What are “third places” in communities, and why are they important to cultivate for economic development?

Categories: Quality of Life
Tagged: bookstores, coffee shops, community, Ray Oldenburg, talent attraction, The Great Good Place, third places,

A number of communities and states are actively and formally promoting themselves as ideal locales for retirement. The new breed of retiree is actually less retiring and in many cases maintaining an active lifestyle that might even include some work. Housing and health care options are important but so are quality of place attributes such as access to cultural amenities and outdoor recreation opportunities.

Categories: Quality of Life, Research
Tagged: Go Texan, Retire Tennessee, Retirees, Retirement,

In case you missed them, some major deals, investments and job creation notes from around the country this week.

Categories: Deals
Tagged: Charlotte USA, Kentucky, Missouri, Nashville TN, Tennessee,

After being courted by dozens of states, Caterpillar Inc. announced plans yesterday to locate one of its major manufacturing facilities from Japan to Athens, Ga. What helped the northeast Georgia community land the deal?

Categories: Job Creation, Site Selection
Tagged: advanced manufacturing, Athens Ga., Caterpillar Inc., global markets, Port of Charleston, Port of Savannah, Reshoring,

Manufacturing drives research and innovation. It promotes skills development. And it pays better than a lot of other jobs. The average hourly pay for a factory worker making durable goods was $20.15 in January, almost a dollar an hour better than the broad service category.

Categories: Research
Tagged: Dean Barber, manufacturing, Reshoring,

General Electric has opened its GE Appliance’s GeoSpring Hybrid Water Heater manufacturing facility at Appliance Park in Louisville. The $38 million investment in the new product and a revitalized facility is the first realization of commitments GE has made since 2009 to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in Louisville and create more than 1,000 new jobs in Kentucky by 2014.

Categories: Deals, Job Creation
Tagged: Amazon.com, Delaware, GE, GE Appliances, Kansas Economy, Kentucky manufacturing, Louisiana economy, Louisville, Union Pacific, YRC Freight, Zumiez,

High-tech industries are growing across the U.S. Where are the biggest surges in the sector? Some of these locations might surprise you.

Categories: Job Creation, Site Selection
Tagged: aerospace, biotech, California, Colorado, Delaware, Dell, DuPont, engineering, high-tech industry, information technology, Lockheed Martin, Maryland, Massachusetts, National Science Board, Nevada, New Jersey, pharmaceuticals, Raytheon, science, software design, Texas, Texas Instruments, Utah, Verizon, Virginia, Words With Friends,