September/October 2022 - Digital Issue

FLORIDA: A PRO-BUSINESS CLIMATE

SOUTH CAROLINA: JUST RIGHT FOR BUSINESS

ALABAMA: WHY ALABAMA?

MISSISSIPPI: DISCOVER UNTAPPED OPPORTUNITY

INDUSTRY OUTLOOK: Big Changes in Aviation are on the Drawing Board

Civilian traffic is slowly rebounding, but military aviation technology and new ideas in air taxi developments are changing how —and how fast—we get from point A to point B

By David Hodes

INNOVATION AND STRATEGIES: The Age of the All-Electric Car is Here

More all-electric cars are on the road today than ever before, with thousands more coming. Now it’s down to the nitty gritty of how to make them work for all consumers.

By David Hodes

INDUSTRY INSIGHT: The Growing Significance of Cybersecurity and the Cloud

As more data, more transactions, and more personal information has gone to the cloud, some businesses are playing catch-up to the dangers of cyber threats

By David Hodes

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Big Changes in Aviation are on the Drawing Board

BY: DAVID HODES

W

hile the U.S. and the rest of the world rebounds from the pandemic, and deals with fluctuating economic indicators for the end of 2022, there is more optimism for air transport than ever, according to market analysis data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

The progress on international border openings has been reflected in a swift rebound of bookings from the pandemic dip in December, 2021. In the week ending February, international and domestic ticket sales reached 50 percent and 76 percent of pre-crisis levels respectively, up from 33 percent and 63 percent in mid-January.

Since travelers tend to book close to the travel date, this increase in sales was reflected in actual global traffic in February and March.

Air Cargo Modal Change Post-Pandemic

Airlines were slow to adjust to the pandemic, but are finding that it opened up other business opportunities for them.

An Aviation Week (AW) podcast indicated that many airlines pivoted to cargo operations as a crucial source of revenue and a way to keep their planes in the air.

In 2021, air cargo revenue reached a record $204 billion, more than double that of 2019. It accounted for some 40 percent of total airline revenue. A strong growing global eCommerce market, as well as the urgent demand for medical equipment and vaccines boosted this sector, leading to a surge in passenger to freighter aircraft conversions and new freighter orders.

AW podcaster Aaron Karp said that he thought this represented a true modal shift: “During the pandemic, the ocean freight business became very unreliable. The ports were

shut down. The prices were very high. And so it became very unreliable and very expensive to move things by boat,” Karp said. “So as a result, a lot of the things that had traditionally been moved by boats started moving by air. And that created this surge of demand for air cargo. Now, we’re seeing the ocean shipping companies become more reliable again. And it is less expensive to move goods by ocean instead of air. And if you can have the reliability, you can say, well, I don’t mind it taking three weeks and paying a lot less than getting it there in a day or two, when I didn’t really need it there in a day or two but I flew it anyway because I couldn’t get it there by ocean.”

Karp said that he thought this was a structural change that’s not going away. “Air cargo industry will have to adjust and take on its more traditional share of the cargo moving.”

Civilian Air Traffic Changes

There were 369 million U.S. airline passengers in 2020, representing a decline of 557 million from the previous year, the lowest on U.S. airlines since the mid-1980s, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

As of 2020, China is working on becoming the world’s largest air passenger market, according to Aerotime Hub, an aviation news service. India is also working on it. It is expected that till 2025, China will be the largest air passengers’ market in the world, and India will also jump from

7th position to the 3rd position. It is expected that, in 2025, the total number of air passengers will be about 8 billion.

Military Upgrades Inform Civilian Design

With the crisis easing, and the aviation business gearing up again into their usual visionary look into the future, military aviation and aerospace is taking center stage with new multimillion dollar developments.

One example is the new $100 million, 90,000-square-foot Space Warfighting Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, opened in September, built by the Aerospace Corporation. The center represents 250 jobs for the area, and was built to provide critical laboratory space as a nonprofit corporation operating a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC).

The center will be addressing issues of satellite destruction and jamming, among other things.

The military is also working on supersonic jets, with 231 currently in production or being tested by such military aircraft developers as Boeing, Bell, Lockheed, Grumman, General Dynamics, McDonnell Douglas and others, according to Military Factory, a military data tracking publication.

The Return of Civilian Supersonic Flight

Encouraged by the military research and development of supersonic aircraft are civilian manufacturers now promising that many of tomor row’s airline passengers will be riding new supersonic aircraft.

According to a research by The Academic Papers UK, there are already many supersonic designs on the tables of the civilian aircraft companies as well as military aircraft companies (often one in the same).

The market of supersonic jets flying solely overseas, as the Concorde did before it was retired and all supersonic flights over land was paused, is relatively limited. New ideas and new designs for supersonic flight over land are under development by NASA, partnering with Lockheed Martin, Spike Aerospace, and the Airbus Group, all of whom are trying to change the way the air flows around an airplane in an attempt to eliminate the shockwaves from supersonic flight.

Artists rendering of a docked landed air taxi. Image courtesy United Nations.

NASA wants to launch aircraft that can fly over land and transport 120 people.

Startup aviation company Boom Supersonic Inc., launched in 2014 in Denver; Colorado, is another company actively working on producing the world’s first successful commercially viable supersonic aircraft.

The founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic, Blake Scholl, is a former Amazon manager, technology entrepreneur and certified pilot. The company hopes to have a full-sized supersonic aircraft, the Boom XB-1, in operation by 2023, according to a study about commercial supersonic flight published by Jonkoping University, an international business school.

Boom’s airliner is designed to maximize efficiency while producing a flight operation that is 30 times quieter and 10 percent faster than the Concorde. It would be able to travel from London to New York in 3 hours and 15 minutes, with up to 55 passengers.

Boom has developed a partnership with Japan Airlines (JAL), where JAL invested $10 million into Boom and is also providing help with aircraft design and with certain aspects of the in-flight passenger experience.

As part of this arrangement, according to the Jonkoping study, JAL also has the opportunity to purchase up to 20 Boom supersonic aircraft once they become commercially available.

This adds to the total of 76 existing orders from five global airlines, including the Virgin Group. A division of the Virgin Group, Virgin Galactic, is already going a step further by transporting people into low earth orbit, with plans to make more routine space-faring passenger trips around the Earth in the coming years.

Rolls Royce recently pulled out of the Boom jet project (which is now called Overture). But American Airlines (AA) is going all in, hoping to become the world’s largest operator of a supersonic aircraft fleet.

On August 16, AA signed an agreement with Boom for the purchase of what will be the world’s fastest commercial airliners, and has committed to purchasing up to 20 Boom supersonic Overture aircraft with an option for an additional 40 jets.

United Airlines also inked a deal with Boom in early June, 2021 for 15 Overture airliners with an option for 35 more, according to Aerotime Hub.

The Overture, scheduled to start operating in 2029, is projected to fly on 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel, and will have a range of 4,250 nautical miles.

The Rise of the Air Taxi

New ideas in air travel also includes electric, drone-inspired air urban

mobility taxis, such as the Eve, a four-seater air taxi, which is an electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle (eVTOL) being developed by a Melbourne, Florida startup.

In September, United Airlines ordered 200 eVTOLs with an investment of $15 million, and expects to order 200 more. Delivery of Eve’s first aircraft, which has a range of 60 miles, is expected as early as 2026, according to a United spokesperson.

The deal with Eve Air is United’s second air taxi bet. The airline also invested $10 million in Archer Aviation Inc. for 100 eVTOLs.

According to a study about the future of air mobility by McKinsey and Company, by 2030, the leading companies in the passenger advanced air mobility (AAM) industry could have bigger fleets—and offer many more flights per day—than the world’s largest airlines.

Flights will be shorter, averaging only 18 minutes, with fewer passengers on board (between one and six, plus a pilot). The market for these aircraft is expected to be $290 billion.

Other AAM companies include Volocopter, a German company with a family of vertical landing electric aircraft ready to begin service by 2024; Joby Aviation, a California-based eVTOL manufacturer, who just signed an expanded contract with Department of Defense, increasing the company’s potential value by more than $45 million; and Lilium, another eVTOL manufacturer headquartered in Germany, who signed a deal with ASL Group of business jet operators for 6 eVTOLs.

Space Warfighing Center in Colorado Springs is a 90,000 square foot building designed to provide critical laboratory space in support of virtual design activities across company locations nationwide.

The eVTOL Drawbacks

There are still many issues to be addressed with eVTOLs, according to Airport Technology, an aviation news publication. They may raise privacy concerns due to their flights’ proximity to residential homes. To tackle this problem, policies are likely to be introduced early in the development stages. For example, the location of the eVTOL landing station may need to be higher than residential buildings. In addition, minimum altitude limits may also be applied to certain journeys, limiting the impact on privacy and noise pollution near residential buildings.

Artists rendering of the potential future air taxis. Courtesy United Nations.

But it’s still an exciting future.

A McKinsey and Company survey of consumers found that the advanced air mobility (AAM) market remains unsettled at this early stage, but investor confidence and consumer interest suggest strong forward momentum.

The uptick has been so rapid, in fact, that total disclosed invest ments was expected to exceed $8 billion by early 2021.

People transport has seen the most recent investor interest, drawing more than 80 percent of total funding, according to the McKinsey survey. But cargo-delivery drones might soon see an upsurge. With the right infrastructure and technology, AAM flights could become a reality sooner than many analysts think. X

NC Airport is an Aerospace Economic Development Juggernaut

The Piedmont Triad International Airport located in central North Carolina is quickly developing a reputation as an economic development juggernaut.

Last January’s announcement that Boom Supersonic would locate its first manufacturing plant at the airport has helped to seal the deal. Boom Supersonic is the ambitious project that promises to put supersonic passenger jets back into service by 2029, with an affordable ticket price and a zero-carbon footprint.

“When Boom Supersonic announced the company would be locating its first ‘superfactory’ here in the Piedmont Triad of North Carolina, our airport became international news, not only in the aerospace press but across all media,” said Kevin Baker, the airport’s executive director.

“The industry’s interest in this airport was already strong, but after the announcement, things really spiked,” Baker said. “It’s not surprising. Our airport is centrally located on the East Coast, is adjacent to a network of Interstate highways, and we have the holy grail of industrial recruitment – land that is ready to build on. That’s our edge.”

Still, the Boom announcement took some industry watchers by surprise. The project was heavily recruited by multiple airports in other states.

But what might appear to some as an overnight success or just a bit of dumb luck has been a carefully laid plan that was years in the making. A series of Airport Authority leaders have committed to the vision of an airport that not only serves the needs of passengers, but one that also pursues a mission to use its resources to create jobs and generate economic activity for the community.

In its first big win two decades ago, the airport attracted a FedEx mid-Atlantic air cargo hub, which now employs more than 1,100 people and has helped identify the region as a distribution center that has also attracted a FedEx Ground hub and an Amazon distribution center. In addition to its air cargo presence,

the airport has become a center of aircraft maintenance and repair, and manufacturing.

HAECO, one of the world’s largest aircraft maintenance and repair companies, located its North American headquarters at the airport more than a decade ago and has since expanded its operation. The airport was already host to Cessna’s mid-Atlantic maintenance and repair facility, which maintains a significant presence. In recent years, VSE Aviation Services has located at the airport, providing maintenance and repair services to military aircraft.

The Honda Aircraft Company developed its innovative HondaJet at a hangar on airport property in the early 2000s and ultimately decided to locate its world headquarters at the airport, complete with manufacturing and maintenance and repair facilities.

Altogether, about 50 companies are located on airport property and taken altogether employ nearly 9,000 people. A supply-chain network of nearly 200 aerospace companies have located in the Piedmont Triad region providing even more jobs.

The airport’s transformation is not complete. As existing airport property filled up with cargo hubs and world headquarters, the Airport Authority continued to purchase land and to work with state leaders to create transportation infrastructure at the airport.

Now the airport has assembled a 1,000-acre, aerospace “megasite” to accommodate a new wave of growth. Much of that land has been graded, has Interstate and runway access and is ready for new development.

“What comes next is working with prospects we have in the pipeline,” Baker, the airport’s director, said. “And that’s what we’re doing right now. What’s great is that because of the vision of Airport Authorities, past and present, there’s plenty of room for new industry.”

The Age of the All-Electric Car is Here

BY: DAVID HODES

More all-electric cars are on the road today than ever before, with thousands more coming. Now it’s down to the nitty gritty of how to make them work for all consumers.

Automotive news and new technology discussions are all about electric cars. Today’s automotive industry is doing its best to develop and build all-electric cars that are functional and safe. Combustion engines will be phased out by mid-century, if all goes as planned as set out by Congress.

But even without that looming deadline, there are already more electric cars on the road than ever right now.

THE EV MARKET

The electric vehicle (EV) market in the United States broke records in 2021, estimated at just under 607,600 light electric vehicle sales, according to Statista, a market research company. This was approximately 83 percent more than in 2018—the year which marked the beginning of a strong demand for Tesla’s Model 3 sedan, which is one of the best-selling electric vehicles on the U.S. market to date.

By 2030, one in four new cars sold will be battery-powered. It is projected that this figure will increase to over 80 percent by 2050. Electric vehicles are expected to

account for almost 70 percent of the global cars by 2050, according to Statista.

BALANCING COST CONSIDERATIONS

Most major U.S. car manufacturers have a working electric (and/or hybrid) car, with more on the drawing board. There are also all-electric SUVs and luxury SUVs, with those high-end models from BMW and Volvo selling for well over $100,000. (U.S. News reports that the cheapest electric car is the 2023 Nissan Leaf, with an MSRP of $27,800. The cheapest electric SUV is the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV, with an MSRP of $33,500.)

The Chevrolet Bolt, ranked at the best electric car by U.S. News, has an astounding 131 MPG-equivalent in the city and 109 MPG on the highway.

The country’s lawmakers are working on making the EV dream a (necessary) reality. The Biden administration aims for 50 percent of new light-duty vehicle sales to be zero-emission by 2030. “The idea that the government has now incentivized electric vehicles going forward, but done so in a way that really forces investment in a very strategic supply chain, I think is the story beyond the story,” Brett Smith, director of technology for the Center for Automotive Research (CARS) told BXJ. “Is there an infrastructure out there to get your electric vehicle supported quickly and effectively?”

And that’s the top-of-the-agenda issue about the future of EV: There aren’t nearly enough charging stations available to support all the EVs on the road, even now. There are consumer’s concerns about access to charging stations, including their locations, costs, ability to connect and reliability.

For example, there are only 22,000 electric vehicle charging stations in the U.S. now, with 15,000 in California alone.

Congress has put a lot of money on the table for the infrastructure needed for electric vehicles, Smith said, but probably not nearly enough. “For the consumers who are so used to getting gasoline and going, it’s not only the availability of chargers, but oftentimes when you pull up to a charger, you will find that it’s not working.”

J.D. Powers, a consumer research and analytics firm, has found out that more than 20 percent of the time, consumers are driving up to a charger to find that it’s not working, Smith said. “That’s unset tling to a driver of an EV if that’s the only charger around.”

There is also a trend underway to make these recharging operations go quicker. For instance, to have a recharge to go 200 miles should take around 10 to 15 minutes. Getting to that point is about both the charging station and the utility provider making upgrades, Smith said. “Then there’s the car companies making the vehicles accept a higher (faster) charge. And if you are fast-charging frequently, it can reduce the life of the battery.”

There are currently approximately 6,000 fast charging stations suitable for highway corridors and rapid community charging across the country, according to the World Resources Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based global research organization. This is

inadequate to support national goals and growing consumer demand.

Research shows that the United States will need about $40 billion dollars of investment in publicly accessible charging infrastructure over the next 10 years to put the country on a path for 100 percent passenger EV sales by 2035.

The Biden administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law could change that, enabling states and cities to fully develop a national network of charging stations to meet the expected growth of EVs.

The legislation asks for an investment of $7.5 billion to build out a national network of EV chargers in the United States, in support of the goal of building a nationwide network of 500,000 EV chargers to accelerate the adoption of EVs, reduce emissions, improve air quality, and create jobs across the country.

EVS IN COMING YEARS

This is the largest-ever federal investment in EV charging infrastructure, according to the WRI. It includes the $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, formula funding allocated to states over five years to create a nationwide EV charging network along highway

Legacy car manufacturers are slowly getting into the electric car business. Here is Ford’s Mustang Mach E 2022 electric car entry.

The highway to automotive investment success leads to Middlesex County

Middlesex is a rich rural-urban landscape in the heart of southern Ontario, and boasts all the must haves for automotive businesses looking to expand or upgrade their facilities:

Given the convergence of automotive and technological expertise, coupled with the County’s receptive investment climate, it’s no wonder that savvy corporations are already building and benefiting here. Some that already call Middlesex home include:

Ease of shipping is part of what’s driving prosperity here:

Trucking – Reliable transportation connections keep products rolling down the 401 and 402 highways to destinations across the globe. U.S. deliveries from Middlesex have three border crossing options (Detroit/Windsor, Port Huron/ Sarnia and Buffalo/Fort Erie) all within a two-hour drive.

Train – Both Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Railways crisscross the county.

Airplane – London International Airport is extremely convenient for cargo and people.

Freighter – Port access to shipping channels in the Great Lakes is only sixty minutes away.

Auto Select: Middlesex County

The Province of Ontario is focussed on being a world-wide auto sector leader, and Middlesex County has an economic development plan perfectly suited to manufacturers looking to put down roots in one of its many industrial parks – sites where the upfront work of gathering property information; mapping; and completing the environmental, heritage, archaeological and species assessments have already been done, thus reducing risk in advance of construction.

Middlesex is also well situated with easy access to large Toyota and General Motors assembly plants only 60 minutes east along the highway.

Smart Help Available

Middlesex has a growing population of 77,690 residents. Plus, our 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 institutions rank as leaders in research and public/private partnerships.

It’s a Wonderful Life

Short commutes, traffic that moves, fresh air, safe spaces, many active living options, 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.

corridors. The formula funding can only be used on projects that are directly related to the charging of a vehicle, and only for EV charging infrastructure that is open to the public or to authorized commercial motor vehicle operators from more than one company.

The NEVI requires the Department of Transportation to designate national EV charging corridors that identify the near- and long-term need for, and the location of, EV charging infrastructure to support freight and goods movement at strategic locations—such as along major national highways and the National Highway Freight Network (which is all U.S. interstates and other state highways—59,000 miles in total); and at goods movement locations, including ports, inter modal centers, and warehousing locations.

When the national network is fully built out, NEVI funding can be used to add charging capacity on any public road or in other publicly accessible community locations.

The law also includes the $2.5 billion charging and fueling infra structure discretionary grant program for corridor and community charging and alternative fueling infrastructure. It also allows states to use several other flexible programs, such as the $70 billion surface transportation block grant program, to fund EV-charging infrastructure.

Other federal programs that can be used to fund charging station infrastructure include the State Carbon Reduction Program, the National Highway Performance Program, the Congestion Mitigation

All-electric vehicles, also referred to as battery electric vehicles, have an electric motor instead of an internal combustion engine.

and Air Quality Improvement program, the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity discretionary grant program, and the State Energy Program.

PROS AND CONS OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES

All-electric vehicles (AEVs) are much more efficient than conventional gas-powered vehicles. But there are some drawbacks.

Here are some of the other pros of AEVs:

• AEV batteries convert 59 to 62 percent of energy into vehicle movement while gas powered vehicles only convert between 17 and 21 percent, according to Energy Sage, an energy research company. This means that charging an AEV’s battery puts more towards actually powering the vehicle than filling up at a gas pump.

• Driving an electric car does not create any tailpipe emissions which are a major source of pollution in the United States. The AEV’s rechargeable battery means much less money spent on fuel, which means all energy can be sourced domestically (and often through renewable resources such as solar panel systems).

• Improving battery technology in today’s light-duty AEVs means they can drive 100 miles while consuming only 25 to 40 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity. Assuming that your electric

car can travel three miles per kWh, the electric vehicle can travel about 43 miles for $1.00. By comparison, if we assume that gas costs $2.50 per gallon, an average gasoline vehicle with a fuel efficiency of 22 miles per gallon will only be able to travel 10 miles for the same price. The distance traveled for a fuel cost of $1.00 is nearly four times as far with an electric vehicle.

AND THE CONS OF AEVS INCLUDE:

• AEVs on average have a shorter range than gas-powered cars. Most models ranging between 60 and 120 miles per charge and some luxury models reaching ranges of 300 miles per charge. For comparison, gas powered vehicles will average around 300 miles on a full tank of gas, and more fuel efficient vehicles getting much higher driving ranges.

• The battery packs within an electric car are expensive and may need to be replaced more than once over the lifetime of the car. All-electric vehicles are also more expensive than gas-powered cars, and the upfront cost of all-electric vehicle can also be prohibitive.

“I think the interesting part, is that Tesla owns the business,” Smith said. “They absolutely own the electric vehicle world. Ford has had some success recently. But generally, the legacy car companies

have not been very successful selling electric vehicles.”

Some industry watchers are saying Volkswagen will be the legacy car manufacturer to lead electric car development. They already have a family of EVs, called the I.D. family. The next model in the series will be the zero-emission I.D. BUZZ04 van to be launched this year (2022).

Toyota could be a close second, with their bZ4X models. Nissan (the Ariya series) and BMW(i4 and iX series) are also in the race, but trailing.

Perhaps coming up fast is Hyundai, with the Ioniq5 built on a dedicated EV platform offering features that even Tesla doesn’t have, such as supporting bidirectional charging, with both 400-volt and 800-volt charging infrastructures. Employees working in Hyundai’s engine development division have been reportedly reassigned to the company’s electrification design center.

“Over the next year and a half or so, General Motors and others will have purpose-built ground-up all electric vehicles,” Smith said. “These are supposed to be great products as opposed to just ‘Hey, we have an EV here and you should try it out.’ I think that’ll be interesting to see how the consumers react to those. And to see if the car companies that have been building cars for a century have started to really figure EVs out.” X

The Growing Significance of Cybersecurity and the Cloud

BY DAVID HODES

Everything is going to the cloud. If you don’t have all your business data and applications on the cloud today, you are tempting someone—or some entity—to log into your server and lock up all of that important data in a ransomware attack that is a growing issue around the world. With the cloud, there is at least another layer of security. And moving to the cloud lets an organizations use cloud infrastructure instead of having to build their own servers.

Putting everything on the cloud is what the consumer wants as well. If you are in a consumer-serving business, especially like retail or shipping, you have to be on the cloud. It’s SOP today.

The popularity, and growing necessity, of the cloud can also be traced to the era of remote working that was part of the pandemic. A survey by market data company Frost and Sullivan found that cloud services have been a great help for businesses looking to provide access to communications and information resources to a more widely distributed workforce.

“We’ve been talking about digital transformation for a long time,” Melinda Marks, senior analyst for Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) told BXJ. “The pandemic is something that really forced that discussion because every kind of company, no matter what vertical they are or what industry they’re in, has had to become a software company delivering services to the internet,” she said. “So restaurants, brick and mortar businesses—they all had to adapt more quickly. It’s like they had to push the evolution faster, in order to survive this remote life where everybody has different devices. And if you want to make your services and applications more available to customers, even though it’s helping your business and making your services more available, it does open new cyber-attack surfaces and the potential for attack. So I think malicious people have just found different opportunities for an attack.”

Technology decision-makers understand better than ever that a robust cloud strategy is the necessary foundation of successful business transformation. In fact, in a white paper by Frost and Sullivan, a market analysis firm, 80 percent of those surveyed say a cloud strategy is

As more data, more transactions, and more personal information has gone to the cloud, some businesses are playing catch-up to the dangers of cyber threats

essential to remain competitive in their industry; 78 percent are adopting cloud services to improve business continuity/disaster recovery; and 56 percent report that either cloud-based applications or video conferencing will represent top investment areas post-pandemic.

A March, 2022, survey by McKinsey and Company found that the transformation to a digital landscape shifted dramatically in the past year. A larger proportion of respondents than in the previous survey (41 percent, up from 30 percent) cite an increasing likelihood of cyberthreats as a major transformation challenge. Respondents also report a signif icant increase in cybersecurity transformations at their companies (62 percent, up from 45 percent previously), followed by infrastructure and architecture transformations.

A sizable share of respondents say their companies are pursuing several of these key transformations at once, which helps ensure that their interdependencies are understood and addressed: 42 percent report both cyber and infrastructure transformations, 40 percent both infrastructure and architecture transformations.

What’s more, respondents are betting that the increasing number of cyber incidents—coinciding with growing reliance on digitization, a proliferation of endpoint devices, and increased vulnerabilities in hybrid and remote-work setups—is now not a pandemic-era phenomenon but rather part of a new business reality.

Cybersecurity is the transformation that respondents cite as the one thing their companies will continue to pursue. Survey respondents say that cybersecurity talent is also in high demand to meet this need— second only to advanced-analytics specialists.

THE FUTURE OF WORK IN THE CLOUD

Cloud migration is well underway, according to the Frost and Sullivan white paper. Already the majority of businesses are using the cloud now or are planning to use it within the next two years for videoconferencing, instant messaging, customer experience managing, and enterprise IP telephony. Some developers have focused their efforts on cyber security, and are moving fast to make their cloud more secure—and that’s a problem.

“When system developers move really quickly, and there’s different development teams working on things, security teams don’t have visibility and control that they need to make sure that the security processes have happened, like security testing, scanning of the code, catching misconfigurations, catching vulnerabilities, that kind of thing,” Marks said. “What organizations have seen is that they are facing incidents over simple mistakes that could have been prevented.”

CYBER THREATS AND HOW THEY WORK

One of the worst cybersecurity issues is ransomware, where a devious cyber thief finds a way into a business operation and locks up all the data, requiring a ransom to be paid to release it.

Ransomware issues usually come through one of four pathways into a business: stolen credentials, phishing, exploiting vulnerabilities and botnets. A report from Verizon found that 40 percent of ransomware incidents involved the use of desktop sharing software, and 35 percent involved the use of email.

Ransomware has continued its upward trend with an almost 13 percent increase—a rise as big as the last five years combined—for a total of 25 percent this year, according to a data breach report from Verizon.

Human error continues to be a dominant trend and is responsible

for many of the security breaches, according to the report. This year 82 percent of breaches involved the human element. Whether it is the use of stolen credentials, phishing, or simply an error, people continue to play a very large role in incidents and breaches.

One example: Two days before the Super Bowl in 2021, the fresh water treatment plant for a small city near Tampa, Florida was briefly breached. One processing chemical was manipulated but quickly detected and corrected. If was later discovered that IT security at the plant did almost everything wrong: the attacker entered via TeamViewer application with a shared static password on a Windows 7 computer.

The Verizon study findings indicate that data compromises are considerably more likely to result from external attacks than from any other source. Internal sources accounted for the fewest number of incidents (18 percent), trailing those of external origin by a ratio of four to one. External actors are consistently more common than internal, with 80 percent of breaches being caused by those external to the organization.

Most data thieves are professional criminals deliberately trying to steal information they can turn into cash. But some are just using it as a tool for activism against a company, or a certain social cause that a company supports.

“They (hackers) always look for the easiest spots to get in,” Marks said. “All the ways that people get in or to do even advanced attacks, it’s just finding easy ways in like guessing passwords, or social engineering. Or in the supply chain attacks. If there’s a commonly used open source tool that everybody’s using, they find a vulnerability into that. It’s an easy way in.

“In all those advanced attacks, and hacking methods and code manipulation, it comes down to an email pretending to be somebody with one letter changed. It’s just simple (access) things that can do a lot of damage,” Marks said.

WHAT TO DO FOR BETTER CYBER SECURITY

Marks said that to become more secure in the cloud involves the growth of development teams and a better understanding of what is on their cloud. “It’s about how much development is also about doing security or using secure processes,” she said. “A lot of it is just consistency. Is there testing in place? If not, can I roll out certain testing tools consistently across development teams? Can I set policies and controls? Policy and testing are some of the traditional security tasks that you should always think about.”

She said that a team should also be monitoring the workloads to see if someone can put in some solutions or use solutions from the cloud service providers. “Each cloud service provider has a lot of security features that you can enable. You can do vulnerability scans, you could do code scans. There’s all kinds of features that the cloud service providers enable.”

The larger business organizations are going to use multiple cloud services, she said, or different developer teams are going to put certain things in Amazon and put other certain things in Google. “Then at that point, it’s how do I get visibility and control across those different cloud environments to make sure that the right security tools and processes are in place so that I can get my arms around it and find a way to manage risk and keep the risk low?”

Marks believes that there are more opportunities now to build security into the cloud. “You might see it as, well, there’s all this risk. But the way the technology works today is you can build these

processes in a more efficient way. I’m optimistic that we’re at a better point where cloud vendors are starting to build security processes into the technologies, so it makes it easier to innovate.”

OTHER WAYS TO BE CYBER-SAFE

Other advice to keep your cloud safe comes from Kaspersky, a cyber security company:

• Actively manage your accounts and services. If you don’t use a service or software anymore, close it down properly. Hackers can gain easy access to an entire cloud network via old, dormant accounts through unpatched vulnerabilities.

• Multi-factor authentication (MFA). This could be biometric data such as fingerprints, or a password and separate code sent to your mobile device. It is time-consuming, but useful for your most sensitive data.

• Evaluate the cost-benefits of hybrid cloud. Segmenting your data is far

more important in enterprise use, as you will be handling much larger quantities of data. You need to make sure your data is separate from other customers’ data, whether it’s separately encrypted or logically segmented for separate storage. Hybrid cloud services can help with this.

• Be wary of shadow IT. Educating your employees to avoid using unauthorized cloud services on your networks or for company work is essential. If sensitive data is communicated over unsecured channels, your organization may be exposed to malicious actors or legal issues.

“If you’re an enterprise, trying to put the tools and processes in place, and doing preventative measures so that you’re doing the testing before you deploy, you’re catching as many issues as you can,” Marks said. “And, as vulnerabilities come up, you can make sure that you can react really quickly.” X

Recently named as one of the world’s Top7 Intelligent Communities by the Intelligent Communities Forum (ICF) for 2020 and ranked in the Smart21 Communities of the year for the past three years running, Fredericton is a city that encourages creativity, invention, adaptability, incubation and the export of technological goods and services at an impressive pace of more than $1 billion in start-up exits in the past decade alone.

Building upon this notable win, Fredericton’s cyber ecosystem is helping to ensure that New Brunswick is poised to be recognized as the most innovative & collaborative cybersecurity ecosystem in Canada by 2030.

Fredericton is at the heart of this ecosystem, offering state of the art facilities, investment and mentorship opportunities alongside established cybersecurity companies that are flourishing and growing in our resource-rich environment.

Known to be a diverse and livable city, Fredericton offers 135+ parks and over 900 hectares of green space, affordable living, proximity (20 minutes) to our international airport and boasts one of the highest immigration rates in Canada. On June 30th, 2022, Resonance Consultancy, a leading advisor in tourism, real estate and economic development, ranked Fredericton as one of the Top 10 Best Small Cities in Canada, describing us as “a small but mighty economic powerhouse [that] belies its historic provincial capital reputation”.

With 4 Universities and 7 colleges offering six K-12 cybersecurity programs, eight post-secondary cybersecurity programs and five computer science programs, Fredericton can offer a skilled future-ready workforce to support the investments being made in ICT-related fields. As a major learning hub for New Brunswick, Fredericton is also home to 70 per cent of the province’s knowledge-based industries, it’s a place that fDI magazine recognizes as the “#1 Micro-City in North America.

The cybersecurity sector currently employs over 700 people in Fredericton, with $55 million in direct payroll. Knowledge Park’s Cyber Centre is a $37 million facility with 135,000 square feet of space that comes online as Canada’s first privately-owned, purpose-built digital/cybersecurity infrastructure building. Co-located in Knowledge Park is Planet Hatch, an entrepreneurship centre whose mission is to develop globally competitive entrepreneurs and start-ups. It focuses on business model, business strategy, customer acquisition and markets. It supports founders through two funding avenues, five accelerators,

events, facilities (including a co-working space) mentorship and coaching.

The city’s growing cluster of cybersecurity companies—and institutions like the University of New Brunswick (UNB), which hosts a Canada Research Chair in Cybersecurity and the Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity (CIC), and the NB Power Cybersecurity Research Chair—works alongside other innovators to safeguard some of the world’s most critical infrastructure.

The cluster contains Knowledge Park, the Cyber Centre, the University of New Brunswick and the CIC which are all enablers to the future success of participating and future organizations ready to make Fredericton their home.

“There is no perfect economic development model. After all, economic development is more like a marathon, rather than a sprint. We must play to our strengths by investing in the sectors that we can lead and build upon our inherent advantages. We can build competitive advantage by leaning into opportunities that leverage our unique values and maximize our key assets. By doing this, we can access and create opportunities that are well beyond the scope of any one region, city, or community in the province.” says Larry Shaw, CEO of Ignite and Knowledge Park.

For Fredericton, clustering knowledge sector organizations, researchers, and entrepreneurs are what enables inventive, productive and often constructive disruptions to take place, thus driving innovation.

Ignite can provide you and your team with the information and access to networks you need for a successful expansion into New Brunswick. Whether it be in Cyber Centre or withing the greater capital region, we can help!

“Fredericton has a bias for ‘yes’ when it comes to innovation,” says the energetic Larry Shaw, CEO of Ignite and Knowledge Park.

A PRO-BUSINESS CLIMATE FLORIDA:

Florida consistently ranks among the best states for business, thanks to its pro-business state tax policies, competitive cost of doing business, and streamlined regulatory environment. Government and economic development leaders work together to ensure that the state’s business climate remains favorable to companies of all sizes, including some of the nation’s leading corporations.

Beyond that, Florida offers a cost-efficient alternative to hightech states with more affordable land, labor, and capital than its competitors. The state’s regulatory agencies and local governments provide quicker, less costly, and more predictable permitting processes for significant economic development projects without reducing environmental standards. Florida’s zero percent personal income tax also makes it easier for you to build the business of your dreams. More money in your pocket today means more flexibility to spend on your business, your family, and your future.

With a rich supply chain and top connectivity, Florida’s aviation and aerospace companies are shooting for the stars. As the birthplace of commercial aviation, Florida has 130 public-use airports and 20 commercial airports to seamlessly move goods and people around the globe.

Florida is a leading location for defense companies. Home to 20 major military installations and three unified combatant commands, Florida has one of the nation’s largest defense and homeland security industries.

From batteries and boats to semiconductors and satellites, Florida’s manufacturing industry produces a wide variety of goods each year. With the second-largest foreign trad zone network in the U.S., Florida is an ideal location for logistics and distribution operations. Florida also has a leading life sciences industry. More than 1,440 establishments operate within the Florida biotech, pharmaceutical and medical development scene, with a foundation of more than 46,000 healthcare establishments. Florida is at the forefront of Information Technology innovation as the nation’s third largest tech industry with 33,000+ high tech companies calling Florida home. Florida is also a global player in financial services, Fintech, insurance and consulting.

For more on all the opportunities in Florida, please contact Enterprise Florida at 407-956-5600 or visit their website at www. enterpriseflorida.com .

FLORIDA: Titusville

Because of its esteemed history with NASA, its existing spacerelated infrastructure, and the burgeoning commercial space

EXPANSION

industry, Titusville is experiencing an unparalleled resurgence. Numerous space-industry giants have said YES to TITUSVILLE because of the state’s freedom from excessive regulations, a business-friendly tax structure, and an unparalleled quality of life.

Nestled along the scenic Indian River Lagoon, the “Space Coast,” whose name is derived from the awe-inspiring rocket launches departing from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, encompasses more than 72 miles of pristine beaches, as well as the 16 municipalities, including the City of Titusville, of Brevard County.

Providing its nearly 50,000 residents with a comprehensive array of public amenities, Titusville is renowned for its countless outdoor recreational activities, such as kayaking, boating, and fishing. Titusville’s historic downtown now also serves as the junction of three multi-purpose trails, and in 2018, Titusville was designated as Florida’s second-only Trail Town by the state’s Office of Greenways and Trails.

In addition to its robust trail network, the City boasts 26 parks, seven of which are on the water, and numerous museums. A 45-minute jaunt to the west transports inhabitants and visitors to Orlando and all of its legendary theme parks and attractions. Also in close proximity is Daytona Beach, home of NASCAR mecca Daytona International Speedway.

With an ample supply of pre-existing housing, Titusville continues to incorporate additional single–and multi-family residential units, which demonstrates community viability and vitality. In addition to all of its modern conveniences and high-tech corporations, Titusville maintains an inviting atmosphere with unrivalled aesthetic character and historic charm.

FLORIDA: Santa Rosa

Whiting Aviation Park to Provide Unique Opportunities to Aviation Businesses

accelerate speed to market.

Whiting Aviation Park has the unique distinction of having a limited-access use agreement between Santa Rosa County and the United States Navy. This agreement allows civilian tenants of the aviation park to use the Navy’s airfield facilities. Another perk: Whiting Aviation Park offers monitored airspace and visual flight rule conditions for over 300 days a year.

A new industrial space in Northwest Florida promises to be a big draw for aviation-related companies. Adjacent to Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Whiting Aviation Park is a 239-acre commercial/industrial park with a planned 6,000-foot runway access. It’s also Florida First Certified – meaning it’s projectready with due diligence completed to minimize risk and

The development of Whiting Aviation Park has partly been funded by Triumph Gulf Coast, Inc. This fund, created following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, offers $1.5 billion in economic development grant funding only for Northwest Florida. The fund can be used for infrastructure development, workforce enhancement, and tax rate reduction. Space Florida also offers companies in the aerospace and related industries unique opportunities, including facility and equipment financing and tax efficiencies to reduce short- and long-term capital costs.

In an area known as one of the most active air traffic zones in the world, Whiting Aviation Park is within driving distance of five aviation-related military installations in the surrounding counties, as well as being in proximity of several growing commercial operations and aviation-related OEMs. The fact that Northwest Florida has the largest concentration of military retirees in the nation means a trained and ready workforce is in place.

The Santa Rosa County Economic Development Office is ready to assist businesses who find a new home at Whiting Aviation Park. From site selection and employee recruitment and training to financial assistance with loans, grants, and tax-exempt bonds, the Economic Development Office is equipped with services that will expedite and give guidance throughout the process, as well as provide businesses with advantages that make growth easy and profitable.

Visit WhitingAviationPark.com to learn more.

FLORIDA: Indian River County

Central to Where Your Business Needs to Be

Indian River County – Vero Beach, Sebastian, Fellsmere - strikes a perfect balance between business and pleasure. Those who live, work or visit the area find that the local communities are safe and

ecological, cultural, educational and technological amenities. Many corporate-level executives have located their companies to the area

of the executive’s positive vacation experience, or perhaps they own a winter home on Vero’s barrier island.

Located on Florida’s east coast, midway between West Palm Beach and Cape Canaveral, Indian River County is within three hours of over 17 million consumers, or 90% of Florida’s population. It has easy access to markets but is far from urban sprawl, traffic and congestion. Visitors from other parts of Florida are amazed, and pleasantly surprised, at the county’s lack of traffic. The area is rich in history and natural resources, with 26 miles of unspoiled beaches and scenic lakes, plus some of the best bass fishing available in Blue Cypress Lake. It is also the center of theworldfamous Indian River Citrus District.

Indian River County is a cost-competitive location for new or expanding businesses. It has hundreds of acres of low-cost land available for development, much of it located near I-95, a major north-south transportation route along the east coast. The county offers competitive property tax rates, and Florida has no state income tax.

The Opportunity Zone initiative offers investors an even greater reason to consider Indian River County, FL. All properties west of I-95 in Indian River County are designated as an Opportunity Zone and zoned for industrial use, including

two shovel-ready industrial parks. State and local incentives are also available to relocating and expanding companies, including property tax abatement, tax refunds, and job training grants.

An available and trainable workforce of approximately 638,000 within an hour’s drive time adds to the county’s appeal as a desirable location. Indian River State College (IRSC) has five campuses located throughout the region, offering 2-year and 4-year degrees as well as several industrial and technical certifications. IRSC is very successful in securing training grants for local employers. They can develop specially-designed training programs in a matter of weeks rather than months. Because location is central to success, Indian River County isn’t just where you want to be – it’s central to where your business ought to be. It has the perfect blend of everything the Sunshine State has to offer.

For more information on locating your company to Indian River County, Florida, contact Helene Caseltine, Economic Development Director with the Indian River Chamber of Commerce, at 772-567-3491 or helenec@indianrivered.com. Or, visit their website at www.indianrivered.com. X

Indian River County Sebastian Vero Beach West Palm Beach

Miami

RIGHT FOR BUSINESS SOUTH CAROLINA:

Uniquely situated halfway between New York and Miami, South Carolina’s integral transportation system – interstates, ports, and rail – make it easy to reach East Coast markets, as well as markets abroad. South Carolina builds things well: cars, homes, airplanes, and chemicals. Recognized for achievement in foreign direct investment, South Carolina is home to more than 1,200 operations of international companies.

South Carolina is home to one of the nation’s most dynamic aerospace centers. With an impact of more than $28 billion, the aerospace sector has evolved into a major pillar of the state’s

economy. Since 2009, when Boeing selected North Charleston for its final assembly and delivery facility, the state’s aerospace industry has soared.

With an economic impact of more than $27 billion, the automotive industry is now an integral part of the state’s economy. As a result, a wide range of leading automotive companies in automotive manufacturing and production are based in South Carolina. Their technically skilled workforce has made the Palmetto State the U.S. export leader in completed passenger vehicles.

South Carolina has one of the nation’s fastest growing container ports, two innovative inland ports, 2,300 miles of rail lines, and more than 41,000 miles of state-maintained highways.

Agribusiness is the true homegrown industry of South Carolina. Contributing an annual economic impact of more than $46 billion

and accounting for 247,000 direct jobs statewide, agriculture products and food production are as important to their future as they have been to their past.

Each year, nearly 100 companies benefit from the skilled individuals trained by readySC. More than 300,000 individuals strong, this division of the SC Technical College System ensures that companies can depend on a strong, productive workforce. In addition, South Carolina has one of the lowest unionization rates in the country.

For more information on South Carolina, please contact the South Carolina Department of Commerce at 800-868-7232 or visit

SOUTH CAROLINA: Southern Carolina Building the Future

The SouthernCarolina Alliance region is strategically located between two major, rapidly growing seaports, Savannah, GA and Charleston, SC, along the I-95 corridor, the main north-south interstate on the East Coast. With industrial sites located halfway between New York and Miami on I-95, some within 15 minutes to the Port of Savannah and some within a one-hour drive to the Port of Charleston, this region provides an outstanding choice for manufacturing and distribution operations.

In addition, the region is sandwiched between the automotive clusters surrounding the new Hyundai plant in Bryan County, GA, Volvo and Mercedes plants in Charleston, SC and BMW in Greer, SC. Because of the proximity to Charleston and Savannah, the region also offers an affordable choice to suppliers of Boeing in Charleston and Gulfstream in Savannah.

The region boasts a diverse array of manufacturing.

In the automotive sector, the most notable is TICO, a producer of terminal trucks utilized at major seaports around the world. Currently they are manufacturing their first EV truck here in this region at their manufacturing facility in Ridgeland, South Carolina, in an innovative partnership with Volvo.

In the aerospace sector, there are companies as well known as Lockheed Martin and Delavan (a Beckett company) operating in the region, as well as homegrown companies like Phoenix Specialty Manufacturing, which has been located in Bamberg

County for more than 60 years and will be celebrating another expansion in December. Phoenix has produced parts for the Mars Rover, the Space Shuttle, and the Apollo Moon landing. For many years, a significant percentage of their business is supplying parts to turbines used by Boeing. They also supply automotive specialty parts, including those used in NASCAR and by the US Olympic Bobsled team!

Forest product giants West Fraser, Swiss Krono and Canfor all have manufacturing operations in the region, representing almost a billion dollars in capital investment at their 3 facilities alone.

In advanced composites, the much-coveted Pioneer Boats are manufactured in the region along I-95 in Colleton, and Augusta Fiberglass produces the world’s largest fiberglass tanks in Barnwell County.

Among their distribution companies, internationally celebrated cookware manufacturer Le Creuset, located in Hampton County at Exit 38 on I-95, has been a major employer in the region for forty years. Their North and South American distribution headquarters, which includes all e-commerce, is located at the facility, so the company is not only a favorite among celebrity chefs like Julia Childs, it’s also a favorite in the SCA region.

Food processing is a targeted industry sector for the region. Some of the recent announcements in that sector include Gehl Foods, which announced a $46 million investment and 106 jobs at a facility on I-95 in Walterboro, SC, where they will produce shelf-stable beverages.

The region is also home to the Agriculture Technology Campus, which was announced in September 2020. While delayed by the COVID pandemic, the project construction is progressing at the Southern Carolina Industrial Campus near Le Creuset at Exit 38, just off I-95 in Hampton County, where the ATC will include 1,000 acres of state-of-the-art Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) facilities, growing leafy greens, tomatoes and berries to supply the East Coast. The $314 million project will include a packing and distribution facility and will employ 1457 people year-round.

The South Carolina region is targeting food processing, distribution, aerospace/aviation, automotive, forest products, metal fabrication, advanced composites and chemicals.

This region, situated within a one-hour drive of two of America’s most historic cities, Savannah and Charleston, boasts some of the most beautiful resorts and beaches in the world, including Hilton Head Island and Edisto Island. They hosted 2 PGA tournaments this year, the RBC Heritage at Sea Pines and the CJ Cup at The Congaree. This region is known for hunting, fishing and watersports because of our coastal area, rivers and estuaries.

With aerospace and automotive companies flourishing in the area, they have the right workforce trained for advanced manufacturing, meeting the highest manufacturing standards for ISO9001 and AS9100 certifications. In addition, with several military installations in the region, they have 2100 exiting, trained military staff that seek jobs to stay in the area.

South Carolina provides tailored, comprehensive training through their statewide technical college system to meet the needs of their industries. Called, “ReadySC,” it’s the program

EXPANSION

that companies from Bosch to Boeing have used to grow their companies and their workforce across the state.

Outdoor recreation abounds year-round at their worldrenowned golf courses, hunting preserves, beaches and waterways. The region is home to two PGA golf tournaments.

For more information, please contact the SouthernCarolina Regional Alliance at 803-541-0023 or visit their website at www. southerncarolina.org .

SOUTH CAROLINA: Camp Hall

Camp Hall is the Next-Generation Commerce Park designed for the modern workforce located near Charleston, South Carolina, and home to Volvo Cars new North American manufacturing plant. South Carolina and Charleston are well recognized as top business-friendly manufacturing locations with a high quality of life. Totaling 6,800 acres overall, Camp Hall is ready with 900 fully developable acres remaining, and it has the workforce, zoning, permits and major infrastructure already in place or underway, enabling a company to start right away. Camp Hall is in a region that is adding 34 new residents every day, with its workforce totaling over 500,000 and growing. Three of the region’s fastest-growing planned communities, which are closing over 1,000 house annually, are within less than 15 minutes. Logistics infrastructure is very strong with the Port of Charleston less than a 45-minute drive by truck, an onsite dedicated I-26 interchange for quick access, a rail line extension underway, and the Charleston International Airport only a 30-minute drive.

Camp Hall is attractive to and can serve a wide range and scale of industry. It can meet the needs of a large plant employing several thousand, such as Volvo Cars, as well as those companies needing only a small space initially to launch and grow. Our focus is on companies that can benefit from the vision of building a place that is designed to attract and retain a quality workforce in a quality environment.

The Charleston, South Carolina, region is already known for a high quality of life and is recognized worldwide as a destination. Camp Hall is uniquely located to be a reverse commute for most of the region’s population, enabling a person many choices. Within 45 minutes, a person can choose to be on the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean, in the urban center of Charleston with its dining and entertainment options, on our two large lakes known for their world-class fisheries and recreation sites, in a top-selling master planned community, or enjoying a small town or rural environment. Camp Hall provides many choices and quality of life options.

Camp Hall is part of the Charleston, South Carolina, region, which is blessed with a strong and growing workforce. This workforce is broad, with focus on both manufacturing and logistics, and the area is home to Boeing, Mercedes Sprinter Vans, Volvo Cars, Nucor, and Bosch, to mention only a few. The Port of Charleston plays a key role in attracting workforce in both the manufacturing and logistics sectors. A detailed workforce

study for Camp Hall has already been prepared to provide details and can be reviewed on our website camphall.com under the workforce tab.

South Carolina is a leader in creating customized training programs for developing and enhancing a company’s workforce. Most notable is readySC, whereby South Carolina creates a customized training for each company utilizing the program. There are many options depending upon the needs, desire and capability of the company and the student. (Many are described on our website camphall.com in the workforce tab under training.) For instance, in the local high schools near Camp Hall, there are workforce-ready certification programs, which prepare graduates to enter the manufacturing environment upon graduation. Trident Technical Collage has additional programs and a newly opened facility focused specifically on aviation and advanced manufacturing. There are numerous 4-year colleges nearby that include engineering programs for bachelor’s and advanced technical degrees.

The recreational activities in the Charleston region are extensive and world renowned. Outdoor recreational opportunities are abundant and varied, with many people taking advantage of miles of beaches, rivers, lakes and waterways perfect for kayaking, surfing, boating and fishing. There are local and state trail systems and state and national parks nearby for hiking and wildlife viewing. Award-winning Mountains, many with impressive waterfalls, are less than four hours away. In addition, dining, shopping, entertainment and cultural options, including historical tours and sites, are extensive.

Camp Hall has a dedicated interchange on I-26, which is only 30 miles from the Port of Charleston and 30 miles to I-95, enabling access throughout the Southeastern and Eastern United States. The Camp Hall Rail Line is currently being extended by Palmetto Rail to Camp Hall from its interconnect with CSX to provide rail service for Volvo Cars and other users throughout Camp Hall.

There are two major points: First is Camp Hall’s focus on people and serving the workforce, which is highlighted by our Avian Commons that is currently being developed. Avian Commons will provide services that support the workforce and make work-life balance easier to achieve. These services include food, fuel and convenience items, and recreation options for fitness and fun, including a multi-purpose soccer field, basketball and sand volleyball courts, a fitness area, and the trail hub , which will act as a central access point to the many miles of trails that can be accessed for hiking and biking . The second is Camp Hall’s focus on technology and its importance in daily life and the workplace. Fiber is already on site with redundant and diverse options in up to five public rights of way. Wireless is already in place with plans for enhancing it to create a seamless network throughout Camp Hall to support strong connectivity for people and the modern workplace.

Camp Hall is designed to be people-friendly, helping balance work and everyday life while increasing employee retention, and incorporate the latest technology. Overall, Camp Hall is a place that just makes life a bit better for industries that grow here and employees who work here. X

ALABAMA:

WHY ALABAMA?

The fastest growing economy in the country right now is in the Southeast – and Alabama is centrally located for success. Beyond beauty, Alabama offers thousands of available sites, a proven track record of success, and a pro-business attitude that allows it to develop custom incentive packages tailored to a company’s individual needs. Alabama has the resources, atmosphere, workforce, and competitive advantages to cultivate growth and expansion in any field.

Alabama sits at the heart of the fastest growing region in the United States. Comprised by a network of thousands of roads, plentiful airports, inland waterways, and proximity to the 9th largest seaport in the U.S., Alabama is as easy to access as it is a choice for businesses.

Alabama’s presence in the aerospace and aviation industry is broad and vast, with activities in virtually every segment of the sector. Aerospace manufacturing alone accounts for around 13,200 jobs in the state, while Alabama also ranks among the Top 5 states for aerospace engineers, with a count topping 3,600 in the profession.

When Mercedes-Benz announced plans to open its only U.S. assembly plant in Alabama in 1993, an industry was launched. Since then, Honda, Hyundai and Toyota, as well as an expanding network of automotive suppliers have joined Alabama’s vehicle manufacturing industry. A new dimension was added to this industry when Autocar, a maker of heavy-duty work trucks, launched production in the state.

Cyber security researchers at universities across Alabama are developing solutions to complex technological security problems. With a modern manufacturing base in the state, partnership possibilities abound for work in critical infrastructure protection,

cloud security, forensics, big data, mobile device security, informatics, virtualization, and robotics.

Alabama is home to 780 bioscience companies, and the industry has an economic impact estimated at $7.3 billion, as well as a track record for breakthrough discoveries. Birmingham-based Southern Research has discovered seven FDAapproved drugs used in cancer treatment and made advances in the treatment of HIV/AIDS, polio, and mosquito-borne viruses. The HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville is a leader in research on the human genome, gathering genomic data for thousands of academic, clinical, and commercial clients nationwide.

For more information on all the opportunities in Alabama, please contact the Alabama Department of Commerce tollfree at 800-248-0033 or visit their website at www.madeinalabama.com .

ALABAMA: Northwest Alabama

The Northwest Alabama Economic Development Alliance region – which consists of Fayette, Lamar, and Marion counties – offers the best of both worlds.

The region has long been a rural manufacturing powerhouse. Six Fortune 500 companies operate facilities in the Northwest Alabama region. Northwest Alabama is a leader in metal fabrication, manufactured homes, glove manufacturing, wood products, and other types of manufacturing. Target sectors include automotive manufacturing, advanced manufacturing, food production, and logistics & distribution. Over 30% of workers are employed at manufacturing facilities. In addition, over 2,100 workers commute to production-related jobs outside the region. The region has several of the best-positioned industrial parks on Interstate 22 between Birmingham and Memphis.

At the same time, Northwest Alabama offers all the advantages of a rural setting. Located in the picturesque Appalachia foothills, the region has good schools and little traffic, while being well-connected to

Discover Northwest Alabama’s Skilled Manufacturing Workforce.

•

• Over 30% of our highly skilled workforce is employed by manufacturing companies.

•

2,100 workers from our region

to automotive industry and related jobs.

50 automotive OEMs and suppliers are located within a 90-minute drive of our shovel-ready industrial parks on I-22.

Infrastructure ready with 10 Gig fiber service available for business.

Toyota

Hayashi

the global economy. The region is within a 1 to 1.5-hour drive of five major metro areas (over 1.7 million people). A 200-mile radius encompasses 14 million people. Freedom Fiber, one of the most innovative rural fiber initiatives in the country is building new fiber lines, in partnership with Alabama Power, throughout the region. Businesses can now access 10 gig service in Northwest Alabama, while homebuyers can find affordable large acreage properties connected to 1-gig fiber.

Northwest Alabama has experienced robust growth in the last 18 months, with multiple business expansions and new businesses moving into the area. One industry that has yet to take off in Northwest Alabama is automotive manufacturing, but that is about to change.

“For the last 10 years, Northwest Alabama has been on the cusp for attracting automotive industry projects,” says Bill Taylor, former CEO of Mercedes-Benz Alabama. “Well, now they are really poised to grow. For a rural area, they have some compelling locational advantages including available workforce with automotive training.”

For more information on Northwest Alabama, please call 205-495-9952 or visit their website at northwestalabamaeda.org..

ALABAMA: Gadsden

Gadsden, Alabama has been at the forefront of workforce development for the last decade. With the booming manufacturing industry in Alabama, everything from the automotive to the agricultural industry needs more skilled workers and support in adopting new advanced manufacturing practices. For this reason, Gadsden is constantly exploring new methods and projects that can accelerate economic development and growth in the community.

The latest project in this effort is a new facility known as The Venue2. The Venue2 is a coworking and event space to spur innovation in the community and host events related to community development. The facility will provide office space to allow the people in the community to have a physical address to work from at a reduced cost. The space will also allow startup companies a

location to grow and collaborate with others in the offices. The main goal of The Venue2 is to grow the Healthcare industry in Gadsden and bring innovation into that sector. The Venue2 also sits near Gadsden State Community College, and the two will work together to provide students with programs needed to grow the healthcare industry. The project will foster a new set of emerging businesses and allow economic development in Gadsden to adapt to the future.

The city of Gadsden works closely with Gadsden State to create new strategies to advance the resources available to Gadsden’s workforce. This collaboration provides ample opportunities for growth in Gadsden and creates an ecosystem that cultivates community engagement and development.

Gadsden State Community College has made considerable effort to create several programs that offer an education in the latest technical skills. With over a thousand students in its workforce development program, Gadsden State Community College is a leading factor in the steady supply of skilled workers from Etowah County. Two years ago, Gadsden State Community College announced the implementation of the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education program (FAME). This FAME program allowed students to gain technical skills with cutting-edge technology while gaining hands-on job experience simultaneously. After the FAME program’s success, Gadsden State announced plans to build a brand-new facility named the Advanced Manufacturing Center (AMC) to house the equipment and technology to create the best learning experience for students. The AMC, coupled with the FAME Program, will continue to develop the workforce in Etowah County to be a driving force in the advancement of new manufacturing methods.

Gadsden is also supported by many other organizations across the state of Alabama that aid in the development of advanced manufacturing. Groups like Alabama Industrial Development Training (AIDT) also provide training with state-of-the-art equipment that prepares workers for the ever-changing industry. Other organizations like the Alabama Technology Network, located at Gadsden State, provide engineering services and other assessment tools to stay leading the region in advanced manufacturing. Made In Alabama and AlabamaWorks oversee new industrial advancements across the state and incorporate various analysis reports to find areas of opportunity in every sector.

The combination of these outstanding resources allows Gadsden to have a thriving workforce that is the backbone of industry in the region. Gadsden’s strategic location between the large metropolitan centers of Alabama and the surrounding region maintains an ideal environment for workers and industrial partners. Along with Gadsden and Etowah County’s central location, skilled labor and support networks create the perfect ecosystem for industrial development..

ALABAMA: Elmore County

The Elmore County Economic Development Authority is committed to improving the economic well-being of the business community and enhancing quality of life through

the creation and preservation of jobs and wealth in Elmore County. Located in the heart of the River Region, Elmore County has a strong transportation infrastructure, a skilled and ready workforce, and an abundance of recreational opportunities. Elmore County has a strong and supportive business climate that attracts new business and industry to complement and enhance a vital and growing existing business community.

Boasting dynamic schools, unified leadership, extraordinary natural beauty and a superior quality of life, Elmore County Alabama has a rich history of being a predominantly agricultural area, but in recent years, it has started to make the transformation to the one of the fastest-growing counties in the state. The county offers the best of both worlds to individuals settling here: small towns with high-quality education, lowcrime rates, and low-cost of living, next to a major metropolis in Montgomery.

Elmore County is defined by lush forests, flowing rivers, wide welcoming lakes and a population of hard-working citizens who honor their heritage, whether it is Native American, European, or African. Northern Elmore County lies home to two fresh water lakes with access to more than 70 square miles of recreational waterways. With distinctive lake homes lining its shores, Lake Martin is becoming known world¬wide for its sparkling waters and for wise land-use developments that honor the land and its waters. Lake Jordan boasts some of the best bass and crappie

fishing in the South.

Throughout Elmore County there are cities and towns that welcome all who visit… and those who find reason to put down roots and join the gentle Southern way of life that are the envy of all who travel to the county.

Companies moving to Elmore County can be sure they will find a capable, experienced workforce to meet their needs, while individuals know they will find a place they can belong. It is no surprise that businesses world-wide are considering Elmore County for their base of operations or their next expansion. With the leadership of the Elmore County Economic Development Authority, and a spirited cooperation from municipal leaders, the county is poised to continue its development. The low tax rates and attractive climate that yields moderate winter temperatures and little to no snow each year make Elmore Count appealing to many executives. The days are beautiful with typically 214 sunny days per year and an average July high temperatures reaching about 92 degrees. Centrally located with two major Interstates, I-85 and I-65, passing through and bordering portions of the county, transportation routes for commerce and travel are abundant.

Elmore County Alabama - where business meets pleasure. X

T T E R W A Y O F L I F E

DISCOVER UNTAPPED OPPORTUNITY MISSISSIPPI:

Forget the world. Mississippi is your oyster. Overcrowdedmarket? Hardly. Red Tape? Nowhere in sight. In Mississippi, you’ll find a business community ripe with opportunity, a cooperative and responsive state government, access to key markets, and one of the top 10 states with the lowest cost of doing business. Their highways, commercial airports, railways, and ports also give businesses access to both domestic and international markets. With a variety of established companies including Lockheed Martin, Milwaukee Tool, and Huntington Ingalls, the sky (or space) is the limit in Mississippi.

For six decades, NASA’s Stennis Space Center, located on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, has played a pivotal role in the nation’s aerospace and defense industry. With its state-of-the-art rocket and jet engine testing facilities and research institutions, Stennis maintains one of the greatest concentrations of aerospace and defense personnel in the country. Mississippi offer a

robust portfolio of resources and advantages, such as the Aerospace Initiative Incentives Program and their proximity to major military installations, to help industry leaders in this sector.

The Magnolia State has been a key player in the automobile manufacturing industry since Nissan established its 3.5 million square-foot assembly plant in Canton in 2003. Since then, Toyota and PACCAR have also established plants in Mississippi, along with a host of automobile suppliers. Mississippi is home to three of the nation’s largest tire makers, Continental Tire, Yokohama Tire, and Cooper Tire. Over half a million vehicles are produced in-state annually, including nine globally recognized models. Mississippi is also a right-to-work state, with a low cost of living and other incentives available for manufacturers.

Agriculture, food, and beverages are long-standing industries in Mississippi, and the state is a top 20 producer for 15 agricultural commodities and rose to the top of U.S. aquaculture in the 2018 census with $230.7 million in sales. The state’s exceptional fertile soil offers an ideal location to grow crops and grow your business. Thanks to Mississippi’s exceptional highway system, comprehensive logistics network, and low cost of doing business, agricultural companies flourish in the Magnolia State.

For more information, please contact the Mississippi Development Authority at 800-360-3323 or visit their website at www.mississippi.org .

MISSISSIPPI: Hinds County

Did you know there is a metro in Mississippi beaming with opportunity and resources ready for your project? This community features two major interstates, rail, two Entergy Qualified sites, a population of more than 230,000 citizens, and seven four-year universities!? Yes, this area is ready and open for business. Hinds County is the star of the state of Mississippi, the home of the capital city, Jackson, MS.

Jackson and Hinds County have all the resources to attract new capital and host expansion of industries. Those resources include two interstates: Interstate 55, which runs from Chicago through Memphis toward New Orleans and Interstate 20, which runs from South Carolina to Texas, passing cities like Atlanta and Dallas. The population reach of these two interstates is more than 30 million people, almost 10 percent of the entire US population! Rail is available at several sites within the county. The county is proud to have two airports, the Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport and Hawkins Field. Both operate within FAA guidelines and are ready to serve new businesses on site that will support both travelers and businesses throughout Central Mississippi. Hinds County also is a place that has two Entergy Qualified Sites and many greenfield and buildings available for new businesses development or expansions.

The Hinds County Economic Development Authority staff is top notch! With a CEcD and a Certified Workforce Development

Professional (CWDP) on staff, this duo is ready to take workforce development, business recruitment and expansion to the next level. The CWDA is a nationally recognized workforce development professional, who took the lead on obtaining the ACT Work Ready Certification for Hinds County. The workforce professional works with training professionals in the region to create customized training for any company. They have access to training, students, and manufacturing companies so once the students complete their certificate or degrees, that can get a good paying job locally. This area is working to strengthen the pipeline from kindergarten to job for all citizens in the county. Hinds County Economic Development Authroity’s CEcD currently serves on the IEDC Board of Directors in addition to settling in the role of Executive Director.

With an abundance of opportunity, the Hinds County Economic Development Authority is ready for a variety of projects. Because of the county’s wealth of resources, like interstate and rail access, Hinds County, Mississippi is destined to become the logistics and distribution pillar of the south providing efficient speed to market. The healthcare industry is poised to expand as COVID becomes an endemic. The state of Mississippi will offer new companies wanting to expand the health care systems in Hinds County a special incentive to locate within the county limits. Other target industries include aviation, automotive suppliers, alternative energy sources, and integrated building systems. No matter what your business is, give Hinds County a look – see for yourself, the “World of Difference” that can benefit your company. X

LOUISIANA:

A BUSINESS CLIMATE THAT HELPS COMPANIES SOAR

Traditional and emerging industries are growing in Louisiana. A highly productive and motivated workforce, low taxes, unrivaled infrastructure and logistics, a pro-business climate and a workforce recruitment and training program provides a competitive advantage. Manufacturers can benefit from Louisiana’s status as a right-to-work state.

Louisiana’s location is one of its most valuable advantages. The state’s superior transportation infrastructure enables companies to have access to nearby major markets such as Dallas, Houston, and Atlanta, while benefiting from Louisiana’s lower cost structure for wages, taxes, and cost of living. The state is home to six interstate highways; six Class 1 railroads; Six deep water ports; and seven primary airports.

Louisiana’s aerospace sector is poised for expansion. Industryrecognized aerospace and aviation companies such as Arrow Aviation and Metro Aviation started in Louisiana while globally recognized companies like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Western Global Airlines have established operations in Louisiana.

Louisiana’s existing assets offer tremendous opportunities for companies manufacturing products or delivering services to the energy industry. More than 90% of waterborne U.S. oil rigs are located in waters off Louisiana’s coast, and according to the Energy Information Administration, the state is No. 2 in crude oil and No. 3 natural gas production in the nation when including offshore production.

For more information on Louisiana, please contact Louisiana Economic Development at 800-450-8115 or visit their website at www. opportunitylouisiana.com.

SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA: Leading Louisiana in Economic Growth

Southwest Louisiana (SWLA) is a five-parish area intersecting the Acadiana and Central Louisiana regions. It is composed of the following parishes: Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, and Jefferson Davis.

Southwest Louisiana has the ideal export situation: a concentration of pipelines supplying cheap, abundant natural gas; existing infrastructure for energy production and transportation; deep-water shipping access and shallow-draft inland waterways; a skilled workforce trained to serve industrial needs; and a community that welcomes and embraces industrial growth.

SWLA is part of the Gulf Coast Industrial Corridor, where petrochemical exploration, transportation, and production are commonplace. The region is also home to a thriving lumber and timber products industry, farming and agriculture, including aquaculture, fisheries and other maritime industries.

The Lake Charles Metro Area is a corridor of heavy industry, home to some of the country’s largest petrochemical refineries and LNG export facilities, plus downstream manufacturers of refined products, such as plastics and chemicals.

Oil exploration and production are historical mainstays of the SWLA economy. The upstream industry, including natural gas production, maintains a strong presence due to oilfield service companies and a skilled workforce.

SWLA is a major center for the U.S. liquified natural gas (LNG) export industry. Cheniere LNG, Cameron LNG, and Calcasieu Pass-Venture Global LNG were among the first LNG export facilities operating in the U.S., with even more proposed for construction in this area.

SWLA is home to numerous gaming resorts, live music venues, festivals, parks, and recreational facilities. The Lake Charles Metro Area offers more than 6,000 hotel rooms for hosting local conventions, tournaments, and gatherings of all kinds.

SWLA is home to McNeese State University and SOWELA Technical Community College, where they are constantly evolving to prepare local talent for the diverse industries of tomorrow.

The Port of Lake Charles is the premiere multimodal facility serving SWLA. The Port is a deep-water port located approximately 36 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico. Several other ports offer maritime transportation services across the region for both inland and Gulf-bound traffic. The Lake Charles area is served by three Class I railroads, including the Rail Logix facility at Lacassine Industrial Park, a hub for rail-to-vehicle transloading. Lake Charles Regional Airport offers the only commuter airline service in SWLA, while Chennault International Airport is an industrial airpark serving charter flights. Proximity to Houston, Dallas, and New Orleans make SWLA a hidden gem in the logistics industry.

SWLA embraces agribusiness as a cultural and economic driver. A locally grown product such as rice is not only a major export commodity, but also a staple of the local cuisine. The same holds true for other crops like crawfish, sugar cane, and soybeans, in addition to cotton, timber, and livestock. The Wood Basket of Louisiana, a vast area of planted pine forests, has allowed sawmills and other forest-related industries to thrive in Beauregard and Allen parishes. With lush forests, farmlands, and fisheries, along with a warm climate and logistical access, Southwest Louisiana’s abundance is appreciated locally and around the world.

For more information on Southwest Louisiana, please contact the SWLA Economic Development Alliance at 337-433-3632 or visit www.allianceswla.org or www.chooseswlouisiana.com. X

ITS DIFFERENT HERE NEW MEXICO:

With an affordable cost of living, an enviable climate, and a unique sense of place, New Mexico offers a place your employees will love and want to stay. With a competitive business climate that rewards organizations that think differently and dream big, your business can go further here. With a long history of innovation and the infrastructure to support tech and advanced manufacturing industries (including 3 national research labs and 3 research universities), they’re pioneers for the future.

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has designated nine target industries for growth: Aerospace, Cybersecurity, Film & Television, Intelligent Manufacturing, Green Energy, Biosciences, Sustainable & Value-added Agriculture, Global Trade, and Outdoor Recreation.

An ideal climate, three national research laboratories three U.S. Air Force bases, the internationally recognized Spaceport America, and three testing facilities plus 15,000 square-miles of restricted air space all combine to create a superior environment for aerospace and aviation companies.

Both of the state’s U.S. Department of Energy labs conduct extensive research in cybersecurity, complemented by work done at the Air Force Research Lab and White Sands Missile Range as well as New Mexico Tech, University of New Mexico, and a growing cluster of firms in the cybersecurity industry.

With $5.7 billion being invested as part of production centers created by Netflix and NBCUniversal, New Mexico is a rapidly accelerating media hub and offers beautiful locations, history, culture, and one of the largest crew bases in the country, plus a very generous refundable tax credit.

The state’s deep bench in intelligent manufacturing includes tech industry leaders like Intel along with homegrown companies like SolAero, UbiQD and 3D Glass Solutions, all examples of locally created and commercialized technology.

With 300+ days of sunshine annually, the state contains tremendous untapped solar capacity, not to mention a growing wind and biothermal energy sector, too. As of 2020, renewable energy provided 27% of the state’s utility-scale net generation.

Long recognized for cattle ranching and farming, New Mexico now leads dairy production (top 10 in milk, top 5 in cheese), growing pecans, pistachios, and peanuts, creating Gold Medal craft beer and wine, and anchored by the state’s reputation as the Chile Capitol of the world.

For more information, please contact New Mexico Economic Development Department at 505-827-0300 or visit www.edd.newmexico.gov .

NEW MEXICO: Lea County EnergyPlex Industrial Park

Since 1928, oil and gas pioneers have coupled their innovative and entrepreneurial spirit to secure an economic base for Lea County, New Mexico. Today, the petroleum industry is still a leader in innovation and progressive technology that provide new opportunities to access the resources within layers of rock that were once thought impermeable.

Understanding the importance of a diversified economy, the Economic Development Corporation of Lea County (EDCLC) has worked with local leaders to build on the economic base created by the petroleum industry. With an all-inclusive approach to energyrelated projects and an open for business attitude, Lea County was

branded as the nation’s EnergyPlex® and has been successful in recruiting a wide variety of new innovative and technology-driven industries and jobs to the area.

The continuing efforts to diversify include the newly developed EnergyPlex® Park, a 9,600-acre industrial park suitable for a broad range of industry sectors, including manufacturing, warehousing, transportation, logistics, petroleum, fabrication, bio-fuels, solar, wind, and nuclear (www.energyplexpark.com).

Located between Hobbs and Lovington (population in excess of 60,000), the EnergyPlex® Park is proximal to a commercial airport with daily flights to Denver and Houston via United Airlines; two 4-lane divided U.S. and state highways; two hospitals, Covenant Hospital and Nor-Lea Regional; railroad access with connection to Union Pacific; the University of the Southwest; New Mexico Junior College; a workforce training center with customizable training programs; four power plants; and 30+ hotels.

The EnergyPlex® Park features customizable lot sizes for purchase or lease with county provided water, groundwater access, electric transmission and distribution lines, access roads, and natural gas transmission lines on site. A full Alta Survey, Phase 1 Environmental Site Analysis, solar insolation study, and flood plain study have been completed for the EnergyPlex® Park. Businesses in the EnergyPlex® Park can take advantage of the 330 days of sunshine per year, a temperate climate with minimal inclement weather. The EnergyPlex® Park’s customizable configurations and resources make it ideal for any industrial project.

There are no impact fees or inventory taxes in the EnergyPlex® Park and businesses in the park are eligible for Industrial Revenue Bonds, property tax abatements, and gross receipts (sales tax)

The Roswell Air Center (RAC) is located five miles south of the central business district of the city of Roswell and is the core of southeastern New Mexico’s industrial activity. It has a 13,000-foot runway and has the largest used plane parking lot in the world with over 4,000 acres. New Mexico’s dry climate makes it a perfect place to store airplanes. The newest expansion is Arizona-based Ascent Aviation Services who plans to build a new wide-body hangar and hire 360 employees for aircraft repair and maintenance services. Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell offers more than 80 certificate and associate degree programs available in a wide range of academic transfer and career-oriented programs including the only FAA Part 147 Airframe and Powerplant Aircraft Maintenance Technical training program in Southeast New Mexico.

Chaves County is the 12th largest dairy-producing county in the U.S. and a leader in the number of dairy cows in the state with 38 dairies and an estimate of 75,950 cows. USA Beef make their home here processing beef and bison. They have different crops and livestock produced such as corn, pecans, and hay as well as cannabis. Chaves County is home to Leprino Foods, one of the largest mozzarella cheese and milk products manufacturing plants in the world. It is also home to Red Mountain Arsenal, a precision ammunition manufacturer.

For more information on the opportunities in Roswell and Chaves County please contact the Roswell-Chaves County EDC at 575-6221975 or visit their website at www.chavescounty.net . X

abatements, in addition to the state offered manufacturing tax credits, high wage job credits, and job training reimbursements. Contact the EDCLC to receive a full analysis for all incentives that may apply for your project.

In addition to the financial incentives, Lea County boasts one of the largest workforce training programs in the state. The Workforce Training and Outreach center, housed on the New Mexico Junior College campus, has many educational and training programs available for businesses wishing to source and train new talent. Businesses can also quickly create specialized training, certificate, and degree programs to train the potential workforce. The training can be offered at the Workforce Training Center or on site at the EnergyPlex® Park.

Lea County’s dedication to hard work, collaboration, and cooperation, make the EnergyPlex® Park the ideal location for businesses to consider for expansion, start-up, and relocation. For more information, visit them at edclc.org.

NEW MEXICO: Roswell-Chaves County

Roswell-Chaves County is a growing region in New Mexico that’s a great fit for businesses that need a quality skilled labor pool, for those connected to aviation and air freight-related industries, and for companies that require heavy water and energy usage. Roswell is a regional retail hub for the 300,000 people that live within a 100mile radius. Tourism related attractions, recreation and events bring more than 250,000 visitors to the region every year. Their economy is diverse and made up of agriculture, manufacturing, aviation, energy, and tourism.

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Roswell Chaves County

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BUSINESS FIRST ARIZONA:

Arizona is home to a surging ecosystem of global giants, early-stage entrepreneurs and tech-savvy millennial talent who are breaking new ground across a wide range of industry growth sectors. Arizona offers a robust portfolio of programs and resources supporting both large and emerging tech employers. Leading startups have collectively taken advantage of Arizona’s high-skills talent base. Feeding this worker pipeline is Arizona’s university system that produces in-demand graduates specializing in technology and innovation that can quickly make an impact on these growing businesses.

Arizona offers one of the lowest costs of doing business in the U.S., primarily because of low taxes and small state government. While the national average of per-capita income going to taxes is 9.9%, here the number is only 8.4%. In addition, Arizona’s taxes on property, gas and personal income remain low compared to the rest of the country.

Arizona has made a concerted effort in recent years to create a business-friendly, minimalist regulatory environment by cutting red tape and by repealing overly burdensome regulations that would otherwise make business more difficult for companies in the state. In response to calls from the

Arizona business community for streamlined regulation, the Governor and Legislature approved fundamental changes in the administration of Arizona’s transaction privilege tax system. These changes streamline tax collection and eliminate the need for multiple (state and local) tax licenses, tax returns and tax audits. This makes it considerably easier for businesses to locate, expand and start up. Arizona is also a Right-to-Work state.

Arizona is strategically located in the Southwest region of the U.S., immediately accessible to three of the world’s largest economies – California (#8), Texas (#12) and Mexico (#15). In fact, Arizona is the only state in the nation within a day’s drive of all the major world markets. Major interstates, freeways, and transcontinental and interstate railroads connect the state directly to dozens of major markets in the region. For companies doing business on a global level, Arizona’s two international airports are located in Phoenix and Tucson. One of the largest in the world, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport transports more than 800 tons of cargo daily and more than 300 thousand tons annually.

Arizona maintains a focus on key sector opportunities: Aerospace & Defense; Manufacturing; Bioscience & Healthcare; Business & Financial Services; Film & Digital Media: and Technology & Innovation.

For more on Arizona, please contact the Arizona Commerce Authority at 602-845-1200 or visit their website at www.

GREATER PHOENIX

Home to a highly skilled workforce and business-friendly environment

Companies that expand or relocate to the Greater Phoenix area find a highly skilled workforce, solid infrastructure, low taxes and fewer regulations. See how SRP can ignite your company’s performance, productivity and profitability at PowerToGrowPhx.com .

ARIZONA: SRP-Power to Grow Phoenix

SRP has a long and rich history of supporting the economic development of the Phoenix metropolitan area and Arizona. From building Theodore Roosevelt Dam to exploring alternative fuels, SRP has helped improve life in the Valley for more than 100 years. Today, SRP is one of the largest public power entities in the nation.

They are there to assist you as you consider locating or relocating your business to the Phoenix metropolitan area. They specifically focus on businesses whose power demand will be 1 megawatt or greater.

With more than 100 years of experience operating in the Phoenix metropolitan area, they have access to a vast array of resources to help ease your decision-making process.

SRP, itself, is two entities: the Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District, a political subdivision of the State of Arizona; and the Salt River Valley Water User’s Association, a private corporation.

The District provides electricity to 2 million people living in central Arizona. It operates or participates in 12 major power plants and numerous other generating stations, including coal, nuclear, natural gas, and renewable sources, such as hydroelectric, solar, wind and geothermal.

The Association delivers nearly 1 million acre-feet of water annually to a service area in central Arizona. The Association maintains and operates an extensive water delivery system which includes reservoirs, wells, canals and irrigation laterals.

Their Strategic Economic Services department looks forward to working with you to discuss economic development in the Phoenix metropolitan area. For more information, please visit www.powertogrowphx.com or call Karla Moran at 602-236-2396 or email karla.moran@srpnet.com .

ARIZONA: Surprise City Center: Just the right mix to create the extraordinary.

It is not often that a city gets to contribute to generating a master plan for the development of their downtown. A proactively designed downtown area has the potential to be one of the most important economic, employment, and quality of life amenities that a city has. However, more often than not, this city core is built decades before planners and economic developers can lend their expertise to the process, resulting in a less than ideal area. The City of Surprise, located in the Northwest corner of the Greater Phoenix area, is one of the few that does have the opportunity to provide meaningful input, and thanks to a combination of amazing partnerships, exploding growth, and fortunate timing, something remarkably special is taking shape today in the heart of Surprise.

Surprise’s City Center is one square mile of pure potential located centrally within the city’s development core. Here you will find:

• Surprise City Hall and Civic Center

• Ottawa University Arizona’s residential campus

• Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals player housing complex

• 12+ restaurants, hospitality, financial and medical services

• 200 acre recreation campus and community park including:

• Surprise Stadium - Spring Training home of the Rangers and Royals

• 20 + Acre community park with playground, dog parks, urban fishing lake, volleyball and pickle ball courts

• Surprise Aquatic Center

• Northwest Regional Library

• Award winning, 25-court Surprise Tennis and Racquet Complex

It’s no secret that the Surprise City Center has a lot going for it already, but what’s in the works now has the potential to be truly game changing. Currently there are no less than eight new multifamily residential projects representing over 2,000 units under construction or in development review. Ottawa University is building its second residence hall with beds for 400+ students, enabling the school to grow even more in the coming years. Conceptual plans are rolling in for a 78-acre, mixed use development featuring multi-family housing, entertainment, recreation, and restaurant space that has the potential to become the newest hotspot in the West Valley. As of right now, half a billion dollars of investment have already been committed to City Center development, with plans for much more on the horizon. Despite all this activity, there are still hundreds of acres left to develop today in this up-and-coming area.

For information regarding how you can be a part of this unique opportunity please contact City of Surprise Economic Development at econdev@surpriseaz.gov or call 623.222.3300. X

Tractor Supply Begins Construction on New Distribution Center in Maumelle, Arkansas

BRENTWOOD, Tenn., – Tractor Supply Company (NASDAQ: TSCO), the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the United States, today officially announced the groundbreaking of its new distribution center in Maumelle, Ark. The 1.2-million-square-foot facility represents an initial investment of more than $120 million and will be the tenth and largest distribution center in the Tractor Supply network. The distribution center will create nearly 500 new full-time jobs when it opens in late 2023 and service over 300 Tractor Supply stores at full capacity. The facility includes 50,000 square feet of mezzanine space devoted to the Company’s growing eCommerce business.

To celebrate the occasion, Tractor Supply President and CEO Hal Lawton was joined by Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, Arkansas Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston, Maumelle Mayor Caleb Norris and other local and state dignitaries for the ceremony this morning at the site.

“This distribution center will be a vital link in our supply-chain strategy to better serve our existing stores and future growth in Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma and surrounding states,” said Lawton. “Tractor Supply is committed to a more sustainable future, and our investments in Maumelle support a positive impact on the environment. We are grateful for the strong support for this project at the local and state level and look forward to a being a great

community partner.”

The facility has been designed and will be constructed in line with criteria that address carbon, energy, water, waste and other environmental quality opportunities to qualify for LEED® Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. Its rooftop solar array system will produce an estimated 6 million kW of electricity per year, which will provide all the electricity needed for its operations, achieving a Net Zero energy rating. This system will save the equivalent of almost 4,700 tons of carbon per year, which is another example of the Company’s commitment to being Stewards of Life Out Here. Tractor Supply is currently working towards several Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals, one being to achieve net zero carbon emissions in its operations by 2040.

Tractor Supply officials teamed up with Jones Lang LaSalle (NYSE: JLL), a global Fortune 500 commercial real estate services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management, Arkansas state officials, Maumelle city officials and Entergy Arkansas to select the site.

“I want to congratulate Tractor Supply on the groundbreaking of their tenth distribution center,” said Governor Asa Hutchinson. “Arkansans throughout the state know the value our farm families provide, and Tractor Supply is highly regarded as a leading partner in meeting the needs of our farm families.”

“The investment that Tractor Supply is putting into its Maumelle distribution center will create

hundreds of new jobs and demonstrates how Arkansas is a vital manufacturing and distribution hub,” said Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston. “I want to thank them for the confidence they have placed in our workforce to help them meet the growing needs of their customers.”

“On behalf of the City of Maumelle, I am excited to welcome Tractor Supply to our business community,” said Mayor Caleb Norris. “We are thrilled that they chose to build and create jobs in our growing city. The new Tractor Supply distribution center will be a great addition to our thriving industrial park.”

Tractor Supply will begin hiring for positions at the distribution center in October of 2023. To stay informed on position openings, visit TractorSupply. jobs. Tractor Supply offers competitive wages and a comprehensive benefits package, including paid time off, health care benefits for full-time and part-time Team Members, 401(k) savings plan and Company match, on-demand pay, flexible scheduling, an Employee Stock Purchase Plan, paid parental leave for full-time Team Members, a Team Member discount and so much more.

Tractor Supply currently operates 35 stores in Arkansas and 2,016 stores in total across 49 states. With the addition of a distribution center in Navarre, Ohio, scheduled to be complete later this year, Tractor Supply operates distribution centers in Frankfort, Ny.; Casa Grande, Az.; Franklin, Ky.; Hagerstown, Md.; Macon, Ga.; Pendleton, In.; Waco, Tx.; and Waverly, Ne.

University of Guelph and being nearby is important.”

ZenGUARD™ is a proprietary enhanced-technology coating that transforms simple but critical items, like surgical masks, into advanced protective tools. The patent-pending coating allows local clinics, emergency rooms and surgical units peace of mind to focus on delivering essential medical care to patients in need. Public health protection extends beyond a clinical setting and Zentek is exploring additional uses for its ZenGUARD™ coating, including adding advanced protection to heating, ventilation and air cooling (HVAC) filtration systems.

Mayor Cam Guthrie is proud of this home-grown solution. “It’s companies like Zentek that elevate Guelph in the field of advanced manufacturing. I’m thrilled they’ve chosen to grow and thrive in Guelph, and I welcome the jobs and investment they’re bringing to our city.”

Guelph, Ont., — After two years of research and development, Zentek officially celebrated the opening of its new ZenGUARD™ manufacturing facility at 1123 York Road in June.

The new manufacturing facility is the second Zentek facility in Guelph. Zentek also owns a 4300 square foot research and development laboratory space at 24 Corporate Court.

“We really feel that the sky’s the limit for our company in Guelph,” says Zentek Ltd. director of marketing and communications, Tyler Dunn. “Guelph has everything we need and is a hub of innovation that’s a natural fit for our company. We also have a great working relationship with the

Rigorously tested, and authorized by Health Canada, Zentek actively sells surgical masks with ZenGUARD™ coating online and at Mark’s stores across Canada. They’re excited to take this unique product, made right here in Guelph, to a global stage.

“We’re very happy to see Zentek expand and build their manufacturing capacity here in Guelph,” notes Christine Chapman, Guelph’s manager of Economic Development. “They’re an innovative business that strengthens our city’s position in advanced materials production capabilities while supporting Canada’s healthcare system.”

Learn more about how the City makes it easy to do business in Guelph at guelph.ca/business.

Zentek expands business in Guelph with new ZenGUARD™ manufacturing facility

Previously based in California, Confer, Inc. has become one of the leading financial technology firms that focus on democratizing mortgages. Earlier this month, they announced relocation of the official headquarters of Confer Today was moved from San Francisco to McKinney, TX. The team has an office in the Serendipity Labs Building at Hub 121.

Recently Confer launched its mobile app called Confer Today, which is free to download and free to use on Apple app stores and Google Play stores. This app allows a borrower to compare two or more mortgage offers (Loan Estimates) from different lenders. Their proprietary service, CfaaS (Compare-as-a-Service), compares lenders’ offers fee-by-fee and recommends customizations beneficial to borrowers.

With rising interest rates and scarcity in the housing market supply, many borrowers are extra cautious in choosing the right mortgage product and associated services.

Founder & CEO Yatin Karnik states, “Present market supply conditions have lowered housing affordability, and the Confer app is being introduced to reduce or mitigate the impact when used during the home buying experience. The end goal is to guide buyers in making a conscious and intelligent decision.”

Additionally, the Mortgage Marketplace Confer is building would be a cloud-based platform that enables borrowers to find the best mortgage. Their platform will create a custom mortgage offer where borrowers get to hand-pick lenders and third-party providers, including title-escrow providers, inspection providers, and insurance companies, all in easy to navigate platform. In most cases, this results in thousands in savings over the life of the loan. Confer’s AI-powered app enables borrowers to identify superior mortgage offers quickly. Confer’s platform will offer a wide spectrum of tools and services to all participants of the mortgage process. Confer plans to open up access to the digital platform for mortgage brokers, along with lenders and banks. This will make it easier for mortgage originators, regardless of size, skill, or budget, to expand their third-party provider network faster while increasing the choices provided to the borrowers.

Confer wants to stand out for its next-generation plug-and-play fintech platform that enables banks, lenders, and brokers to provide tools that facilitate informed customer decision-making.

“The innovation that Confer is bringing to the mortgage industry is aligned with the vision for the creative and unique startup ecosystem that is being fostered right here in McKinney. We are excited to welcome them here.”

Peter Tokar, MEDC President

To completely build out the mortgage marketplace, Confer Inc. is seeking $4MM in seed funding. To help achieve this goal, they got listed on the OCMX, a next-generation investor relations firm that helps bridge the gap between companies and financial networks. (https://metro.newschan nelnebraska.com/story/47047648/confer-today-gets-listed-on-the-ocmx)

They are currently running a pilot program in which they are offering a $70 Amazon gift card for providing feedback about the app. Learn more and participate at: https://confer.today/offer/

(Note from Team Confer: We are always considering and exploring new business opportunities. We love connecting with banks, brokers, and realtors. Especially here in our hometown of Texas. Reach out to us if you’re interested in exploring partnership opportunities. If you provide services as part of mortgage loan origination process, we want to hear from you.)

www.confer.today | info@confer.today

Phone: +1 (844) 7CONFER | +1 833-991-7200

Top leadership from BMW, Mercedes-Benz Vans and Volvo Cars came together to discuss the transformation taking place within the automotive industry at the Southern States Energy Board (SSEB) Annual Meeting in Charleston Aug. 29, 2022.

The SSEB, which represents 16 southern states and two territories, works to enhance economic development and quality of life in the South through innovations in energy and environmental policies. Gov. Henry McMaster currently serves as the board’s chair and hosted this year’s annual meeting.

Commerce Secretary Harry Lightsey moderated the discussion and was joined by panelists Dr. Robert Engelhorn, president and CEO of BMW Manufacturing; Axel Bense, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Vans; and David Stenström, vice president, manufacturing, Americas, plant manager at Volvo Car Charleston.

The panelists covered a variety of priority projects for the automotive industry including electrification, sustainability, supply chain and infrastructure to support the transition to the electric vehicle model.or Economic Development has approved job development credits.

S.C.’S TOP AUTOMAKERS COME TOGETHER TO TALK AUTO REVOLUTION

(From left to right) David Stenström, Gov. Henry McMaster, Dr. Robert Engelhorn and Axel Bense

Next-Generation Fintech Platform Confer Announces HQ Relocation to McKinney

ALABAMA

ARIZONA

Cullman Economic Development Agency

Dale Greer

P.O. Box 1009, Cullman, AL 35056 256-739-1891

daleg@cullmaneda.org www.cullmaneda.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

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

Etowah Economic Alliance

Shane Ellison

800 Forrest Avenue Suite 220E Gadsden, AL 35901 256-456-9938 www.littlecanoecreek.com

City of Flagstaff Economic Development

John Saltonstall, AZED Pro Business Retention & Expansion Manager

Economic Vitality Division

Ouachita Partnership for Economic Development

CALIFORNIA

Gadsden Industrial Development Authority

David Hooks, Executive Director

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

City of Flagstaff 211 W. Aspen Avenue Flagstaff, AZ 86001 Office 928-213-2966 Cell 928-606-9430 jsaltonstall@flagstaffaz.gov www.flagstaffaz.gov

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tuscaloosa County Economic Development Authority

Justice Smyth, Executive Director P.O. Box 2667, Tuscaloosa, AL 35403 205-349-1414 info@tcoeda.com www.tcoeda.com

Salt River Project (SRP) Karla Moran P.O. Box 52025 Phoenix, AZ 85072-2025 602-236-2396

Karla.moran@srpnet.com www.powertogrowphx.com

Mississippi County Economic Development

Clif Chitwood 4701 Memorial Drive Blytheville, AR 72315 870-532-6084 clif@cottontosteel.com www.cottontosteel.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 Surprise

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

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

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

FLORIDA

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

Hernando County Office of Economic Development

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

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

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

CONNECTICUT

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

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

Tallahassee-Leon County Office of Economic Vitality

Cristina Paredes, CEcD, Director 315 S. Calhoun Street, Suite 110 Tallahassee, FL 32301 850-219-1080

Cparedes@OEVforBusiness.org www.oevforbusiness.org

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

Elevate Lake Economic Development

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

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

GEORGIA City of College Park

Kent Economic Partnership

Linda Parkowski Executive Director

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

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

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/ City of East Point

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

Wilmington Economic Development Jeff Flynn

800 N. French St., 3rd Floor Wilmington, DE 19801 302-576-2128

jflynn@wilmingtonde.gov www.wilmingtonde.gov

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

Pinellas County Economic Development

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

Forward Forsyth

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

Liberty County Development Authority

Ronald Tolley, CEO 425 W. Oglethorpe Highway Hinesville, GA 31313 912-977-4147

Ron.tolley@comegrow.global www.comegrow.global

City of Litchfield Ecnomic Development

Shelly Herman

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

Putnam Development Authority

Terry Schwindler

Econmical Devleopment Director

117 Putnam Drive, Eaton, GA 31024 706-816-8099

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

Village of Arlington Heights Business & Economic Development 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

INDIANA Huntington County Economic Development

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

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

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

KANSAS

Salina Economic Development Organization

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wyandotte Economic Development Council

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

KENTUCKY

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

CityofPikeville

JillFraleyDotson,Executive EconomicDevelopmentDirector 773HambleyBoulevard Pikeville,KY41501 606-437-5108 info@whypikeville.com www.whypikeville.com

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

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

Julie Oberg, Director 205 Main Street

Prince Frederick, MD 20678 410-535-4583

julie.oberg@calvertcountymd.gov www.ecalvert.com

Kent County Department of Economic & Tourism Development

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

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

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

SWLA Economic Development ALLIANCE

George Swift 4310 Ryan Street

Lake Charles LA 70605 337-433-3632

gswift@allianceswla.org www.allianceswla.org

Cecil County Economic Development

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

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 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

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

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

Dorchester County Economic Development

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

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

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

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

The Agency-Broome County IDA/LDC 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

North Carolina Global Transpark 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

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

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

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

RHODE ISLAND

City of Cranston

Lawrence DiBoni, Director of Economic Development 869 Park Avenue

New Jersey EDA

Pat J. Rose

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

NEW MEXICO

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

NORTH CAROLINA

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

NORTH DAKOTA

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

EDC of Lea County

Jennifer Grassham, CEO

200 E. Broadway Street

Hobbs, NM 88240 573-397-2039 jennifer@edclc.org www.edclc.org

NEW YORK

Beaufort County Economic Development 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

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

Quonset Development Corporation

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

Allegany County Industrial Development Agency

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

Harnett County Economic Development

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

OKLAHOMA 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

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

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

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

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

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

Karen Dickson

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

NETWORKS – Sullivan Partnership

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

TEXAS

SouthernCarolina Regional Alliance

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

TENNESSEE 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

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

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

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/econom ic-development

Bowie Economic Development Corporation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jacksboro Economic Development Corporation

Lynda Pack Executive Director P.O. Box 610

Jacksboro, TX 76458 940-567-3151

lyndapack@jacksboroedc.com www.jacksboroedc.com

Plainview Economic Development Corporation

Kristi Aday, Executive Director 1906 West 5th Plainview, TX 79072 806-293-8536

kaday@plainviewtx.org www.plainviewedc.org

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 pbailey@bedfordcountyva.gov www.bedfordeconomicdevelopment. com

Laredo Economic Development

Gene Lindgren President & CEO

P.O. Box 2682

Laredo, TX 78044 956-722-0563 glindgren@laredoedc.org www.laredoedc.org

TexAmericas Center

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

WASHINGTON

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

Marble Falls EDC

Christian Fletcher

801 Fourth Street

Marble Falls, TX 78654 830-798-7079

cfletcher@marblefallseconomy.com www.marblefallseconomy.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

Mount Pleasant EDC

Nathan Tafoya, Executive Director

1604 N. Jefferson Ave.

Mount Pleasant, TX 75455 903-572-6602 nathan@mpedc.org www.mpedc.org

UTAH Eagle Mountain Economic Development

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

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

New Braunfels EDC

Michele Boggs

Marketing/Research Director

390 S. Seguin Avenue

New Braunfels, TX 78130 830-608-2811

michele@innewbraunfels.com www.newbraunfelsedc.com

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

VIRGINA

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

WISCONSIN

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

Pflugerville Community Development

Amy Madison 3801 Helios Way Suite 130

Pflugerville, TX 78660 512-990-3725 amym@pfdevelopment.com www.pfevelopment.com

Arlington Economic Development

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

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

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

MANITOBA

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

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

County of Elgin 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 Mississauga Economic Development

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

Calgary Economic Development 500 Centre Street S, 32nd Floor

Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2G 1A6 403-221-7831 info@calgaryeconomicdevelopment.com www.calgaryeconomicdevelopment.com

Town of Ajax Samuel Twumasi Manager, Economic Development & Tourism 65 Harwood Avenue South Ajax, Ontario, Canada L1S 2H9 905-619-2529 ext. 3281 samuel.twumasi@ajax.ca www.ajax.ca

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

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

NEW BRUNSWICK

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

Ignite Fredericton

Paula Lehr

40 Crowther Lane, Ste. 100

Fredericton, NB E3C 0J1 506-282-0624

paula.lehr@ignitefredericton.com www.ignitefredericton.com