November 23, 2020 / Shelley Klug
When site selection pros think of the auto industry, one city comes to mind instantly. But Detroit isn’t the only manufacturing hub in Michigan, where people take pride in fixing things and creating solutions. The Southwest corner of the state, near the Indiana border, is home to one of the country’s fastest-growing regions for medical…
September 23, 2020 / Ashley Savieo, CEcD
Once you’ve narrowed your site search geographically and identified prospective properties that meet your needs, you may look for differentiators to help narrow your options further. Depending on your project, incentives could be the deal-maker or the deal-breaker. I’ve helped dozens of new and expanding companies explore and secure our Economic Development Rider (EDR) in…
May 21, 2018 / Eric Basinger
Three sites in southwest Arkansas have earned the Quality Sites designation for project readiness. AEP subsidiary Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO) finalized the designation with local partners. The AEP Quality Sites program intends to make sites more competitive for projects considering a location within AEP-served communities. The AEP Quality Sites program ensures a site has…
April 9, 2018 / Janet Smith
Sofidel, an Italy-based paper tissue manufacturer, held a groundbreaking ceremony on March 16, 2018 for its integrated paper production plant in Inola, Oklahoma. The project, which will locate in the AEP-owned Inola River Rail Industrial Park, includes the construction of a 1.8-million square foot plant that will support 300 jobs. The company investing $360 million…
December 27, 2017 / Mark James, CEcD
A few years ago our CEO challenged our team to see what we might do to help part of the territory we serve in Appalachia that has been so impacted by the change in our energy industry. Take a few minutes and read the article our Corporate Communications team wrote about the success in Eastern…
October 13, 2017 / Ashley Savieo, CEcD
Working with a utility partner on your site selection process provides numerous benefits — a knowledgeable economic development team, local insights and partnerships, and, of course, energy expertise. Many large electric utilities also offer incentives to their clients. Incentives offered by electric utilities, which are sometimes referred to as riders, typically offer 2 to 5…
June 22, 2017 / admin@adept
Campbell Soup Supply Company will construct a new distribution center in Findlay, Ohio on one of AEP Ohio’s Certified Food & Beverage Sites—the Midwest I-75 Logistics Park. Campbell Soup has begun site preparation for their 741,000-square-foot distribution center. When the center opens in the summer of 2018, it will employ 160 people and ship Campbell…
June 15, 2017 / admin@adept
In April 2017, Braidy Industries announced a $1.3 billion aluminum rolling mill to be located in Ashland, Kentucky. Braidy’s 2.5 million-square-foot mill is expected to employ 550 permanent workers and 1,000 temporary workers during construction. Braidy seeks to become the nation’s leading producer of affordable, high quality body sheet aluminum, plate and ultra-high strength alloys…
March 27, 2017 / Mark James, CEcD
According to Site Selection Magazine, the annual Governor’s Cup takes yearly project totals, which are tracked by the Conway Projects Database, and ranks states based on performance criteria over the past year. Projects must meet one of three criteria for inclusion: a minimum capital investment of $1 million, 20,000 or more square feet of new…
January 4, 2017 / Janet Smith
Solar power is an increasingly important part of the energy mix of the future and, like AEP, Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) has made a long-term commitment to cleaner and more efficient energy sources. Solar power is 100 percent renewable, clean and can be shared statewide. Recently, PSO teamed up with the University of…