“The missing layer is not another document repository,” writers Trevor Vick. “It is a persistent identity that connects every record, inspection, permit, renovation, owner, engineer and software platform to the same physical asset over its entire lifecycle.”
As members prepare to converge on Columbus, Ohio, for the IAMC Fall Forum, read outgoing Chair Matt Boehlke’s final Letter from the Chair and learn more about IAMC Volunteer Service Projects and future IAMC Forums.
The 30,000-sq.-ft. Toyota Battery Center of North America will serve as a central hub for development and evaluation in partnership with Toyota’s North American manufacturing network, including the evaluation of batteries for the recently opened Toyota Battery Manufacturing, North Carolina operation.
Photo courtesy of Toyota Motor North America
On October 1 the Toyota Battery Center of North America was unveiled in Saline, Michigan, part of the company’s longstanding R&D campus. “The new facility gives Toyota’s Michigan-based battery teams increased capabilities to evaluate and develop technology across the full battery-development cycle, from sourcing raw materials to customer applications to recycling,” said a Toyota Motor North America release.
From the multifaceted industrial business of 125-year-old John Bouchard & Sons to the new Tennessee Office of Innovation, advanced manufacturing is front and center.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection senior leaders engage in a panel discussion during the 2026 Trade and Cargo Security Summit held in Dallas, Texas, September 8, 2026.
Photo by William Berksteiner courtesy of CBP
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in September put forward an advance notice of rulemaking to “improve visibility into the supply chains of goods imported into the United States. The proposed effort will help CBP more effectively detect, stop, and prevent illicit imports that evade U.S. customs and trade laws.” That notice is inviting public comment through the end of November.
“I would definitely encourage any U.S. importer to read through the advance notice and provide comments,” National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones (NAFTZ) Director of Advocacy & Strategic Relations Melissa Irmen tells Site Selection.
“Greater supply chain visibility is critical to CBP’s ability to detect and stop illegal trade activities,” said CBP Office of Trade Executive Assistant Commissioner Susan S. Thomas. “By seeking public comment, CBP is working to strengthen enforcement of U.S. customs and trade laws, while promoting a more secure and transparent global trade environment.”
Read more about ports, global trade and U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones in the November issue of Site Selection.
PHOTO OF THE DAY
Managing Editor Kelly Barraza made this photo of the interior of a hot air balloon as it sailed over Temecula Valley in Southern California this week. Tourism is one of Temecula’s top historic industries, bringing in $1.2 billion annually in direct visitor spending in 2025 and 9,650 hospitality and tourism jobs to the city of 110,000. “Located about 60 miles north of San Diego and 85 miles southeast of Los Angeles, Temecula’s manufacturing and technology industries have also seen growth in recent years,” she writes. “Semiconductor companies Skorpios Technologies, SimpleChips Technology and Chiptech are all based in Temecula.” Read more about the region in Ron Starner’s March 2026 California Spotlight, “Turning In a Vintage Performance in the Inland Empire.”
