McCain has invested heavily in India, including a recent $135 million CAD expansion of its Gujarat operations, which created 110 full-time jobs and 150 contract positions.

“McCain has been part of India’s food and agriculture sector for nearly 30 years and we remain committed to its continued growth,” said Aditya Krishna, Managing Director, McCain Foods India. “Our success in India has been built alongside our people, growers, customers and communities. We look forward to welcoming Falcon employees and growers to the McCain network and continuing to create local employment opportunities and support regional industrial development as we enter the next phase of our long-term growth in India.”

The completion of the transaction will be subject to closing conditions, but once the deal closes it will expand McCain’s ability to address growing demand and support future growth.

“India continues to be a priority growth market for McCain Foods,” said Pierre Danet, Regional President, Asia Pacific and South Africa at McCain. “This acquisition reflects our confidence in the Indian market and builds on nearly three decades of continued investment in our people, local operations and agricultural partnerships. By strengthening our manufacturing network, we will be better positioned to grow alongside our customers, growers and communities for the long term.”

McCain launched in India in 1998 with a team of three, which has now grown to more than 940 people and built relationships with more than 2,500 farmers India-wide. Falcon Agrifriz employs 450 people and enjoys relationships with more than 1,000 farmers in the area.

“We are proud of the modern, fully automated processing facility we have built at Falcon Agrifriz in less than two years, and especially proud of the talented employees and growers who have helped bring it to life,” said Parthajeet Patnaik, Vice Chairman, Falcon Agrifriz.

“McCain shares our values and our confidence in the growth potential of India’s frozen food market,” said Manish Tibrewal, Director and CEO, Falcon Agrifriz. “As a global leader in frozen potato products, McCain is the right company to build on the strong foundation we have established at Falcon Agrifriz and take the business forward.”

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“All those investments are creating more demand for components, and transformers are a major element in the customer energy chain,” said Bruno Melles, CEO of Hitachi’s transformers business unit. “Because in every place where there is power generation and in every place where there is a connection, there is a transformer.”

The 21,000-square-meter facility will be the first of its kind in Canada and a first for Hitachi in the Americas to produce pressboard, a material made from paper pulp that is used to keep transformers cool. The Canadian market currently sources pressboard from Europe.

Project construction is expected to be complete by the end of 2028 and once operational, the facility will create approximately 100 permanent skilled jobs in the city, which is also home to Canduct, a manufacturer of insulation kits and components, which Hitachi acquired in June.

“To have a location that is very, very close to Canduct will allow a simplification of the supply in the value chain, a dramatic reduction of the risks connected to logistics, and then of course we can count on having access to fresh and clean water that is an integral element for the production of insulation material,” Melles said.

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The region is a hotbed of investment activity as several suppliers are establishing footprints in the region to support the Hyundai operation. Yura is a Tier 1 supplier that produces wiring harnesses and electronic modules. It has 49 operations across 17 countries.

“Yura Corporation is a leader in the development and manufacturing of automotive wiring harnesses, electronic control modules and eco-friendly auto parts, and we are excited they have chosen Chatham County for this first Southeast location,” said Savannah Economic Development Authority President and CEO, Trip Tollison. “As they begin operations here, we look forward to building a lasting partnership and helping support their continued growth and investment in Chatham County.”

“Building on our global expertise and strong partnership with Hyundai Motor Group, Yura Corporation is proud to establish our first Southeastern U.S. presence in Chatham County,” said Myoungsun Cho, President of Yura Corporation Savannah. “This facility will serve as a key supply hub delivering wiring harnesses and electronic modules to HMGMA. Beyond business operations, we are committed to sustainable management, striving for mutual prosperity with the local community as a trusted partner.”

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The steelmaker, which is owned by Cleveland-Cliffs, North America’s largest producer of flat-rolled steel, insists the move is a temporary consequence of the ongoing trade war between the U.S. and Canada.

The layoffs sparked response from the Canadian government as Stelco is tied to obligations under the Investment Canada Act to maintain a certain number of workers in Canada. These were the conditions of purchase in 2024. Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said that the company cannot use changing market conditions to breach its commitments, the outcome of which could result in financial penalties or forced divestiture by the U.S. owners if the layoffs continue.

Conversely, the company is accusing the government of not doing enough to protect the Canadian market from cheap foreign imports.

“This whole thing is a manufactured crisis by Cleveland-Cliffs to put pressure on our government to go get a trade deal,” said Ron Wells, President of United Steelworkers Local 1005. “And quite frankly, we don’t feel appreciated. We don’t appreciate being used as pawns in this game.”

The union welcomes government intervention but worries that the legal process will take too long at the expense of its members.

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This marks the manufacturer’s first entry into Europe’s sub-80hp backhoe loader segment. The EU Stage V engine uses a diesel oxidation catalyst and diesel particulate filter, without requiring selective catalytic reduction or AdBlue.

Featuring an extendable dipper arm with inline cylinder design for optimal visibility and reach, the front loader offers mechanical parallel lift and has a range of attachments to chose from. It also features a load-sensing hydraulic system with a variable displacement pump, a Powershuttle transmission, digital instrument cluster, LED working lights, Bluetooth radio, and air conditioning as part of the standard package. Additional options include Ride Control, hydraulic breaker lines, a bi-directional auxiliary hydraulic circuit, and a choice of loader buckets.

Likewise, Case’s new electric mini tracked loader, the TL100EV, expands its electric utility machine range for use in landscaping, urban use, and farming applications. With a tipping load of 1.3 tonnes, it uses three independent electric motors, two for ground drive and one for hydraulics, which promotes low noise and zero emissions. Attachments can be used via a Common Industry Interface coupling system.

The TL100EV comes in two track configurations: a narrow track version and a wide track version. The narrow-track version measures 890mm wide, or 914mm with a bucket, while the wide-track version measures 1,026mm, or 1,067mm with a bucket. Non-marking rubber tracks are available for indoor work.

Case has also updated its 221G and 321G compact wheeled loaders for greater operator comfort and visibility, chiefly a redesigned door featuring additional side glazing and a lowered front console, which improve sightlines, as well as ergonomic changes that were previously integrated on larger models.

A new deluxe cab has become the standard, as well as the seat-mounted control console, adjustable steering column, and improved control layout. Front windscreen glazing has increased by 20 percent, while glazed door surface area has increased by 71 percent. A redesigned right-hand door, additional side glazing, and a lowered front console are intended to improve sightlines.

Both the 221G and 321G are available in 20 and 40 kph iterations, while the 321G offers a choice of standard Z-bar kinematic or an Extended Reach (XR) loader arm.

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The center will provide specialized skills development for newly hired aircraft technicians and mechanics and support long-term talent development and career growth opportunities for the company. The $50 million investment also includes the expansion of its Wheel and Tire Shop through the integration of state-of-the-art equipment and advanced employee training to expand Bombardier’s Component Repair and Overhaul (CR&O) capabilities.

“Wichita has long been an important part of Bombardier’s story, and we continue to see tremendous opportunity for the site. Our approximately $50 million investment brings together important initiatives across the site, from the new Learning Center to expanded wheel and tire capabilities, strengthening both our people and our operations. This commitment to Wichita’s future will deepen the expertise and capabilities that will allow us to deliver an even stronger experience for our customers, while positioning the site for continued growth,” said Paul Sislian, Executive Vice President, Aircraft Sales and Bombardier Aftermarket Services.

Bombardier has 10 service and manufacturing facilities in the U.S. and employs 3,500 people, and this commitment reinforces the role that its Kansas operations have on its overall capacity.

“Since 2019, my administration has partnered with Bombardier to build up the company’s presence in Wichita, which today now includes the new Learning Center, Bombardier Group’s U.S. headquarters, home of Bombardier Defense and the employment of 1,500 Kansans,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “Bombardier’s new $50 million investment underscores the enduring strength of the partnership between Bombardier and Kansas, and one that I expect will continue long into our shared future.”

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Space is becoming an increasingly attractive venue and staging area for the work of companies across the business landscape, which necessitates the manufacture and development of space-bound craft, goods, and more. Let’s take a look at how exactly space manufacturing has become a bigger player across myriad industries today.

The rise in interest and spending for space manufacturing throughout the decade, particularly in North America, has been strongly linked to the defence sector. Demand for space manufacturing has been driven by the desire of countries like the United States and Canada to bolster their defence spending and positioning by creating and launching more satellites and networks. These networks aim to increase surveillance, create secure communications, establish positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT), and more, with the goal of keeping countries secure and on the cutting edge of the latest technologies.

Other developments in the field are more closely tied to the needs of consumers. For instance, the market is seeing an increased focus on direct-to-device (D2D) technology, an ever-evolving practice that would allow unmodified cellular devices on Earth to communicate directly with satellites orbiting the planet without the need for an intermediary (i.e., a cell tower). Names like Starlink, AST SpaceMobile, and Lynk Global are seeking partnerships with wireless carriers to make D2D a viable reality.

Further tied to general technological advancement is the prospect of AI data centres based in space, although this idea is still in the conceptual phase. The construction of data centres to support AI-based technology is a top concern today, but there’s only so much ground to be broken and cooling technology to go around. Orbiting data centres would not only allow these facilities to be built off-planet but could also bring new solutions to the great amount of cooling they require.

In a piece for Science Focus, Jonathan O’Callaghan says that, “The desire for better products—and the fortunes that can come with them—is the driving force behind the emerging in-space manufacturing industry.” O’Callaghan also says that one of the draws of in-space manufacturing is the lack of gravity, which can allow for new ways of manufacturing that could be more successful than those on the planet when freed from Earth-bound physics. This could mean big advancements for areas like pharmaceuticals and computer chips, both of which are in higher demand than ever before.

There are many players of varying size in space manufacturing, perhaps none more famous than Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (more colloquially known as SpaceX). Founded by CEO Elon Musk in 2002, SpaceX has grown to become both a market and thought leader when it comes to outer space, especially given Musk’s grandiose plans in the wake of new development and cash flow in the space manufacturing sector. On August 4, Musk announced that the company plans to build automated factories on the Moon to support its ongoing venture in creating its Starmind brand of AI satellites. These factories are speculated to be powered by Optimus, a humanoid robot created by Musk’s other worldwide brand, Tesla, which is slated to become commercially available by the end of next year.

In a piece for Space.com, Mike Wall reports that SpaceX was valued at $1.77 trillion at its June initial public offering (IPO), and that its revenue for the second quarter of 2026 reached $7.8 billion. In light of the June launch of its Starfall capsule, a craft built to return payloads from orbit to Earth, as well as the company’s plans for a Moon-based factory and its efforts to increase payloads and shorten launch times, SpaceX will likely be a huge player in the industry for the remainder of the decade and beyond.

Beyond the largest players are other medium-to-large manufacturers that are also bringing a lot to the table. One such company is Rocket Lab, an American manufacturer of launch vehicles, spacecraft, and satellite components based in Long Beach, California. The company’s rockets of varying size are commonly used in the industry and sit comfortably in the middle of the market, between more expensive and smaller launch craft. As such, it has had the opportunity to create spacecraft for other industry leaders like Varda Space Industries, with its Pioneer line providing power, communication, and more for Varda’s reentry capsules.

Space is certainly a place where anyone can chase an idea or a fortune, and although American companies tend to dominate the news cycle, Canadian outfits are creating just as much noise. Ontario-based MDA Space inaugurated a high-volume satellite manufacturing facility in Montreal in May of this year as it continues to secure its place among the world’s major satellite manufacturers.

A perhaps unexpected part of Canada that is burgeoning in the space manufacturing sector is the Maritimes, on the country’s East Coast. This is thanks to companies like Maritime Launch Services (MLS), which is developing Spaceport Nova Scotia near Canso, backed by a 10-year, $200 million lease agreement with the federal government through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). Once fully developed, Spaceport Nova Scotia will be home to rocket launches on Canada’s East Coast, bringing more traffic and attention to a region often considered sleepier than the centres of Ontario and Quebec.

In September, MLS finalized the terms of its agreement with German company Isar Aerospace to create a dedicated launch complex at Spaceport Nova Scotia. Isar recently achieved the first successful orbital launch by a commercial company from Western European soil (Norway, specifically), and this agreement will help it build a greater foothold in the West. Perched on the Atlantic coast, the spaceport can support both high-inclination and polar trajectories over the ocean, in turn creating a potential route to space for companies interested in bypassing more globalized launch networks.

Developments like these come on the heels of the federal government’s, under Prime Minister Mark Carney, committing $182.6 million over three years in its 2025 budget to increase Canada’s launch capacity. In a piece for Invest Nova Scotia, Jonathan Coles says that Nova Scotia’s growing role in space is aided by the research capabilities of the Dalhousie Space Systems Lab (DSS) at Dalhousie University in Halifax. DSS, in conjunction with MDA and the Canadian Space Agency, was behind LORIS, the first satellite designed, built, and tested in Atlantic Canada, which was later deployed from the International Space Station.

Coles says that Nova Scotia checks a lot of boxes for space-based companies looking to invest in the province—namely, existing launch infrastructure, ready and willing partners that can supply a pipeline of talent, and a cost-effective environment conducive to innovation. As Coles puts it, “[Nova Scotia] has entered a new era of space innovation.”

We may still be far away from classic sci-fi dreams like the flying car, but manufacturing in and around space is no dream. Many companies are taking their operations to the heavens with plans and products that are certainly exciting, both in their novelty and in how they reflect current realities. To paraphrase the great “Macho Man” Randy Savage, when considering the new frontier where innovation and big business are looking to thrive, space is the place.

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During an impassioned fireside chat with the Council on Foreign Relations, held on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly late last year, Prime Minister Mark Carney touted the nation as a rock-steady trading partner, firmly stating Canada “has what the world wants.” Barely six months into his tenure as the nation’s 24^th Prime Minister, Carney spoke at a pivotal point in history, with the ongoing war in Ukraine, Middle East conflicts, and a dizzying array of confusing tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump on Canadian exports like steel, aluminum, and other materials.

Carney cited Canada’s strengths and many valuable resources, including being “an energy superpower in clean and conventional energies,” a leading artificial intelligence (AI) developer, committed to human rights, and “among the top five producers of the most important critical minerals.”

In 2025, Canada’s total minerals and metals exports amounted to $162 billion: 83 percent metals, 12 percent non-metals, and the remaining five percent coal and coke. This represented a four percent increase in total mineral exports. A piece published in Policy magazine titled Building Canada’s Place in the New Critical Minerals Order (July 30, 2026) discussed the urgent need for the country to update its 2022 Critical Minerals Strategy.

Underscoring China’s critical-mineral concentration, the article stressed how much the world changed in just a few years. “Governments are now using export controls, investment screening, tariffs, procurement, stockpiles, and public financing as instruments of economic security,” wrote Vina Nadjibulla, Vice President of Research and Strategy at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. Among other areas, Nadjibulla underscored the need for “a renewed North American bargain that protects Canada’s place in U.S. mineral and industrial supply chains,” adding, “Any national strategy must reflect both the depth of Canada’s critical-minerals relationship with the United States and the increasingly differentiated geography of its exports.”

Prior to President Trump’s latest tariff salvos, Canada remained a major exporter of critical minerals to the United States. A country rich in resources, Canada is known worldwide for everything from energy, such as oil reserves, crude bitumen, natural gas and potash, to agricultural products like wheat and canola, and forest and freshwater products. On the mineral side, the nation is renowned as a producer and exporter of critical minerals, including gold, diamonds, aluminum, copper, nickel, iron ore, and the chemical element uranium, often found alongside critical minerals.

According to Natural Resources Canada, Canada exported $49.4 billion CAD in critical minerals in 2025, an increase of three percent from the previous year. Of that total, $28.8 billion CAD went to the United States—about 57 percent of Canada’s critical-minerals exports, down from 63 percent in 2024, when exports to the U.S. totalled $30.7 billion CAD. That share remains substantial, but it is notably below the 71.7 percent of all Canadian goods exports that went to the United States in 2025, meaning Canada’s critical-minerals trade is already more geographically diversified than its merchandise trade overall.

Prior to proclaiming that Canada has “what the world wants,” Carney stated that, “We must build a new era, and in that era, Canada will prosper.” Considering the present state of relations between Canada and the United States, truer words could not have been spoken.

For decades, Canada and the U.S. were, literally, brothers in arms. Akin to family dynamics, relations were not always amicable, but they were never hostile. Siblings squabble, even duke it out occasionally, but forgive and move on. Those days, it seems, are now over. The Trump Administration is fixated on sourcing critical minerals from other nations, including record-breaking amounts of copper from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), rare earth minerals from Greenland, and other minerals from Latin America. Sourcing from these nations, and others, aligns with Project Vault.

Announced in February, Project Vault was described by the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) as “a supply chain security initiative establishing the U.S. Strategic Critical Minerals Reserve, an independently governed public‑private partnership that will store essential raw materials in facilities across the United States.”

According to EXIM Chairman, John Jovanovic, “Project Vault is designed to support domestic manufacturers from supply shocks, support U.S. production and processing of critical raw materials, and strength[en] America’s critical minerals sector.” Crediting Trump’s leadership, Jovanovic added, “The U.S. Strategic Critical Minerals Reserve will help manufacturers in the United States compete, grow, and lead globally while creating jobs domestically, strengthening our economy, and advancing the national interest.”

Garnering interest from some of the world’s biggest consumers of critical minerals like Boeing, Western Digital, and GE Vernova (and receiving approval for a direct loan of up to $10 billion USD), Project Vault is being touted as enabling U.S. manufacturers to “have stable access to critical raw materials during periods of market disruption,” ensure supply chain security, and reduce America’s “dependence on foreign‑controlled supply chains, strengthening the domestic industrial base, and ensuring uninterrupted access to materials essential for advanced manufacturing and critical technologies.”

The Trump Administration’s “America First” policy essentially aims to make the U.S. self-sufficient, with little to no dependence on other countries, and only the years ahead will reveal how successful this plan truly will be. The plan includes expanding domestic oil, coal, nuclear and natural gas production; importing fewer food products; onshoring manufacturing; investing in America’s AI, technology, transportation, logistics, and other industries (to the tune of $11.3 trillion and counting, according to the White House); and imposing sweeping tariffs.

With Trump’s goal of a self-sufficient America, the question remains: where does this leave Canada’s resource sector, especially critical minerals? Responding to questions about the ongoing trade war, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson recently said: “I don’t get mad, I get even.” The question was directed at the Minister during a ground-breaking ceremony for BC Hydro’s North Coast Transmission Line. Scheduled to be operational by 2032, the new line would double the province’s electricity capacity, add fibre optic cable, and expand or upgrade substations. One of the greatest benefits is set to be additional, much-needed electricity for critical mineral mines and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments.

“Nothing would make me happier than when the United States asks us for more electricity to say, ‘You know what, we’ve got a lot of mines we need to develop in northern British Columbia,’” Hodgson said in a deliberate swipe at the current U.S. administration. Translation: Canada has what the world wants, and we’re going to speed up development of our resources sector here at home. Good luck.

For the U.S. President, or the head of any other nation for that matter, underestimating Canada’s mineral-rich resources sector is a foolish game. Fourth in the world (after Russia, the U.S., and Saudi Arabia), Canada’s resources are not only abundant but also varied. The country is a leader not just in precious metals but also in rock salt, limestone, gypsum, and potash. A critical fertilizer component, potash recently made the Trump Administration’s hit list of things not to buy from Canada (the planet’s biggest potash producer, at 15 million metric tons annually) any longer. Instead, Trump said the U.S. would source potash from Belarus. The plan is poorly thought out and deeply flawed, for several reasons.

Although not a war zone, Belarus is considered a co-aggressor in Putin’s war on Ukraine by allowing Russian forces use of its airfields, territory, and communication systems, along with human rights violations. This alone means supply chains could be broken at any time. Second, there are the obvious logistical challenges, and costs, of bringing tons of potash from Eastern Europe to the U.S. Third, and most obvious, Belarus is the fourth-largest potash producer, at six million metric tons every year. The United States consumes that amount annually, and it is impossible for Belarus to contractually guarantee all its potash is shipped to America.

With thousands of mines and quarries nationwide, Canada remains a top producer of potash, palladium, titanium concentrate, niobium, and other critical minerals. These products, and others, are increasingly important to today’s manufacturing, in everything from life-saving medical devices to smartphones.

At 200 metric tons produced every year, Canada is the fourth-highest gold-producing country. One of the most precious metals, gold is in skyrocketing demand worldwide. Apart from being a tremendous investment in today’s unsteady economic times, gold is critical to aerospace and defence (satellite components), medical technology (pacemaker wires), and cancer treatment, and it is widely used in the printed circuit boards found in cars and computers.

For Canada’s critical minerals sector, the ongoing trade conflict with the U.S. is an opportunity. With Trump’s stance on tariffs and ‘America First’ unlikely to change, Canada can leverage its bargaining power. For decades, Canada has remained the biggest single-country supplier of minerals and rare earth elements to America, providing the U.S. with almost 80 percent of its potash and 60 to 75 percent of its aluminum. Manufacturing cannot happen without Canada’s minerals.

A final aspect to consider is diversification beyond the U.S. to other markets. For example, the federal government recently created a webpage on “Benefits and opportunities for the Canadian mineral and chemical sector under the Canada-Indonesia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).” Indonesia remains one of the largest consumers of fertilizers and industrial chemicals.

In 2024, Canada exported about $493 million in plastics, chemicals, and rubber products, “with a focus on potassium-based fertilizers and pharmaceutical raw materials,” according to the government. “The CEPA offers a strategic advantage for Canadian suppliers looking to increase their presence in Indonesia.” And with Canada exporting almost $53.5 million in minerals and metals to Indonesia as of 2024, “The CEPA presents new opportunities for Canadian firms to expand their sales of iron ore, processed minerals, and critical metals.” And as an additional incentive, Canada’s reputation for eco-friendly industrial chemicals and mining practices is well-known, and important as the planet shifts toward greener alternatives.

Canada has “what the world wants.” Now the country needs to make other nations aware of that fact.

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In the United States, it is reported that an estimated 2.1 million skilled trades openings across 135 core professions are posted each year, but a talent gap of 1.3 million persists, meaning that for every single person completing a relevant training program, three new openings are posted.

Driven by retirement and attrition, and decades of discourse that promoted a degree over hands-on work and the removal of hands-on learning from classrooms, the renewed push to promote careers in the trades is reactionary at best and will take years to produce the necessary results. According to research by JLL, by 2030, 2.1 million skilled trades positions could remain chronically unfilled, the economic losses from which could reach $1 trillion annually, which means action needs to be taken, and taken swiftly, if a turnaround is possible.

And, if you ask Dr. Temple Grandin what needs to change, it has everything to do with updating education, attitudes, and approaches to embrace different ways of thinking.

Thinking differently
Sometimes the best way to solve a problem is to think about it from a different perspective, which is exactly how Dr. Temple Grandin approaches her work and the world.

Many people are unaware that there are three distinct cognitive styles of processing information (visual, verbal, and pattern) and while most people use a combination of these to interact with the world, as all three are important to the function of our market and society, some individuals experience one or another in a more dominant sense.

Visual thinkers or object visualizers like Dr. Grandin have an innate capacity to solve problems. Using images or diagrams to organize, comprehend, and communicate thoughts and ideas, they often notice fine details that others might miss. Visual thinkers make great diagnosticians, artists, mechanical designers, architects, and similar, excelling in roles that require spatial recall, though they may struggle with abstract concepts like higher mathematics or long-form essay writing, skills that are heavily weighted in academics.

Despite the odds being against her as a person on the spectrum in the 1950s, Dr. Grandin did not let her diagnosis stand in the way of becoming a world-renowned scientist, animal behaviorist, autism advocate, and award-winning author. At a time when children with disabilities were institutionalized, Temple was engaged and empowered to find her place in the world.

Non-verbal until the age of three and a half, she has been a professor of animal science at Colorado State University since 1990, served as an industry consultant, and tours the world addressing auditoriums of people who pay to hear her insights; remarkably, through this work she has revolutionized animal handling practices to create a more humane world for animals and people alike.

This was not without struggle. Dr. Grandin has noted that she faced more barriers in industry as a woman than she did as someone on the spectrum, but believes she would not have the same success in today’s standardized educational system.

“I don’t think I could pass an algebra test today but I know how to do all my practical math like find the volume of a tank, figure out the square footage of the cattle pens, and things of those sorts, and I think education has really gotten off-kilter with some of this stuff,” says the woman who couldn’t become a veterinarian because of higher math requirements but educates future veterinarians today.

Barred access
For visual thinkers like Dr. Grandin, the very systems that are meant to educate can also be the source of barriers to access to career paths that would suit their capabilities and interests. Hiring practices, too, can bar access for many.

While Dr. Grandin was able to build a portfolio of drawings to sell herself and her skills in the market, online applications and AI screening tools paired with more stringent educational and job requirements make it much more difficult to break through into a career, especially if you are neurodivergent.

“I’m very concerned that our visual thinkers—the ones that I call the clever engineers, really good with mechanical—we’re screening them out and we’re screening out all the best diagnostic people,” she says of the higher math requirements.

Dr. Grandin notes that there are two parts to engineering: the mathematical engineers and what she refers to as “the clever engineers who tend to be the mechanical geniuses that just figure out how to make something or make something work,” she explains. “I can remember when I worked out in industry, the ‘weird’ guy in the shop who could fix anything, definitely was autistic, but we don’t have that guy anymore, and we need them. We need the weird guy in the shop.” Traditional educational and career pathways, however, have changed, as have attitudes and liabilities, which limits how far some people can go.

True diversity, equity, and inclusion
As employers and education systems have worked to integrate policies around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), in many ways they have failed to address the systemic barriers that prevent full and equal participation in learning environments and the workforce, particularly for those on the spectrum. In Dr. Grandin’s opinion, changes need to be instituted earlier to ensure that children, both neurodiverse and neurotypical, are exposed to more at a younger age, which begins in the home. Children are taught to build with blocks but seldom graduate to hand tools, which leads to a concerning loss of skills. Dr. Grandin has encountered some students who have never even used a ruler.

“We need to get these hands-on things back into the schools and we need to do it at younger ages. I realize we can’t take an eight-year-old on a construction site, but there are places where they can watch safely,” she explains, from which they can still be engaged and inspired.

Dr. Grandin was given responsibility at an early age and encourages parents to do the same with their children, be it a dog walking job or selling candy for charity. She encourages kids to get off the computer and get outside doing something with their hands where they can build social skills as well. And, acknowledging that access to formal therapies can be limited or costly, Dr. Grandin suggests parents do something similar and call it by a different name: riding clubs as equine therapy, intergenerational experiences at seniors’ residences, church groups—they all have a role to play.

“I think a lot of parents get too much into the Autism box. I think that’s a very big problem,” explains Dr. Grandin, which can limit the possibilities for children. Moving past this requires a great deal of advocacy and understanding the rights of the child to help them find a place to fit in the economy based on their unique interests and abilities.

Advocating for change
For Melanie McIntyre McGregor, RN, BScN, a registered nurse, mother, and advocate who completed Orton-Gillingham classroom training to support her child with dyslexia when the educational system could not, “Access often depends on parents who know how to navigate the system,” noting that this in itself creates inequity.

The role of educators is to meet children where they are, but with limited funding and strained resources, many children with special needs tend to slip through the cracks.

“One of the most difficult realizations has been seeing how much time, money, and energy families spend fighting for services that research has already shown are effective,” McGregor shares. “Parents shouldn’t have to become investigators, educators, legal researchers, advocates, and fundraisers simply to ensure their child learns to read or receives an appropriate education,” she says.

“Foundational literacy, writing, communication, and numeracy will always matter. Those are essential life skills. But beyond those foundations, I believe education should spend far more time helping students discover who they are, how they learn best, what they’re passionate about, and how those strengths can contribute to their communities.”

Says McGregor, “Imagine if schools invested as much energy into identifying children’s strengths as they do identifying their weaknesses. Imagine if every child left school believing they had something valuable to contribute,” beyond test scores that emphasize memorization over critical thinking skills.

And, if a child isn’t learning, try teaching in a different way. For McGregor, accommodations are important, but “they should never replace effective instruction.”

Similarly, if a child is accustomed to receiving accommodations throughout their educational journey, it is reasonable to expect those accommodations to continue through their professional careers, though much of the support available ceases to exist once an individual turns 18.

When it comes to accommodations, employers who hire individuals on the spectrum must be aware of their limitations, but also their strengths. Dr. Grandin notes that they will likely pour themselves into their jobs for the right employer and the right environment and will become superior performers, but a few things need to happen first. They must be insulated from social situations that may lead to breakdown and be guided by what Dr. Grandin refers to as on-the-job “pilot’s checklists” that break down the various tasks chronologically using simple to understand language and steps which are repeatable, referenceable, and can set individuals up for career success (rather than simply being given oral instructions).

Bridging the gap in skills and society
Certainly, there are individuals on the profound end of the spectrum who are not able to fulfill the requirements of jobs, particularly the skilled trades, but there are many more who are being screened out because of test results or the inability to learn in a standardized environment, though they have the skills and capacities so sorely needed in the market.

By systematically barring entry to these positions, many of the best and brightest minds are being eliminated from roles where they can shine. The loss of economic benefit therein cannot be ignored either, as many of these roles come with high wages and a sense of pride in workmanship, enabling these individuals to add tremendous value to the economy and to their own lives.

Espousing equality and operating with equity are two different things, and at the end of the day we need to do better to engage the entirety of the workforce. This can only be done if we start at an earlier age, reintroducing hands-on learning in the classroom and rethinking how we view those on the spectrum, especially at a time when addressing the skilled labour gap is so critical.

This article was inspired by An Evening With Temple Grandin hosted by the Algoma Autism Foundation (AAF) in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. A big thank you goes out to AAF and like organizations, including Future Horizons, for their work to reshape discourse around, and improve outcomes for, those who are on the spectrum, their families, and their carers. Different, not less.

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NCEDA’s roots go back to a core mission of supporting the professionals working to bring jobs and investment to North Carolina. What began as an industrial development group has today grown into a full-fledged professional association supporting economic developers across every corner of the state.

“We’re actually 60 years old this year,” President, André Lennon says. “We celebrated in spring 2026. The association started as an industrial development group with the purpose of supporting economic developers in the state of North Carolina in recruiting industry to this state, helping bring jobs to the state, and supporting our citizens.”

That founding purpose has scaled dramatically. Today NCEDA counts nearly 1,000 members, a mix of economic development practitioners and ally members, professionals who support practitioners through site readiness work and other services that fuel business growth.

The organization itself runs lean. As a not-for-profit membership association, NCEDA is governed by a volunteer Board and led by a three-person staff. “NCEDA is a membership association of economic developers from across the state of North Carolina,” Vice President, Clark Duncan, explains.

The board draws its strength from geographic and professional diversity, helping NCEDA understand and advocate for the differing needs of urban, suburban, and rural communities across the state.

Ask NCEDA’s leadership what’s fueling North Carolina’s economic momentum, and several sectors consistently rise to the top: aviation and aerospace, automotive manufacturing, biotechnology, technology, and data all remain strong performers.

“What’s exciting is that they’re pretty consistent across the state of North Carolina,” Duncan tells us. “We are a state that continues to see a lot of growth and investment in aviation and aerospace, and automotive manufacturing. Biotechnology remains dominant, as does technology and data.” He adds one more sector to the list—food and beverage—which he describes as a consistently strong performer for the state.

For a state routinely ranked among the best places in the country to do business, the reasons go beyond any single factor. Geography plays a foundational role, according to Lennon, who points to the state’s position in the Southeast and on the East Coast as an advantage that simply can’t be replicated.

“North Carolina has been very competitive over the past decade, and our geography is one of our competitive advantages that you can’t make up,” he says. “We have some quality of life advantages that assist us, but also the business climate is one of our strong competitive advantages as well. There’s a tax structure that’s set up that supports and incentivizes business investment.”

Duncan builds on this point, emphasizing the role NCEDA plays in sustaining a favorable long-term cost of doing business through relationships with legislative leaders. “Working with our legislative leaders, reminding them of the importance of having a long-term cost of doing business that’s favorable for companies,” is central to the association’s work, he says.

He also points to infrastructure investment, adding that the state’s interstate and highway network is a major asset, giving companies an efficient way to move products to customers. That, paired with a tax structure designed to let companies reinvest in themselves and in North Carolina over time, rounds out the state’s competitive edge.

The team also highlights a critical piece of the competitiveness puzzle: state investment in project-ready sites. Preparing properties in advance through due diligence and infrastructure investment can reduce risk and shorten speed-to-market for companies evaluating North Carolina. “There’s a lot of investment coming from the state to intentionally help and spur economic development all across North Carolina,” Duncan says, “and that makes for a big competitive advantage, along with our workforce solutions.”

While the North Carolina Department of Commerce and local governments administer most formal incentives and grants, NCEDA’s role is less about the dollars and more about the connective tissue between them. Lennon describes the association as a bridge linking the state’s many resources into a coherent, collaborative whole.

“We want our most rural counties to be as successful as our most urban,” says Lennon. “An association such as ours that represents the entirety of the state really thinks about how we share resources, how we advocate across all of our diverse members, so that we can come together to support project wins in all parts of the state.”

NCEDA connects its members to partner organizations such as the North Carolina Railroad and the Golden LEAF Foundation, which support site readiness and infrastructure funding. “Our association, being a member trade association, is the connector,” Lennon says. “We’re helping provide professional development opportunities on how to apply for those grants where they’re best administered.”

Workforce development runs through nearly every conversation about North Carolina’s competitiveness. NCEDA advocates for workforce policies and investments that respond to employers’ needs while also helping develop the next generation of economic development professionals.

“North Carolina has been a real leader in investing in education and workforce development, which is necessary for effective economic growth in any state,” Lennon says. Through its Foundation, NCEDA supports the next generation of economic development professionals by providing professional development scholarships, internships, and other opportunities that encourage new talent to enter the field.

The connection between workforce policy and successful business recruitment can be seen in Rockingham County’s recent recruitment of TSEA Energia, a Brazilian manufacturer establishing its first U.S. manufacturing facility in the county. TSEA places a strong emphasis on apprenticeships and developing its workforce through hands-on learning—exactly the type of employer need that has shaped NCEDA’s advocacy for greater state investment in apprenticeships, community college programs, and other work-based learning opportunities.

“When we advocate for workforce funding, it’s because we hear directly from companies about what they need to be successful,” says Leigh Cockram, Director of Economic Development and Tourism for Rockingham County. “TSEA is a great example. Apprenticeships are an important part of their workforce model, and our community college and workforce partners are working with the company to help build that pipeline here. At the same time, the state has increasingly recognized the need to invest in apprenticeships and other work-based learning opportunities. That alignment between what employers need and where we invest our workforce resources is critical if North Carolina wants to continue winning projects and, more importantly, help those companies succeed after they get here.”

Through its partnership with the NCEDA Foundation, NCEDA’s flagship talent initiative, Career Trek, introduces promising undergraduate and graduate students to the wide range of career opportunities in economic development. “We’re working to attract and inspire the next generation of economic development leaders,” Lennon says. “Career Trek gives students firsthand exposure to the profession and encourages them to pursue careers where they can help strengthen the economies of all 100 counties across North Carolina.”

That long-term investment extends to mentorship within the profession itself, pairing younger economic developers with senior colleagues to build institutional knowledge and a shared sense of purpose.

Indeed, NCEDA’s programming reflects an intentional effort to support members at every career stage. Alongside Career Trek, the association runs an Emerging Executives group for early-career professionals, offering programming tailored to those just beginning in the field. A mentorship initiative pairs senior members with early-career professionals to encourage knowledge sharing across generations. And the Practitioners Workshop, now in its third year, rounds out the offering for members further along in their careers.

“We have a representative each year on our board who provides insight into their perspective and the key ideas they want to hear at our conferences and other meeting content throughout the year,” Lennon says of the Emerging Executives group.

Duncan echoes the sentiment, framing NCEDA as a professional home regardless of where a member is in their career or where they’re based in the state. “This organization is the place where, no matter where you are in your career, we’re here for each other; it doesn’t matter where you are in the state, your age, or your demographic,” Duncan says.

One of NCEDA’s most consistent contributions is its legislative advocacy, which channels feedback from economic developers across the state’s 100 counties to lawmakers in Raleigh. That work depends on both strong relationships and NCEDA’s credibility as a statewide voice for the profession. “We have a great relationship with lobbyists and advocates in Raleigh, but we also take the time to understand and know our legislators and make sure they’re aware of what we need,” Cockram says.

NCEDA has consistently advocated for greater and more predictable state investment in site readiness, including due diligence and infrastructure needed to make properties more competitive for projects. “It’s really important that we also maintain a level of prestige and respect from our legislators, so they know that when we’re coming to them, it’s for something that’s truly needed statewide,” Cockram says, “not specific or self-serving for any one sector of our membership.”

Looking ahead, the competitiveness challenge is broader than any single program: North Carolina must continue aligning policy and investment around the full economic development ecosystem—project-ready sites, infrastructure, utilities and energy, workforce and education, housing, transportation, speed-to-market, and a predictable business climate. One area of ongoing advocacy is expanding funding for project-ready sites, where speed to market has become a critical competitive factor.

“We’ve seen additional funding for site readiness, whether that’s due diligence studies for industrial sites or other infrastructure improvements to have these sites ready for projects when they’re relocating to our state,” Lennon shares.

Ultimately, he credits the association’s success to something less tangible than funding or sector strength, and that is collaboration. “Organizations like NCEDA really set the state of North Carolina apart in the very competitive economic development landscape in the United States,” he says. “You have to have great land, products, and sites. You have to have a highly skilled and adaptable workforce. But really, the magic is in collaboration and how you pull together teams across universities, industry, and government to support economic growth. That remains a key priority for NCEDA.”

After 60 years, NCEDA’s next challenge is not simply to celebrate North Carolina’s success, but to help sustain it. With nearly 1,000 members and a statewide network of practitioners and partners, the association is positioned to help ensure that the policies, investments, and collaboration that made North Carolina competitive continue evolving for the next generation of projects and communities.

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