Area Development Announces 2026 State Shovel Awards Winners
North Carolina earns Platinum Shovel honors as states compete for transformative manufacturing, semiconductor, aerospace, pharmaceutical, and data center projects
Area Development has announced the winners of its 2026 State Shovel Awards, recognizing the most impactful economic development and job creation projects across the United States.
This year’s awards reflect one of the most competitive industrial investment environments in recent memory, with states landing transformative projects in semiconductors, aerospace, life sciences, clean energy, automotive manufacturing, logistics, and digital infrastructure.
The 2026 Platinum Shovel Award was awarded to the state of North Carolina for its extraordinary breadth of investment activity, including major wins in aerospace, life sciences, automotive manufacturing, transportation, and technology. The state’s project roster was led by JetZero’s planned $4.7 billion blended-wing aircraft manufacturing facility in Greensboro, expected to create more than 14,500 jobs.
