About this episode

Didi Caldwell discusses the critical factors in site selection for manufacturing and the impact of various global challenges on location strategy.

In this episode, Madelyn O’Farrell speaks with Didi Caldwell, President and CEO of Global Location Strategies, about why site selection is a core supply chain decision rather than just a real estate choice. They cover common mistakes companies make, such as overvaluing incentives and underestimating labor market realities, and break down the key cost drivers of energy, labor, and logistics alongside risk and quality. Didi explains how shocks like COVID-19, tariffs, geopolitical conflict, and export controls have pushed manufacturers to prioritize resilience, multimodal logistics, and more rigorous environmental and utility due diligence. The conversation also explores sector-specific trends in automotive, pharma, metals, and AI-driven data centers, along with structural challenges like labor shortages, grid constraints, and water stress. Listeners come away with a clearer understanding of how demographic shifts, infrastructure needs, and emerging AI tools will shape manufacturing location strategy in the decade ahead, plus practical advice on why expert-led, data-driven site selection is critical for long-term success.

People in this episode

Host: Madelyn O’Farrell

Guest: Didi Caldwell

Topics covered

• site selection
• supply chain
• manufacturing strategy
• labor market
• cost drivers
• resilience
• demographic shifts

Keywords

• site selection
• supply chain
• manufacturing
• labor market
• cost drivers
• resilience
• demographics
• AI tools

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Global Location Strategies

Places: COVID-19, automotive, pharma, metals, AI-driven data centers

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