fDi National Championship – The four conference winners

Southeast Conference

South Carolina has topped the leader board of the South-east Conference for the second year in a row. The state’s largest investment between September 2015 and August 2016 came from Switzerland-based Krono Holding, which operates a fibreboard mill in Barnwell. In December 2015, the company announced it would invest $230m to expand its manufacturing facility, creating 105 new jobs when it is completed in 2018. Germany-based Otto Krahn is the state’s top investor, investing twice in the state over the 12-month period. A manufacturing facility was established in Duncan in August 2016, when in the same month the company established a headquarters facility for its new joint venture with William Barnet & Son. 

Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Conference

Massachusetts has soared to the lead in the North-west and Mid-Atlantic Conference. The most populous state in New England was home to 18 inward investment projects the software and IT sector in the 12-month period assessed, which represented nearly one-third of all investment in the state. Switzerland-based NEXThink, which provides IT analytics, announced it was to establish its US sales headquarters in the state, creating 150 jobs by the end of 2017. More than 40% of all projects in Massachusetts went to the state capital, Boston, followed by Cambridge, which attracted more than 18% of all state investment, and is located within the Boston metropolitan area. 

Midwest Conference

Michigan has beaten Indiana to the top spot in the Midwest Conference. The state’s FDI paints a much more industrial picture, with more than one-quarter in the automotive components sector, more than one-fifth in the industrial machinery, equipment and tools sector, and nearly 10% in the automotive OEM sector. The largest investment in the state came from Germany-based Daimler, through its Daimler Trucks North America subsidiary. The company announced a $375m expansion of its Redford manufacturing facility, which is set to create 160 jobs.

West and Mountain Conference

California remains the leader in the West and Mountain Conference. More than one-quarter of all the state’s investment is in the software and IT sector, followed by over 13% in business services and nearly 9% in communications sectors. Major investments in the software sector came from China-based JD.com, which opened a 465-square-metre R&D facility in Santa Clara in October 2015, creating 100 jobs, and Ireland-based Experian, which invested in an innovation centre in San Diego, creating about 100 jobs. Global information services company Experian attributed its investment decision to the technology and innovation environment in the state. 

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