Relocations and Expansions - Fall 2015

For real-time news on business, politics and economic development in the South, go to www.RandleReport.com. For more information on the automotive industry in the South, go to www.SouthernAutoCorridor.com. And for more information on rural development in the South, visit www.SmallTownSouth.com.


ALABAMA

GE Aviation to invest $200 million, employ 300 in Alabama

GE Aviation will launch two materials factories to build parts for jet engines and turbines. The company will invest more than $200 million on adjacent facilities in Huntsville-annexed Limestone County, and employ up to 300 workers.

 

Technology firm to create 200 jobs in Troy, Ala.

CGI, a tech consulting firm, announced it will expand its operations in Troy, Ala. Through a partnership with Troy University, the company will create 200 new jobs.

 

A ceremonial groundbreaking took place recently for  Oxford Pharmaceuticals’ $29.4 million plant. The new venture formed in Oxford, England will produce generic drugs in Alabama.British pharma begins construction on $29 million plant in Birmingham

Oxford Pharmaceuticals, a British-based company, began construction on its $29.4 million generic drug manufacturing plant in Birmingham, Ala. The plant will produce, package and research generic drugs. The project will initially create 61 jobs, but that figure is projected to grow to 200 within 10 years.

 

MasterBrand adding 150 jobs at manufacturing facility in Auburn, Ala.

A multi-million dollar expansion is planned for the semi-custom cabinet manufacturing facility in Auburn. The plant will also add 150 more workers to the current staff of 380.

 

Georgia-Pacific announced plans for $110 million in upgrades to its Alabama River Cellulose (ARC) mill in Monroe County, enhancing the facility’s competitiveness and making it more technologically advanced.Georgia-Pacific upgrades Alabama mill with $110 million investment

Georgia-Pacific announced plans for $110 million in upgrades to its Alabama River Cellulose (ARC) mill in Monroe County. The facility continues to support more than 440 direct jobs.

 

Steve Harvey and partner purchase Alabama plant, create 300 jobs

Comedian Steve Harvey and Montgomery businessman Greg Calhoun have purchased factory space in Eufaula. The latex glove factory — currently AmeriTech Glove Factory — reopened in September after five years of sitting idle. Calhoun said he and Harvey have received a commitment from Wal-Mart. The plant will employ 75 to 100 employees by the end of the year and 300 employees by the end of 2016.

 

ARKANSAS

Dassault Falcon Jet opens $60 million facility in Little Rock

Dassault Falcon Jet unveiled its new 250,000-square-foot expansion at its Little Rock facility, bringing the company’s footprint to 1.25 million square feet.

 

Baxter International to add 225 jobs in Mountain Home, Ark.

Baxter International of Deerfield, Ill., a healthcare products manufacturer, will add about 225 full-time employees to its Mountain Home plant over the next five years.

 

If the timber industry is the lifeblood of Dierks, Ark., then Mayor Terry Mounts says Weyerhaeuser’s recently announced $190 million sawmill expansion is the lifeline. Weyerhaeuser investing $190 million in Arkansas sawmill

One of the oldest sawmill operations in the South is undergoing a $190 million facelift in Howard County, Ark. Weyerhaeuser is investing $190 million in a new facility, replacing its more than 100-year-old sawmill operation. The facility houses about 250 workers.

 

Metova opens new office in Arkansas

Metova, an emerging tech company that creates apps for companies including Yelp, eHarmony and the U.S. Department of Defense, has announced the opening of new offices in Fayetteville, Ark. The company is expanding from its base in Franklin, Tenn., and Conway, Ark., (where it has already announced more than 160 new jobs in 2015) and now brings 30 additional jobs to northwest Arkansas.

 

Micro Plastics to open facility in Melbourne, Ark.

Micro Plastics Inc. of Flippin, Ark., which makes threaded nylon fasteners, will locate a facility in Melbourne (Izard County). The company will invest $2.4 million and create 79 new jobs over five years.

 

Nucor to invest $75 million at Blytheville, Ark., steel plant

Nucor announced that its northeast Arkansas steel plant will install a $75 million Quench and Self-Tempering process, allowing it to produce certain grades of structural steel sections. Gov. Asa Hutchinson said, "Nucor has been an important part of Arkansas' economy for almost three decades and this investment shows their continued commitment to our state."

 

FLORIDA

Northrop Grumman Corp. won a major contract to build the U.S. military’s future fleet of stealth bombers -- a conceptual image of the proposed Long Range Strike Bomber shown here -- which means 1,500 new hires by Northrop in Brevard County, Fla.Northrop Grumman to add 1,500 jobs in Melbourne, Fla.

Northrop Grumman won the $80 billion next generation bomber contract from the Air Force in the fall quarter. As a result, the company is expected to hire 1,500 jobs in Brevard County, Fla., mostly engineers. Northrop Grumman currently employs 2,600 workers in Brevard County.

 

Caremark to hire 500 in Orlando metro

Caremark, the prescription management division of CVS Pharmacy, will open a facility in Orange County, Fla., that will house 500 workers. The new jobs will be pharmacists, technicians and call center operators.

 

Superyacht technology company building new HQ in Fort Lauderdale

Quantum Marine, which builds stabilizing technologies for yachts between 164 feet and 656 feet, broke ground on a new headquarters in Fort Lauderdale. The deal will create 75 jobs.

 

Feld Entertainment adding payroll in Florida

Feld Entertainment, the owner and operator of Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey circuses, is adding about 120 jobs in Manatee County, Fla. The new hires will bring employment by the entertainment to around 600 in the county.

 

Florida software firm adding 500 jobs

CareSync, a health care software company, is expanding in Wesley Chapel, Fla. The company is investing $18 million and adding 500 jobs in the expansion.

 

Financial technology firm hiring 250 in Tampa

London-based TransferWise is expanding in Tampa, Fla. The company, which offers peer-to-peer money transfers, will hire 250 employees.

 

Texas biomass company to invest in rural Florida

Applied Gaia, a Houston-based company, announced it is building a $60 million biomass plant in Perry, Fla. The plant will burn wood chips to create electricity and create biochar for use by fertilizer companies. The deal will create 300 jobs.

 

Fidelity Investments adds 300 high-wage jobs in Florida

Boston-based Fidelity Investments is adding 300 high-wage workers to its payroll in Jacksonville, which already employs 800.

 

Dental implant company to add 178 jobs in Palm Beach County

Zimmer Biomet, based in Warsaw, Ind., will create 178 jobs at its dental implant operation in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. The company plans a $1.9 million investment in renovations and equipment there.

 

Cheney Brothers opens distribution center in Charlotte County, Fla.

Cheney Brothers, a food service distributor, opened its fifth Florida center in November. The Punta Gorda-based project will house 380 workers.

 

Sarasota call center plans 350 new jobs

A $1.1 billion Texas-based call center giant with 70 locations worldwide plans to hire at least 350 people for its Sarasota office. Plano, Texas-based Expert Global Solutions is hiring people to fill customer support positions that serve multiple clients via phone and email.

 

Two fulfillment centers for Wal-Mart in Polk County, Fla.

Wal-Mart will build two fulfillment centers dedicated to shipping online orders in Davenport, Fla. The world’s largest retailer will create more than 625 new jobs there.

 

GEORGIA

Alcon Laboratories will invest $275 million in its Atlanta area manufacturing campus to boost contact lens production.Big deal in Atlanta

Alcon Laboratories announced in the fall it will invest $275 million in its Atlanta area manufacturing campus. The Fort Worth-based maker of eye care products will boost production of contact lenses and create more than 300 jobs. Atlanta beat out Germany and Singapore for the project.

 

Boeing adding 200 jobs at Macon, Ga. plant

Boeing will spend $81.7 million to retrofit and equip its existing defense-related facility in Macon, Ga., adding 200 new jobs. The retrofit will allow the 200,000-square-foot facility at the Macon-Bibb County Airport Industrial Park to produce fuselage panels for the modernized version of the 747.

 

Georgia Air Force Base hiring 200

Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins, Ga., is hiring 200 more support personnel. The new jobs are in addition to the 200 aircraft mechanics it announced it would hire in the summer quarter.

 

Savannah officials announce five expansions

The Savannah EDA announced five local business expansions in November that will generate $30 million in investment and 240 jobs. OnBrand 24, a Boston-based call center, is adding 30 jobs. Sweetener Solutions, a sweetener maker, is investing $2.5 million and adding 30 jobs. Safavieh, a New York-based home furnishings company is building a new distribution center in Savannah that will house 60. Savannah-based Enviro-Vac, an industrial cleaning company, is building a new headquarters and adding 30 new employees. Finally, Blue Force Gear, which makes the world's lightest gun straps for the U.S. Marine Corp., is investing $3 million, adding space and 50 new jobs.

 

IBM launching sports units in Atlanta

IBM is launching a new Sports, Entertainment and Fan Experience consulting practice as well as a Sports and Entertainment Global Consortium in Atlanta. About 100 people will work at the two sports units.

 

Massachusetts-based company investing in Georgia

Aspen Aerogels, a maker of energy infrastructure insulation used in refineries, LNG plants, power plants and petrochemical facilities, announced its first Southern project in Statesboro, Ga. The company will invest $70 million and hire 100 in the deal.

 

Software designer adding 500 jobs in Atlanta

California-based VMware, a maker of enterprise software, is adding 500 jobs at its Atlanta-based AirWatch business unit. The company has leased two floors at Perimeter Center West.

 

ADP to expand in Augusta, Ga.

ADP, a global provider of cloud-based human capital management, will create 450 new jobs and invest more than $20 million over the next few years at its operations center in Augusta, Ga.

 

Aptos to locate global HQ in Atlanta

Aptos, Inc., a retail technology company, will locate its global headquarters in the Buckhead area of Atlanta. Initially, nearly 90 employees will be based there.

 

Middle Georgia lands German textile plant

German textile supplier Sandler AG will build a manufacturing plant in Warner Robins, Ga. The new factory will create more than 140 jobs, representing an investment of more than $30 million. The new Georgia plant will serve as a production facility, warehouse and base for national sales and distribution.

 

New jobs coming to Rincon, Ga.

The former EFACEC Power Transformer facility in Rincon is adding 150 to 200 jobs over the next three years. With a new name — Georgia Transformer — the 225,000-square-foot plant is investing in new processes to meet demand for large transformers.

 

A dispatcher at Norfolk Southern’s division in Atlanta monitors train traffic at a Unified Train Control System (UTCS) dispatching console. The company will invest $75 million to expand its Atlanta office tower.Norfolk Southern plans $75 million Atlanta expansion

Railway operator Norfolk Southern Corp. will create more than 200 jobs as part of an Atlanta expansion. Norfolk Southern, which employs nearly 2,400 in Atlanta, will invest $75 million in a renovation of its Midtown Atlanta office tower to accommodate the expansion.

 

KENTUCKY

UPS will spend $309 million to triple the size of its Louisville ground package-sorting facility, known as Centennial Hub. UPS to invest $309 million in Louisville

United Parcel Service will triple the size of its Louisville ground package-sorting facility, known as Centennial Hub. The project will cost an estimated $309.7 million.

 

Apparel company adding 600 jobs in Louisville

Fanatics, a sports apparel maker, is adding 600 jobs at its Louisville operations. The company makes NFL merchandise.

 

Business advisory firm breaks ground on new HQ in Northern Kentucky

In the fall quarter, VonLehman & Company, a business advisory and CPA firm, broke ground on a new $10.7 million headquarters in Fort Wright, Ky. The company is one of the largest accounting firms in the Greater Cincinnati area.

 

Italy-based tile manufacturer expanding in Kentucky

Florida Tile, an Italian porcelain tile manufacturer, is expanding its plant in Lawrenceburg, Ky. The $25.2 million deal will create 61 jobs.

 

Collecto-EOS USA opens flagship center in Somerset, Ky.

Collecto Inc., doing business as EOS USA, a company that provides accounts-receivable management and business-process outsourcing services, invested nearly $4 million to open its flagship customer-service call center in Pulaski County, Ky. The firm plans to hire 150 associates in the southern part of the Commonwealth.

 

CVG, developer celebrate groundbreaking on Wayfair expansion

Online retailer Wayfair Inc. will add 250 jobs in Northern Kentucky in early 2016 as construction continues on its new 900,000-square-foot distribution facility at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.

 

Kelley Beekeeping adding 50 jobs in Kentucky

Kelley Beekeeping in Grayson County, Ky., which manufactures beekeeping products, will create 50 jobs and invest nearly $7.5 million in an expansion project.

 

Erlanger, Ky., welcomes new tech center and 200 jobs

Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) has opened its new $8.3 million technology and support center in Erlanger, Ky., creating 200 high-paying jobs. ADM is an American global food-processing and commodities-trading corporation headquartered in Chicago.

 

LOUISIANA

Another LNG export facility planned for Cameron Parish, La.

G2 LNG announced it will build an $11 billion natural gas liquefaction facility in Cameron Parish in Southwest Louisiana to export LNG worldwide. The project will create 250 jobs and 3,500 construction jobs. 
Texas-based Cheniere Energy is close to opening the first LNG export facility built in the U.S. in decades in Cameron Parish.

 

Smashing Boxes establishes operation in New Orleans

Durham, N.C.-based Smashing Boxes, an innovative technology firm for startups, is opening a location in New Orleans. The company will hire 85 designers and developers who will pattern products for web and mobile devices.

 

Near Lake Charles, La., Chennault International Airport -- named for Major General Claire Chennault, the aviator famous for commanding the Flying Tigers fighter group during World War II – will get a $250 million expansion.Chennault International Airport expanding in Southwest Louisiana

The former Air Force base near Lake Charles plans to expand with a quarter-billion-dollar investment. When completed, the airport will pick up over 250 acres for expanded operations, resulting in an estimated 1,500 new jobs over 5 years. 

 

China-based Shandong Yuhuang Chemical begins construction in St. James Parish, La.

China-based Shandong Yuhuang Chemical Co. Ltd. began construction on its $1.85 billion methanol-manufacturing complex along the Mississippi River in St. James Parish. The company plans to create 400 new direct jobs.

 

Video game developer to open New Orleans studio

inXile, a video game developer based in Newport Beach, Calif., will open a development studio in newly renovated office space in New Orleans. The company plans to scale up to 50 employees over the coming five years.

 

Hundreds of new jobs coming to Port of Iberia

Louisiana’s Port of Iberia announced hundreds of new jobs by two large companies that have been awarded projects at the port: Primoris Services Corporation and Dynamic Industries. Primoris is building a pipe fabrication facility and is looking for skilled welders and fabricators. Dynamic Industries will soon begin two new projects, and the company’s CEO Emile Dumesnil says they are looking to hire 500 new employees.

 

Syngas plans $360 million St. James methanol plant

Syngas Energy Holdings plans to build a $360 million methanol plant in St. James Parish, La., which would create 86 jobs. The company still needs to secure permits and get final funding, but it anticipates starting work on the plant in the second quarter of 2016.

 

Biochemical company to move headquarters to Raceland, La.

The Finnish company behind a new plant that aims to convert sugar-cane waste (bagasse) into marketable chemicals will move one of its major divisions to Raceland. Stora Enso Biomaterials plans to add on to the previously announced $60 million investment that would create 80 permanent jobs.

 

New plant planned in Carlyss, La.

The renovation of a dormant ethane cracker in Carlyss could result in hundreds of new jobs in Southwest Louisiana. Thailand-based Indorama Ventures (IVL) will invest $175 million. IVL officials said the project will create 125 direct jobs, and that during the project’s peak building activity, 600 construction jobs will be created.

 

TriWest Healthcare Alliance plans center in Jefferson Parish, La.

Phoenix-based TriWest Healthcare Alliance, which manages health care for military veterans under a Department of Veterans Affairs contract, has chosen Jefferson Parish to open a call center. The project is expected to create 285 jobs, and the company will recruit as many veterans as possible to its workforce.

 

MISSISSIPPI

Mississippi Silicon board member Nicholas John “N.J.” Correnti, Mississippi Silicon chairman Ricardo Vicintin and Governor Phil Bryant  celebrate the grand opening of Mississippi Silicon.First new silicon metal plant in decades opens in Tishomingo County, Miss.

In November, Mississippi Silicon opened its world-class manufacturing facility in Burnsville, Miss. The plant will produce silicon metal for the automotive, chemical and aluminum industries. The $200 million, 200-employee facility is the first silicon metal facility built in decades in the U.S.

 

Paper manufacturer investing $120 million in Mississippi

Italian tissue paper manufacturer Sofidel America is locating a $120 million plant in Hattiesburg, Miss. The company is moving into an existing 400,000-square-foot facility that will house 230 workers.

 

Acoustic ceiling manufacturer picks rural Mississippi for plant

ROCKFON, a subsidiary of Denmark-based ROCKWOOL, announced it is locating an acoustic ceiling panel plant in Marshall County, Miss. It is the first plant for the company in North America. The $42 million project will create 90 jobs.

 

Boat manufacturer adding jobs in Mississippi

NauticStar Boats is expanding its plant in Amory, Miss. The company is adding nearly 100 jobs.

 

Koch Foods expands in Forest and Morton, Miss.

Poultry processor Koch Foods is expanding operations at its facilities in Mississippi. The expansions represent corporate investments of approximately $2 million and $33 million, respectively, and will create a total of 203 jobs — 23 at the Forest location and 180 at the Morton location.

 

Solar jobs coming to Mississippi with new factory

China’s Seraphim Solar Manufacturing USA announced that it is cranking up trial operations for a new photovoltaic manufacturing plant in Jackson, Miss. The project should bring 250 jobs.

 

MISSOURI

Boeing recently opened its new research and technology center in St. Louis, where a staff of 700 will develop advanced technologies. Missouri’s Gov. Jay Nixon is shown here speaking to Boeing guests at a previous announcement.Boeing opens St. Louis tech site with 700 jobs

Boeing recently opened its new research and technology center in St. Louis, where more than 700 engineers, technicians and staff will develop advanced technologies. The new facility in Missouri is part of a shift of research work out of the Puget Sound region.

 

KPMG taps St. Louis as tech hub

After a nationwide search, KPMG picked downtown St. Louis to become one of the accounting firm’s largest U.S. tech hubs, with plans to add 175 IT jobs over the next three years.

 

Menard plans manufacturing and distribution center in Sullivan, Mo.

Menard will break ground on a new 185,000-square-foot manufacturing and distribution facility in Sullivan. The company expects to create 129 new jobs initially and invest $29.1 million into the new facility, which will include concrete block and truss manufacturing and a cross-dock distribution building.

 

Square opens office complex in St. Louis, Mo.

Global technology company Square has opened an office complex in Cortex Innovation Community in St. Louis. Square plans to create 200 new jobs over the next five years in St. Louis.

 

NORTH CAROLINA

Buffalo-based AccuMED, a maker of medical products, is moving its manufacturing operations and headquarters to Davie County, N.C. New York manufacturer relocating HQ to N.C.

Buffalo-based AccuMED, a maker of medical products, is moving its manufacturing operations and headquarters to Davie County, N.C. The $3.5 million project will create 75 jobs in Mocksville.

 

Trucking company expanding N.C., HQ

Old Dominion Freight Line is expanding its headquarters in Thomasville, N.C. The company will add 300 new jobs to its current North Carolina employment base of 2,200.

 

Ashley adding 454 jobs in Davie County, N.C.

Ashley Furniture will create 454 new jobs at its Advance site in the next five years. The company also plans to invest $8.7 million in the site.

 

Frontier Communications expanding in N.C.

Frontier Communications is investing $4.3 million and adding 200 jobs in Durham, N.C. The new positions will provide customer support for the telecommunications giant.

 

Butterball expanding N.C. turkey plant

Butterball announced in the fall it will add 250 jobs at its plant in Raeford, N.C. Butterball purchased the plant earlier in 2015.

 

Mobile app designer expands in N.C.

WillowTree will expand its operations in Durham, N.C. The growing designer of mobile applications will hire at least 98 employees.

 

VF to expand workforce at Greensboro, N.C. center to 300

Apparel giant VF Corp. plans to nearly double the workforce at its location in Greensboro to about 300. Most of the additional employees will be current VF workers moving from various locations in Greensboro, as well as 50 or more contractors, and some new positions.

 

DB Global Technology plans expansion in Wake County, N.C.

DB Global Technology, a unit of Germany-based Deutsche Bank, will be adding 250 jobs at its software development center at the Cary campus. The company plans to invest $9 million.

 

OKLAHOMA

Tinker Air Logistics Complex in Oklahoma City is hiring 1,000 workers in 100 days at its massive aircraft maintenance center.Tinker Air Force Base hiring 1,000 new employees

Oklahoma City's Tinker Air Force Base is expanding. The Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex is hiring 1,000 workers in 100 days at its massive aircraft maintenance center. The base currently has over 9,000 civilian workers at the complex.

 

Three Tulsa companies expanding, creating 400 jobs

Three Tulsa area companies announced new jobs in one week in the fall quarter. Berkshire Hathaway Media Holdings, which owns the Tulsa World, will create 117 new jobs. Containment Solutions, a water tank manufacturer, is adding 85 jobs and software firm Consumers Unified plans to add 220 jobs in Tulsa.

 

QuickTrip adding 137 jobs in Tulsa

Tulsa-based QuickTrip, a convenience store chain, is adding 137 jobs at its headquarters. The jobs will be in the company's petroleum benefits and support operations.

 

Simulation company hiring in Broken Arrow, Okla.

L-3 AMI, an aerospace simulation company, is adding jobs at its site in Broken Arrow. The company makes simulators for fighter jets and helicopters mainly to train pilots for the military. The company has added 84 jobs so far this year and plans to add 30 more.

 

SITEL to offer 100 jobs at fair in Norman

SITEL, a global customer care provider, announced the addition of up to 100 new permanent positions at its Norman, Okla., location. The new hires in Norman will provide inbound customer care to a client in the financial services industry.

 

SOUTH CAROLINA

Company relocating HQ from N.Y. to S.C.

WYNIT Distribution is moving its international headquarters from North Syracuse, N.Y., to downtown Greenville, S.C. The technology distributor will hire 111, including relocating some employees from New York.

 

Red Ventures breaks ground on 1,500-employee facility in S.C.

Digital marketing firm Red Ventures broke ground in the fall on a $90 million expansion of its Lancaster County, S.C., operations. The project will create 1,500 new jobs.

 

Texas firm investing $100 million in South Carolina

A Texas company that makes polyethylene film for trash bags and plastic sheeting is opening a plant in South Carolina, investing $100 million and creating 300 jobs. Poly-America will open a new plant on a 200-acre tract in Chester.

 

Sea Pac establishing operations in the Lowcountry

Sea Pac, a company that specializes in warehousing, packaging and logistics of plastic resins, is establishing operations in Charleston County, S.C. The $32 million investment is expected to create 50 new jobs initially and more than 200 in the next five years.

 

Cypress Creek Renewables establishing in South Carolina

Cypress Creek Renewables, a company that specializes in solar energy projects, is investing $66.8 million in six new solar energy facilities in Hampton County. The company also plans to invest $15.5 million in a project in Florence County. Forty to 60 jobs will be created during construction.

 

Haemonetics invests $20 million to expand South Carolina facility

Haemonetics, a global leader in blood management solutions, is expanding its existing operations in Union County, S.C. The company is investing nearly $20 million in the expansion, which is expected to create 40 new jobs.

 

A $100 million expansion in Greer, S.C.

Mitsubishi Polyester Film will undergo a $100 million expansion at its facility in Greer, S.C. The plant makes a wide array of polyester films used for industrial labels and liners, flexible packaging, and also for emerging markets in energy and electronics.

 

100-plus new jobs coming to Greenville County, S.C.

More than 100 new jobs are headed to Greenville County. Suzhou Glacier Import & Export Co., a global textiles manufacturer, is establishing its U.S. roots in Travelers Rest with the creation of Cold Mountain Material Corporation. The company is investing $24 million to open the new manufacturing facility, creating 109 jobs.

 

Italian manufacturer plans to create 150 jobs in Spartanburg

An Italian manufacturer of high-end adhesives and sealants plans to create 150 new jobs and invest $66 million in the area. The new company, whose name has not yet been released, will locate near the new Toray plant being developed in Moore, S.C.

 

Benefitfocus adding South Carolina jobs

Benefitfocus has 300 new jobs in its North Charleston office to help with benefit-enrollment time this fall. The tech company explained, “These positions help consumers successfully enroll in their benefits, answer consumers’ questions about their benefits offerings and guide consumers through the enrollment process as needed.”

 

TENNESSEE

Lifetime Products locates large project in Knox County, Tenn.

Lifetime Products, a manufacturer of blow-molded plastic products, is investing $115 million in a new plant and distribution facility in Knox County, Tenn. The company will locate in the former GE building in Knox and hire 500 workers. The company makes plastic products such as folding tables and chairs, basketball hoops, kayaks, paddleboards and other products.

 

China-based tile manufacturer setting up shop in Tennessee

Wonderful Group, a tile and ceramics manufacturer, will invest $150 million to build a new 500,000-square-foot plant in Lebanon, Tenn. The facility, which will house 220 workers, is the first in the U.S. for the Chinese company.

 

Memory-foam maker based in China investing in Tennessee

Sinomax Group, a China-based manufacturer of foam products, is locating a new plant in La Vergne, Tenn. The $28 million project will generate 350 jobs.

 

Chinese manufacturer onshoring plant to Memphis

Another Chinese manufacturer has announced a new plant in the South. DunAn Precision, a manufacturer of heat exchangers, is onshoring a plant from China to Memphis. The $20 million deal, the first Chinese investment in Memphis since Shanghai-based MicroPort Scientific bought the hip and knee implant business of Wright Medical Group, will create 104 jobs.

 

Best-selling author and radio personality Dave Ramsey announced his company, Ramsey Solutions, will build a new corporate campus in Franklin, Tenn. The Nashville area deal will create 400 jobs. Dave Ramsey's company building new HQ in Middle Tennessee

Radio personality Dave Ramsey and his company Ramsey Solutions, announced it will build a new corporate campus in Berry Farms, a new mixed-use project in Franklin, Tenn. The Nashville area deal will create 400 jobs. Ramsey paid $10.8 million in cash for the land.

 

AMI targets Blount County, Tenn.

Advanced Munitions International will locate its global headquarters, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and distribution center in Blount County, Tenn. AMI is committed to investing $553 million and will create 605 jobs. The company is known in the firearms industry for its HPR Ammunition brand, a specialty ammunition that employs proprietary technology.

 

Orgill moving world HQ to Collierville, Tenn.

Orgill will invest $15 million to build a 100,000-square-foot new world headquarters in Shelby County, Tenn., which will generate 115 new jobs. An additional 300 employees will relocate from Germantown. Orgill, founded in 1847, distributes hardware and home improvement products nationwide, in Canada and 50 other countries.

 

New jobs coming to Carter County, Tenn.

Allied Dispatch Solutions will significantly expand its operations in Johnson City, creating 200 new jobs and investing $4.8 million in an expansion of its current facility. Allied Dispatch Solutions’ expansion is believed to be the single largest in Carter County history, and will propel the company to one of the nation’s largest roadside services company by the end of this year.

 

McKee Foods announces $102 million expansion in Tennessee

Collegedale, Tenn.-based McKee Foods Corp. is expanding. The snack food and granola manufacturer is investing $102 million and creating about 50 new jobs there.

 

Dura-Line plans Tennessee manufacturing center

A manufacturer of infrastructure products, including conduit, pipe and accessories, will open a new manufacturing and R&D center in Clinton, Tenn. Dura-Line will invest over $25 million and create 70 new jobs in Anderson County.

 

Calling for Tennessee jobs

Comcast announced it will hire and train 250 people for its newly-renovated call center in Knoxville, which is part of a $7 million renovation of its facility.

 

Tech company announces Nashville “innovation lab,” 100 jobs

Intermedix Corporation, a Florida-based health-tech firm, is establishing an innovation lab and offices in downtown Nashville. The move will create 116 jobs and relocate the firm's top executives to the city.

 

Institutional Casework expands its Tennessee manufacturing center

Institutional Casework will expand its current operations in Union City by opening a new metal casework manufacturing facility. ICI will invest $6.2 million, creating 200 new jobs in Obion County.

TEXAS

American Airlines building new HQ in Fort Worth

American Airlines announced it will spend $350 million on a new headquarters on 100 acres west of its current headquarters in Fort Worth. The world's largest airline will relocate about 5,000 employees to its new facility in the fall of 2018.

 

Liberty Mutual broke ground on its first significant project outside of Boston in the fall quarter in Plano, Texas. The $325 million, 1 million-square-foot regional hub will house more than 4,000 employees. Pictured is a rendering of the project.Liberty Mutual breaks ground on $325 million Dallas-Fort Worth campus

Liberty Mutual broke ground on its first significant project outside of Boston in the fall quarter in Plano, Texas. The $325 million, 1 million-square-foot regional hub will house more than 4,000 employees. Liberty Mutual Insurance currently employs about 1,600 in the D-FW region.

 

Charles Schwab hiring 500 in Westlake, Texas

Financial services giant Charles Schwab is hiring 500 in Westlake and could be looking to hire many more. The San Francisco-based company is considering building a new campus in Westlake that could total 1.2 million square feet of office space, large enough to house thousands. Company officials are considering relocating a significant number of jobs from San Francisco to Westlake.

 

Chinese firm plans $1.3 billion purchase of Texas oil lands

A Chinese investment company announced its plans to purchase oil fields in Texas for $1.3 billion. The company, Yantai Xinchao, signed a letter of intent to buy the oil fields in Howard and Borden counties from Tall City Exploration and Plymouth Petroleum, two Nevada-based companies.

 

Amazon adding 2,000 more workers at North Texas centers

Online retailer Amazon is adding 2,000 jobs to the 3,000 it already houses at facilities in Coppell and Haslet, Texas. The company has also started construction on a new fulfillment center in San Marcos, Texas.

 

Bassett Furniture announces new plant in Texas

Bassett Furniture plans to open a new upholstery manufacturing plant in Grand Prairie, Texas, providing more evidence that the Henry County, Va.-based company has bounced back from the Great Recession. Bassett said the new plant will employ about 70 people.

 

Kubota breaks ground on Grapevine, Texas location

Kubota Tractor Corporation broke ground at its new $50 million corporate headquarters location in Grapevine in October.

 

Air Products to build in Baytown, Texas

Air Products, the leading global hydrogen provider, will invest $350 to $400 million to build, own and operate a world-scale steam methane reformer in Baytown, Texas.

 

Biomass plant slated for Perry, Texas will bring 300 jobs

A Texas company plans to build a $60 million biomass plant that would bring 300 jobs to Taylor County. Applied Gaia Corporation of Houston will burn wood chips to create electricity as well as bio char for use by fertilizer companies through a newly created subsidiary, Perry Natural Technologies.

 

Pet food company bringing 200 jobs to Abilene, Texas

The Abilene City Council recently gave Prairie Dog Pet Products the green light. The company will invest $30 million to build a manufacturing center and HQ, bringing approximately 215 jobs to Abilene.

 

VIRGINIA

Growth and expansion mean 1,200 new jobs for Henry County, Va.

Over 1,200 new jobs are coming to the Martinsville and Henry County area. eBay Enterprise is looking to fill positions at its Martinsville facility. Leaders say this comes after a year of expansion and growth.

 

Call center in rural Virginia to create 300 jobs

Teletech is opening a new call center in Weber City, Va. The company will hire 300 to work in customer service positions for a health insurance client.

 

For the fourth time in five years, Microsoft is expanding its massive data center in rural Mecklenburg County, Va. The company announced its latest expansion will cost $402.4 million.Microsoft investing hundreds of millions in Virginia data center

For the fourth time in five years, Microsoft is expanding its massive data center in rural Mecklenburg County, Va. The company announced its latest expansion will cost $402.4 million. Microsoft has invested nearly $1.4 billion in the project since it was announced in 2010.

 

Gas company reshoring call center to Virginia

Washington Gas, which supplies natural gas in D.C., Maryland and Virginia, is reshoring a call center to Martinsville and Hampton, Va. The deals will create 200 total jobs.

 

Nearly 80 new jobs for Southwest Virginia

Schaffner-MTC Transformers is investing $3.5 million and adding 79 jobs at its plant in Wytheville, Va. The city in Southwest Virginia beat out a location in Ohio for the deal.

 

Governor McAuliffe announces 50 new jobs in Appomattox County, Va.

Governor Terry McAuliffe announced that Xpress Natural Gas will invest $7.8 million to establish a natural gas supply operation in Appomattox County. Virginia successfully competed against Pennsylvania for the project, which will create 50 new jobs.

 

Trex plans to create 89 new jobs in Winchester, Va.

Trex Co. will create 89 jobs and invest $15.4 million to expand its manufacturing operations in Winchester, where the company is headquartered. The manufacturer of wood-alternative decking and railing will invest $12.3 million in Winchester, and $3.1 million in Frederick County.

 

Thermal Gradient relocates to Virginia

Thermal Gradient, Inc. has chosen to relocate its operations from Rochester, N.Y., to the Richmond Region. The company, which develops devices and systems that perform DNA/RNA tests, expects to grow to 45 employees in the next two years.

 

New jobs coming to Scott County, Va.

Colorado-based TeleTech Holdings will invest more than $4 million to establish a “customer experience center” in Scott County, ultimately creating 300 new jobs.

 

WEST VIRGINIA

More than 100 new jobs coming to Huntington, W.Va.

A call center in Huntington is hiring more than 100 new employees. GC Services is adding jobs in the customer service department, according to a news release from the company.

 

TLK Group to add 100 positions at West Virginia call center

TLK Group plans to add 100 positions at its call center in Huntington. The call center, which opened in October 2013, employs about 400 sales agents and management staff.

 

Old sawmill creates new jobs in West Virginia

After a fire in 2013 destroyed more than half of a sawmill in Smoot, W.Va., most mill employees traveled to Beckley to a sister mill in order to keep their jobs. Now, Allegheny Wood Products has purchased the mill and invested more than $3 million rebuilding it. In addition to those employees returning from the Beckley plant, there have been new jobs created, bringing the total to 60.

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