USA – Great Plains
Latest: 20 Communities To Address Climate Change, Resilience, Social Equity - The U.S. Green Building Council is expanding its LEED for Cities and Communities program with a new $500,000 grant from Bank of America.
20 Communities To Address Climate Change, Resilience, Social Equity
The U.S. Green Building Council is expanding its LEED for Cities and Communities program with a new $500,000 grant from Bank of America.
January / February 2020 Issue (Volume 53, Number 1)
The January / February 2020 Issue features our State of the Year and Deal of the Year winners. Plus, a look at energy, aerospace, exports and data centers.
BF Location Video: Innovation – Topeka, Kansas
GO Topeka creates opportunities for economic growth that provide a thriving business climate and fulfilling lifestyle for Topeka and Shawnee County. Learn more.
Michigan’s Fiat Chrysler Expansion Is BF’s Deal Of The Year
Michigan Economic Development Corp. has been awarded BF’s 2019 Deal of the Year Gold Award for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' (FCA) expansion
Minimum Wage Will Increase In Majority Of U.S. States In 2020
California, New York City, and the District of Columbia will experience the biggest impact of minimum wage increases next year.
GM Investing $1.5B In Missouri Expansion
The auto company's investment will retain 4,000 jobs at its Wentzville, MO plant, where it will build its next generation mid-size trucks.
Kansas Picked For $200M Walmart Distribution Center
The retail giant will create 300 full-time jobs at its new distribution center at the Kanza Fire Commerce Park in Topeka, KS.
Survey Says U.S. Employees Are The Happiest Employees
A new global survey by Mindspace confirms that employees of large U.S. companies are happiest, but small to medium enterprises (SMEs) lag far behind.
Three Companies Expanding, Investing $4.9M In Kansas City, MO
Homebase, Simplifyy and Mark II Transfer Station are expected to bring a total of 388 new jobs to the Kansas City, MO region.
Casey’s General Stores Investing $50M In Missouri
The new state-of-the-art warehousing, logistics and distribution facility in Joplin, MO will create up to 125 new jobs.
Agribusiness: Harvesting Growth In Stormy Weather
Despite a trade war with China that’s clobbering U.S. farmers, locations that have established strong agribusiness and food processing sectors continue to thrive as production moves closer to markets.
EPA Grants 26 Organizations $5.1M In Environmental Job Training Grants
The environmental workforce and job training grants will help transform economically disadvantaged communities across the U.S.
New Report Ranks Cities By Ease Of Doing Business
The inaugural Doing Business North America report measures business regulations across 115 cities in Canada, the United States and Mexico.
Opportunity Zones: Window Of Opportunity
The new federal qualified opportunity zone (QOZ) tax credits are expected to unleash up to $6 trillion in capital investment in more than 8,700 economically distressed areas in the U.S.
Clean Energy: New York Joins Top 5, Maryland Is Most Improved
Across the U.S, states are promoting clean energy with energy-saving rules for buildings, appliances, and more, according to the 2019 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard.
Faith Technologies, Excellerate Manufacturing Expanding In Kansas
The new 450,000-square-foot facility in Olathe, KS is expected to add more than 780 positions over the next few years.
Shovel-Ready Sites: Ready To Hit The Ground Running
Precertified sites—also known as shovel-ready sites—speed up the development cycle for projects by cutting the red tape and lining up key approvals in advance of the site selection process.
TX Tops Cybersecurity Leaderboard, KS Surges In Wind Power
Texas has topped the leaderboard in Cybersecurity Growth Potential and Kansas is the top-ranked state for the percentage of electricity generated from Wind Power in Business Facilities' 15th Annual Rankings Report
Business Facilities’ 2019 Metro Rankings Report
Business Facilities' 2019 Metro Rankings Report takes a look at the hot topics in economic development on the city level, including job growth, economic growth potential, tech opportunities and more.
Niagara Bottling Investing $68M In Kansas City Region
The California-based beverage manufacturer's new 420,000-square-foot facility will create nearly 50 jobs in Kansas City, MO.
Bioscience: A Cash Crop In Iowa
Iowa has always been an agricultural powerhouse, so it’s no surprise the Cornhusker State is a leader in bioscience with 1,266 firms in the sector, from startups to global leaders in R&D.
Logistics & Distribution: Delivering The Goods In A Real-Time Economy
Efficiency, optimization and speed have always been top priorities in logistics and transportation. Today, as digital transformations are ushering in the next revolution of industry, known as Industry 4.0, these priorities are even more crucial.
USDA Relocating Two Key Agencies To Kansas City Region
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service and National Institute of Food & Agriculture will relocate operations from DC to KC; the project is expected to bring 568 new jobs to the area.
May / June 2019 Issue (Volume 52, Number 3)
The May / June 2019 Issue looks at locations that are making foreign direct investment an economic development priority. Plus, our editor's picks for tech hubs, and an exclusive interview with Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards.
Two Local Companies Expanding In St. Joseph, MO
LifeLine Foods and Boehringer Ingelheim will each make significant investments at their St. Joseph, MO facilities, totaling more than $34 million.
Fairmont, Minnesota: Growing Side By Side
Agribusiness, manufacturing and distribution are thriving shoulder-to-shoulder in Fairmont, a rural gem in south central Minnesota.
Data Centers: 5-G Day
The introduction of 5G small cell technology means changes in data center infrastructure as well as significant increases in their processing speeds and volumes.
North Dakota Investing $33M In UAS Infrastructure
The state’s investment represents one of the largest Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) for unmanned aircraft systems investments in the U.S.
STEM Leaders: Moving To The Head Of The Class
The battle for America’s future as a global technology leader is being waged in locations that have initiated innovative programs to increase the number of graduates with STEM skills.
Workforce Training & Talent Acquisition
Today’s workforce training and talent acquisition is a multi-faceted effort that brings targeted skills to students, and new workers to locations they’ll be happy to live in.
March / April 2019 Issue (Volume 52, Number 2)
The March / April 2019 Issue features a look at workforce training programs, manufacturing growth, biotechnology and STEM leaders. Plus, data centers and green development.
Food Processing: Digital Transformation Is On The Menu
Food manufacturers are picking up the pace in adapting to the emerging industrial Internet of Things, with nearly a third of facilities in the sector now utilizing wireless networks.
Kansas: Broadband For All In The Sunflower State
A new State Office of Broadband Development in Kansas is working to make sure rural parts of the state can get the same high-speed service as urban centers.
Toyota Ramps Up U.S. Investment
By 2021, Toyota will now invest nearly $13 billion in its U.S. operations with plans to add nearly 600 new jobs at American manufacturing plants
Business Facilities LiveXchange Registration Closes Today!
Today is your last chance to register for this dynamic event that connects growing companies with economic development agencies from across the U.S.
How An Iowa Location Can Improve The Bottom Line
The Iowa Certified Site program streamlines the site selection process and offers multiple options, including a green business park, industrial sites and parks, and mega sites.
Top Utilities: Power Players For Development
Size counts, but when it comes to making our picks for forward-thinking utilities, so do smart grids, renewable energy and a seat at the table when economic development deals are negotiated.
January / February 2019 Issue (Volume 52, Number 1)
The January / February 2019 issue features our annual State of the Year and Deal of the Year awards, our editor's picks for top utilities, and more.
KanPak U.S. Opens New Warehouse In Kansas
The 202,800-square-foot Arkansas City facility will serve customers such as Chick-fil-A and Whataburger, among others.
Government Shutdown Negatively Impacted Nearly One In Five Business Owners
A new survey from Paychex found 19 percent of business owners said the government shutdown had a negative impact on their business outlook, 68 percent said they were unaffected, and 13 percent reported a positive impact.
Featured Location Spotlight
Location Spotlight: Hoosier Energy
The Hoosier Energy Power Network’s Economic Development team is dedicated to providing valuable site selection information and assistance to companies considering a relocation or expansion in Indiana or Illinois.
Featured Location Videos
BF Location Video: Camp Hall Commerce Park – Charleston, SC
Camp Hall is a first-of-its-kind, master-planned industrial work space located in Charleston, S.C. As a convergence of people, place and programming, Camp Hall delivers thoughtful infrastructure and logistical features that empower people — and business — to thrive.