< Previous36 SEPTEMBER 2025 SITE SELECTION THE OTHER CHIPS Act Benefi ciaries THE OTHER CHIPS Act Benefi ciaries D ozens of semiconductor manufacturers have benefi ted from the Advanced Manufacturing Investment Credit, part of the CHIPS Act of administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce. But there’s more to the semiconductor ecosystem than fabrication and component- producing facilities. Other benefi ciaries of the incentive — a % tax credit for qualifying advanced manufacturing facilities — include companies specializing in R&D, packaging, chip design, equipment and advanced materials. Since , according to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), more than projects in states have been announced, representing a combined capital investment of more than $ billion. Forty-one of those are dedicated to advanced materials. As of July, notes SIA, the Department of Commerce has awarded more than $ billion in CHIPs Act incentives and nearly $ billion in loans to companies across projects. ese project awards are subject to preliminary memoranda of terms (PMTs) — non-binding agreements between companies and the Department of Commerce, pending due diligence. e Department of Commerce signed several PMTs with advanced materials companies in early , bringing their facility expansion plans closer to becoming reality. One is a proposed investment of up to $ million to support the expansion of a Coherent Corporation manufacturing facility in Easton, Pennsylvania, that would facilitate an increase in production capacity of -mm and -mm silicon carbide (SiC) substrates. It also would support the expansion of the facility’s SiC epitaxial wafer manufacturing capacity. Restoring U.S. Leadership Another would provide Absolics, an affi liate of Korea-based SKC, with up to $ million to support the construction of a ,-sq.-ft. facility in Covington, Georgia, and the development of substrates technology for use in semiconductor advanced packaging. e proposed investment at the time of the company’s original groundbreaking in November was the fi rst proposed CHIPS investment in a commercial facility supporting the semiconductor supply chain by manufacturing a new advanced material. A separate infl ux of $ million was announced in January by the Commerce Department as part of the CHIPS National by MARK AREND mark.arend@siteselection.com ADVANCED MATERIALS Photo: Getty Images SITE SELECTION SEPTEMBER 2025 37 Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program (NAPMP). Absolics glass substrates are intended to be used as an important advanced packaging technology to increase the performance of leading-edge chips for AI, high-performance computing and data centers by reducing power consumption and system complexity, according to a May Commerce Department release. e advanced packaging substrates market is concentrated in Asia. e proposed CHIPS investment would aff ord U.S. companies an expanded domestic supply of glass substrates for advanced packaging. “With the support of this proposed CHIPS funding, Absolics would be able to fully commercialize our pioneering glass substrate technology for use in high- performance computing and cutting- edge defense applications,” said Absolics CEO Jun Rok Oh in the release. “ is eff ort is an important component of establishing a robust semiconductor advanced packaging ecosystem in the State of Georgia and restoring the U.S.’s leadership in semiconductor industry.” Texas, Too In March, a Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund grant of $. million was extended to DSM Semichem LLC (DSM) for an expansion of its specialty materials and chemicals facility in Plainview. is expansion brings DSM’s total capital investment in the facility to $ million and creates new jobs, according to a statement from Governor Greg Abbott’s offi ce. e Fund was established as part of the Texas CHIPS Act signed into law by the governor in . “Texas is making strategic investments to ensure the stability of critical domestic supply chains for the technologies that fuel our economy,” said the governor. “ is $ million total capital investment by DSM to construct and expand its facility in Plainview will double their production volume of specialty materials essential for semiconductor manufacturing in Texas. It will also create good-paying jobs for Texans in a high-demand industry.” DSM, a joint venture of Dongjin USA, Samsung C&T America and Martin ELSA Investment LLC, produces electronic-level sulfuric acid, a highly pure form of sulfuric acid needed for its ability to clean wafers and not leave any residual impurities or unidentifi able particles, a critical step in manufacturing chips in high-performance computing, G, Al and defense applications. Absolics, a producer of glass substrates for advanced semiconductor chip packaging, is building a facility in Covington, Georgia. Photo courtesy of AbsolicsINVESTMENT PROFILE: CONSUMERS ENERGY Advanced Manufacturing Opportunity This Michigan site is ready-made for any large-scale advanced manufacturer looking for high-powered business potential. K nown for its deep history in manufacturing, Michigan is poised to continue this legacy. Encompassing approximately , contiguous acres, the Advanced Manufacturing District (AMD) of Genesee County in Mundy Township near Flint is emblematic of the state’s history, and the greenfi eld site is shovel-ready for high-tech manufacturers looking to construct a large-scale transformative project. More acreage is planned, with a goal of north of , acres when the AMD is fully assembled. e site is modeled to serve over a gigawatt of electricity use and . BCF per year of natural gas consumption. e AMD has received recognition through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s MI Sites site certifi cation program and received nearly $ million through the Michigan Strategic Fund. “Site selection decisions are focused on shovel-ready sites with energy infrastructure ready to go,” says Lindsey McGuirk, director of external engagement — growth at Consumers Energy, Michigan’s biggest electric and natural gas utility. “ is site is well-positioned for those that want to move fast.” by KELLY BARRAZA kelly.barraza@siteselection.com 38 SEPTEMBER 2025 SITE SELECTION Downtown Flint, Michigan Photo courtesy of Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance Over a Thousand Acres ofA Leading Megasite Ready for a large energy user, the AMD in Genesee County is a global best-in-class site, its leading attributes being its large size and rectangular shape. It has a water usage capacity of million gallons a day and is served by robust surrounding infrastructure that includes rail access, seven freeway exits on I- and I- and the nearby Bishop Airport. “ is is a high-quality development — unlike anything we have seen in Genesee County,” says Tyler Rossmaessler, executive director of the Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance. “ e state saw the success and the value of the site that we were having and came in full force with a strategic site readiness grant of nearly $ million to help us fully assemble the site.” e AMD in Mundy Township is also subject to a zoning mechanism called an “overlay district” to regulate the use on site and ensure that an advanced manufacturer or high-tech company will develop the property. e soft infrastructure supporting the AMD is also key. e site is within striking distance of University of Michigan–Flint, Kettering University and Mott Community College and within an hour’s drive of three R universities (Michigan State University, University of Michigan–Flint and Wayne State University). “We have the hard infrastructure, but we also have the workforce available to serve the advanced manufacturer that will eventually move to this location,” Rossmaessler says. “We have the workforce and the talent pipeline that exists in our county with available skilled labor and the colleges and universities and then the broader region beyond that. ere is a huge labor shed when you are talking Saginaw, Lansing, Ann Arbor and Detroit. ey can all fl ow to this site. And there’s a community that is really interested and dedicated to win projects.” e project is viewed as a once-in-a- lifetime opportunity to revitalize the surrounding areas as well as a great choice for manufacturers looking for reshoring or nearshoring options, supported by the infrastructure readiness. “ is is going to be transformational for Michigan and our local communities, bringing jobs and investment,” says McGuirk. “ is taps into our talent, skilled workforce and heritage as a strong manufacturing state.” Powerful Potential Consumers Energy is a hand-in- hand partner with the Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance and the state of Michigan to support any project that would like to call the AMD in Mundy Township home. Despite tech company SanDisk’s decision not to proceed with the project, stakeholders remain confi dent that the district’s top-of-the-line features and infrastructure will provide a true shovel-ready, accelerated speed to market experience for any advanced manufacturer or large energy user that wants to hit the ground running and have short lead times. “ e news about SanDisk was disappointing for us and the state of Michigan,” Rossmaessler says. “However, we’ve made the best site in America even better because of that eff ort. We’re looking forward to working with the same vigor and determination on the next project at AMD.” Consumers Energy has a portfolio of programs available to customers with cost, energy effi ciency and sustainability all in mind to provide the best results for project developments. Just after competitive pricing, sustainability comes as a major priority for developers and companies that Consumers Energy serves. “AMD is thoroughly equipped to serve high-energy-demand customers, and those requiring more than megawatts can take advantage of our large economic development rate that is truly tailored to serve advanced manufacturers’ energy needs,” McGuirk says. “It helps keep operating costs low which is a critical factor in siting decisions.” e utility company touts a renewable energy program in which customers can participate and sponsor new solar and wind assets local to Michigan. General Motors was the landmark customer that helped the utility build the program and set its criteria. Other program participants include Comcast, Denso Automotive, Walmart, US Signal and -Eleven. “Our clean energy solutions start with our energy effi ciency programs,” McGuirk says. “Whenever a new business comes to town, we pair them with an energy engineer right from the start. Together, we review their plans and design an energy-effi cienty facility from the ground up. at early collaboration helps them lower long-term operating costs and operate more sustainably, and opens doors to incentives and rebates.” “We also have our demand response programs,” she adds, “which provide customers money back in their pockets to help support grid reliability.” This Investment Profile was prepared under the auspices of Consumers Energy. For more information, visit www.ConsumersEnergy.com/AMD SITE SELECTION SEPTEMBER 2025 39 This taps into our talent, skilled workforce and heritage as a strong manufacturing state. — Lindsey McGuirk , Director of External Engagement — Growth at Consumers Energy anufacturing state.” This taps into our talent, e e. alue came 40 SEPTEMBER 2025 SITE SELECTION How to Measure Quality of Life Site consultants speak out on what moves the needle. E ver wondered how much weight companies give to quality of life when they are evaluating locations for a corporate facility project? We did. So we turned to the experts to find out. While they admitted that measuring quality of life is not an exact science, they agreed on a few core principles: 1. Quality of life is increasing in importance as a location factor, but it will never be the most important factor in corporate site selection. 2. Not everyone agrees on how much weight should be given to certain sub-categories of quality of life, but the basic fundamentals that factor into the equation include the following: • public safety • quality, supply and affordability of housing • quality of neighborhoods for employees • access to good schools for all workers and their families • access to parks, trails, open spaces and other outdoor amenities • commute times • arts and culture • access to quality retail, entertainment and eateries • health and wellness • weather • air quality • transportation infrastructure by RON STARNER ron.starner@siteselection.com QUALITY OF LIFE WALLETHUB’S TOP 10 STATES FOR QUALITY OF LIFE RANK STATE 1 New York 2 California 3 Illinois 4 Florida 5 Pennsylvania 6 Massachusetts 7 New Jersey 8 Washington 9 Texas 10 Minnesota Source: WalletHub A new boardwalk will anchor a new 21-acre park next to city hall in Johns Creek, Georgia, named by U.S. News & World Report as the No. 1 Best Place to Live in America. Rendering courtesy of City of Johns Creek42 SEPTEMBER 2025 SITE SELECTION 3. Quality of life is most important for projects that involve offi ce workplaces, professional services and other white-collar jobs – particularly in cases where the company may need to recruit talent from other places. For clarity, three site selection experts and an economic development leader were consulted: Tracey Hyatt Bosman, managing director of Biggins Lacy Shapiro & Co.; Sarah White, principal and vice president of site selection at Global Location Strategies; Jennifer Rohen, business incentives consulting practice leader at CliftonLarsonAllen LP; and Jennifer Wakefi eld, president and CEO of Greater Richmond Partnership. Asked whether site consultants enter quality- of-life factors into a data model, Bosman says, “Absolutely, but it depends. Quality of life always has a presence during our site search, but the question is — is it a commanding presence or on the fringes? It has a commanding presence in a headquarters or offi ce search. If you’re trying to relocate staff , that’s when you need to have a strong quality-of-life off ering to attract people.” Keeping Score Do rankings matter? Probably not as much as you think. “ e way we score quality of life is subjective,” says Bosman. “ ere is no ranking that we rely on exclusively. We look at factors like cost of living; housing off erings; traffi c levels; access to public transportation; quality of education; weather and other factors.” She adds that “we do not use rankings in isolation. It is not % of the model or even close to that, but we use it as a factor.” Sarah White of GLS says, “Yes, we do look at quality of life in the decision-making model. Factors can include housing availability and costs; crime rates; cost of living, etc. One trend I’ve seen over the years is that this used to be weighted the lowest from clients, but it has increased in importance for workforce retention and attraction. Additionally, quality of life is weighted much more heavily for offi ce projects than for manufacturing projects, but it is still very important for both.” CLA’s Jennifer Rohen said that quality of life matters in site selection for four reasons: • Talent attraction and retention. • Community fi t and long-term success. • Incentive negotiation leverage. • Economic development collaboration. “Companies increasingly prioritize locations where they can attract and retain top talent,” Rohen says. “Quality of life — encompassing housing aff ordability, school quality, health care access and cultural amenities — directly infl uences workforce stability and satisfaction. In CLA’s Business Incentives Consulting (BIC) practice, site selection frameworks include qualitative scoring that accounts for livability factors alongside fi nancial incentives.” Rohen adds that companies want to do business in places that share their values. “A location’s alignment with a company’s culture and values — such as sustainability, diversity and civic engagement — can be a deciding factor,” she says. “Communities that invest in parks, public safety and education often stand out in competitive site searches.” Rohen cited an example of a client that had been evaluating Lafayette, Indiana, BEST PLACES TO LIVE 2025 RANK CITY 1 Johns Creek, Georgia 2 Carmel, Indiana 3 Pearland, Texas 4 Fishers, Indiana 5 Cary, North Carolina 6 League City, Texas 7 Apex, North Carolina 8 Leander, Texas 9 Rochester Hills, Michigan 10 Troy, Michigan Source: U.S. News & World Report A location’s alignment with a company’s culture and values — such as sustainability, diversity and civic engagement — can be a deciding factor.” — Jennifer Rohen , Business Incentives Consulting Practice Leader, CLA A location’s alignment with a SITE SELECTION SEPTEMBER 2025 43 versus Dallas or Chicago for a regional headquarters. “They ultimately leaned toward Dallas — not because of the highest incentive package, but due to its broader appeal to relocating employees and access to urban amenities.” Personal Visits Make a Difference We also wanted to know if the experts had any advice for states and communities on how to sell quality of life to prospects. Bosman shared what works and what doesn’t. “Marketing around quality of life does not move me, and it does not move the corporate folks either, because you cannot convey it in an ad,” she says. “It has to be personally experienced. If you can get them in the market, that is when you can turn on the quality-of-life pitch. Fam tours can move the needle.” Bosman cited two examples: Columbus, Indiana, and Toledo, Ohio. “The Columbus fam tour was tied to the Indy 500,” she says. “They kept us in Columbus for the first day and a half. Cummins has a big presence there and has invested heavily in the community. The city punches above its weight class. It has museums and parks. Then we went to the Indy 500 the next day.” The Toledo visit changed her perception, she said. “When I participated in the Toledo fam tour, I had a fabulous experience on an island just off Toledo — and I didn’t even know they had islands off Toledo. You cannot put that on a post card.” Wakefield of GRP says that “the first time quality of life reared its head was in 2009 when I worked on the Jet Blue project for the Orlando Economic Partnership. In the last 10 years, companies have been factoring it in because they need employees to relocate.” Investment in building up Richmond’s natural and cultural amenities has paid off, she says. “Our population of millennials has increased 11% over the last four years,” says Wakefield. “We are adding 36 new people every day. When CoStar Group selected Richmond to be their technology headquarters, quality of life played a big role. A large percentage of their employees now bike or walk to work.” The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is one of the amenities that propelled Richmond to No. 7 in Commercial Café’s “Top U.S. Metros Where Millennials Can Put Down Roots & Thrive in 2025.” Photo courtesy of Greater Richmond PartnershipCANADA 44 SEPTEMBER 2025 SITE SELECTION A ccording to the CBRE Canada Real Estate Market Outlook, Canada’s longer-term outlook remains solid compared to other G nations and favorable for commercial real estate demand despite uncertainty around tariff s and global trade wars. From the looks of the data leveraged to compile this year’s Canadian Competitiveness Awards and Canada’s Best Locations honorees, Canada remains a solid bet for corporate end users as well. ere are clear trends of strong investment in the manufacturing sector (machinery, food and beverage, chemical and pharmaceutical, automotive and aerospace, etc.), wholesale trade (food, industrial equipment & supplies and consumers goods) and professional, scientifi c and technical services (engineering, research & development). Buttressing this economic activity is the recently passed economic bill, the One Canadian Economy Act, which aims to remove interprovincial trade barriers and advance projects of national interest. Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson said of the bill’s recent passing in the House of Commons, “ is Act means we are no longer asking ‘Why build?’, but instead ‘How do we get it done?’ […] In the new economy we are building, Canada will be defi ned by delivery, not delay.” Evaluated on a cumulative and per-capita basis and examined across regions and municipalities, the project data show us where companies are investing with the most frequency, the most capital and the most job creation. Based on Conway Projects Database qualifi ed corporate end-user facility projects and project-affi liated job creation and capital investment data between June , , and May , , Site Selection presents this year’s Canadian Competitiveness Awards (for provincial level accomplishment) and Canada’s Best Locations, honoring the top regional or metro economic development organizations and their constituent communities. by KELLY BARRAZA kelly.barraza@siteselection.com SITE SELECTION SEPTEMBER 2025 45 2025 Canadian Competitiveness Award Invest Ontario/Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Khawar Nasim, CEO Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade www.investontario.ca Recent Projects: Stellantis, Encore Canada, Ferrero Canada, Convertus Canada, IKEA, Zeton, Ford Motor Company, Amazon A handful of projects sum up Ontario’s banner year. Linamar Corporation announced in January 2025 a more than $1 billion* investment to develop and commercialize high-tech powertrain solutions as well as green automotive technologies. This investment consists of six projects and is projected to create more than 2,300 jobs and boost extensive expansion and retooling of Linamar’s multiple facilities in Ontario to meet the original equipment manufacturer demand for automotive and EV parts in North America. In April 2025, an expansion of the Ferrero Group production facility in the city of Brantford was announced and will entail a $445 million investment to support the production of its sweet- packaged food products and the creation of 500 jobs. The upgraded facility will include Ferrero’s fi rst launch of a new product outside of Europe and will source key ingredients and packaging materials within Ontario. In August 2025, Canadian tech company Ranovus indicated it will expand a Ottawa manufacturing facility with a $100 million investment that will help scale and develop optical semiconductors to power next-generation AI and machine learning, according to Invest Ontario. “At Ranovus, we’re proud to be designing and manufacturing advanced artifi cial intelligence solutions right here in Ontario, which relies on a world-class workforce,” said Hamid Arabzadeh, Ranovus co- founder and CEO. Trade and Invest BC/British Columbia Ministry of Jobs and Economic Growth Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth www.britishcolumbia.ca Recent Projects: Boeing Canada Operations, CN, Stemcell Technologies Canada, BC Transit, Cancoil Thermal Corporation, General Motors Company According to a TD Economics’ Provincial Economic Forecast, British Columbia’s economy is expected to display resilience, with the energy sector remaining a tailwind for economic growth, as LNG Canada produced its fi rst liquefi ed natural gas for export in June 2025. Woodfi re LNG and Cedar LNG will also support production in this fi eld in the next two years. There has been optimism recently for a phase 2 of expansion of LNG Canada in northwest B.C., with a new engineering contract being granted to JGC Holdings Corporation and Fluor Corporation, who worked on phase 1 of a project in Kitimat. Also in June of this year, the B.C. government approved the continued construction of a new LNG pipeline, the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission project — a joint venture between the Nisga’a Nation and Texas-based Western LNG. The Canadian National Railway Company (CN) announced in May 2025 its intention to invest $615 million in B.C. to support strategic infrastructure initiatives in the province, with projects planned over multiple years in Vancouver, Prince Rupert and across western Canada. “We believe that investing in our network is about building for the future,” said Tracy Robinson, president and CEO of CN. CN invested approximately $554 million in British Columbia in 2024 for track maintenance and key infrastructure initiatives. Saskatchewan Trade & Invest Warren Kaeding, Minister of Trade and Export Development investsk.ca Recent Projects: Genesis Fertilizers Limited Partnership, Grain Millers Canada, Carpere Canada Industrial Park, Petroleum Technology Research Centre Inc According to CBRE’s 2025 Q2 Snapshot, Saskatchewan’s strong population growth and positive GDP forecasts are attracting signifi cant investment capital from outside the province, with record-breaking capital investment in the mining and minerals sectors strengthening the real estate market. Both Saskatoon and the broader Saskatchewan market are experiencing historically low vacancy rates for retail, industrial and multifamily properties. The province also has the world’s largest reserves of potash and high-grade uranium, positioning it as a dependable partner as global demand for nuclear power rises. Saskatchewan boasts 27 of Canada’s 34 critical minerals and is home to North America’s fi rst minerals-to- metals rare earth processing facility — the Saskatchewan Research Council Rare Earth Processing Facility in Saskatoon. Private capital investment in the province grew 17.3% last year to $14.7 billion (the highest in Canada) and is projected to reach $16.2 billion in 2025, a 10.1% increase over 2024. Projects coming to Saskatchewan include the BHP Jansen potash mine, set to begin production in 2027, which is the largest investment in the history of the company and in the province with a hefty price tag of $10.6 billion. Foran Mining will also be breaking ground on the world’s fi rst net-zero copper mine in Saskatchewan. ons 2025 *All dollar amounts are expressed in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted. e exchange rate at press time was US$ = C$.Next >