alabama Mega Site and to be their transportation partner to move high-quality aluminum products across North America,” said Arthur Adams, senior vice president of sales and marketing for CSX. “CSX is proud to be a part of America’s sustainable future by providing safe, reliable and environmentally friendly transportation solutions.”

“We’re committed to supporting efforts that grow Alabama businesses, develop our communities and provide quality jobs,” said Jeff Peoples, Alabama Power executive vice president of customer and bemployee services. “We welcome Novelis to Baldwin County and are pleased to provide the clean, safe and reliable energy solutions needed for their operations.”

Site work is underway now, and Novelis expects to begin commissioning in mid-2025.

businesses in our community. Receiving this recognition further reaffirms our commitment to the economic growth and prosperity of our Central Texas region,” said Adrian Cannady, president and CEO of Temple EDC. The Economic Excellence Recognition program was instituted by TEDC in an effort to continue strengthening the knowledge and skills of economic development professionals throughout the state. Recipients were announced during TEDC’s 2022 Winter Conference in February.

“The TEDC’s Economic Excellence Recognition program is one of the ways in which our organization honors the outstanding commitment to excellence of our communities and regions, their leaders, and their economic development professionals have toward the professionalization of their economic development efforts,” noted Carlton Schwab, President/CEO of the TEDC.

Kansas City Region Continues as a Top U.S. Logistics Hub with Record Industrial Development KANSAS CITY, MO – KC SmartPort, an affiliate of the Kansas City Area Development Council, shared global trends and Kansas City market insight on supply chain disruptions at its annual industry briefing.

The value of global trade reached a record level of $28.5 trillion in 2021, a 25% increase compared to 2020 and 13% higher than in 2019, resulting in an increased demand for industrial space across the country. As one of the nation’s largest hubs for warehousing, distribution and manufacturing operations, Kansas City is experiencing rapid growth as a centralized inland logistics port.

“Global shipping disruptions just prior to, and since, the onset of COVID-19 have exposed America’s need for a more agile, modern and efficient supply chain,” said Eugene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles. “The development of interconnected ‘port community systems’ at major U.S. ports could help trade-dependent American businesses and their service providers more effectively plan, track and adjust their cargo flows. Moreover, digitalization of our national supply chain can produce higher levels of certainty, reliability and success for American companies engaged in global trade.”

In 2021, the Kansas City region surpassed an industrial footprint of more than 300 million square feet, joining only 15 other U.S. markets. In addition, Kansas City has nearly 13 million square feet of new industrial space under construction as of Q1 2022, a record for the market.

“As we continue to see record demand for industrial space, the Kansas City region has the infrastructure, location and workforce to quickly respond to this increased need to optimize global supply

ventureLAB announces $2.5 million from the Government of Ontario to expand Hardware Catalyst Initiative (HCI) in Vaughan, Ontario VAUGHAN, ONTARIO ­– ventureLAB announced a $2.5 million investment from the Government of Ontario to establish a MedTech-specific stream within its Hardware Catalyst Initiative.

The timely investment will enable ventureLAB to support made-in-Ontario medical solutions and strengthen Ontario’s MedTech sector and technical capacity to fight COVID-19 and respond to future pandemics. ventureLAB’s Hardware Catalyst Initiative is Canada’s only lab and incubator for founders building hardware and semiconductor-focused products, enabling the creation of transformative technologies that will power our products of tomorrow. Following the success of the Hardware Catalyst Initiative, the new FedDev funding will be used to expand the HCI’s capacity and build a new MedTech-specific lab in Vaughan, complete with specialized equipment to facilitate the growth of Ontario-based MedTech companies.

The new MedTech incubator will be located within Vaughanbased Sterling Industries to benefit from its resources, product development and production expertise. As an end-to-end contract manufacturer and assembler of medical devices and

chains,” said Chris Gutierrez, president of KC SmartPort. “Located in the geographic center of the U.S., the KC region is perfectly positioned in the nation’s heartland as a centralized inland logistics port and offers a robust and talented workforce.”

The KC region has more than 200,000 workers in manufacturing, transportation and warehousing industries and offers a highly productive workforce with manufacturing employees in Kansas City providing 14.5% higher productivity than the national average, as measured by JobsEQ in 2020 for output per worker.

“Supply chain risk management continues to be top of mind for manufacturers and distributors across the U.S. and globally. Many companies are seeking ways to minimize this risk including investing in more domestic and regional serving operations as well as diversifying supplier networks and modes of transport. In addition, workforce shortages are adding an additional layer of complexity and concern for industrial employers as well,” said Michelle Comerford, project director and industrial & supply chain practice leader at Biggins Lacy Shapiro & Co. “Looking ahead, companies will continue to seek locations with strong logistics infrastructure to move goods in and out, that also possess high quality workforce and a concerted effort to grow the pipeline of those workers. Kansas City with its central location, strong logistics infrastructure, industrial operations culture, and top notch workforce development initiatives, is poised to be very attractive to much of this new investment.”

In the last five years, the Kansas City region attracted more than 8,000 jobs and $2.1 billion capital investment totaling 18.4 million square feet with companies including Niagara Bottling, Walgreens, ALPLA, Walmart, Urban Outfitters, Chewy, Melaleuca, Amazon Air, among others.

components, Sterling Industries is a proven industry leader with manufacturing facilities and distribution channels in the U.S. and Europe. Sterling Industries will bring essential equipment, top technical talent, and industry-leading mentorship to the project.

This investment is an important building block in develope Centre Precinct (VHCP). By creating critical resources and support for the growth and development of innovative medical device companies in Vaughan, ventureLAB’s new MedTech incubator will support the development of the VHCP into a leading medical innovation node and a world-class destination of excellence in health and health innovation.

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NEWS

OnRamp Agriculture Conference Moves to Champaign-Urbana, Hub of AgTech Innovation

CHAMPAIGN, IL – A coalition of Central Illinois partners have banded together to bring one of the nation’s premier AgTech startup conferences to Champaign. gener8tor will host the third annual OnRamp Agriculture Conference on Tuesday, July 26 at the State Farm Center.

The curated one-day event includes three programming tracks for attendees designed to facilitate deal making and strategic partnerships among startups, corporations, and investors in the ag and food space.

This year’s conference is presented by Cooperative Ventures, the University of Illinois Research Park, Serra Ventures, and the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation.

“Moving the OnRamp Agriculture Conference to Champaign was a goal we have had for some time, as our community is a magnet for truly disruptive innovations in the ag and food industries,” said Dennis Beard, managing partner at Serra Ventures. “Collaboration and cooperation are innate to our community’s culture and represent two of our signature values. We look forward to bringing others into the fold.”

The conference is expected to draw hundreds of attendees to Champaign, reaping a significant economic impact for the community.

The OnRamp Agriculture Conference adds another dimension to the already robust AgTech ecosystem in Champaign-Urbana, which includes: • A land-grant institution steeped in innovation, across the value chain of agriculture.

• Champaign-based VC firm Serra Ventures announced its $45 million AgTech Fund in February.

• The University of Illinois Research Park is home to multiple ag-centric corporate innovation centers as well as AgTech startups.

• Parkland College is recognized as the #2 Precision Agriculture community college in the country and has been awarded four National Science Foundation grants for their innovative AgTech programming.

• Each March, the community hosts its own AgTech week; the centerpiece of that week is the AgTech Innovation Summit, programmed since 2016.

• The Illinois AgTech Accelerator, which recruits internationally, is also a gener8tor program. Launched in 2020, it is now hosting its third cohort and its portfolio companies have raised $20M to date.

Unique to OnRamp, the Startup Track features curated one-on-one pitch sessions between startups and corporations. OnRamp matches the selected startups with corporate venture capital and innovation executives from participating organizations to discuss potential customer relationships, strategic partnerships and, if appropriate, investment opportunities.

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Bryce Corporation to Expand Operations in Searcy, Create More Than 140 Jobs SEARCY, AR — Bryce Corporation, a leader in the flexible packaging industry, will invest $80 million to expand its operations in Searcy, Ark., the company announced. This expansion is part of the company’s five-year strategic growth plan and is expected to grow the company’s asset base and physical footprint and create 142 new jobs in Searcy.

As part of this expansion, Bryce Corporation will construct a new manufacturing facility and a distribution center in Searcy. The company will also invest in advanced technology and state-of-the-art process equipment to serve its consumer product customers.

“It’s always a great day in Arkansas when our existing businesses announce expansions, and this is no exception,” Governor Asa Hutchinson said. “For decades, Bryce Corporation has been a strong community partner. Their investment in Searcy speaks volumes about their confidence in the city’s workforce and quality of life, and I wish the company well as they enter this next phase of growth.”

Throughout its history, Bryce Corporation has demonstrated a generational commitment to family and community. This foundational principle has governed the decisions made by the Bryce family and leadership teams. In 1976, Bryce Corporation opened its first manufacturing facility in Searcy with 29 employees. Bryce Corporation finished 2021 with 465 employees in Searcy. Over that 45-year period, the Searcy manufacturing site has grown from 30,000 square feet to 350,000 square feet.

Today, the third and fourth generations are excited to announce the five-year strategic growth plan. “These are transformational and generational commitments that we are excited to make in Searcy as we transition into the fourth and look forward to the fifth generation of family leadership,” noted Sean Bowie, President, and fourth generation Bryce family member.

“We would like to thank the City of Searcy and White County leadership teams, the Chamber of Commerce and the Arkansas Economic Development Commission for their partnership and support throughout this process. We also appreciate the residents of White County, many of whom are current and retired team members of Bryce Corporation,” noted Tom Bryce, CEO, and third generation Bryce family member.

“Arkansas’ economy continues to grow thanks to the commitment of both our businesses and our communities,” Arkansas Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston said. “I’m pleased that Bryce Corporation has found the tools they need to grow and succeed in Searcy. Their decision to expand their facility will diversify and strengthen the area’s economy and provide good jobs to hardworking citizens. I look forward to continuing our partnership in the future.”

“As a city we are focused on supporting the growth and expansion of businesses in our community,” Searcy Mayor Kyle Osborne said.

“We are thrilled about the opportunities this expansion will bring to the workforce in Searcy and look forward to continuing our relationship with Bryce Corporation for years to come.”

Buck Layne, president and CEO of the Searcy Regional Chamber, said, “Existing business retention and expansion is the foundation of our economic development efforts at the chamber. Bryce Corporation’s investment in its Arkansas facility secures existing jobs and promises future growth for our city and our region.”

Sendoso Invests Over $40 Million For New Office And Headquarters In Phoenix PHOENIX, AZ — Sendoso, the leading sending management platform, announced its new office at The Grove, in the historic Phoenix neighborhood, and the relocation of its corporate headquarters from San Francisco, California to Arizona effective November 2022. The 58,000-square-foot office space is designed to enhance collaboration to further amplify and inspire connections among employees, while helping bring nearly 1,000 jobs to the area.

“It’s great to see yet another California company relocating to Arizona for more opportunity,” said Governor Doug Ducey. “Sendoso’s new headquarters and operations is further cementing Arizona’s reputation as the best place to do business in the country.”

“As companies are faced with adapting to evolving their work environments, a new study shows that 72% of businesses lack a detailed hybrid work strategy and 76% don’t have the right key performance indicators (KPIs) to support hybrid working models. Sendoso is in a unique position as the company has clear OKRs that foster a hybrid work structure across the entire company on a global scale.

“We are excited to welcome Sendoso’s new office and corporate headquarters to Phoenix,” said Sandra Watson, President and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority. “Sendoso’s decision to relocate from California to Arizona showcases the state’s attractiveness as an epicenter of technology with continued industry growth while creating hundreds of jobs.”

Sendoso has already established a strong presence in the Phoenix area with its 190,000 square-foot warehouse and distribution center.

Additionally, employees in the Arizona location perform vital functions for the company in areas such as human resources, warehouse management, sales and much more. Following the relocation of its headquarters, Sendoso will continue to have a strong presence in California, employing nearly 200 people.

It was Sendoso’s top priority to build a space that supports the future of work and the company’s hybrid model with the focus being on collaboration and wellness for its employees. The new office will provide opportunities for teams to focus, collaborate, and celebrate. The multipurpose space includes everything from a game room, fully stocked bar, fitness room, and a large event space. With two floors, the new office is bright and open, designed with a full height glass perimeter that wraps the floor, high open ceilings making it energizing and inviting for any Sendoso employee who wants to take advantage of the area.

Kent County Commissioners Appoint Charles R. Athey to the Economic and Tourism Development Commission CHESTERTOWN, MD — The Kent County Commissioners are pleased to announce the appointment of Charles R. Athey to the Economic and Tourism Development Commission. Mr. Athey was appointed on January 25, 2022, to fill an unexpired term.

Charlie is General Counsel & Compliance Manager at The Dixon Group, Inc. He engaged in the private practice of law for ten years before joining The Dixon Group, and is licensed to practice in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. He is a 2001 graduate of Washington College, holds a J.D. and LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Baltimore, and an M.B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Charlie has a history of service to the community, having served on the boards of the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, Sultana Education Foundation, Garfield Center for the Arts, Chester River Health Foundation, Washington College Alumni Association, and Shared Opportunity Service, Inc. Charlie has been a resident of Kent County for most of his life, and currently resides in Chestertown with his wife, Monica. He is excited to join the members of the Economic and Tourism Development Commission to promote Kent County as an ideal place to live, work and play.

Mr. Athey’s experience and current role with The Dixon Group provide firsthand knowledge of the challenges and opportunities of several industry sectors that are very important to Kent County’s Economy. The Economic and Tourism Development Commission unanimously agreed to recommend the appointment of Mr. Athey to the County Commissioners.

Gov. Whitmer Announces 1,200 New Jobs Resulting from LG Energy Solution’s $1.7 Billion Investment and Expansion in Holland, Michigan

LANSING, MI — Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to announce that LG Energy Solution (LGES) is investing $1.7 billion and creating 1,200 jobs at its current location in Holland, Michigan. LGES’ expansion will quintuple the plant’s capacity to help produce battery components into the future as Michigan’s electric vehicle industry grows.

The LGES expansion announcement comes just two months after GM announced its historic $7 billion investment in the state, which includes up to $2.5 billion to build Ultium Cell LLC’s third U.S. battery cell plant in the city of Lansing and Delta Township, a joint venture between GM and LG. The two companies have a longstanding relationship, and GM acted as a key partner in bringing LG to Michigan in 2010. The Holland investment will fall under the LGES entity, which recently completed a record-breaking IPO in South Korea.

LG Energy Solution, formerly known as LG Chem Michigan, manufactures large lithium-ion polymer battery cells and packs for electric vehicles. The company has had a presence in Holland since 2010 when it built its first EV battery plant in the U.S. and now has 1,495 employees in Michigan.

As the future of the electric vehicle industry grows, LG Energy Solution needs the additional capacity to allow for the production, testing and storage of materials needed for battery manufacturing. The expansion includes the construction of several new facilities on LGES’s existing footprint in Holland. bxjmag.com

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ALABAMA

NATIONAL DIRECTORY OF

ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS

ARIZONA

Cullman Economic Development Agency

Dale Greer P.O. Box 1009, Cullman, AL 35056 256-739-1891 daleg@cullmaneda.org www.cullmaneda.org .......................................................................

Etowah Economic Alliance

Marilyn Lott 800 Forrest Avenue Suite 220E Gadsden, AL 35901 256-456-9938 mlott@eeaalabama.org www.eeaalabama.org .......................................................................

Gadsden Industrial Development Authority

David Hooks, Executive Director 1 Commerce Square Gadsden, AL 35901 256-543-9423 davidhooks@gadsdenida.org www.gadsdenida.org .......................................................................

Elmore County Economic Development

Cary Cox P.O. Box 117, Wetumka , AL 36092 334-514-5843 cary.cox@elmoreeda.com www.elmoreeda.com .......................................................................

HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology

Mary Shirley-Howell 601 Genome Way Huntsville , AL 35806 256-327-9591 mshirleyhowell@hudsonalpha.org www.hudsonalpha.org .......................................................................

Arizona Regional Economic Develoment

Mignonne Hollis, Executive Director 750 E. Bartow Drive Suite 16 Sierra Vista, AZ 85635 520-458-6948 hollism@aredf.org www.aredf.org .......................................................................

City of Flagstaff Economic Development

John Saltonstall, AZED Pro Business Retention & Expansion Manager Economic Vitality Division City of Flagstaff 211 W. Aspen Avenue Flagstaff, AZ 86001 Office 928-213-2966 Cell 928-606-9430 jsaltonstall@flagstaffaz.gov www.flagstaffaz.gov .......................................................................

Pinal Alliance for Economic Growth

Patti King, Executive Mgr. 17235 N. 75th Avenue Suite D-145 Glendale, AZ 85308 520-836-8686 pking@pinalalliance.org www.pinalalliance.org .......................................................................

Salt River Project (SRP)

Karla Moran P.O. Box 52025 Phoenix, AZ 85072-2025 602-236-2396 Karla.moran@srpnet.com www.powertogrowphx.com .......................................................................

City of Surprise Tuscaloosa County Industrial Dev. Auth

Sissie Browning, Assistant Director P.O. Box 2667, Tuscaloosa, AL 35403 205-349-1414 info@tcida.com www.tcida.com .......................................................................

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Mike Hoover 16000 N Civic Center Plaza Surprise, AZ 85374 623-222-3328 Mike.hoover@surpriseaz.gov www.surpriseaz.gov .......................................................................

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ARKANSAS

Chaffee Crossing

Ivy Owen, Executive Director 7020 Taylor Avenue Fort Smith, AR 72916 479-452-4554 479-452-4566 (f) property@chaffeecrossing.com www.chaffeecrossing.com .......................................................................

Ouachita Partnership for Economic Development

James Lee Sillman Executive Director 625 Adams Aveune Camden, AR 71701 870-836-2210 870-836-8899 (f) director@teamcamden.com www.teamcamden.com .......................................................................

East Arkansas Crossroads Coalition

Mark O’Mell 1790 N. Falls Boulevard, Suite 2 Wynne, AR 72396 870-238-5300 momell@crossroadscoalition.org www.crossroadscoalition.org .......................................................................

Mississippi County Economic Development

Tamika Jenkins 4701 Memorial Drive Blytheville, AR 72315 870-532-6084 tamika@cottontosteel.com www.cottontosteel.com .......................................................................

CALIFORNIA

City of Eastvale

Gina Gibson-Williams Economic Development Manager 12363 Limonite Ave. Suite 910 Eastvale, CA 91752 951-703-4425 ggibson-williams@eastvaleca.gov www.eastvaleca.gov .......................................................................

City of Moreno Valley Economic Development

Mike Lee Economic Development Director 14177 Frederick Street Moreno Valley, CA 92553 951-413-3460 edteam@moval.org www.morenovalleybusiness.com .......................................................................

City of Ontario Economic Development

Jennifer McLain Hiramoto Economic Development Director 303 East B Street Ontario, CA 91764 909-395-2295 JHiramoto@ontarioca.gov www.ontariothinksbusiness.com .......................................................................

Greater Irvine Chamber

Pepper Russell 36 Executive Park Suite 100 Irvine, CA 92614 949-502-4129 prussell@irvinechamber.com www.irvinechamber.com .......................................................................

COLORADO

City of Siloam Springs

Don Clark Community Development Director P.O. Box 80 Siloam Springs , AR 72761 479-238-0930 dclark@siloamsprings.com whysiloam.com .......................................................................

City of Canon City

Rick Harrmann 128 Main Street Canon City, CO 81212 719-276-5279 rlharrmann@canoncity.org www.canoncity.org .......................................................................

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NATIONAL DIRECTORY OF

ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS

FLORIDA

City of Fountain Economic Development Commission

Kimberly A. Bailey Economic Development/ Urban Renewal Director 116 S. Main Street Fountain, CO 80817 719-322-2056 kbailey@fountaincolorado.org www.fountaincolorado.org .......................................................................

Grand Junction Economic Partnership

Robin Brown, Executive Director 122 N. 6th Street Grand Junction, CO 81501 970--245-4332 robin@gjep.org www.gjep.org .......................................................................

City of Sanford

Bob Turk Economic Development Director 300 North Park Ave. Sanford, FL 32771 407-688-5015 bob.turk@sanfordfl.gov www.sanfordfl.gov .......................................................................

City of Titusville

Lisa Nicholas 555 South Washington Avenue Titusville, FL 32796-3584 321-567-3774 lisa.nicholas@titusville.com www.YEStitusvilleFL.com .......................................................................

CONNECTICUT

Elevate Lake Economic Development Town of Berlin

Chris Edge Director 240 Kensington Road Berlin, CT 06037 860-828-7005 cedge@town.berlin.ct.us www.town.berlin.ct.us .......................................................................

DELAWARE

Kent Economic Partnership

Linda Parkowski Executive Director 555 Bay Road Dover, DE 19901 302-678-3057 info@ccede.com www.choosecentraldelaware.com .......................................................................

Wilmington Economic Development Jeff Flynn 800 N. French St., 3rd Floor Wilmington, DE 19801 302-576-2128 jflynn@wilmingtonde.gov www.wilmingtonde.gov .......................................................................

Mary Ellen Stern Interim Director 20763 US Highway 27 Groveland, FL 34736 352-343-9647 352-801-7498 (f) mstern@lakecountyfl.gov elevatelake.com .......................................................................

Greater St. Petersburg Area Economic Development Corporation

J.P. DuBuque President and CEO 100 2nd Ave N Ste 130 St. Petersburg, FL 33701 727-388-2906 jpdubuque@stpeteedc.com StPeteEDC.com/BurgBiz .......................................................................

Haines City Economic Development Council, Inc.

Cyndi Jantomaso, President Post Office Box 3845 Haines City, FL 33845-3845 863-422-2525 863-206-0007 cyndi@hainescityedc.com www.hainescityedc.com .......................................................................

Hernando County Office of Economic Development

Santa Rosa County EDO

Valerie M. Pianta Economic Development Director 15800 Flight Path Drive Brooksville, FL 34604 352--540-6400 vpianta@hernandocounty.us www.hernandobusiness.com .......................................................................

Shannon Ogletree, Executive Director 6491 Caroline Street, Suite 4 Milton, FL 32570-4592 850-623-0174 Shannon@santarosa.fl.gov www.santarosaedo.com .......................................................................

Holmes County Development Commission

Tallahassee-Leon County Office of Economic Vitality

Joe Rone, Executive Director 106 E Byrd Avenue Bonifay, FL 32425 850-547-6154 jrone@westflorida.coop hcdc1978@gmail.com www.holmescountyedc.com .......................................................................

Cristina Paredes, CEcD, Director 315 S. Calhoun Street, Suite 110 Tallahassee, FL 32301 850-219-1080 Cparedes@OEVforBusiness.org www.oevforbusiness.org .......................................................................

GEORGIA Indian River Chamber of Commerce

Helene Caseltine Economic Development Director 1216 21st Street Vero Beach, FL 32960 772-567-3491 helenec@indianrivered.com www.indianrivered.com .......................................................................

City of College Park

Artie Jones III Director of Economic Development 3667 Main Street College Park, GA 30337 404-305-2052 404-305-2057 (f) artiejones@collegeparkga.com www.collegeparkga.com/ .......................................................................

Osceola County

David Rodriguez, Economic Development Manager 1 Courthouse Square, Suite 4400 Kissimmee, FL 34741 407-742-0620 407-742-4202 (f) david.rodriguez@osceola.org www.chooseosceola.com www.osceola.org .......................................................................

Pinellas County Economic Development

City of East Point

Maceo Rogers CEcD 2757 East Point Street East Point, GA 30344 404-270-7057 jmrogers@eastpointcity.org www.eastpointcity.org .......................................................................

Forward Forsyth

Dr. Cynthia Johnson, EDFP Director 13805 58th Street North, Suite 1-200 Clearwater, FL 33760 727-464-7332 cyjohnson@pinellascounty.org www.pced.org .......................................................................

Slade Gulledge P.O. Box 1799 Cumming GA 30028 770-887-6461 770-842-1170 sgulledge@forwardforsyth.org www.forwardforsyth.org .......................................................................

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Liberty County Development Authority

Ronald Tolley, CEO 425 W. Oglethorpe Highway Hinesville, GA 31313 912-977-4147 Ron.tolley@comegrow.global www.comegrow.global .......................................................................

NATIONAL DIRECTORY OF

ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS

City of Litchfield Ecnomic Development

Shelly Herman 120 E. Ryder Street Litchfield, IL 62056 217-324-8146 Sherman@cityoflitchfieldil.com www.litchfieldil-development.com .......................................................................

Charles Witherington-Perkins Director of Planning & Community Development 33 S. Arlington Heights Arlington Heights, IL 60005 847-368-5220 cperkins@vah.com www.vah.com .......................................................................

Russell County Eco Devo & CVB

Mike Parsons, Director 331 E. Witchita, Russell, KS 67665 785-483-4000 785-324-0126 rced2@russellks.org www.russellcountyks.org .......................................................................

INDIANA

Putnam Development Authority

Terry Schwindler Econmical Devleopment Director 117 Putnam Drive, Eaton, GA 31024 706-816-8099 tschwindler@putnamdevelopmentauthority.com www.putnamdevelopmentauthority. com .......................................................................

Village of Arlington Heights Business & Economic Development

City of Marshall

Nora Swalls Economic Development Director 201 S. Michigan Ave Marshall, IL 62441 217-826-2034 nswalls@marshall-il.com www.marshall-il.com .......................................................................

Huntington County Economic Development

Mark Wickersham, Executive Director 8 West Market Street Huntington, IN 46750 260-356-5688 mark@hcued.com www.hcued.com ..................................................................

Salina Economic Development Organization

D. Mitch Robinson, CEcD 120 West Ash Street Salina, KS 67401 785-404-3131 mrobinson@salinaedo.org www.salinaedo.org .......................................................................

Valdosta-Lowndes County Development Authority

Andrea Schruijer, Executive Director P.O. Box 5185 Valdosta, GA 31603-1963 229-259-9972 aschruijer@buildlowndes.com www.buildlowndes.com .......................................................................

ILLINOIS

Champaign County Economic Development Corporation

Carly McCrory-McKay, Executive Director 1817 S. Neil Street, Suite 100 Champaign, IL 61820 217-359-6261 carly@champaigncountyedc.org www.champaigncountyedc.org .......................................................................

City of Highland Economic Development

Mallord Hubbard 1115 Broadway, P.O. Box 218 Highland, IL 62249-0218 618-654-9891 618-654-4768 (f) mhubbard@highlandil.gov www.highlandil.gov .......................................................................

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City of Vandalia

Latisha Paslay 431 W. Gallatin St. Vandalia, IL 62471 618-283-1152 618-335-9510 (Mobile) vandaliaed@vandaliaillinois.com www.vandaliaillinois.com .......................................................................

Intersect Illinois

Brent Case Senior Vice President Business Development 230 W. Monroe St. Chicago, IL 60606 312-667-6013 brent.case@intersectillinois.org intersectillinois.org .......................................................................

Alliance STL | St. Louis Regional Economic Development

Steven S. Johnson. CEO One Metropolitan Square Suite 1300 St. Louis, MO 63102 314-444-1105 sjohnson@alliancestl.com alliancestl.com .......................................................................

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Miami County Economic Development Auth.

Jim Tidd 1525 W. Hoosier Boulevard Peru, IN 46970 765-689-0159 jtidd@miamicountyeda.com www.miamicountyeda.com .......................................................................

KANSAS

Dodge City/Ford County Development Corporation

Joann Knight, Executive Director 101 E. Wyatt Earp Blvd.

Dodge City, KS 67801 620-227-9501 620-227-2957 (f) jknight@dodgedev.org www.dodgedev.org .......................................................................

Go Topeka

Molly Howey, CEcD President 719 S Kansas Ave. Suite 100 Topeka, KS 66603 785.231.4707 mhowey@gotopeka.com www.gotopeka.com .......................................................................

Shawnee Economic Development

Ann Smith-Tate, President CEO 15100 W. 67th Street Suite 202 Shawnee, KS 66217-9344 913-631-6545 asmithtate@shawneekschamber.com www.shawnee-edc.com .......................................................................

Wyandotte Economic Development Council

Greg Kindle, President 727 Minnesota Avenue Kansas City, KS 66101 913-371-3198 gkindle@wyedc.org www.wyedc.org .......................................................................

KENTUCKY

City of Pikeville

Jill Fraley Dotson, Executive Economic Development Director 773 Hambley Boulevard Pikeville, KY 41501 606-437-5128 info@whypikeville.com www.whypikeville.com .......................................................................

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NATIONAL DIRECTORY OF

ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS

MAINE Northern Kentucky Tri-ED

Kimberly Rossetti VP of Economic Development 300 Buttermilk Pike, Suite 332 Ft. Mitchell, KY 41017 888-874-3365 ksr@NorthernKentuckyUSA.com www.NorthernKentuckyUSA.com .......................................................................

Kent County Department of Economic & Tourism Development Town of Richmond Community, Economic, & Business Development Darryl Sterling, Director 26 Gardiner Street Richmond, ME 04357-0159 207-737-4305 x 331 207-737-4306 (f) director@richmondmaine.com www.richmondmaine.com .......................................................................

MARYLAND South Western Kentucky EDC

Carter Hendricks Executive Director 2800 Fort Campbell Blvd.

Hopkinsville, KY 42240 270-885-1499 chendricks@southwesternky.com www.southwesternky.com .......................................................................

LOUISIANA Louisiana Economic Development

Anya G. Hudnall 1201 N. Third Street Suite 7-210 Baton Rouge, LA 70802 225-342-5396 Anya.hudnal@la.gov www.la.gov .......................................................................

Calvert County Economic Development

Kelly Robertson-Slagle, Director 205 Main Street Prince Frederick, MD 20678 410-535-4583 kelly.slagle@calvertcountymd.gov www.ecalvert.com .......................................................................

Carroll County Economic Development

Paige Sunderland, Director 225 N. Center Street, Ste. 101 Westminster, MD 21157 410-386-2070 psunderland@carrollbiz.org www.carrollbiz.org .......................................................................

St. Mary Parish of Economic Development

Evan Boudreaux Director 500 Main Street, 5th Floor Courthouse Franklin, LA 70538 337-828-4100 ecodev@stmaryparishla.gov www.stmaryparishdevelopmant.com .......................................................................

Jamie L. Williams, CEcD, Director 400 High Street, 3rd Floor Chestertown MD 21620 410-810-2168 jlwilliams@kentgov.org www.kentcounty.com/business .......................................................................

Maryland Department of Commerce

Tom Riford 100 Community Place Crownsville, MD 21032 877-634-6361 www.maryland.gov .......................................................................

Montgomery County Economic Development

Kristin O’Keefe 1801 Rockville Pike, Ste. 320 Rockville, MD 20852 240-641-6703 kristin@thinkmoco.com www.thinkmoco.com .......................................................................

Talbot County Economic Development

Cassandra M. Vanhooser, Director 11 S. Harrison Street Easton, MD 21601 410-770-8000 Cvanhooser@talbgov.org www.talbgov.org .......................................................................

MICHIGAN

SWLA Economic Development ALLIANCE

George Swift 4310 Ryan Street Lake Charles LA 70605 337-433-3632 gswift@allianceswla.org www.allianceswla.org .......................................................................

MINNESOTA

Cecil County Economic Development

Sandra Edwards, Director 200 Chesapeake Blvd., Ste 2700 Elkton, MD 21921 410-996-8471 sedwards@ccgov.org www.ccgov.org .......................................................................

Dorchester County Economic Development

Susan Banks, Director 104 Tech Park Drive Cambridge, MD 21613 410-228-0155 sbanks@choosedorchester.org www.choosedorchester.org .......................................................................

Economic Development Alliance (EDA) of St. Clair County Dan Casey, CEO 100 McMorran Boulevard 4th Floor, Suite B Port Huron, Michigan 48060 Ph: 810.982.9511 www.edascc.com stclairhotjobs.com .......................................................................

The Right Place, Inc.

Andria Romkema 125 Ottawa Avenue, Suite 450 Grand Rapids, MI 49503 616-771-0563 romkemaa@rightplace.org www.Rightplace.org .......................................................................

City of Lakeville Community & Economic Development

David Olson Director 20195 Holyoke Avenue Lakeville, MN 55044 952-985-4421 dolson@lakevillemn.gov www.lakevillemn.gov .......................................................................

MISSOURI

Alliance STL | an initiative of Greater St. Louis, Inc. Steven S. Johnson Chief Business Attraction Officer One Metropolitan Square Suite 1300 St. Louis, MO 63102 314-444-1105 Steve@GreaterSTLinc.com www.GreaterSTLinc.com .......................................................................

Sikeston Regional Chamber & Economic Development Corp.

Mike Marshall 128 N. New Madrid Street Sikeston, MO 63801 573-471-2498 mike.marshall@sikeston.net www.sikeston.net .......................................................................

NEVADA

Las Vegas Global Ecnomic Alliance Perry Ursem Vice President, Business Retention + Expansion 6720 via Austi Parkway Suite #330 Las Vegas, NV 89119 702-791-0000 www.Ivgea.org .......................................................................

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NATIONAL DIRECTORY OF

ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS

The Agency-Broome County IDA/LDC

Northeastern Nevada Regional Development Authority

Sheldon Mudd, Executive Director 1500 College Pkwy McMullen Hall #103 Elko, NV 89801 775-738-2100 775-738-7978(f) smudd@nnrda.com www.nnrda.com .......................................................................

NEW JERSEY

Stacey Duncan, Executive Director of Community & Economic Development Five South College Drive Suite 201 Binghamton, NY 13905 607-584-9000 607-584-9009 (f) smd@theagency-ny.com www.theagency-ny.com .......................................................................

Fulton County Center for Regional Growth

Gloucester County Department of Economic Development

Tom Bianco, Director 1480 Tanyard Rd., Sewell, NJ 08080 856-384-6930 tbianco@co.gloucester.nj.us www.gloucestercountynj.gov .......................................................................

New Jersey EDA

Pat J. Rose 36 West State Street Trenton, NJ 08625 609-858-6705 prose@njeda.com www.njeda.com .......................................................................

NEW MEXICO

Ronald M. Peters 34 West Fulton Street Gloversville, NY 12078 518-725-7700 ext. 2 ronp@fccrg.org www.fccrg.org .......................................................................

Mohawk Valley Edge

Nick Bruno 584 Phoenix Drive Rome, NY 13441-4105 315-338-0393 nbruno@mvedge.org www.mvedge.org ..................................................................

NORTH CAROLINA

Jennifer Grassham, CEO 200 E. Broadway Street Hobbs, NM 88240 573-397-2039 jennifer@edclc.org www.edclc.org .......................................................................

Martyn Johnson, Director 705 Page Road Washington, NC 27889 252-946-3970 252-946-0849 (f) martyn.johnson@beaufortedc.com www.co.beaufort.nc.us ..................................................................

Harnett County Economic Development

Craig Clark, Executive Director CrossRoads Center 6087 State Route 19N, Suite 100 Belmont, NY 14813 585-268-7445 585-268-7473 (f) clarkcr@alleganyco.com www.acida.org .......................................................................

MAY/JUNE 2022

Shannon Allen 1000A Ted Johnson Parkway Greensboro, NC 27409 336-665-5602 allens@gsoair.org www.landatpti.com .......................................................................

Stanly County Economic Development Commission

Candice Boyd Lowder, Director 1000 North First Street, Suite 11 Albemarle, NC 28001 704-986-3682 704-986-3685 (f) clowder@stanlyedc.com www.stanlyedc.com .......................................................................

Bismarck Mandan Chamber EDC

Nathan Schneider , CEcD-Vice President 1640 Burnt Boat Dr. Bismark, ND 58503 701-223-5660 nschneider@bmcedc.com www.bismarckmandan.com .......................................................................

OKLAHOMA

Allegany County Industrial Development Agency

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NEW YORK

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Preston Hunter, Executive Director 2780 Jetport Road Kinston, NC 28504 252-775-6183 252-522-1765 (f) phunter@ncdot.gov www.ncgtp.com ......................................................................

Ponca City Development Authority David Myers, Executive Director 102 S. Fifth Street Suite 3 Ponca City, OK 74601 580-765-7070 580-765-7070 (f) dmyers@goponca.com www.goponca.com .......................................................................

RHODE ISLAND

City of Cranston

Lawrence DiBoni, Director of Economic Development 869 Park Avenue Cranston, RI 02910 401-780-3166 401-780-3179 (f) ldiboni@cranstonri.org www.cranstonri.com .......................................................................

City of Warwick Department of Tourism, Culture, and Development

Elizabeth J. Dunton, Acting Director 3275 Pos t Road Warwick, RI 2886 401-921-7711 401-732-7662 elizabeth.j.dunton@warwickri.com movetowarwickri.com ..................................................................

Beaufort County Economic Development

EDC of Lea County

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Debbie Taylor, Marketing & Business Recruitment Manager 200 Alexander Dr. or PO Box 1270 Lillington, NC 27546 910-814-6891 919-814-8298 (f) dhtaylor@harnett.org www.harnettedc.org .......................................................................

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Bartlesville Development Authority

Jared Patton, Vice President 201 SW Keeler Bartlesville, OK 74003 918-337-8086 918-337-0216 (f) jpatton@bdaok.org www.bdaok.org .......................................................................

Quonset Development Corporation

Steven J. King, Managing Director 95 Cripe Street North Kingstown, RI 2852 401-295-0044 sking@quonset.com www.quonset.com .......................................................................

SOUTH CAROLINA

Charleston Regional Development Alliance Claire Gibbons 4401 Belle Oaks Drive, Suite 420 North Charleston, SC 29405 843-760-3351 cgibbons@crda.org www.crda.org .......................................................................

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Lexington County Economic Development

Sarah J. Johnson Department Director 212 South Lake Drive Lexington, SC 29072 803-785-6818 sjjohnson@lex-co.com www.LexingtonCountyUSA.com .......................................................................

South Carolina I-77 Alliance

Christopher Finn 3200 Commerce Drive, Suite D Richburg, SC 29729 803-789-3467 chris.finn@i77alliance.com www.i77alliance.com ........................................................................

SouthernCarolina Regional Alliance

Kay Maxwell 1750 Jackson Street, Suite 100 Barnwell, SC 29812 803-541-0023 kmaxwell@southerncarolina.org www.southerncarolina.org .....................................................................

TENNESSEE

NATIONAL DIRECTORY OF

ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS

City of Lebanon

Sarah Haston Economic Development Director 200 North Castle Heights Ave. Lebanon, TN 37087 615-443-2839 EXT. 2120 Sarah.Haston@lebanontn.org www.lebanontn.org .......................................................................

DeSoto Economic Development

Cedar Hill Economic Development Corporation

Andy J. Buffington, CEcD, IOM 285 Uptown Boulevard, Bldg. 100 Cedar Hill, TX 75104 972-291-5132 chedc@cedarhilltx.com www.cedarhilledc.com .......................................................................

LCRA

NETWORKS – Sullivan Partnership

Clay Walker PO Box 747, Blountville, TN 37617 423-279-7681 cwalker@networkstn.com www.networkstn.com .......................................................................

TEXAS

Big Spring Economic Development Corporation Mark Willis 215 W. 3rd Street Big Spring, TX 79720 432-264-6032 markwillis@bigspringtx.com www.bigspringtx.com .......................................................................

City Development Corp of El Campo Carolyn Gibson Executive Director 707 Fahrenthold P.O. Box 706 El Campo, TX 77437 979-543-6727 979-320-7727 cell cgibson@elcampoeco.org www.elcampoeco.org .......................................................................

City of Fort Worth

Robert Sturns, Director 1150 S. Freeway Fort Worth, TX 76104 817-392-2663 Robert.Sturns@fortworthtexas.gov .......................................................................

Bowie Economic Development Corporation Blount Partnership

Bryan Daniels CEcD, CCE, IOM President and CEO 201 S. Washington Street St. Maryville, TN 37804 865-983-2247 865-984-1386 bdaniels@blountpartnership.com www.blountchamber.com .......................................................................

Matt Carlson, CEO 211 E. Pleasant Run Road DeSoto, TX 75115 Ph: 972-230-9611 mcarlson@desototexas.gov www.dedc.org .......................................................................

Janis Crawley 101 E. Pecan, Bowie, TX 76230 940-872-4193 940-531-8201(c) BEDC@BowieTexasEDC.com www.BowieTexasEDC.com .......................................................................

Karen Dickson Economic Development Manager 3700 Lake Austin Blvd.

Austin, TX 78703 512-578-3291 karen.dickson@lcra.org www.lcra.org/economic-development/ pages/default.aspx .......................................................................

McKinney Economic Development Corporation

Peter Tokar III President/CEO 5900 S. Lake Forest Drive McKinney, TX 75070 972-435-6953 ptokar@mckinneyedc.com www.uniquemckinney.com .......................................................................

Mineola Economic Development Corp City of Leander

Cameron Goodman Economic Development Director 201 N Brushy Leander, TX 78641 512-528-2852 cgoodman@leandertx.gov www.leanderbusiness.com .......................................................................

Mercy Rushing, Executive Director 300 Greenville Highway Mineola, TX 75773 903-569-6183 903-245-8505 mrushing@mineola.com www.mineola.com .......................................................................

Cameron Industrial Foundation Bristol Tennessee Essential Services April Eads Business Development Manager 2470 Volunteer Parkway Bristol, TN 37620 423-793-5532 423-793-5545 (f) aeads@btes.net www.btes.net/index.php/economic-development .......................................................................

Ginger Watkins, Executive Director 102 E. First Street, Suite A Cameron, TX 76520 254-697-4970 254-482-1119 (c) gwatkins@cameronindustrialfoundation.com www.cameronindustrialfoundation. com .......................................................................

Conroe Economic Development Council

Odessa Economic Development Corporation

Danielle Scheiner, Executive Director 300 W Davis St, Ste 510 Conroe, TX 77301 USA 936-538-7118 scheiner@conroeedc.org www.conroeedc.org .......................................................................

Tom Manskey 700 N. Grant Ave. Odessa, TX 79761 432-333-7880 tom@odessaecodev.com www.odessatx.com .......................................................................

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Jacksboro Economic Development Corporation

Lynda Pack Executive Director P.O. Box 610 Jacksboro, TX 76458 940-567-3151 lyndapack@jacksboroedc.com www.jacksboroedc.com ..................................................................

Gene Lindgren President & CEO P.O. Box 2682 Laredo, TX 78044 956-722-0563 glindgren@laredoedc.org www.laredoedc.org .......................................................................

Marble Falls EDC

Christian Fletcher 801 Fourth Street Marble Falls, TX 78654 830-798-7079 cfletcher@marblefallseconomy.com www.marblefallseconomy.com .......................................................................

Nathan Tafoya, Executive Director 1604 N. Jefferson Ave. Mount Pleasant, TX 75455 903-572-6602 nathan@mpedc.org www.mpedc.org .......................................................................

New Braunfels EDC

Holly Covington-Malish Marketing/Research Director 390 S. Seguin Avenue New Braunfels, TX 78130 830-608-2817 holly@innewbraunfels.com www.newbraunfelsedc.com .......................................................................

Amy Madison 3801 Helios Way Suite 130 Pflugerville, TX 78660 512-990-3725 amym@pfdevelopment.com www.pfevelopment.com .......................................................................

MAY/JUNE 2022

Kristi Aday, Executive Director 1906 West 5th Plainview, TX 79072 806-293-8536 kaday@plainviewtx.org www.plainviewedc.org .......................................................................

Eric Voyles, Executive Vice President Chief Economic Development Officer 107 Chapel Lane New Boston, TX 75570 903-306-8923 Eric.Voyles@texamericascenter.com www.texamericascenter.com .......................................................................

Whitesboro Economic Development Corp.

Lynda Anderson, Director P.O. Box 340 or 111 W. Main Whitesboro, TX 76273 930-564-3311 landerson@whitesborotexas.com www.whitesborotexas.com .......................................................................

Eagle Mountain Economic Development

Aaron Sanborn, City Administrator 1650 E. Stagecoach Run Eagle Mountain, UT 84005 801-789-6621 asanborn@emcity.org www.eaglemountaincity.com .......................................................................

VIRGINA

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Bedford County Office of Economic Development

Pam Bailey Director of Economic Development Bedford County 122 East Main Street, Suite 202 Bedford, Virginia 24523 540-587-5670 540-586-0406 (f) pbailey@bedfordcountyva.gov www.bedfordeconomicdevelopment. com .......................................................................

Madison Region Economic Partnership

Kathy Collins, VP Economic Development 8517 Excelsior Drive, Suite 107 Madison, WI 53717 608-571-0407 kcollins@madisonregion.org www.madisonregion.org .......................................................................

WASHINGTON

City of Lakewood Economic Development

Becky Newton, Manager 6000 Main Street SW Lakewood, WA 98499 877-421-9126 bnewton@cityoflakewood.us www.buildyourbetterhere.com .......................................................................

New North, Inc

Barb LaMue President & CEO 2740 W. Mason Street Green Bay, WI 54303 920-676-1960 barb.lamue@thenewnorth.com www.thenewnorth.com .......................................................................

City of Maple Valley

Tim Morgan Economic Development Manager P.O. Box 320 Maple Valley, WA 98038 425-413-8800 tim.morgan@maplevalleywa.gov www.maplevalleywa.gov ..................................................................

Try-City Development Council

Karl Dye, President & CEO 7130 W. Grandridge Blvd #A Kennewich, WA 99336 509-735-1000 kdye@tridec.org www.tridec.org ..................................................................

Portage County Business Council, Inc. PCB

Todd Kuckkahn Executive Director 5501 Vern Holmes Drive Stevens Point, WI 54482 715-344-1940 715-344-1940 (f) tkuckkah@portagecountybiz.com www.portagecountyconnects.com .......................................................................

WYOMING

WISCONSIN Arlington Economic Development

Pflugerville Community Development

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Plainview Economic Development Corporation

UTAH

Mount Pleasant EDC

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS

TexAmericas Center

Laredo Economic Development

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NATIONAL DIRECTORY OF

Telly Tucker, AED Director 1100 N Glebe Rd Suite 1500 Arlington, VA 22201 703-228-0808 703-228-0805 (f) ttucker@arlingtonva.us www.arlingtoneconomicdevelopment. com .......................................................................

bxjmag.com

City of Franklin Economic Development

Calli Berg, Director 9229 W. Loomis Road Franklin, WI 53132 414-427-7566 cberg@franklinwi.gov www.franklinwi.gov .......................................................................

Advance Casper

Morryah McCurdy 111 S. Durbin, Suite 200 Casper, WY 82601 307-577-7011 morryah@advancecasper.com www.advancecasper.com .......................................................................

2 0 2 2

NATIONAL DIRECTORY OF

ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS

MANITOBA City of Mississauga Economic Development

Cheyenne LEADS

Betsey Hale, Chief Executive Officer One Depot Square 121 W. 15th St. Suite 304 Cheyenne, WY 82001 307-638-6000 betseyh@cheyenneleads.org cheyenneleads.org .......................................................................

The Laramie Chamber Business Alliance

Josh Boudreau, VP Economic Development 528 South Adams Street Laramie, WY 82070 307-745-7339 jboudreau@laramie.org www.laramie.org .......................................................................

CANADA ALBERTA

Calgary Economic Development

500 Centre Street S, 32nd Floor Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2G 1A6 403-221-7831 info@calgaryeconomicdevelopment.com www.calgaryeconomicdevelopment.com .......................................................................

County of Elgin City of Brandon

Dan Fontaine Business Development Specialist Main Floor, 410 9th Street Brandon, Manitoba, Canada R7A 6A2 204-729-2133 d.fontaine@brandon.ca www.economicdevelomentbrandon. com .......................................................................

ONTARIO

Kate Burns-Gallagher Manager Economic Development And Tourism 450 Sunset Drive St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada N5R 5V1 519-631-1460 ext. 137 kburns@elgin.ca www.progressivebynature.com .......................................................................

City of Guelph

Christine Chapman 1 Carden Street Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1H 3A1 519--822-1260 ext. 2823 Christine.chapman@guelph.ca www.guelph.ca/business .......................................................................

Town of Ajax

Don Terry Manager, Economic Development & Tourism 65 Harwood Avenue South Ajax, Ontario, Canada L1S 2H9 905-619-2529 ext. 3252 don.terry@ajax.ca www.ajaxfirstforbusiness.com .......................................................................

Bonnie Brown Mississauga City Hall 300 City Centre Drive, 3rd Floor Mississauga, ON L5B 3C1 Canada 800-456-2181 905-896-5931 bonnie.brown@mississauga.ca www.TheFuturelsUnlimited.ca .......................................................................

Vaughan Economic and Cultural Development

Raphael Costa Vaughan City Hall, Level 200 2141 Major Mackenzie Drive Vaughan, Ontario, Canada L6A 1T1 905-832-8526 ext. 8891 raphael.costa@vaughan.ca www.vaughan.ca/Business .......................................................................

Middlesex County

Cara A. Finn, BBA, M. Ad.Ed. Director of Economic Development 399 Ridout St. North London, ON N6A 2P1 519-434-7321 cfinn@middlesex.ca www.investinmiddlesex.ca .......................................................................

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