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Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Ontario, Canada; Macon, Georgia
Sure, you’ve heard of airline maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities (MROs). But we’d wager you’ve never heard of a $5.1 billion MRO. Also: BUZZ High Performance Computing Inc. plans a $2.5 billion AI gigafactory in Ontario. And Georgia-based precision metal fabrication and manufacturing company Unified Legacy is moving forward with a $125 million, 500-job manufacturing expansion in its hometown of Macon.
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TRIBAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Above Oklahoma, Only Open Skies
Innovation in aerospace and innovation technology will soon see a boost on Choctaw land. Bonus online content looks into how the recently introduced Tribal Tax Investment and Reform Act of 2026 could finally give tribes access to the same tax programs and economic incentives available to state and local governments.
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The STEM Achievers summer camp program at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces gives middle school students a hands-on learning experience.
Photo courtesy of NMSU
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The STEM Achievers program at New Mexico State University gives middle school students from local communities the chance to build new skillsets and gain more access to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). From Monday, June 29, to Friday, July 10, this summer, the program invites middle school students from Las Cruces to learn about technologies like virtual and augmented reality, coding, robotics, artificial intelligence, drones, 3D printing and 3D design at NMSU.
“More than 58,000 students have been exposed to our program, leaving middle school minds to continue in their discoveries, learn from findings and make a path for themselves,” said Katie Calabrese, senior director of the STEM Achievers program, in a release last week. “This program has impacted more than just the students themselves — it has made an impression on extended family members, community members, fellow educators and ecosystem builders. There is nothing else like this program out there.”
Recent STEM-focused reports in Site Selection include “Brain Gain: Where STEM Skills and Jobs Are Multiplying” in the publication’s Workforce 2026 report; “Public, Private Sectors Invest Billions in STEM Program Funding” from the Workforce 2025 report; and “Middle Skills Jobs: Pounce On Opportunities Before They Go Missing.”
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Hyundai Translead will invest $450 million in two advanced manufacturing facilities in Will County located in former plants: the Lion Electric plant and this former Caterpillar plant in Joliet.
Photo courtesy of IRG
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Cushman & Wakefield’s Automotive Advisory Group has released a useful 2-pager called “Tariffs and U.S. CRE Construction Costs: Automotive & Mobility Sector Impacts” that neatly summarizes those impacts thus far. Among its observations: “OEMs and suppliers are building out domestic logistics networks. As more parts move from Mexico through Texas, inland markets are seeing increased leasing by auto-related industries for domestic distribution and storage.”
Among the more than 6.7 million sq. ft. of new leases signed by automotive manufacturers and suppliers during Q2 2026 was Hyundai Translead’s 1.4-million-sq.-ft. lease from Industrial Realty Group, LLC (IRG) in the logistics capital of Will County, Illinois, near Chicago, where the company will occupy the former Caterpillar plant in Joliet. San Diego-based Hyundai Translead, wholly owned by Hyundai Motor Co., produces dry and refrigerated van trailers, flatbeds, truck bodies and dollies.
IRG announced that Hyundai Translead also will move into the former Lion Electric plant nearby to establish a second operation. Combined, the two projects will bring a $450 million investment and create around 2,500 jobs. Lion Electric, whose Illinois investments were first chronicled by Site Selection in 2023, went bankrupt and emerged from that process as a new company owned by Groupe MACH named simply LION, with a focus on building electric school buses only for its home province of Quebec. (Nearly 2,000 Lion Electric buses in the U.S. lost their manufacturer warranty after the bankruptcy. Electrek reported in November 2025 on school districts left in the lurch.)
Hyundai Translead’s commitment delivers a decidedly brighter message: “Our expansion to Illinois represents years of planning and a shared vision for long-term growth,” said Hyundai Translead CEO Sean Kenney in an IRG release. “This investment reflects our confidence and commitment to building products, workforce development, and partnerships that endure.” — Adam Bruns
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Cranes operated by Associated Terminals load and transfer cargo along the Mississippi River at the St. Bernard Port, Harbor & Terminal District.
Photo courtesy of SBEDF
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The St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation in southeast Louisiana recognized National Maritime Day on Friday by calling attention to the St. Bernard Port, Harbor & Terminal District, located five miles downriver from downtown New Orleans (seen in the distance in the photo above). “The port serves as a major economic engine for the parish and currently supports approximately 18% of jobs in St. Bernard Parish through its operations and related industries,” the SBEDF stated. “The port’s facilities include the Arabi and Chalmette terminals, along with midstream mooring facilities in Chalmette and Meraux, supporting a wide range of cargo, industrial and logistics activity throughout the region.”
According to a recent economic impact assessment, the St. Bernard Port directly supports 1,415 jobs and generates approximately $183.2 million in economic output. “A major recent infrastructure milestone was the completion of the $38 million Chalmette Slip reconstruction project,” the SBEDF noted, “restoring a critical access channel between the Mississippi River and local industrial facilities.”
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