The other shoe finally dropped as Elon Musk announced the company’s
headquarters move to Austin. But there is still plenty of Tesla action
to go around in California.
The Diesel Technology Forum says EPA Region 6 — comprising Arkansas,
Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas — is the top region in the U.S.
for share of commercial vehicles (54.5%) that come with the latest near-zero
emissions technology.
Map courtesy of Diesel
Technology Forum
Before the whole world magically electrifies, the Diesel Technology
Forum is here to remind everyone that sales of diesel-powered commercial
truck, off-road and ag equipment continues to grow in 2021. Forecasters
such as ACT Research are projecting 18% growth in sales
of heavy-duty Class 8 trucks in 2021 compared to 2020, and year-to-date
farm tractor sales in the U.S. are up 13.3% with combines up 13.8%.
“From agricultural, mining and construction equipment, to commercial
vehicles, trucks, buses, locomotives, tugboats and other goods-movement
equipment, diesel remains the powertrain of choice,” said Allen
Schaeffer, executive director of the Forum, in an early October
announcement.
According to the group, 13 states are home to heavy-duty diesel engine
manufacturing, with North Carolina producing more than 33% of U.S.-made
heavy-duty diesel engines. Other key states include Indiana, Ohio,
Michigan and New York. “A look through the Forum’s searchable, state-by-state database further
shows how diesel is the workhorse of each state’s economy and
transportation systems,” the Forum points out. The database identifies
each state’s diesel-related manufacturing and jobs; number of renewable
fuel producers and stations; diesel fuel consumption; and population of
diesel-powered commercial trucks, marine vessels, transit and school
buses, and passenger vehicles.
In Guadalajara on September 30, global alcoholic beverage giant Diageo
announced this manufacturing investment to support its tequila business,
which grew its net sales by 79% in fiscal 2021 to comprise 8% of the
company’s organic net sales. “Growth was primarily driven by North
America, where tequila is benefitting from its broad appeal across
consumer occasions,” said Álvaro Cárdenas, president, Latin America and
Caribbean, Diageo. “This exciting investment in Mexico will support our
future category growth to meet Mexican and international demand.” The
1,000 new jobs are nearly equal to the total Diageo employees in Mexico
today (1,300). Since the acquisition of Tequila Don Julio in 2015,
Diageo has continuously invested in its operations in Mexico, primarily
in Jalisco. In 2019, the company finalized the first expansion of its
facilities at “El Charcón” in Atotonilco El Alto, creating additional
jobs and supporting the local community through initiatives including
Hablemos de Emprendedoras, a skills program for female entrepreneurs in
Jalisco.
On October 4, Boston-based digital sports entertainment and gambling
company DraftKings announced it was investing in a new 90,000-sq.-ft.
office and technology hub at UnCommons, a 40-acre mixed-use development
in southwest Las Vegas from Matter Real Estate. Designed by IA Interior
Architects, the office is expected to be home to 1,000 employees, and
will include more than 130 dedicated sports trading desks surrounded by
full multimedia walls, a 7,500-sq.-ft. cafeteria and event space, a
custom casino training pit, a 500-sq.-ft. interactive putt-view putting
green, private and public outdoor spaces, and mothers’ rooms. “The
company’s new Las Vegas office will also provide the infrastructure to
offer unmatched amenities for employees, including on-site haircuts and
manicures/pedicures, a prayer suite and more,” said a release from
DraftKings and Matter. Future phases will expand UnCommons to more than
500,000 square feet of modern office space. DraftKings recently signed a
multi-year agreement as the primary sponsor of UNLV’s Center for Gaming
Innovation and opened the new DraftKings Gaming Innovation Studio at
UNLV, providing access to local talent and technology.
San Diego-based genomics company Illumina featured this
photo of Bogotá, in a region home to 10.9 million people, in its
September 30 announcement that it was creating Illumina Colombia S.A.S.
and Illumina México Productos de Biotecnología to mark its commitment to
expand genomics in Latin America. With a focus on key healthcare systems
and hospitals, the entities based in Bogotá and Mexico City will support
Illumina channel partners across Latin America, including countries in
the Caribbean, Central America and South America. Investment promotion
agency Invest in Bogotá estimates that the flow of new and expansion FDI
in the Bogotá region could grow between 26% and 38% this year, driven by
U.S. firms. Between January and April, 15 projects with $333 million in
backing by U.S. companies arrived in the metro area.
