The Business Facilities Podcast

From life sciences to aerospace innovation, Montgomery County, Maryland is a powerhouse location for high-growth industries. This episode with Jared Smith, President & CEO of the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation reveals why companies — from global giants to emerging startups — are finding success here. Dubbed "DNA Alley", the county's proximity to Washington, DC affords companies access to 18 federal agencies, including NIH and FDA. Aerospace and defense firms find a thriving industry ecosystem that includes an established satellite communications niche. The conversation also examines commercialization opportunities and strategic partnerships for business. And, the highly-educated, diverse workforce supports companies in multiple industries. Listen now for the latest insight about one of the country’s fastest-growing innovation ecosystems.

As manufacturers face rising energy demands and increased speed to market as a priority, effective collaboration between site selection teams, utilities, and economic developers is key. Companies operating continuous, high-load facilities know energy reliability and resilience are critical. In this episode, leaders from the Greater Richmond Partnership, Dominion Energy, and Columbia Gas of Virginia discuss the impact of coordinated planning for manufacturers to navigate their infrastructure needs, accelerate speed to market, and reduce operational risk. The conversation includes insights on scalable power solutions, electric and natural gas integration, data center impacts, and site readiness.

Our conversation with Megan Healy, Chief of Talent and Workforce Strategy for the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, is a comprehensive view into how the Commonwealth fortifies its world-class talent base to meet the needs of business for today’s economy. Hear how businesses benefit from the award-winning Virginia Talent Accelerator Program, and how the new InternshipsVA program links employers and students.

Our conversation with Christopher Chung, CEO of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC), gives a high-level look at how the state cultivates its business-friendly environment and a closer look at what is on the horizon in 2026.

Our conversation with Jason El Koubi, Virginia Economic Development Partnership President & CEO, reveals a robust environment for innovation across the Commonwealth. From biopharma to aerospace, and from food & beverage to business services, companies in Virginia access rich resources for growth.

With a strategic location on the U.S. East Coast, North Carolina’s ports provide world-class advantages. We spoke with Aaron Brott, Senior Director, Key Clients & Trade Development at NC Ports to explore the state-of-the-art facilities and services the Port of Wilmington and the Port of Morehead City offer business, with a highlight on Wilmington’s modern, expansive cold storage capabilities. Presented by ElectriCities of North Carolina

From its coast on the Atlantic Ocean to its vast inland waterways, North Carolina provides an extensive network for companies throughout the marine industry to thrive. We spoke with Bob Peele, Director at the North Carolina Marine Industrial Authority, to explore what the state offers companies in the marine industry, including boat building, commercial fishing, and the products and services supporting those businesses. Presented by ElectriCities of North Carolina.

Presented by ElectriCities of North Carolina, this conversation shares a look into the Golden LEAF Foundation’s impact across the state. Borne through the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with cigarette manufacturers, this nonprofit is focused on increasing economic opportunity in rural communities through grantmaking. While its industry focus is broad, the biomanufacturing sector has seen great strides with the help of the Foundation’s work. This is the first episode of a podcast series presented by ElectriCities of North Carolina, with introductions by Carl Rees, CEcD, Manager, Economic and Community Development there.

With a momentous 2024 for investment in Minnesota, including $12 billion from high-growth industries, Catalina Valencia, Director of Business Development with the Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development talks about the Star of the North as a hotbed of growth

From the Port of Virginia to the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel expansion and an eye on air cargo facilities, the Commonwealth of Virginia connects business to markets domestically and globally.

From launch to legacy, companies find opportunity for growth and profitability in the Palmetto State. Hear success stories, and what the future holds for the next generation of business.

Lubbock (Texas) Economic Development Alliance CEO John Osborne discusses the current state of Lubbock’s economy, how downtown revitalization has generated more interest in the area and much more.  

Taking the helm in Fall 2023, Aaron Demerson, President & CEO of Texas Economic Development Corporation (TxEDC) delves into his vision to continue to grow the state's success. With workforce as one driving force, the Lone Star State is firing on all cylinders as a desirable location for new and existing businesses across all industries.

Workforce remains a top factor in site selection. Companies in aerospace and defense are no exception. Jeff Troan, Managing Director at Vista Site Selection, discusses the data analytics tool his firm employs to work with clients to identify locations that offer the workforce demographics they require. His experience in the aerospace industry includes three decades at Lockheed Martin, and he brings this perspective to discussion. We caught up with Troan at Business Facilities LiveXchange in Columbus, OH to discuss the value of data analytics and site selection for aerospace and defense projects.

As President of State Tax Credits at OnCentive, Sabrina Champagne and her team work with companies during their relocation and expansion projects to ensure these clients are capturing all the federal, state, and local tax credits available to the company's specific situation. A proactive and dedicated focus on tax credits helps to reduce the total scope of these projects, both during and after the initial relocation or expansion.  We caught up with Champagne at Business Facilities LiveXchange in Columbus, OH to discuss several ways companies can benefit.

As Founder and President of SelectGlobal, Michael Edgar works with companies and communities to create foreign direct investment solutions. With a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises, Edgar provides a quick insight on factors that add up to achieving FDI project success. We caught up with him at Business Facilities LiveXchange Emerging Industries in Columbus, OH.

With the proliferation high growth, tech centric industry that includes advanced manufacturing, data centers, electric vehicles, chip manufacturing, and AI and robotics, both site selectors and communities are adapting to new and evolving requirements for company relocation and expansion projects. In this podcast, we interview Mike Grella of Grella Partnership Strategies and Carl Nelson of Infrastructure Ready to talk about what they're seeing in their work for these sectors. 

The wave of companies looking to reshore and nearshore their manufacturing operations shows no sign of abating. Rosemary Coates, Founder and Executive Director of the Reshoring Institute, shares her perspective on planning and implementing a return to the U.S., including the rebuilding of domestic supply chains across the U.S for traditional and emerging industries. 

You’re ready to relocate or expand, but do the locations on the shortlist have the people you need to keep business moving and thriving? Across industries, the ongoing shortage of skilled or ready to train employees makes workforce one of the tougher items on today’s site selection checklist. This panel discussion with site selectors, recorded at the 2023 Business Facilities LiveXchange, covers insights from their experiences, as well as a look at what might be changing for 2023.

Recorded at the 2023 Business Facilities LiveXchange, this presentation by Taylor Murray of Maxis Advisors discusses business incentives for expanding or relocating companies. What kinds of incentives are most impactful for a project? How do economic incentives and tax policy affect site selection decisions? Taylor also discusses national and state level policy trends that affect economic development and how client companies evaluate these trends in their site selection searches.

Recorded at the 2023 Business Facilities LiveXchange, this presentation by Dr. Anirban Basu of Sage Policy Group provides in-depth analysis of the major factors shaping economic outcomes, including central bank policymaking, worker attitudes, business confidence, and geopolitics. It then turns toward a forecast for the year to come, highlighting the major risks that economic stakeholders will likely encounter.