95 U.S. Manufacturing Plants Earn 2020 ENERGY STAR Certification
These ENERGY STAR certified plants saved nearly $400 million on energy bills — equal to the payroll value of over 8,000 U.S. manufacturing jobs.
Top Utilities: Power Players
Electricity demand in the commercial sector was down by 6 percent while the industrial sector saw a 6.9 percent reduction in 2020 due to the impact of the pandemic on the U.S. economy.
January / February 2021 Issue (Volume 54, Number 1)
The January / February 2021 Issue features our annual State of the Year and Deal of the Year awards. Plus, our editor's top utility picks, the future of electric vehicles, and more.
Honorable Mention Awards: 2020 Economic Development Deal Of The Year
Our 2020 Deal of the Year competition drew the most diverse (and impressive) field of projects to date, making it much tougher to narrow down our annual list of Honorable Mentions.
Mayors Urge Congress To Pass Biden Plan For Direct Aid To All Cities
More than 280 Republican, Democratic, and Independent mayors urge lawmakers to save jobs, boost recovery with desperately needed direct aid to all cities.
Tesla Gigafactory In Texas Is BF’s 2020 Deal Of The Year
Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce has earned BF's 2020 Deal of the Year Gold Award for landing the Tesla Gigafactory project, which will create 5,000 jobs in the region.
Half Of U.S. States To See Minimum Wage Increases In 2021
Many states will make changes to their minimum wage laws in 2021; greatest impacts will be seen in California, Washington and Florida.
California Tops 2020 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard
Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, New York round out top 5 states for energy efficiency, Nevada is most improved in annual ACEEE report.
Pretzels, Inc. Building New Production Facility In Kansas
The pretzel and snack products manufacturer will make a significant investment in the construction of a new 146,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art production facility at VenturePark in Lawrence, KS.
Empirical Foods Breaks Ground On $250M Facility In Kansas
The ground beef facility in Garden City, KS is expected to be finished between 2022 and 2023, and will create 250 new jobs.
Agribusiness: Both Sides Of The Coin
Even when it would seem so, not everything is simply win-win—especially when adjusting to the reality of COVID-19 and keeping vital supply lines open for essentials.
Nor-Am Cold Storage Adds 90 New Jobs In Kansas
Nor-Am Cold Storage has invested $30 million in a new 148,000-square-foot cold storage warehouse in Dodge City, KS.
Startup Ecosystems: Seeding The Land With Startups
Locations are nurturing startup ecosystems with access to skilled labor, angel investors, higher ed resources and an affordable quality of life that is attracting talent.
Rolls-Royce Investing $13.9M In Minnesota Expansion
The multi-phase expansion will add production lines, testing capabilities, and manufacturing jobs at the company's Mankato, MN Power Systems business unit.
Cybersecurity 2.0
The red-hot growth sector of cybersecurity has created more than a million new jobs. The bad news: half of these critical cyber jobs are going unfilled due to a shortage of skilled workers.
New York City Leads 2020 City Clean Energy Scorecard
Boston, Seattle, Minneapolis, and San Francisco round out the top U.S. cities growing their clean energy efforts, according to ACEEE's newly-released 2020 City Clean Energy Scorecard.
New Electric Transmission Line Will Create 1,000 Jobs In Kansas
The new 800-mile Grain Belt Express electric transmission line will carry low-cost, Kansas wind energy to consumers across the Midwest, and create nearly 1,000 jobs.
Amazon Hiring 100,000 New Employees Across U.S., Canada
In September alone, Amazon will open 100 new operations buildings — including fulfillment centers, delivery stations, sortation centers and other sites.
Topeka Will Pay Up To $10K To Remote Workers That Buy A Home
The Choose Topeka Relocation Incentive is expanding to encourage remote workers to relocate to Kansas’ capital city, recently named a top 10 housing market by realtor.com.
Thermo Fisher Scientific Opens COVID-19 VTM Manufacturing Plant
The new $40 million facility in Lenexa, KS was built in six weeks to rapidly expand the company's production of viral transport media (VTM).
Listen Now: Living And Learning In Lubbock, Texas, With John Osborne, CEO, Lubbock EDA
Lubbock EDA CEO John Osborne discusses business climate and downtown revitalization in the Business Facilities Podcast.
2023 Deals Of The Year
Entries for Deal of the Year awards spanned industries, investment types, and winning strategies. Here are the stories of this year’s picks.
2023 State Of The Year: Opportunity Awaits In Texas
A robust business climate and strategic growth during 2023 earns the Lone Star State this recognition.
[VIDEO] Get More for Your Business in Ardmore. Oklahoma
The ADA owns three industrial parks and several single sites and buildings, giving our organization both the power and incentive to negotiate favorable terms for expanding companies.
Location Spotlight: Colorado’s Grand Junction – Where Business Meets Adventure
The Grand Junction area is the largest metropolitan area in western Colorado, with the amenities and infrastructure companies need to operate globally. Situated halfway between Denver and Salt Lake City, the Grand Junction area is easily accessible by air, rail, highway, and WiFi.