< Previous108 NOVEMBER 2024 SITE SELECTION manufacturers is eastern North Carolina. Its main metro, Greenville, is minutes east of Raleigh. According to the Greenville Eastern North Carolina Alliance, the area is home to more than medical device and supply companies that combined employ about workers. Greenville is home to East Carolina University and has a medical district anchored by ECU Health Medical Center. It’s also where Nipro Medical Corporation, a division of Nipro Corporation Japan, is building its fi rst North American manufacturing facility. It will produce devices catering to patients with diabetes, obesity and renal conditions. e company is investing $ million in the project, which will create new jobs. “We are thrilled to start manufacturing our cutting-edge medical devices in the U.S., which will support local health care professionals and patients with a stable supply chain and reduced transportation costs,” said Nipro Senior Managing Director of Global Business Tsuyoshi Yamazaki at the July th project announcement. “Our close proximity to customers will allow us to better respond to their needs and provide them with timely and eff ective solutions. Our new facility in Greenville is a major milestone in our sustainability journey, refl ecting our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint.” As part of its announcement Nipro Medical furnished a set of questions and answers that address in more detail the company’s Greenville location selection and its plans for the facility once it’s operational. Following are highlights. What led to the decision for Nipro to open a new facility in the U.S.? Nipro’s initiative in North Carolina is focused on delivering top-tier dialysis care as well as supplying pharmaceutical needles to pharmaceutical companies. Why are cherry and dogwood blossoms signifi cant to Nipro’s new facility? e cherry blossom, emblematic of renewal and optimism, coupled with the dogwood fl ower (offi cial state fl ower of North Carolina), emblematic of resilience and fortitude, represent Nipro’s aspirations for growth and strength in the U.S. ese blossoms are a nod to the company’s Japanese heritage Nipro Medical Senior Managing Director of Global Business Tsuyoshi Yamazaki addresses attendees at the company’s project announcement in July. Photos by Aaron Hines courtesy of City of Greenville SITE SELECTION NOVEMBER 2024 109 and its commitment to thriving within the local community. Is there a plan for Nipro to manufacture in the U.S. and export? e primary mission of the North Carolina facility is to cater to the North American market’s needs. However, given Nipro’s extensive global network, the possibility of exporting to other regions, such as Latin America, remains open for future consideration. What impact will the new facility have on the local community and environment? Nipro’s local manufacturing of dialyzers and precision needles is expected to bolster the local economy through job creation and contribute to environmental sustainability by minimizing the carbon footprint associated with long-distance transport of medical supplies. What types of products will the North Carolina facility focus on? e new facility is set to produce state-of-the-art medical devices that support patients with diabetes, chronic kidney disease and other renal health issues, refl ecting Nipro’s commitment to enhancing the quality of patient care through innovative medical technologies. How does Nipro view its role in the health care sector? Nipro’s dedication to the health care industry is evident in its commitment to meeting the immediate health care needs of the American people. e company’s focus on local production underscores its role as a key player in the global health care landscape. What workforce will Nipro be looking for? Nipro values ownership, fl exibility and team spirit among its employees. Willingness was the one thing that pushed its founder, and that spirit has carried forward. People who are willing to make a diff erence and to contribute to our mission are welcome to join us and grow with us. When will Nipro start to build? e fi rst products from our new facility are expected to be released following the completion of foundation and construction, which will begin in Q . When will the fi rst products be released from this new facility? e fi rst products from our new facility are scheduled to be released in Q . We appreciate your interest and will keep you updated as we approach this milestone. ese blossoms are a nod to the company’s Japanese heritage and its commitment to thriving within the local community.” es. Willingness was the one ese blossoms are a nod to employees. Willingness was the one hed d that d 110 NOVEMBER 2024 SITE SELECTION Boomtown Central L ooking for the next great American boomtown? By various metrics, these fi ve communities outpace the rest of the country in economic growth, industrial development, population growth and/or investment project activity. North Las Vegas, Nevada No place in the Desert Southwest booms more than North Las Vegas, a city of , people miles from the Las Vegas Strip. According to Commercial Search’s mid-year industrial report, the Las Vegas Valley is the seventh-fastest-growing industrial market in the nation and home to the third- and fi fth-largest industrial projects completed in the U.S. during the fi rst half of the year: the North Las Vegas Logistics Center, at just over million sq. ft., and Vantage North, a . million-sq.- ft. development. Since , the population of North Las Vegas has increased by % while its number of businesses has grown by %. Today, the city is home to . million sq. ft. of retail space and million sq. ft. of industrial space. An additional million sq. ft. of industrial development is planned. Greg Bortolin, director of communications for the City of North Las Vegas, says that “we are uniquely positioned in the West. You can reach Denver from here in a day. Also, the city makes it easy for businesses to get in, build and open. e city has invested its own money into infrastructure and sites.” e master-planned industrial park known as Apex drives most of this activity. It is an , - acre project with , remaining developable acres. Completed investments in the park include a -acre project by Air Liquide; Dermody ( acres); Kroger ( acres); Northpoint ( acres); Operating Engineers ( acres); and VanTrust ( acres). Additional projects under construction include sites for Moonwater, EBS, CapRock, Prologis, Apollo, Hopewell and others. Roughly . million sq. ft. of projects are completed in Apex. Another . million sq. ft. are under construction. by RON STARNER ron.starner@siteselection.com U.S. Southwest STATE SPOTLIGHTS 5 Fast Risers Make a Big Splash in the Desert Mountain biking is a popular activity in Tucson. Photo courtesy of VisitTucson Boomtown Central112 NOVEMBER 2024 SITE SELECTION David Brown, president of Land Development Associates, says the fi rst two years of Apex saw , acres absorbed by development. “It has to do with the lack of pure industrial space in Southern Nevada,” he says. “A developer was willing to take the risk.” Brown says the next big boom in Apex will be from data centers. “ ere is a lack of power throughout the country,” he says. “Nevada will become the leader in data centers and AI. We have available sites.” He calls Apex “the perfect storm for industrial developers, end-users and distribution facilities,” he says. “ e municipality is the most developer- friendly city I have worked in.” Albuquerque, New Mexico Matched taxable gross receipts (MTGR) increased in New Mexico by $ billion, representing a year- over-year change of %, the second-highest level ever reported, according to the New Mexico Economic Development Department. is economic growth was largely concentrated in and around Albuquerque and its two main counties: Sandoval and Bernalillo. Mark Roper, executive director of the New Mexico Department of Economic Development, says that renewable energy projects in Mesa del Sol, a master-planned mixed-use development in southeast Albuquerque, are fueling much of this growth. “New Mexico has embraced renewable energy development as a key sector,” says Roper. “We are transitioning from oil and gas into alternative sectors.” Two notable new investors in Albuquerque are Ebon Solar and Kairos Power. Ebon announced on August that it selected a site in Mesa del Sol for a $ million facility investment that will create over jobs. A Delaware-based solar cell manufacturing company, Ebon will build an , -sq.-ft. plant to make solar cells in New Mexico’s largest metropolitan area. “New Mexico off ers abundant solar resources, favorable renewable energy policies and a dedicated, skilled workforce,” said Ebon Solar CEO Judy Cai. Kairos Power announced September that it will invest $ million to build a salt production plant and two fuel development lab facilities that support advanced nuclear reactor technology at the company’s Albuquerque campus. e project will create jobs and add an estimated $ million to the New Mexico economy over the next years. “ e infrastructure and capabilities we are investing in here are critically important to our long-term commercial strategy and will enable the delivery of a safe, reliable and aff ordable technology, starting with the Hermes demonstration reactor,” said Mike Laufer, CEO and co-founder of Kairos. Buckeye, Arizona Greater Phoenix suburb Buckeye is no stranger to boom times. In , Buckeye was recognized as the fourth-fastest-growing city in America — just three years after it was named the No. fastest-growing city in the country by the Census Bureau. Today, Buckeye has just over , people and is making room for more. “We have almost doubled in size in the last years,” says Suzanne Boyles, economic development director for the City of Buckeye. “We think we will continue to be one of the fastest-growing cities for years to come.” Buckeye has seen about million sq. ft. of new commercial development over the last four years, primarily in advanced manufacturing, logistics, retail and health care. Now it is poised to land more. Denver-based Tract recently purchased the Buckeye Technology Corridor, a , -acre site that the fi rm plans to use to build an advanced AI data center. Tract paid $ million for the land, on which it plans to build one of the nation’s largest data center campuses over the next years. Tract estimates that the property could support $ billion worth of data center projects on site. “Another company is looking at a potential data center site of acres in Buckeye,” says Boyles. “We have a very good partnership with Arizona Public Service [the electric utility company for Buckeye]. ose data center developers are talking with APS very early on.” Mesa, Arizona Speaking of data centers, the City of Mesa in Greater Phoenix landed a juggernaut of its own: Novva Data Centers announced September that it will build a $ billion, -MW campus on acres outside the loop. e project will total . million sq. ft. We have almost doubled in size in the last 10 years. We think we will continue to be one of the fastest-growing cities for years to come.” — Suzanne Boyles , Economic Development Director, City of Buckeye, Arizona We have almost doubled in size in the last 10 years. We SITE SELECTION NOVEMBER 2024 113 The first 96 MW of data center capacity will launch in late 2026, but that is not the only growth occurring in Mesa, a city of 514,000 people in Maricopa County. “In fiscal year 2024, we’ve seen over 7 million square feet built or absorbed and over $5 billion in capital investment in Mesa,” says Jaye O’Donnell, economic development director for the city. “Novva was one of 66 projects we worked on this past fiscal year. We are known for data centers. We have Meta, Google, Apple’s Global Command Center, EdgeCore, EdgeConneX, Novva, etc. And we have several more coming online.” O’Donnell adds that aerospace, aviation and defense firms are expanding in Mesa as well. “The bulk of projects occurred because we have product,” she says. “Five or six years ago, we did not have much industrial space. We started to court developers and work with them to increase our industrial space in Mesa.” It worked. Recently, Mesa landed large facility investment deals from Magna, a global automotive manufacturing company, and semiconductor firm Komico. As O’Donnell says, “Product wins projects.” Tucson, Arizona About 120 miles south of Mesa is Tucson, a city of 550,000 people in a metro area of more than 1 million. Lately, it’s become a boomtown for megaprojects. Last year saw the groundbreaking of American Battery Factory, a $1.2 billion, 1,000- job gigafactory for the assembly of electric vehicle batteries. Scion Power’s $81 million plant expansion adds another 100 jobs in Tucson. “We have the momentum in the battery space,” says Barbra Coffee, economic initiatives director for the City of Tucson, which is home to the University of Arizona and Pima Community College. “Arizona is uniquely suited for that due to our dry climate. That works well for the chemistry in the battery sector. ABF was a big win for us. It showcased our ability as a region to mobilize and come together quickly. When you add that to our incentives and our world-class workforce, we are tough to beat.” siteselection.com Join Site Selection in celebrating the launch of our new website. Our goal was to redesign our site to be more modern and visually oriented. is site focuses on highlighting the content most in demand by our readers and delivering it to you in real time alongside our print publication. You will also fi nd it easier to access our award-winning custom content — our many state economic development guides and other reports that provide in-depth site selection information on locations around the country. We encourage you to browse our new site for up-to-date content on what is happening in the industry, share that award-winning content online via social media, and access data right at your fi ngertips. We’d love to hear from you on how we’re doing. To provide feedback, or to ask us any questions, simply send an email to webmaster@conway.com. ank you, and happy browsing.MODERN. USER FRIENDLY. SEAMLESS. INVESTMENT PROFILE: WINFIELD, KANSAS A City Attuned to the Rhythm of Business A City Attuned to the Rhythm of Business C hances are many or most of the more than 350 workers at Newell Rubbermaid’s Winfield, Kansas, operation make time each third weekend in September to attend the Walnut Valley Festival National Flat-Picking Championships. The event, which attracts guitarists and other musicians from across the country, has been a Winfield tradition for 52 years. Newell Rubbermaid’s roots in the area go back even further — 108 years — to 1916, when H.P. Gott Manufacturing started making water coolers for oilfield workers. Rubbermaid acquired the company in 1986; Newell acquired Rubbermaid in 1999. Today, Newell Brands Winfield Operations occupies 2.78 million sq. ft. of space on four campuses where it manufactures small and large indoor and outdoor refuse containers and large outdoor plastic sheds. “Winfield has been chosen for multiple large projects throughout the years,” says Plant Manager Shane Milledge. “The City of Winfield, Cowley County and the state have been very supportive of new projects that create jobs, such as incentives for recruiting and training, as well as favorable tax programs. Additionally, the City of Winfield has worked closely with Newell and our site on utility rates as our process is very energy-intensive.” by MARK AREND mark.arend@siteselection.com 116 NOVEMBER 2024 SITE SELECTION Winfield, Kansas, home of the annual Walnut Valley Festival National Flat-Picking Championships, has a vibrant music scene. It includes free concerts in the town’s park each summer. Photo courtesy of Steve Current PhotographyLow-Cost Energy City Manager Taggart Wall says Winfield’s electric utility is city-owned, and industrial electricity rates are 15% less than the national average with large industry paying 25% less than the national average, according to July 2024 numbers from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. “With lower rates than competitors, companies can invest more in technology and product development rather than overhead costs,” Wall says. “Winfield’s robust, dedicated public water supply is poised to support additional growth, providing resiliency even through times of drought.” Wall says the town’s skilled workforce with expertise in plastics, machine tooling and the aviation and space industries has been cultivated over generations in a community that values experimentation and innovation. “The Greater Wichita area, which includes Winfield, has the number four skilled manufacturing workforce in the nation,” he points out. “Winfield has a strong education culture with a four- year liberal arts college, Southwestern College, and a two-year vocational workforce college that collaborate with industries, ensuring that every new generation can fill the needs of the evolving industrial landscape.” Shane Milledge concurs. “It’s an environment that creates a hands-on workforce that supports our technical needs,” he relates. “Additionally, Winfield is one to three hours from the University of Kansas, Kansas State University, Wichita State University, Oklahoma State University, the University of Oklahoma and Pittsburg State University as well as multiple community colleges with one, Cowley College, only 15 minutes away.” Proximity to Wichita, Kansas’ largest city just 35 miles to the northwest, affords Winfield businesses access to what Wall calls “an impressive rural labor shed of 155,000 people, not counting those located in the Wichita workforce, which is another 350,000.” Low Cost of Living Another advantage for Winfield employers and their workers, says Wall, is the low cost of living. “The Economic Research Institute tags Winfield’s cost of living at 21% less than the national average,” he points out. “The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics pegs Winfield labor input costs at 33% less than the national average. Winfield is a Rural Opportunity Zone, offering qualifying employees of industry a 100% state income tax credit and student loan repayment assistance.” Winfield does not take its industry base for granted, says Milledge. “On a daily basis, they support our utility needs and our utility infrastructure,” he says. “If a large transformer fails and shuts down large portions of our facility, they prioritize getting their teams on site and getting us running again as soon as possible. They keep us aware of state incentives that keep our overhead costs low. And they have sponsored and driven assorted projects to create affordable housing for our employees.” More than 120 units have become available in the past two years. The area’s infrastructure advantages include transportation. The Wichita metro also includes access to Interstate 35 with 90% of U.S. markets including Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles, reachable in a three days’ drive from the city. Additionally, notes Wall, Winfield’s industrial parks have rail access. Milledge says the extensive rail network in Winfield “allows us to bring in raw materials in bulk at favorable rates.” Strother Field, a local airport, is six miles southwest of town. And a 60-acre City-owned site, says Wall, “has been vetted by the Kansas Department of Commerce as being primed for development and ready for investment.” This Investment Profile was prepared under the auspices of the City of Winfield. For more information, visit www.winfieldks.org. SITE SELECTION NOVEMBER 2024 117Next >