Robotic patrol dogs, a German investor collapse, and a Smorgasburg? The rebirth of South Downtown Atlanta resembles a Hollywood script, reports Ron Starner.
With a reported 43 million tons of lithium carbonate equivalent discovered recently in the Altmark Basin region, it’s clear why German companies are investing heavily in the prized resource.
Merck Animal Health is investing $895 million in De Soto. Fiserv will employ 2,000 at a new fintech hub on the former Sprint campus in Overland Park now known as the Aspiria campus.
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis last week reported that majority-owned U.S. affiliates of foreign multinational enterprises employed 8.66 million workers in the United States in 2023, a 1.9% increase from 8.5 million workers in 2022, according to newly released statistics on U.S. affiliate operations and finances. “Majority-owned U.S. affiliates accounted for 6.2% of total private-industry employment in the United States in 2023, down from 6.3% in 2022,” the BEA reported. Among other details:
See Site Selection’s FDI in the USA reports from November 2025, November 2024, November 2023, as well as specific project profiles to be found throughout the publication’s array of industry reports and area spotlights.
“Having Google here really helps prove that there’s great opportunity for tech in our region,” Greater Fort Wayne Inc. President and CEO John Urbahns tells Site Selection.
EdWeek last week published results of a survey asking executives which skills young people are missing. Among the respondents, Brian Quick, director of talent acquisition at global pharmaceutical company Abbott, observed that young professionals “need a boost when it comes to foundational skills such as interpersonal communication, making decisions on their own, or applying their knowledge creatively, like when they need to ask questions or challenge assumptions or propose a new idea.” An Abbott program called Career Rx helps in areas such as public speaking and communications etiquette and professionalism.
Others had similar responses, while some noted specific challenges/opportunities. “When it comes to technical skills, there is a significant shortage of cybersecurity expertise in the talent market,” said Melonia de Gama, director of training programs as cybersecurity company Fortinet. “Candidates with experience in cloud security and AI-driven security are the most sought after, and the demand is growing exponentially.”
DHL’s annual compilation of its five most unusual deliveries always has compelling stories, and this year is no exception. Among the unusual cargo items were 17 rare mountain bongo antelopes shipped home to Kenya from a conservation center in Loxahatchee, Florida; a special Formula 1 driver’s helmet signed by all 20 living F1 world champions (including Michael Schumacher); 151 bear sculptures traveling from Germany to Singapore; the trophy for the recently contested CONMEBOL Libertadores Final, South America’s most prestigious club football showdown; and this rescued baboon named Saadoon delivered from Bahrain to Djibouti, where he now lives in a sanctuary designed to help him “adapt, and hopefully, live freely one day,” DHL stated.
