BF: Louisiana has emerged as a national leader in workforce training with the Louisiana FastStart™ program. Is the availability of customized pre-employment training becoming a deciding factor in site selection decisions? SM: In less than two years, Louisiana FastStart™ definitely has become one of our most powerful and effective recruiting tools during site-selection competitions. As one of the nation’s to ...

From the Desk of the Editor in Chief ...

A galaxy of emerging stars made this year’s selections a tough choice for our panel of editors. Here are the standouts that caught our eye with sparkling innovation and steadfast growth. ...

Astrellas Pharma U.S. Picks Glenview, IL for Headquarters Gov. Pat Quinn has announced an approximately $4 million investment package to assist Astellas Pharma US, Inc. in establishing their new corporate headquarters for the Americas in Glenview. The state’s business package will leverage $140 million in private investment and will create 150 new jobs, further strengthening the economy of Northeast Illinoi ...

Evaluating labor costs shouldn’t be labor intensive. Here are some handy tips for sorting your way through conflicting data sources and calculating wages at a prospective site. ...

Governor Dave Heineman’s long-term approach has put in place a solid foundation for a thriving, diversified economy with a home-grown workforce. ...

A collaboration with top CEOs combined with new renewable energy incentives creates a new engine for job growth in the Grand Canyon State. ...

Ohio Companies Making a Material Difference in Advanced Energy In recent years, Ohio has made significant commitments to the support of advanced and alternative energy solutions, including the adoption of renewable portfolio standards and a State Job Stimulus program in advanced energy. Ohio Third Frontier also has made major investments, accelerating the success of advanced energy projects and industries i ...

As the slow pace of the economic recovery continues to impact many industries, you will need to restructure your distribution networks to maximize efficiency and minimize miles to capitalize on better economic days to come. ...

Dennis Mullen recently was officially named chairman of New York’s Empire State Development agency, which has been actively involved in revamping the state’s incentives programs. BF: The elimination of the Empire Zones program on June 30 has generated a lot of controversy across New York. What will you replace it with? DM: Since its creation in 1986, the Empire Zones Program has gone through numerous revisi ...