< Previous194 NOVEMBER 2018 SI T E S E L E C T IO NMississippi State University is among 12 North American universities participating in the EcoCAR Mobility Challenge. This is its fifth consecutive time participating in the nation’s premier automotive engineering competition, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, General Motors and Mathworks. Over the next four years, MSU students will re-engineer a 2019 Chevrolet Blazer to incorporate advanced propulsion systems, automation and vehicle connectivity, all while maintaining improved energy efficiency, safety and consumer acceptability.The competition is managed by Argonne National Laboratory and provides students with real-world experience solving complex engineering challenges, while also building teamwork and leadership skills that they will take with them into their future careers. MSU’s team is led by faculty advisor Randy Follett, an associate professor in the university’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The team will work on the car at MSU’s Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems.by MARK ARENDmar k .ar end@ site s ele c tion.c omMississippiST A TE SPO TLIGHTof State MobilityIllustration by Richard Nenoff; Getty Images196 NOVEMBER 2018 SI T E S E L E C T IO N“This competition is a great opportunity for students in a wide range of majors to get real work experience in the automotive industry,” Follett said. “Students who have participated on our teams previously have gone on to take jobs at the Department of Energy, General Motors, and other related businesses. Not only that, but it is a great opportunity to get to work on a multidisciplinary team, which provides benefits to the students, no matter where they end up working.”MSU has been competing in the Department of Energy’s Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions since 2004. Among many honors the student teams have received in the competitions, MSU’s EcoCAR teams earned overall first place finishes in 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2012.Fasten Your SeatbeltsThe EcoCAR Mobility Challenge will incorporate SAE Level 2 automation, which provides for some automated functions like accelerating and steering, but the driver must remain engaged with the driving task and monitor the environment. The teams will use onboard sensors and wireless communication from the vehicle’s surrounding environment to improve the car’s overall operation.In addition to providing hands-on experience with the latest automotive technologies for MSU Bagley College of Engineering students, the competition will provide opportunities for communication and business students to participate in projects that give students a multi-disciplinary approach like what they would experience while working in the automotive industry.General Motors provides each of the 12 competing teams with a 2019 Chevrolet Blazer, as well as vehicle components, seed money, technical mentoring and operational support. MathWorks provides teams with a full suite of software tools, simulation models, training, technical mentoring and operational support. The U.S. Department of Energy and its research and development facility, Argonne National Laboratory, provide competition management, team evaluation and logistical support. Other sponsors provide hardware, software and training. MISSISSIPPI PROJECT WATCH• Hunter Engineering broke ground in October on the company’s expansion in Durant, Mississippi. The project, which was announced in September, is an $8-million corporate investment and will create 60 jobs. Hunter Engineering is a leader in wheel alignment and wheel balancing systems, tire changers, brake service equipment, alignment lifts and inspection lanes. The company’s expansion includes an addition of approximately 85,000 sq. ft. (7,900 sq. m.) to accommodate increased manufacturing, painting and shipping operations. The expansion also includes a 500-sq.-ft. (46-sq.-m.) workforce training area to support continuous employee development. Hunter Engineering employs approximately 590 workers in Mississippi, 192 of which are in Durant. The expansion is slated for completion by the end of 2020.• Automotive supplier Auto Parts Manufacturing Mississippi (APMM) is increasing production in Lee County, investing $100 million and creating 50 jobs. A Tier 1 automotive supplier located in Guntown, APMM produces stamped auto parts, body weld parts and plastic parts. The company’s expansion accommodates increased production for the 2019 Toyota Corolla, which is produced at Toyota Mississippi in Blue Springs. APMM, which is owned by Toyota Auto Body Co., LTD, is retooling its facility and investing in workforce training. APMM currently employs approximately 400 workers in Lee County. The company expects to fill the new positions by December 2018.198 NOVEMBER 2018 SI T E S E L E C T IO NPublic Development Authority Boosts Spokane Area’s ProspectsTeamwork triggers a big win and big hopes for the future.ST A TE SPO TLIGHTWashingtonDowntown SpokanePhoto: Getty Imagesby G ARY DAUGHTERSgar y.daug hter s @ site s ele c tion.c omAmazon’s decision to build a massive warehouse near Spokane International Airport constitutes an auspicious triumph for the city of 216,000 in eastern Washington. Local officials say it’s a loud affirmation of their new strategy to nurture development near the airport, and a potential cornerstone for future expansion. “I don’t even know if you can quantify the importance of this,” says Larry Krauter, CEO of Spokane International Airport and chairman of the board of the newly formed West Plains-Airport Area Public Development Authority (PDA). “This clearly underlines all the things we said in terms of why we needed the PDA. It just all came together more quickly than we could have imagined.”The new fulfillment center is to be built on nearly 80 acres (32 hectares) south of the airport. The four-story behemoth, with a footprint of some 600,000 sq. ft. (55,742 sq. m.) will encompass more than 2.5 million sq. ft (232,258 sq. m.) and employ at least 1,500 people, making it the area’s biggest single project win in decades. Amazon employees will work alongside Amazon Robotics to pick, pack and ship items such as games, housewares and school supplies to customers, the Seattle-based company said in a release.“More than 1,500 jobs are coming to Spokane thanks to this important project,” Gov. Jay Inslee said. “Congratulations to Amazon and all the local partners who have worked so long to bring these exciting job opportunities to the region.” S I T E S E L E C T I O N NOVEMBER 2018 199Amazon offi cials, at the time of the announcement in late July, said starting wages for workers at the facility had not yet been determined. In August, Amazon said the hourly wage for full-time associates in its fulfi llment centers was more than $ per hour, but it didn’t disclose pay for part-time and contract workers; pay for workers at Amazon can vary by location.Bowing to pressure from critics, the online giant announced October that it would raise its minimum wage to $ an hour for all of its United States workers. Amazon said the pay increase would include part-time workers and those hired through temporary agencies. e company also said it would lobby the government to raise the federal minimum wage.“We listened to our critics, thought hard about what we wanted to do, and decided we wanted to lead,” said Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos. “We’re excited about this change and encourage our competitors and other large employers to join us.”Old Rivalries BuriedTeamwork played a decisive role in attracting Amazon to Spokane. In establishing the PDA last fall, the City of Spokane and Spokane County set aside years of rivalry that offi cials blame for stunting the airport area’s growth. e PDA is a zone encompassing the ,-acre (,-hectare) airport and a little more than , additional acres (, hectares) of county and city land. “For a long time,” says Spokane County Commissioner Al French, “the city and county competed against each other. Where the business was located determined where tax revenues were going, and that battle for revenues, to be able to support our budgets, led to this competitive nature.”When new businesses are built in the PDA, three-fourths of the tax revenue goes back into the PDA to build more infrastructure and thus attract more businesses. e city and county governments split the other percent.“By sharing revenue and making it basically revenue neutral,” French tells Site Selection, “we are investing in each other’s success. at was the underlying element to create the partnership.”Krauter, like French, believes that establishing the PDA was crucial to landing the Amazon project.“ e PDA created more certainty,” Krauter says. “Here you’ve got the city, the county and the airport, and we’re all leaning in to get the job done as opposed to acting independently of one another. I think that made a huge diff erence.”Creating a ClusterLong term, offi cials envision the PDA zone as a haven for manufacturers, especially those involved in the state’s robust aerospace industry. Aerospace is already a $-million industry in Spokane County, employing more than , workers, many at companies that are part of Boeing’s supply chain. “We are hoping,” says French, “that with some of these businesses that we’ll be attracting we might have a tier-three supplying a widget that goes to a tier-two that provides that gadget that goes to a tier-one that provides the fi nished product that then goes to Boeing. We have a number of aerospace businesses here that do exactly that.“By being able to locate your business in the PDA,” French continues, “we can provide you with a building to be able to manufacture your product. We can provide you access to air cargo AmazonAirportOpportunity ZoneSpokane International AirportAirway Heights290200 NOVEMBER 2018 SI T E S E L E C T IO Nto be able to ship your project, as well as rail. And we off er the ability to leverage your operation with other advanced manufacturers in the area.”French says that, in addition to Amazon, the PDA has written agreements for leases or land purchases from an undisclosed Fortune company in the freight industry, two operations in the hospitality industry and one in retail .Spokane International Airport and Greater Spokane Incorporated, the region’s chamber of commerce, have formed a task force to attract the design, production and fi nal assembly of Boeing’s new midsize airplane, informally known as the , even as the project awaits the offi cial green light. e PDA boasts of having a -acre (-hectare), rail-connected site adjacent to the airport, with plenty of room around it for potential Boeing suppliers. In addition to Boeing having a long history in Washington, local offi cials tout aerospace manufacturers in the Inland Northwest, including Kaiser, one of but a few producers of airplane-grade aluminum.“We think it’s a signifi cant opportunity for us,” Krauter tells Site Selection. “ e market is telling Boeing that the aircraft has to be done quickly. at suggests to us that Boeing doesn’t necessarily have the luxury of trying to hold a global competition for siting the manufacturing of this aircraft. If you look at the site that we can off er, there’s a real opportunity for supply chain partners to locate there as well, and for Boeing to build a fl y-away product right here.” By sharing revenue … we are investing in each other’s success.”— Al French, Spokane County CommissionerC ALIF OR NI AONTARIOI NTELLIGENCE REPOR TNext >