Watch the Full Conversation On-Demand
U.S. advanced manufacturing is booming — manufacturing’s share of industrial leasing has grown roughly 50% since 2021, vacancy sits below 3.5%, and construction investment remains more than double pre-2020 levels, with nearly 600 new facility announcements tracked across the country since 2023.
“Power, labor, and location have always mattered to site selection, but the complexity and competition around each of those components has really grown to new levels.”
— Matt Chatham, President, Occupier Advisory Services, Cushman & Wakefield
In this live panel, Cushman & Wakefield’s research and industry experts unpacked what’s actually driving that growth — and what’s complicating it.
“Data centers went from about 1.2% of total U.S. electricity use to 4.5% a couple of years ago, and they’re on a trajectory to get to 9, even up to 17%.”
— David Smith, Head of Americas Insights, Global Research, Cushman & Wakefield
That shift is putting manufacturers in direct competition with data centers for the same power-ready sites, skilled technicians, and critical equipment like transformers and switchgear, where lead times have stretched well beyond a year — a dynamic reshaping site selection for advanced manufacturing across the country. The panel also explored why sites that fail as data centers can often still work for manufacturing.
“There’s potential for a more collaborative relationship between data centers and advanced manufacturing. When a site doesn’t come to fruition as a data center, that’s a great opportunity for an advanced manufacturer to step in and evaluate if it fits their needs.”
— John McWilliams, Head of Data Center Insights, Cushman & Wakefield
They also covered how established industrial clusters — from the battery corridor along I-85/I-75 to semiconductor activity in Arizona and Texas — reduce execution risk, and why automation cuts headcount but can increase power demand three to five times over.
“Start with the operation, not the site. Know what your process needs for power, people, and supply chain — then test every finalist on deliverability. The best site can look good on paper, but it isn’t the best site if it can’t be delivered and it can’t scale.”
— Ben Harris, Head of Industrial Consulting, Americas, Cushman & Wakefield
