Business Facilities January / February 2021
ON THE COVER
State of the Year: North Carolina | A rising star with a global reach, North Carolina has been on our radar for several years. In 2020, NC was a top 10 state in our most important State Rankings categories. Now, the Tar Heel State has won our top honor for the first time.
FEATURES
2020 Economic Development Deal of the Year Awards
Gold Award: Cybertruck Gigafactory | Elon Musk likes to invent new words to describe his products and his manufacturing facilities. Tesla’s newest Gigafactory grabs our Gold Award for Greater Austin, TX.
Silver Award: Turning Renewables Into Diesel | Louisiana may be a fossil fuel giant, but the Pelican State has its eye on a green future. Our Silver prize goes to Louisiana Economic Development for the $9.2-billion Grön Fuels complex.
Bronze Award: Regional HQ in Charlotte | Centene’s transformative project delivers more than 3,000 new jobs and our Bronze Award to the City of Charlotte, NC. Plus, Honorable Mentions!
Editor’s Picks: Top Utilities | Electricity consumption in the commercial sector during 2020 was down, but our top power players are all preparing for a robust recovery in 2021.
Preparation Is Key | States across the country are implementing certification programs that give available sites a shovel ready designation—labeling them primed and ready for economic development.
West Virginia: Rising To The Challenge | Governor Jim Justice gives BF an inside look at his successful strategy to distribute vaccines.
60 Seconds… with Ryan Combs, Research Triangle Regional Partnership | Combs, Executive Director at North Carolina’s Research Triangle Regional Partnership, discusses foreign direct investment, higher education, and biotech in the region.
SPECIAL REPORTS
Time For Lift-Off | Commercial aviation took a much harder hit than the defense industry last year, and it will take longer to recover as the hospitality industry struggles.
Bouncing Back | Florida continues to look for ways to regain its economic strength, and shine like it should.
The Future Will Be Electric | Electric vehicle sales, and the charging stations that power them, are still on the rise, despite reductions in general car usage.
Nurturing In The Natural State | Through the pandemic, Arkansas has defined resiliency, remaining open and ready for business.
Gigs Of Growth In Data Capacity | With more than 373MW of new data center capacity under construction, CBRE is forecasting that total data center inventory will grow by 13.8 percent this year.
Business Is Booming In Box Elder | This Utah county continues to learn and grow in order to help create a community where business can thrive.
Living Large In Life Sciences | With the need for new treatments more urgent than ever, private investors put more than $16 billion to work in the life sciences sector in the first half of 2020.
Making It Happen In Missouri | Joplin is a regional transportation hub and a thriving, diverse community of dreamers and doers.
Still Bigger, Still Better, Still Texas | The stars align to create the most advantageous business climate for expanding and relocating companies.
One-Stop Shop In NC | Food processing facilities are flocking to North Carolina thanks to its diverse agricultural economy and acclaimed food science resources.
On The Short List For Investment | The Edmonton Metropolitan Region has what the world needs to solve some of its biggest challenges.
BUSINESS REPORTS
Kansas: Setting The Table | Food processing is thriving in the nation’s breadbasket.
Louisiana: Producing More Plastics | Shintech invests $1.3 billion to expand its manufacturing and packaging facilities.
Nevada: Linking Hands With Canada | MineConnect will give rural northeastern Nevada access to the heart of the Canadian mining industry.
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