Courtesy of Pilatus
Southeastern and northeastern states are attracting capital investment at a record pace, delivering growth all along the coastline.
Florida continues to attract global companies, with aerospace and aviation leading a diverse wave of investments. In 2025, Florida businesses exported nearly $79 billion in goods, a record high, up 8.9 percent from 2024 and 37.8 percent from 2018.
In October 2025, EPC Aerospace established its U.S. headquarters at Orlando International Airport. Swiss aircraft manufacturer Pilatus is building a campus at the Sarasota International Airport. Other notable investments include German energy tech company Siemens Energy relocating its U.S. headquarters to the Lake Nona Innovation District. In March, Philip Morris announced a $50 million business solutions center in Tampa that will create 180 jobs.
*State’s rank in the 2026 Chief Executive Best & Worst States for Business
Tennessee is positioning itself at the forefront of nuclear energy and quantum computing, fueled by a $70 million state fund. Chattanooga is constructing the nation’s first commercially available quantum network and quantum computer. It is housed in the city’s new Quantum Center, which will go live in 2026. EPB, the local power utility, has partnered with Vanderbilt University to create a Quantum Innovation Institute, which will house 200 faculty, students, staff and researchers.
Other announcements include Novonix investing more than $1 billion and adding over 500 jobs in Chattanooga over the next five years and an expansion by aircraft manufacturer West Star Aviation in Chattanooga that will create over 700 jobs.
North Carolina logged its best year in state history for economic development, announcing more than $24.1 billion in capital investments and over 35,500 jobs. In 2025, aircraft manufacturer JetZero announced a $4 billion investment and 14,000 new jobs, the largest job commitment in the state’s history.
Fastest-growing industries include life sciences, aerospace and advanced manufacturing. In September 2025, FUJIFILM Biotechnologies opened one of the largest end-to-end cell culture facilities in the world, a $3 billion investment. In October 2025, Biogen announced a $2 billion expansion in Durham County, and in January 2026, Johnson & Johnson (J&J) announced a $2 billion investment for a new biologics facility in Wilson County.
Between July 2024 and June 2025, Georgia attracted more than $26 billion in investment and over 23,000 new private-sector jobs. State exports also surpassed $60 billion, a 12.7 percent year-over-year increase that outpaced the national average of 5.6 percent. “Georgia is not just keeping pace, it is outpacing the nation in year-over-year growth for trade and export values,” said Pat Wilson, commissioner of Georgia Department of Economic Development, in a press release.
In March 2026, Belgian biopharma UCB announced a $2 billion investment to establish its first U.S. biologics manufacturing facility in Gwinnett County. That same month, Japan’s Yamaha Motor announced relocating its U.S. headquarters from California to Kennesaw, where it already employs more than 2,300 Georgians.
In January 2026, the SC Nexus technology hub received federal approval to expand its footprint, making it the first state-wide designation for any U.S. tech hub. “It reinforces South Carolina’s commitment to advancing new, innovative technologies,” said Dorothy Weaver, director of marketing at the South Carolina Department of Commerce.
The state announced more than $9 billion in capital investments and 8,100 new jobs in 2025, with rural capital and jobs accounting for more than 40 percent of the overall totals. Wood materials manufacturer Homanit announced in May 2025 a $250 million investment and 300 jobs in Clarendon County. In February 2025, power management technology company Eaton announced a $340 million expansion and 700 new jobs in Union County, while Isuzu North America Corporation announced a $280 million investment and 700 new jobs in Greenville County.
Long noted for its thriving federal defense sectors, Virginia is also reshoring pharmaceutical manufacturing and becoming a hub for data centers. In February 2026, Italian aerospace company Avio USA announced a $500 million rocket motor manufacturing facility and 1,000 new jobs in Hurt. A few months later, L3Harris Technologies announced a $1.27 billion expansion and 350 new jobs at its Orange County facilities. And CleanArc Data Centers broke ground in November 2025 on a $3 billion campus in Caroline County.
In the growing pharma space, Merck, AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly each announced major new facilities or expansions in the Commonwealth in late 2025, with every project exceeding $1 billion in capital investments and creating over 2,000 jobs combined. “This was an overnight success that took 20 years,” said John Newby, CEO of Virginia Bio, citing decades of ecosystem-building.
Kentucky logged a record $50.6 billion in exports in 2025, with aerospace accounting for $23 billion. Advanced manufacturing is the largest sector in Northern Kentucky, generating $32 billion gross regional product, supported by connectivity to the Cincinnati regional economy. “Workers regularly commute across state lines via shared infrastructure and transit systems, and the presence of eight Fortune 500 companies and more than 20 billion-dollar companies draws talent from across the tri-state area,” said Lee Crume, CEO of BE NKY Partnership.
Notable product announcements include manufacturing solutions provider Jabil’s $105 million expansion and 900 new jobs in Boone County, MarfoFMA’s $37 million expansion and 78 new jobs in Covington in March 2026 and, in January 2026, ADM’s $26 million expansion in Erlanger.
Stable pro-business policies, strategic location and demand for medical devices, precision electronics and aerospace components are reinforcing New Hampshire’s economic resilience. Additionally, proximity to Greater Boston and Quebec City and a lower cost of doing business attract entrepreneurs.
Notable wins include, in December 2025, Analogic announcing its relocation from Peabody, Massachusetts, to Salem, New Hampshire, bringing 500 jobs, and SynQor announcing expansion that will add 250 new jobs. New Hampshire is on track to have near-universal broadband coverage by the end of 2026, something that is expected to unlock new opportunities for rural development.
Over the past three years, Pennsylvania has seen more than $40 billion in private-sector investment and over 22,000 jobs, with life sciences a key sector. In January 2026, Eli Lilly announced it would build a $3.5 billion manufacturing facility in Fogelsville that will create 850 jobs.
In February 2026, J&J announced a $1 billion manufacturing facility in Montgomery County, adding to its estimated $10 billion investment across the state through 10 facilities and more than 2 million square feet of manufacturing, research and distribution operations. “For 140 years, J&J has been a leading innovator in American healthcare, and we are honored to continue advancing that legacy in Pennsylvania,” said CEO Joaquin Duato, in a press release.
Delaware continues to grow as a hub for life sciences, fintech and advanced manufacturing. Global leaders like Solenis, DuPont, Corteva and Agilent have made notable investments in recent years. In 2025, Merck announced a $1 billion biotech facility in Wilmington, and Aldi announced a $550 million fully automated distribution center in New Castle, which is expected to create up to 775 jobs.
The Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance found that, on average, nearly 1,400 corporations chose Delaware as their legal home each week during the year, and corporate growth formation in the state grew 30 percent in 2025. According to the Delaware Department of State, 2.1 million legal entities, 66.7 percent of Fortune 500 companies and 81.4 percent of 2024 U.S.- based IPOs are incorporated in Delaware.
A pro-business environment and competitive energy costs help Arkansas attract the most capital investments in its history. In January 2026, AVAIO Digital Partners committed over $6 billion to build an AI-ready data center campus in Pulaski County. A few months earlier, Google announced a multi-billion-dollar data center campus in West Memphis. Both were supported by the state’s IMPACT legislation, which reduces permitting times and offers a sales and use tax exemption for data centers.
“AVAIO Digital’s $6 billion data center hub represents the largest economic investment in Arkansas’ history,” said Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, in a press release.
Alabama ended 2025 with a record 234 projects, more than $14.6 billion in capital investment and over 9,000 new job commitments. In December 2025, Eli Lilly announced a $6 billion advanced manufacturing facility in Huntsville, the largest initial investment in state history. “Huntsville’s track record of science and innovation, supported by advanced manufacturing expertise and a skilled workforce, makes Alabama an ideal location,” said CEO David A. Ricks in a press release.
In March 2026, Mercedes-Benz announced a $4 billion investment at its Tuscaloosa County plant. It employs 5,800 people and has contributed more than $7 billion to the state since opening in 1997. In March 2026, Taiwan-based auto supply group Minth Group Limited announced a $430 million investment and more than 1,300 jobs at a former steelmaking site in Gadsden.
Maine’s blue ocean economy already contributes more than $6.8 billion annually, supporting over 90,000 jobs. In December 2025, the Department of Economic and Community Development’s Blue Economy Task Force report outlined a path for a more coordinated state approach, recommending continuous data collection, coordinating partners across industries and building capacity to move promising ideas into real businesses and jobs.
“Putting the Task Force’s recommendations to work will grow our marine economy and reach every corner of coastal Maine,” said Nick Battista, co-chair of the Blue Economy Task Force, in a press release.
Meanwhile, marine research infrastructure continues to grow. Construction is underway on a $30 million expansion at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in East Boothbay, adding new classrooms, laboratories and flexible forum space.
Since October 2025, West Virginia secured more than $12 billion in investments in several sectors. In March 2026, real estate development firm Penzance Management announced plans to build a $4 billion data center campus in Berkeley County’s Falling Waters District. That same month, Google announced a major data center development in Putnam County. Advanced manufacturing also continues to grow, supported by Toyota’s announcement that it would invest $453 million in its plant in Putnam County.
“Toyota’s continued investment in West Virginia demonstrates that our workforce, business climate and communities deliver real results for companies,” said Gov. Patrick Morrisey.
Maryland is expanding across trade, life sciences and quantum computing. In March 2026, South Korea-based biopharma contract manufacturer Samsung Biologics opened its first U.S. facility in Rockville, a $353 million acquisition.
On the quantum front, the University of Maryland Discovery District broke ground in April 2026 on a $65 million headquarters for the Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security. Finnish quantum computer developer IQM also announced its first U.S. Quantum Technology Center on the campus.
The Port of Baltimore is also growing. In May 2026, Tradepoint Atlantic and Terminal Investment Limited broke ground on the $1.2 billion Sparrows Point Container Terminal.
In fiscal year 2025, the Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) originated 173 loans totaling $61.5 million, leveraging $148.4 million in private and other capital. The VEDA 2025 Annual Report noted manufacturing remains a cornerstone of the state strategy. Weidmann Electrical Technology is making a $44 million expansion at its St. Johnsbury facility, which is expected to add 67 jobs. Agriculture and food production also attracted investments.
VEDA’s agricultural and forestry loan portfolio reached $82.9 million across 286 loans to 553 farms and forest entities. Meanwhile, clean energy and infrastructure projects totaled $5.7 million in 2025, including solar arrays for farms and a $1.3 million investment in Brighton Solar LLC.
Rhode Island is layering programs that help entrepreneurs, manufacturers and inventors start, grow and keep businesses in the state. The Innovation Initiative Portfolio offers several tools, including the Innovation Voucher program with funds for R&D partnerships of up to $75,000. Since its launch in 2025, it has supported more than 153 projects across 117 companies. Launched in 2025, the Invention Incentive Programs also reimburses individual investors and small businesses up to $5,000 toward patent application costs.
In March 2026, the state also launched the Small Business Energy Efficiency Program, offering grants to reimburse small businesses up to $20,000 for energy efficiency improvements.
Mississippi is rewriting its economic identity. In January 2026, xAI, the AI company founded by Elon Musk, announced a $20 billion data center in Southhaven, representing the largest corporate investment in state history. “xAI is scaling at an immeasurable pace… MACROHARDRR pushes our Colossus training compute to ~2GW—by far the most powerful AI system on Earth. This is insane execution speed by xAI and the state of Mississippi,” said Musk in a press release.
Amazon also announced in April 2026 an $11 billion expansion of its data center operations in Madison County, for a total of $25 billion. Meanwhile, in February 2025, German technology company Siemens Energy announced a $300 million expansion in Rankin County to produce electrical components and create up to 300 jobs, and Firehawk Aerospace established a $16.5 million rocket systems manufacturing facility in Crawford.
Economic development officials in the Pelican State have aligned state agencies, industry partners and workforce programs to lure some of the biggest investments in state history. In March 2025, Hyundai Motor announced a $5.8 billion steel manufacturing facility—the company’s first steel mill in North America—projected to create more than 1,300 direct jobs with an average salary of $95,000. Australia-based Woodside Energy is also building a $17.5 billion LNG project in Calcasieu Parish, the largest foreign direct investment in state history.
Meta is constructing a $27 billion data center in Richland Parish, spanning 4 million square feet. Known as Hyperion, it will be one of the largest AI infrastructure projects in the world. And Amazon is building several state-of-the-art data center campuses in Caddo and Bossier Parishes, a $12 billion project that will create 540 jobs.
Connecticut’s advanced manufacturing, financial services, defense and insurance industries are being rapidly transformed by technological advances. Many global insurance industry players are headquartered in Hartford, while high-tech submarines are built in Groton and semiconductor equipment is engineered in Fairfield County.
“Each of these industries is accelerating, as the state’s deep university research base translates into real commercial advantage,” said John Bourdeaux, CEO of AdvanceCT. “Connecticut isn’t picking one bet, it’s running several at once.”
Aerospace continues to thrive. In 2025, nearly a quarter of all aircraft engine components made in the U.S. were manufactured in Connecticut.
The Boston-Cambridge corridor remains one of the top destinations for life sciences. In April 2026, Thermo Fisher Scientific opened its first U.S. Bioprocess Design Center in Plainville, joining a network of bioprocess design centers in China, Korea, Singapore and India.
The state also continues to attract foreign investment. In March 2026, Copenhagen-based biotech company Zealand Pharma announced a primary U.S. research hub in Cambridge to conduct AI-driven research, advanced automation and next-generation molecule creation, with a particular focus on obesity and metabolic health.
New Jersey is becoming a top destination for film and television, driven in part by its Film and Digital Media Tax Credit Program offering credits of up to 40 percent. Netflix is investing $1 billion to convert the former Fort Monmouth Army base in Eatontown into a 292-acre East Coast production campus, with a projected opening in 2028. In 2025, Lionsgate broke ground in December 2025 on a $125 million, 300,000-square-foot studio in Newark’s South Ward.
The life sciences industry is also keeping pace. In May 2026, Garonit Pharmaceutical announced a $200 million investment and 1,000 jobs in an acquisition of the former Siemens Healthineers facility in Flanders.
New York is benefiting from a wave of AI and fintech announcements. Micron Technology’s record-breaking $100 billion project will eventually encompass four fabrication plants and be the largest semiconductor facility in the U.S.
The Big Apple remains a hub of fintech and digital commerce. In February 2026, Broadridge Financial Solutions announced a $78 million expansion in Long Island, while global sports platform Fanatics announced a $50 million expansion in Manhattan. Coinbase also announced in March 2026 a $750 million expansion and 630 new jobs in New York City. “New York has quickly solidified its role as a central hub for the global crypto ecosystem,” said Shan Aggarwal, chief business officer of Coinbase, in a press release.
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