Named for Site Selection Founder McKinley “Mac” Conway, the Mac Conway Awards for Economic Development Excellence this year were determined by a robust index that incorporates Conway Data/Site Selection corporate facility project, investment and jobs numbers across the country (cumulative and per capita) last year; the nationwide 2026 Milken Institute Best Performing Cities Index; the nationwide 2025 Talent Attraction Scorecard from Lightcast; and the nationwide Most Dynamic Metros report released by Heartland Forward in 2025.
By protocol, we list here the names of the chief regional economic development groups for those areas in alphabetical order by metro name, with data on recent projects, programs and initiatives as well as major partner organizations. Of note: A total of 10 of the 20 regions listed here are state capitals. Could proximity to makers of economic development policy make these areas attractive test beds for putting those policies into action?
These regions don’t give lip service to regionalism. They embody it. Watch them and learn. — Adam Bruns
AMARILLO, TX
Amarillo Economic Development
Andreas Eckstein
President & CEO
amarilloedc.com
Selected Projects
Haven Aero; International Aerospace Coatings; Affiliated Foods; Coast Packing Co.
Highlights
With a population of under 275,000, this Texas city punches above its weight because, as the Amarillo EDC’s slogan puts it, Amarillo is “in the middle of everywhere.” The area is seeing traction from the Amarillo EDC’s recently launched ReRoot initiative designed to encourage former Amarilloans, young professionals and families to return home. And its higher education game is strong with West Texas A&M University, Amarillo College and the Amarillo Independent School District’s AmTech Career Academy cultivating the talent and skills employers need. Another important partner is the Texas Panhandle Regional Development Corporation, the non-profit organization certified by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) that “serves as a bridge between local lenders and companies that are seeking commercial real estate financing.”
ATLANTA-SANDY SPRINGS-ROSWELL, GA
METRO ATLANTA CHAMBER
Katie Kirkpatrick
President & CEO
metroatlantachamber.com
Selected Projects
UPS; Salesforce.com; DC Blox; Suzanna’s Kitchen; Hermeus Corp.; American Honda; Rivian; Microsoft
Highlights
Project evidence showed why Atlanta’s 29-county region is one of the hottest data center markets in the nation. In addition to City of Atlanta project activity, significant contributions to the region are coming from jurisdictions including Gwinnett County, Cobb County, North Fulton County, Douglasville, Buford and Sandy Springs. The Metro Atlanta 2026 Talent Supply Report found among other things that healthcare leads hiring demand and that “logistics, transportation and supply chain jobs remain essential to keeping the region’s economy moving.” Major sporting events continue to be catalysts for the region, including hosting eight matches of World Cup 2026. “These aren’t just games. They’re economic engines,” said Rich McKay, CEO of AMB Sports + Entertainment and the Atlanta Falcons and 2026 board chair of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, at the organization’s annual meeting in November 2025. “They bring people together and help metro Atlanta and the state of Georgia draw talent and business from all over the world.”
BATON ROUGE, LA
Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership
Lori Melancon
President & CEO
greaterbatonrouge.org
Selected Projects
Epic Piping; Anthropic; CF Industries; Hyundai Steel; Linde, Inc.; Westlake Vinyls
Highlights
In addition to major heavy industrial investments from repeat investors such as CF Industries and Shintech, the region welcomed a $7 billion data center from Anthropic and partners Hut 8 and Fluidstack. With 245 MW of IT capacity commercialized, Hut 8’s River Bend site has a footprint of 627 acres with 2,361 acres under option. Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) last in October 2025 announced it was rebranding as the Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership, reflecting what President and CEO Lori Melancon called “both our legacy and our ambition.” Nial Patel, chairman of the board of directors, said, “This rebrand reflects the simple truth that we are stronger when we work together. The Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership gives us a refreshed platform to better communicate our work, speak with one unified voice, and deliver tangible results that uplift every parish across the Capital Region.”
AUBURN-OPELIKA, AL
City of Auburn Economic Development // City of Opelika Economic Development
Phillip Dunlap
Economic Development Director
auburnalabama.org/economic-development/
John Sweatman
Director
opelika-al.gov/916/Economic-Development
Selected Projects
Seungwon USA; Arkal Automotive; GE Aviation Systems; Korea Fuel Tech America
Highlights
This area near I-86 has become as well known for its automotive supply chain cluster and concentration of Korean firms as it is for Auburn University. The industry and the institution are linked: Auburn University has more than 30,000 students enrolled with over 7,000 graduating annually — including 1,400 a year from the Samuel Ginn School of Engineering. The City of Auburn is also home to the Advanced Manufacturing Training Center (AMTC). The City of Opelika in May 2026 launched the new POW-R Workforce Initiative, bringing together K-12 education systems, higher education institutions, workforce agencies and industry partners to ensure that both current and future workers are equipped with the skills needed to succeed in today’s economy. “By investing in workforce readiness and talent development,” said Mayor Eddie Smith, “we are ensuring that Opelika remains competitive, resilient and positioned for long-term success.”
AUSTIN-ROUND ROCK-SAN MARCOS, TX
Opportunity Austin
Susan Davenport
President & CEO
opportunityaustin.com
Jeremy Martin
CEO, Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce
Selected Projects
Deposition Technology; Million Air Two; Natera; Dell; SpaceX; Firefly Aerospace; Sabey Datacenter
Highlights
The Texas state capital region saw significant project activity from such communities as Round Rock, Georgetown, Buda, Pflugerville and Hutto. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the Austin region ranked as the best-performing among the 50 largest U.S. metros for job growth in 2025, adding 27,200 jobs for a 2% growth rate. As some of the projects above attest, aviation and aerospace are hot in the region. “Austin’s evolution from a tech center to a hub for aerospace and defense innovation is quickly gaining momentum, driven by sustained capital inflows, a dense industrial ecosystem and a talent pipeline anchored by leading academic institutions,” Opportunity Austin posted in May. The region also is the highest-ranking among our 20 recipients in Heartland Forward’s Most Dynamic Cities study.
CHARLOTTE-CONCORD-GASTONIA, NC-SC
Charlotte Regional Business Alliance
Robert McCutcheon
President & CEO
charlotteregion.com
Selected Projects
Jabil, Inc.; Shandong Head Group; Daimler Truck Financial Services; Toromont Industries; Scout Motors; Riverstone Logistics
Highlights
The city known for its financial services sector continues to draw investment in that sector, in addition to major industrial projects from Jabil and Toromont, among others. Major contributions to growth in the region are coming from Gastonia and from Rock Hill in South Carolina’s York County. Good things continue to unfold: The Alliance reported that announced jobs and capital investment in Q1 2026 nearly doubled compared to Q1 2025. Of the 33 Fortune 1000 companies headquartered across the Carolinas, 19 are in the 14-county, bi-state Charlotte Region. Moreover, in January, Charlotte topped the 2025 Power City Index, a ranking that tracks the stock market performance of top employers across 36 major U.S. metropolitan areas. “Charlotte surpassed Silicon Valley and the Washington, D.C. metro area, which placed second and third, respectively,” the Alliance reported.
DES MOINES-WEST DES MOINES, IA
Greater Des Moines Partnership
Tiffany Tauscheck
President & CEO
greaterdsmusa.com
Selected Projects
Robinson Inc.; JBS USA Food Co.; Ampacity; Microsoft; Insane Impact; Deere & Co.
Highlights
The Des Moines area’s cost of doing business is 14% lower and its office rents are 24% below the national averages, says Moody’s Analytics. And the average commute is 21 minutes. That’s the sort of opening hand that can lead to favorable investment decisions in this state capital known for its FIRE sector (financial services, insurance and real estate — over 80 insurance company headquarters are in the region). Data centers from Apple and Meta are getting the headlines, but manufacturers such as Helena Industries, Vermeer, Clow Valve Co. and Lely North America are making the Greater Des Moines choice too. The Greater Des Moines Partnership includes more than 40 partner cities, counties and organizations. Among the unique initiatives shepherded by the Partnership is Operation Downtown, a Self-Supported Municipal Improvement District (SSMID) with a mission to keep downtown Des Moines “clean, safe, welcoming and vibrant in support of a positive experience.” Among its accomplishments in FY2025: 790 business contacts.
DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL AND RALEIGH-CARY, NC
Research Triangle Regional Partnership
Ryan Combs
Executive Director
researchtriangle.org
Selected Projects
Biogen; Novartis; Citel America; Vulcan Elements; Johnson & Johnson; Genentech; Ralliant Corp.
Highlights
Raleigh-Cary was ranked No. 5 in the nation among large metros in Milken Institute’s 2026 Best-Performing Cities Index, while Durham-Chapel Hill was No. 13 — quite a one-two punch. The 14-county area defined by its major universities and revived downtowns in state capital Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill continues to see investment in the growing areas of Holly Springs, Morrisville, Garner and Fuquay-Varina, where you’re likely to pass a new development on the highway not far from everyone’s favorite pick-your-own strawberry farm. Life sciences activity — the foundation of the area’s original growth spurt — continues to enliven the regional economy. Among the most recent injections from the sector was AbbVie’s April 2026 announcement of a $1.4 billion investment to build a 185-acre pharmaceutical manufacturing campus in Durham. Major partner organizations include the Raleigh Chamber, the Greater Durham Chamber, Duke Energy, Durham Tech and North Carolina State University (known for its economic development expertise).
COLUMBUS, OH
Columbus Partnership // One Columbus
Corrine Burger
Interim CEO
Jonas Peterson
President and Chief Economic Development Officer, One Columbus
Selected Projects
BJ’s Wholesale Club; ODW Logistics; Vantage Data Centers; Boeing Co.; Amgen; Meta
Highlights
In addition to Anduril Industries’ 4,000-job, 5-million-sq.-ft. “hyperscale manufacturing” project in Pickaway County near Rickenbacker International Airport, a big data center push in New Albany was a major contributor to the project momentum in the 11-county Greater Columbus region. Data centers are landing elsewhere too, including a recently announced $1.1 billion, two-campus investment by Cologix in Orange Township and Johnstown. Recent BLS data show the region to be No. 1 in the Midwest for job growth with a rate more than double that of the next-fastest-growing major Midwest metro. In 2025, the region added 21,000 people to reach a population of more than 2,242,000. The area’s population growth rate of 1% was double the national rate, and the area’s growth accounts for 53% of the entire state of Ohio’s population growth. The infrastructure and job opportunities are there for those new residents: The area ranked No. 1 in the country in Site Selection’s 2025 Global Groundwork Index, which tracks where business growth and public infrastructure investment are advancing together.
DALLAS-FORT WORTH-ARLINGTON, TX
Dallas Regional Chamber // Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership
Brad Cheves
President & CEO
dallaschamber.org
Robert Allen
President & CEO
fortworthedp.com
Selected Projects
Bell Textron; Lineage; Modine Manufacturing; Siemens; Paramount/SGS Studios; John Paul Mitchell Systems; Taylor Farms Texas
Highlights
Performance across all metrics by this booming Texas megatropolis was among the strongest of all Mac Conway Award winners, including No. 3 in Lightcast’s talent attraction rankings (fellow Texas Mac Conway Award winner Austin is No. 4). Project performance was distributed well, including strong activity in Plano (28 projects), Irving (20), Richardson (16), McKinney (14), Carrollton (12), Grand Prairie (12), Arlington (10), Allen (9), Denton (9) and Frisco (9). But that sort of distribution is no surprise in a region that spreads around 49 Fortune 1000 headquarters across 11 cities. Regional organizations such as the Dallas Regional Chamber build consensus on challenges just as they build the business case for their community: In April the DRC convened its biannual State of Child Care, presented by Texas Mutual Insurance Co., to explore the economic impacts of childcare and employer-led solutions for childcare access. That same month, the Fort Worth EDP joined an international trade mission to the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Germany.
FARGO, ND-MN
Greater Fargo-Moorhead Economic Development
Joe Raso
President & CEO
gfmedc.com
Selected Projects
Applied Digital; Aldevron; Microsoft; Border States Industries; John Deere Electronic Solutions
Highlights
The bi-state Fargo-Moorhead region is home to over 271,000 people, including a millennial population of 58,000 that Greater Fargo-Moorhead Economic Development says is 7,000 more than the national average for an area this size. The organization’s work in 2025 led to 17 successful projects completed (direct support for businesses ranging from Bert’s Truck Equipment in Moorhead to Applied Digital’s mammoth data center campus near Harwood) and more than 40 additional projects in the pipeline. Between 2023 and 2025 the area moved from a rank of No. 72 in the nation in industry diversity to No. 11, indicating economic stability. North Dakota State University continues to be a strong driver of talent and R&D activity. Among GFMEDC’s initiatives is Innovate28, a four-year, $3.7 million annual effort supported by public investment from Clay and Cass counties and private investment from more than 140 businesses that is focused on workforce, public policy and business development.
GAINESVILLE, GA
Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce // Choose Gainesville
Tim Evans
President & CEO, Greater Hall Chamber
Rusty Ligon
Director, City of Gainesville Community & Economic Development
Selected Projects
King’s Hawaiian; Kubota; Bend Biosciences; Orbital Energy Services; Hall Logistics; VDL USA
Highlights
The famous triangle offense that drove the NBA’s Chicago Bulls to the top could have its geographic equivalent in the region northeast of Atlanta formed by Gwinnett County, Athens (home to the University of Georgia) and Gainesville, located next door to Lake Lanier. Only 30 miles down the road from Gainesville and halfway to Athens is Jefferson, the county seat of Jackson County, which was ranked No. 1 by the Lightcast Talent Attraction Rankings. Among Gainesville’s newest claims to fame is the opening of the Georgia Ports Authority’s Gainesville Inland Port in May 2026, providing direct rail service from Norfolk Southern five days a week between Northeast Georgia and the Port of Savannah’s 40 ships per week global ocean carrier network. The service is an alternative to a 600-mile round-trip truck route. “At full build-out,” says the GPA, “the $134 million inland port will have an annual capacity of 200,000 containers.”
GREENVILLE-ANDERSON-GREER, SC
Upstate SC Alliance
John Lummus
President & CEO
www.upstatescalliance.com
Selected Projects
ElringKlinger AG; Woodward, Inc.; DHL; Isuzu Motors; GE Vernova; Meiden America Switchgear, Inc.
Highlights
From 2021 through 2025, the Upstate SC Alliance has tracked $18.8 billion of corporate investment in the 10-county region, accounting for 28,659 affiliated jobs and including momentum in Spartanburg County, which saw 13.5% population growth between 2018 and 2023 to reach nearly 356,700 people in a region of 1,590,000. At last count, the region was home to operations from 590 international companies and 2,938 engineering and manufacturing firms. “The Upstate’s success in attracting new business and supporting existing industries is a testament to our workforce, our business support resources and our superb quality of life,” says Upstate SC Alliance President and CEO John Lummus. “Our region continues to attract companies in the supply chains for engineered materials and advanced energy in addition to automotive, aerospace, life sciences and food and beverage. It’s an honor to see the fruits of our labor to build a place where business thrives and people can prosper.”
HOUSTON-PASADENA-THE WOODLANDS, TX
Greater Houston Partnership
Steve Kean
President & CEO
houston.org
Selected Projects
GCP Paper USA; Inventec Manufacturing Corp.; Foxconn Assembly; Vitol Inc.; Summit Next Gen LLC
Highlights
The Greater Houston Partnership identified a total of 683 new business announcements in the Houston area in 2025, a 26% increase over the 540 identified in 2024. A total of 532 of them were expansions by existing Houston-area operations and 33 were headquarters deals. Thirty percent involved manufacturing, including investments by the likes of Eli Lilly and Company, Foxconn and Tesla. In addition to booming activity in Houston proper, the region’s project tally include healthy contributions from such communities as Baytown, Conroe, Katy, La Porte, Pasadena, Sugar Land and The Woodlands. In recent news, Meta, the tech company behind Facebook and Instagram, selected Houston as one of four pilot cities for America’s Workforce Academy, its new nationwide skilled trades training program launching this year. The other pilot cities are Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Columbus, Ohio — all recipients of this year’s Mac Conway Awards.
HUNTSVILLE, AL
Huntsville-Madison County Chamber of Commerce
Lucia Cape
Senior Vice President, Economic Development & Workforce
asmartplace.com
Selected Projects
Eli Lilly and Company; L3Harris Technologies; Northrop Grumman; Strata-G Solutions; GE Aviation Systems
Highlights
Among large cities, metro Huntsville was second only to the Fayetteville, Arkansas, region in Milken Institute’s 2026 Best-Performing Cities Index. It’s also a consistently high performer over the past several years at the top of CBRE’s Scoring Tech Talent rankings. Already a bastion of engineering talent due to its aerospace and military sectors, the area’s profile only grows stronger now that the U.S. Space Command has relocated there, officially taking operational control of the facility at Redstone Arsenal in April. The region’s life sciences profile has been steadily improving too thanks to places like Cummings Research Park, and received a major boost with Eli Lilly’s December 2025 announcement of a $6 billion, 450-job investment in a manufacturing plant in Limestone County that will make small molecule synthetic and peptide medicines, including oral GLP-1. Overall, the region can claim 1.3 million people in its 16-county workforce.
INDIANAPOLIS-CARMEL-GREENWOOD, IN
Indy Chamber // Indy Partnership
Matt Mindrum
President & CEO, Indy Chamber
Paula VanDeVanter
Director of Business Development, Indy Partnership
Selected Projects
HarperCollins Publishers; ArrivAI Inc; Roche; Kimball Electronics; Caterpillar; Carvana; Hyster-Yale, Inc.
Highlights
No. 17 among large metros on the 2026 Milken Best-Performing Cities Index, the Indiana capital city region includes solid project numbers from such cities as Plainfield, Carmel, Noblesville and Brownsburg. The Indy Partnership is focused on attracting six target sectors: advanced manufacturing, sports, life sciences, IT, logistics and agribusiness. In June, the Indy Chamber in partnership with the IU Indianapolis Sports Innovation Institute (SII) issued a report that found the 10-county area’s diverse sports economy has driven Indianapolis to rank among the nation’s leading metros in sports employment concentration, with a location quotient nearly double the national average. Sports-related employment grew 44.3% between 2016 and 2024; sports-related gross regional product increased 81.2% and the region places second nationally in an analysis of top markets for women in executive sports organization leadership. Among other issues in its legislative advocacy work, the Indy Chamber supports proposed tolling of the state’s entire 156 miles of I-70 by INDOT in order to fund $6.5 billion in improvements to the roadway and expansion from four to six lanes.
PHOENIX-MESA-CHANDLER, AZ
Greater Phoenix Economic Council
Christine Mackay
President & CEO
gpec.org
Selected Projects
Applied Materials; GTI International; Ceva Logistics; Nowa Holdings; Apex Power; Amkor Technology; TSMC
Highlights
Maricopa and Pinal Counties, 22 member communities and more than 200 private investors comprise GPEC, including strong project attractors such as Chandler, Mesa, Glendale, Goodyear and Tempe. Semiconductor supply chain continues to propel the economy. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is only one part of an airport network that contributed $44.3 billion to the economy in 2022 and includes executive-heavy Scottsdale Airport, flight training at Goodyear Airport and what GPEC calls “the explosive rise of Mesa Gateway Airport, the region’s secondary international airport for goods and passengers. In recent years, Greater Phoenix’s growing relationship with Southeast Asia has led to the establishment of new direct flights as flows of people follow historical foreign direct investments from firms based in Taiwan, South Korea and elsewhere.” Meanwhile, another GPEC report found that since 2015, there have been 142 expansions of European companies into Maricopa and Pinal counties that have resulted in more than $8.1 billion in investment and created about 15,000 jobs in the region.
RICHMOND, VA
Greater Richmond Partnership
Jennifer Wakefield
President & CEO
grpva.com
Selected Projects
Eli Lilly and Company; Amazon.com; LEGO; CleanArc Data Centers Services; ABB; Eaton
Highlights
The lead regional economic development organization for the City of Richmond and the Virginia counties of Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico, the Greater Richmond Partnership between 2021 and 2025 saw $5.5 billion in corporate end-user investment that is creating 7,223 jobs across 34 projects. In May, the GRP launched a regional data dashboard that “brings together 28 indicators across five categories: economic impact, population, regional economy, transportation and real estate.” One indicator that the Partnership and business leaders want to move the needle on is direct transatlantic flights. “Richmond is now the largest metro market on the East Coast without a direct European flight,” wrote Allianz Partners US CEO Jeff Wright in a recent post on behalf of the Air Service Task Force he co-chairs, recommending consideration of a minimum revenue guarantee to help airlines offset risk at the outset of service in a new market. Meanwhile, on the ground, there is plenty to like: According to the Center for Community and Economic Research’s Cost of Living Index 2024Q3, the region’s overall cost of living is over 5% below the national average at 94.8. Housing costs, which account for 28% of the index, are over 14% lower.
SALT LAKE CITY-MURRAY, UT
Greater Fargo-Moorhead Economic Development
Matt Mindrum
President & CEO, Indy Chamber
grpva.com
Paula VanDeVanter
Director of Business Development, Indy Partnership
saltlakecounty.gov/regional-development
Selected Projects
SoFi Technologies; Usurance; UFP Site Built; Stadler Rail; AeroVironment
Highlights
No. 7 among large cities in the Milken Institute’s 2026 Best-Performing Cities Index, Salt Lake City is also the 22nd most dynamic city in the nation according to Heartland Forward (its Utah cousin Provo-Orem is No. 9). Salt Lake County is a major funding partner with municipalities in 70 active tax increment financing (TIF) project areas, and also participates in state-authorized Housing and Transit Reinvestment Zones (HTRZs), the Convention Center Reinvestment Zone (CCRZ), and State Land Authorities such as the Utah Inland Port and Point of the Mountain State Land Authority. As for the city, in a letter introducing a report on doing business in the city last year, Mayor Erin Mendenhall wrote, “Companies like bioMérieux and Sarcos Robotics have emerged across diverse sectors, from life sciences to technology, showcasing the creative and pioneering minds that define our community. Their success stories are a testament to the conducive environment Salt Lake City provides for business growth. Our commitment to fostering entrepreneurship is evident through strategic partnerships with the University of Utah, BioHive, BioUtah, and Talent Ready Utah.”
SAVANNAH, GA
Savannah Economic Development Authority
Hugh “Trip” Tollison
President & CEO
seda.org
Selected Projects
Cold Summit Development; Hyundai Motor Co.; Sewon America; Underwood Ammunition; Virginia Transformer Corp.
Highlights
Driven by the dual powerhouses of the Georgia Ports Authority’s Savannah Terminal and the Hyundai Metaplant and supplier ecosystem taking shape just up the road along I-16, the metro Savannah economy continues to churn. Communities such as Rincon and Pooler are doing their fair share of project attraction, as is Hyundai’s chosen community of Ellabell. In 2025, the region saw 82 new projects involving $2.8 billion in capital investment and 3,105 new jobs. Among other events highlighted in SEDA’s annual report was RISE (Regional Industry Support Enterprise) Job Palooza, a two-day job fair featuring 124 employers and more than 2,400 job seekers including International Paper employees (following the closure of that longtime paper industry employer) and the completion of childcare supply and demand analysis for RISE counties.
