Gary Daughters

Atlanta

Senior Editor at Site Selection

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siteselection.com

Articles

Workforce and incentives propel the evolution of a signature industry.

Oct 11, 2024 | siteselection.com | Gary Daughters

Back in the late 1970s, Jan Polka wanted to burnish the look of the tractor-trailer he hauled gravel in. He cut up some sheet metal, spiffed it up with chrome and fitted out his rig with some shiny new wheel covers. He started getting looks. His truck, that is. “People kept asking me on the CB radio, ‘Where’d you get those wheel covers?’ Polka recalls.
Illinois’ singular assets earn “Tech Hub” status and propel new engines of sustainable production.

Oct 11, 2024 | siteselection.com | Gary Daughters

When doling out taxpayer dollars under the Biden Administration’s Tech Hubs program, the U.S. Commerce Department is quick to cite the numbers behind its granular vetting process. Of close to 500 coalitions that formed nationwide in hopes of receiving funding under the CHIPS and Science Act, a mere 31 were granted Tech Hub status after an initial knock-out round that concluded in October of 2023.
Expanding incentives support a growing ecosystem.

Oct 10, 2024 | siteselection.com | Gary Daughters

When the 100,000th Rivian rolled off the line at the automaker’s plant in Illinois last spring, the smiles of assembled Rivian autoworkers reflected the spirit of a banner draped across the SUV’s windshield: “Built With Normal Pride,” it read. The moment served as another mark of validation for an electric vehicle maker that landed in 2017 in Normal, Illinois, amid certain reserves of doubt.
Federal Tech Hub status stokes Nevada’s clean energy dreams.

Oct 4, 2024 | siteselection.com | Gary Daughters

When doling out taxpayer dollars under the Biden Administration’s Tech Hubs program, the U.S. Commerce Department is quick to refer to some of the numbers behind its granular vetting process. Of 379 public-private coalitions that formed nationwide to pursue this sliver of federal funding under the CHIPS and Science Act, a mere 31 received Tech Hub designations after an initial knock-out round that concluded in September of 2023.
Offshore wind doubles down against adversity.

Oct 3, 2024 | siteselection.com | Gary Daughters

When it comes to some of the headwinds facing the nascent offshore wind industry (see “Keeping Up with the Jones Act,” Site Selection, July 2024), officials from both the public and private sectors are prone to saying that the project led by the Biden Administration is simply too important to fail.
Upstate New York’s burgeoning semiconductor sector is poised for a welcome jolt.

Oct 2, 2024 | siteselection.com | Gary Daughters

Demand for electricity, both commercial and residential, is surging nationwide, even as aging grids show signs of strain. That’s why Upstate Upgrade, a $4 billion investment by the utility National Grid, is one of several potential game changers for Upstate New York and its surging semiconductor sector. The six-year project announced in March is to yield more than 1,000 miles of new transmission lines along with new and upgraded substations across 10 Upstate counties.
With a proven record of promoting growth, Portland’s neighborhood rail is set to expand.

Oct 1, 2024 | siteselection.com | Gary Daughters

Built incrementally at a current cost of $250 million and considered the model of “second generation” urban rail projects, the Portland Streetcar began producing dividends even before it entered service in 2001. A 2016 study by the Federal Transit Administration found that as of the 1997 decision to go forward with the project, $4.5 billion of market value had been developed along the Streetcar’s path, including 7.7 million sq. ft. of commercial space and 18,000 residential units.
Michigan takes another road to industrial site development.

Sep 8, 2024 | siteselection.com | Gary Daughters

With speed to market an increasingly crucial consideration for global manufacturers, having a deep portfolio of ready industrial sites has gone from being a competitive advantage to a strategic imperative for states pursuing transformative economic development projects. “We want to make sure that the sites that we’re developing fit exactly what companies are looking for.”— Paul O’Connell, MEDC VP of Real Estate DevelopmentEnter MI Sites.
But changes roil global supply chains.

Sep 4, 2024 | siteselection.com | Gary Daughters

Texas, Illinois and Ohio once again lead the Top 10 states for logistics facility projects documented over the past five years by Site Selection’s Conway Projects Database. Chicagoland, Dallas-Fort Worth and Greater Houston hardened their locks as leaders among the Top 10 metros. The data reveal continued surges in distribution center activity in Texas (14.5%) and Pennsylvania (22.1%).
Keeping Up with the Jones Act

Aug 9, 2024 | siteselection.com | Gary Daughters

Amid the headwinds confronting the Biden administration’s ambitious goals for offshore wind energy, Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project continues to move forward. The largest such project of its kind, CVOW is expected to produce 2.6 gigawatts of electricity, a sizable chunk of the administration’s goal of 30 gigawatts by 2030.