Manufacturing Dominates Projects Announced in the South

SB&D takes a look back at the road that led to the South’s manufacturing boom, and the roadblocks that could lie ahead.

Fifteen years ago, this nation needed something good to happen to its economy. Anything good.

The “Great Recession” of 2007-2009 was a financial disaster for most. It did not matter the industry sector, they were all negatively affected. Families, large corporations, small businesses, services, manufacturing, governments. . .we all went dark, at least temporarily, during the Great Recession.

It was the start of the year 2010 — a new decade — as the dregs of the U.S. Great Recession hung on like gum on your shoe.

Are we headed for another recession? That depends on who is elected president in November, I would guess, more than any other factor. The other factors are simply the ones the South is best at — reshoring and the advancement of green energy projects. As of the end of the summer, the South had captured over 60 percent of all EV projects announced in North America since 2020, according to the Center for Automotive Research based in Ann Arbor, Mich.

The Great Recession began in December 2007, and statistically ended 18 months later in June of 2009. By the end of 2009, the Great Recession was technically toast. . .finished, or so we were told. Tell that to small business owners like myself in January 2010, when the U.S. unemployment rate was still sitting Read More

May 2025

Aerospace less affected so far this year as some deals and rumors fly

Natilus, a California startup working to develop hyper-efficient blended-wing aircraft, is looking for U.S. sites for what initially will be a 250,000-square-foot factory making cargo jets. The plan is to hire more than 300 workers for the factory in phase one. Sites across the South are under consideration for Natilus and some really big aerospace projects in the summer quarter that will require tens of thousands of jobs if announced in a labor shed that is as thin as ever.

There are too many ongoing aerospace projects to mention being built now, but Airbus in Alabama and Boom Supersonic in North Carolina are two that are ramping up. And there is also a rumor of another next-generation aircraft manufacturer that might create 10,000 or more jobs. Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Florida are supposed to be in on that deal, according to multiple reports.

Uncertain times, but this deal from Mercedes-Benz in Alabama helps if Trump’s theory is correct about tariffs

Mercedes-Benz U.S. International (MBUSI) is planning to bring a new model to its gargantuan complex between Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. The press release stated that the model would be a core segment vehicle added to a new line at the Vance, Ala., plant by 2027.

From the MBUSI press release.

“Tuscaloosa has been a key hub for Mercedes-Benz vehicles for almost 30 years. It’s a natural step to bring a further model to Alabama as part of a strategy to deepen our commitment to the United States, a market which has been our home for more than a century.” Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG Ola Källenius said.

Mercedes-Benz has exported roughly two-thirds of its annual output from the U.S. for decades as Tuscaloosa is its largest export point to the rest of the world for its most expensive and popular SUVs. The German automaker is currently the largest manufacturer in central Alabama.

“With the integration of a further model, we’re taking a further step in our local-for-local approach, enhancing the integral role of our Tuscaloosa plant within our flexible digital global production network,” Board of Management Member with the Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Jörg Burzer said.

The last several years have been eventful for MBUSI. Workers at MBUSI in Vance voted against unionization last year during a widely publicized push by the United Automobile Workers Union to expand into Southeastern facilities.

U.S. birth rates hover near historical lows

The U.S. birthrate remains stubbornly low. Only 3.6 million babies were born in the U.S. in calendar year 2024 with a rate of 54.6 births per 1,000 women in their child-bearing years. Births among women in their teens and early 20s hit record lows, while births among women in their 30s rose. Increases were seen mostly among Asian and Hispanic women.

Goldman Sachs’ big deal in Dallas is going through

According to the Dallas Business Journal, “Goldman Sachs is making waves in Dallas and the Lone Star State with its massive new campus under construction, but the project goes beyond office space. It signals a strategic shift for the New York City-based financial giant that's helping to reshape North Texas' economic landscape. While a Goldman Sachs top executive has reaffirmed the firm's dedication to New York, its Texas-sized investment and 5,000-employee commitment to its new campus point to Dallas-Fort Worth's growing role in the future of finance in the Southwest and nationwide. – Dallas Business Journal

Dallas ’burb named most livable city in America

Flower Mound, Texas, topped the list of best places to live in the U.S. this year, according to a new ranking released by Livability. The Dallas suburb ranked No. 1 in the U.S. with a livability score of 875 out of 1,000. Methodology used 100 data points including overall economy, housing options, amenities, transportation, safety, education and health for markets with populations between 75,000 and 500,000. According to Livability, over 2,000 businesses operate out of Flower Mound. The average household income is $216,000. The city has a diverse and robust economy, according to the publication.

Hartsfield-Jackson holds on to “world’s busiest”

Data from Airports Council International in April showed that Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport defended its top position as the busiest airport by passenger volume in 2024. Over 108 million passengers traveled through the massive terminals in calendar year 2024. The totals were up 3.3 percent from 2023, but down 2.2 percent from 2019. Atlanta has ranked as the busiest airport in the world for decades, except for 2020 when the airport lost out to the airport in Guangzhou, China.

New industrial and tech institute forming in Texas

A group of major players in the industrial and defense tech sectors are getting together with venture capitalists, universities and policymakers to launch a new institute in Texas that focuses on assisting the U.S. on innovation that keeps the nation ahead of places like China. The Endless Frontiers Institute will have offices in Austin and at Baylor University in Waco. It is part of a 10-year plan that will be driven, in part, by a consortium that includes the Council on Foreign Relations, the University of Texas, Rice University, Texas A&M University and Baylor University, as well as Austin-based venture firms 8VC and Overmatch Ventures, and Arlington-based America’s Frontier Fund.

Big aerospace deal in Volusia County, Fla.

AURA AERO Inc., the French designer and manufacturer of next-generation aircraft, has announced its intent to build a 500,000-square-foot manufacturing and assembly plant in Volusia County at the Daytona Beach International Airport. The facility will create more than 1,000 high-paying jobs in the area.

Central Florida’s massive manufacturing growth since 2014 is very impressive

We have heard all the stories about “manufacturing in the U.S. leaving in droves to China.” That was so 1990s, a millennium ago. Sure, that is still happening to a lesser degree – U.S. manufacturing seeking labor savings that are no longer there as before in China.

But the data shows a manufacturing magical show happening in the South since the end of the Great Recession, peaking in 2015 with over 700 deals meeting or exceeding our thresholds of at least 200 jobs and/or $30 million in investment. Two-thousand and fifteen was the first year since 1993 that the South landed over 700 deals in one year and it was the last time our region reached that mark. Of course, tariffs have snuffed or slowed a lot of that momentum so far in this administration.

The steamroller of EV and battery deals in 2022 and 2023 was the largest manufacturing deal surge since 2015. In those years, total investments announced topped the half-a-trillion mark, but did not reach the 730 total-deal mark like in 2015. In other words, total deals are being surpassed in a deluge of multi-billion-dollar investments.

The unexpected rash of megadeals announced in 2022 and 2023 did not beat the 730 big deals of calendar 2015, the apex of the Great Recession recovery that featured as many reshored deals, including expantions and new.

Central Florida has essentially been absent from massive EV and battery deals like those being finished up in the Southern Automotive Corridors of I-95 (Hyundai, Savannah), I-85 (Kia), I-65 (Hyundai, Mercedes, Honda, Mazda and Toyota in Alabama), General Motors south of Nashville, Nissan in Tennessee, GM in Kentucky, along with Ford’s plants in the Commonweath. Throw in I-55 in Mississippi (Nissan, Toyota), and those interstates are the spines of the Southern Automotive Corridor. However, the manufacturing sector in Central Florida is booming, lack of EV participation or not. The growth in manufacturing has been substantial with $17 billion invested in the region, a 93 percent increase from 2014.

Central Florida has a diversified manufacturing industry, with significant activity in aerospace and defense, boat manufacturing and medical device technology.

Alabama Commerce Department receives recognition for AIDT’s new EV Technology Center

We do not normally cover announcements from our two or three worthy competitors, but Business Facilities named Alabama in its “Economic Development Organizations of the Year.” The publication, published outside the South, cited the $30 million Electric Vehicle (EV) Technology Center currently under construction by AIDT, the state’s workforce development agency. The EV Technology Center is a cornerstone of Alabama’s strategy to lead in electric vehicle manufacturing and advanced automotive innovation. Located at the Alabama Robotics Technology Park (RTP), the center is designed to equip Alabama’s workforce with the high-tech skills needed to support the transition to next-generation, sustainable vehicle production.

Elopak opens its first U.S. carton plant in Little Rock

Global packaging company Elopak opened its first ever U.S. carton converting plant in Little Rock, Ark., in the spring quarter. The state-of-the-art factory cost $100 million and will produce Pure-Pak® cartons for liquid dairy products, juices, plant-based drinks and liquid eggs. Elopak CEO Thomas Körmendi was joined by local officials for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the factory site in Little Rock. “Demand for our low-carbon, sustainable cartons in North America has been growing at an unprecedented rate for several years. This new factory will serve both new and existing customers across the United States, reaching millions of Americans every day,” said Körmendi.

General Dynamics and U.S. Army open new 155MM artillery facility in Calhoun County, Ark.

General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems and the U.S. Army have opened a new load, assemble and pack (LAP) facility for 155 mm high explosive artillery projectiles near Camden, Ark. This 155 mm artillery facility represents an investment of $110 million for General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems. It will create 185 new jobs in the region.

Executives, state and local officials break ground on Messer’s new air separation unit in Berryville, Ark.

State and local officials welcomed Messer, a leading industrial gases company, to break ground on a new state-of-the-art air separation unit (ASU) in Berryville, Ark. Company executives, along with state and local officials, celebrated the construction milestone during a private groundbreaking ceremony in May. The deal represents a $70 million investment.

CRH to expand metro Atlanta footprint

Governor Brian P. Kemp announced in the spring quarter that CRH, a provider of building materials solutions, plans to create more than 300 new jobs in metro Atlanta and invest $1.7 million. The new shared services center will support CRH’s Americas Materials Solutions business that is also headquartered in Atlanta. CRH’s Americas Materials Solutions business provides aggregates, asphalt, paving, ready-mixed concrete and construction services, and is the leading integrated building materials solutions provider in North America.

Earth Breeze’s nearly $6 million facility creating 226 manufacturing jobs in Mercer County, Ky.

Gov. Andy Beshear joined local leaders in Mercer County and executives from Earth Breeze, a producer of environmentally friendly laundry detergent sheets, to cut the ribbon on an approximately $5.9 million operation in Harrodsburg that is creating 226 full-time Kentucky jobs.

Aegis Sortation expands in Louisville; $16 million, 80 jobs

Gov. Andy Beshear highlighted new and exciting momentum within the state’s manufacturing industry as Aegis Sortation, a leading provider of efficient, high-quality sortation solutions, will locate in a new facility and expand its Louisville operation with a nearly $16 million investment, creating 80 new Kentucky jobs.

Historic investment: Woodside Energy announces $17 billion final investment decision for LNG facility in Southwest Louisiana

Woodside Energy Group announced its $17.5 billion final investment decision for the foundation of its new liquefied natural gas (LNG) production and export facility in Calcasieu Parish. The facility, named Louisiana LNG, is expected to produce up to 16.5 million metric tons of LNG per year. This announcement takes its place in both state and national history as being the first greenfield LNG project to reach final investment decision under President Trump’s second administration, and the largest single foreign direct investment and greenfield project in Louisiana history.

Another big deal in Louisiana

CF Industries Holdings, Inc., the world’s largest producer of ammonia, and its partners have announced an approximately $4 billion final investment decision to establish a low-carbon ammonia facility. Upon completion, this new facility on the West Bank of Ascension Parish will be the largest facility of its kind in the world. The investment is a joint venture with JERA Co., Inc., Japan’s largest energy company, and Mitsui & Co., Inc., a leading global investment company. The project is expected to create 103 new permanent jobs with an average salary of $110,000. Louisiana Economic Development (LED) estimates the project will result in 311 indirect jobs, for a total of 414 potential new jobs in the Capital Region.

“Louisiana wins again,” Governor Jeff Landry & LED secure $5.8 billion Hyundai steel plant

In the spring quarter, Hyundai Motor Group announced it will invest $5.8 billion in a new manufacturing facility in Ascension Parish. This first-of-its-kind site marks Hyundai’s inaugural North American steel facility, establishing a fully integrated and made-in-America supply chain to support its automotive manufacturing operations across the United States.

The ultra-low carbon steel production plant will be located on approximately 1,700 acres in Donaldsonville, La., anchoring the RiverPlex MegaPark on the Westbank of the Mississippi River in Ascension Parish. At approximately 17,000 acres, RiverPlex is the largest undeveloped tract along the deep-water Mississippi River. Hyundai Steel Company (HSC), a member of Hyundai Motor Group, is expected to create more than 1,300 new jobs with an average salary of $95,000. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will result in about 4,100 indirect jobs, for a total of 5,400 potential new jobs in the Capital Region.

Major data center campus set for the combined San Antonio/Austin market

Denver-based Tract has secured its 1,515-acre data center campus at the Caldwell County megasite that could support 800 jobs and 4 gigawatts of data center space at full buildout.

Elon Musk’s mini-city outside of Austin continues to take off

Elon Musk continues to add to his business campus in Bastrop, Texas, where The Boring Company and SpaceX are adding jobs and millions in square footage. Musk’s mini-city features housing and neighborhood amenities, a grocery store named Boring Bodega and a health clinic on site. But most of the action comes from SpaceX, where it employs thousands in Texas, including at its launch sites in Boca Chica, Texas, and Cape Canaveral. Gov. Greg Abbott recently said 1 million more square feet will be added to the SpaceX building in the next three years, and 400 more jobs will be created. There, SpaceX manufactures its Starlink satellite internet system.

Austin still a top 10 moving destination, according to new ranking

Austin remains one of the top moving destinations in the U.S., according to Pennsylvania-based Penske Truck Rental, which annually creates a list of the top 10 moving destinations based on its highest number of one-way customer truck rentals. Austin ranks ninth in the latest list, which was compiled from 2024 data, one spot below the previous year. “In 2024, we saw people moving with clear intent — driven by lifestyle fit, space or location,” said Kevin Malloy, senior vice president of Penske Truck Rental.

Penske’s top 10 one-way moves included:

Houston

Atlanta

San Antonio

Dallas

Orlando

Charlotte

Las Vegas

Chicago

Austin

Tampa

Randolph County, N.C., is attracting much more than Toyota as the battery plant is finishing up

A Maryland concrete company is coming to Randolph County. The company announced in April that it plans to establish a manufacturing facility in Randolph County. It chose the former Hughes Furniture site on High Pine Church Road southwest of Asheboro, a site of about 32 acres it plans to purchase. The company’s estimated investment is $9 million, and it expects to create 60 jobs averaging annual wages of $63,000, according to Randolph County Economic Development Corporation.

Boom Supersonic opens Colorado site for testing its engines

Boom Supersonic has opened a test site near its Colorado headquarters for developing the engine for the jetliners it plans to build in Greensboro, N.C. The site in the Colorado Air and Space Port east of Denver will support testing of the 12-foot-long core of the engine, which consists of the compressor, combustor and turbine. The company’s main manufacturing center is at Greensboro’s Piedmont Triad International Airport.

Oracle expands Nashville’s East Bank footprint with $42 million land purchase to pave way for HQ2

In the spring, Oracle Corp. invested $42 million in another East Bank site addition as it constructs its HQ2, similar Amazon’s in Northern Virginia. Varying job totals have been announced, but Oracle’s deal on the banks of the Cumberland River in downtown Nashville is one of the largest employment deals announced in the South in 40 years at around 9,000 jobs. The tech hub is located on over 70 acres, a seemingly small space to house 9,000 jobs.

Amazon buys land in NOVA for another data center

Amazon Data Services Inc. paid $195 million for 97 acres centered at Cochran Mill Road, due east of Philip A. Bolen Memorial Park in Leesburg, Va. The deal, which closed April 16, amounts to roughly $2 million per acre, which is fairly cheap compared to other recent deals in Loudoun, the data center capital of the world.

AL.com: Mazda’s Alabama plant will quit making SUVs for Canada in response to Trump tariffs

Mazda will begin redirecting SUVs originally made for the Canadian market at its Huntsville plant to U.S. buyers this month. According to a report by Nikkei Asia, this will effectively boost production of the CX-50 for the domestic market by 10 percent. In April, the Japanese luxury automaker announced it would pause Canadian production beginning May 12th in response to President Donald Trump’s automotive tariffs and the Canadian response. At that time, Mazda said there will be no changes to its overall production volume at the Huntsville plant.

Amazon picks Marshall County, Miss.

Amazon is continuing its investment in Mississippi by locating inbound cross dock operations in Marshall County. The project will create 1,000 new jobs. Amazon will construct a 930,000-square-foot facility in Chickasaw Trails Industrial Park that will receive and consolidate products from vendors. Amazon will then ship the products to surrounding fulfillment centers within its network.

Governor Stein Celebrates Boviet Solar Factory Grand Opening in Pitt County, N.C.

Governor Josh Stein joined business leaders and elected officials at the grand opening ceremony for Boviet Solar’s new solar module factory in Greenville. Governor Stein celebrated Boviet Solar’s $294 million investment in North Carolina and highlighted its continued commitment to clean energy. “North Carolina continues to be a leader in the clean energy economy, and I am proud to welcome Boviet Solar as it opens its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Greenville,” said Governor Stein. “As our state grows, so do our energy needs. I look forward to partnering with Boviet Solar to strengthen our workforce and build stronger clean tech infrastructure in North Carolina.”

“With nearly 110,000 people working in our clean energy sector, North Carolina ranks ninth in the nation for clean energy jobs,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “Boviet is a powerful addition to our supply chain that includes a roster of 220 solar companies that are helping to provide more low-carbon energy sources.”

In 2024, Boviet Solar announced it would create more than 900 jobs and invest $294 million in its first North American manufacturing facility that will produce high-quality solar panels and photovoltaic cells. Founded in Vietnam, the company is a leader in solar project development with commercial, industrial and residential customers in the United States. The state-of-the-art facility in Pitt County will increase the company’s global production capacity in a 1-million-square foot manufacturing campus.

February 2025

Surely not! KFC takes its HQ to Texas

KFC U.S. is leaving Kentucky and landing in Dallas-Fort Worth. Louisville-based parent company Yum Brands announced in February that it is relocating KFC’s corporate brand headquarters to Plano, north of Dallas, and combining it with the Pizza Hut brand HQ already located in the city. Roughly 100 corporate roles in Louisville are affected, with relocations happening over the next six months.

Whoa! Another fast food giant moves its headquarters to the South

In-N-Out Burger is moving its headquarters out of Irvine, Calif., to Nashville, following KFC’s move to Texas. By 2029, the popular restaurant will operate from two hubs: a western headquarters in its original home of Baldwin Park, Calif., and an eastern headquarters in Franklin, Tenn., according to The Press-Enterprise, citing a news release. The $126 million relocation will create 275 jobs.

Atlanta officials consider even more restrictions on data centers

Atlanta officials are considering additional restrictions on data centers after banning them in and around the Beltline. A special-use permit for data centers is now required and neighborhood commercial districts like Little Five Points are prohibited from building.

All kinds of rules are being drawn up to slow data center growth in the Atlanta mega-market, including one that requires permit applicants to show their project’s impact on natural resources and the environment, including a water consumption plan, water conservation and sustainability plan, energy consumption plan, transmission line impact assessment, tree preservation and reforestation plan, and a storm water management plan.

Microsoft, Google and Apple are out of control with data center spending and there is no end in sight as long as the lights don’t go out

Artificial intelligence has emerged as fast as Godzilla from the sea. Tech hulks like Google, Microsoft, Apple and others are scoping out sites in the South far faster than any time we have seen. Georgia, Virginia, Texas and North Carolina have led that game since its inception. But other states such as Alabama, Mississippi and really all of the Southern states, are not only getting looks, they are capturing data center deals that rank at the top of investments in state history. Let’s see if the grid keeps up.

After spending millions to outfit a 1 million-square-foot facility in Texas, Google walks away from the deal

Tech giant Google has walked away from a 1 million-square-foot lease north of Fort Worth. Google signed for space at the massive Northlake 35 Logistics Park in Northlake, Texas, and spent over $20 retrofitting the space. The project was part of Google’s $1 billion investment in data centers and cloud center infrastructure in Texas. The leasing company was told that at this time Google did not need the extra capacity. The space is now completed and back on the market.

Wolfspeed's massive North Carolina chip plant enters final phase

Wolfspeed's $5 billion semiconductor factory is nearing completion in Chatham County, N.C. The new facility features complex chip production processes. The electric vehicle market is the target sector for the company's technology and employees will start moving in as early as June. The $5 billion project fell into one of President Biden’s initiatives aimed at reshoring chip plants in the United States, and President Trump wishes to carry that forward. The 1,800-acre site near Siler City was one SB&D walked in 2014 with land owner Tim Booras.

Toyota is close to opening its $14 billion North Carolina battery plant

Toyota’s third-quarter financial report provided by Chief Financial Officer Yoichi Miyazaki showed that the Japanese automaker expects to open its battery plant in Randolph County, N.C., in mid-spring. The 5,000-employee plant is Toyota’s 11^th manufacturing site in the United States and the first to make batteries for hybrid, plug-in hybrids, and all-electric vehicles in the United States, Miyazaki noted.

Tracking Ford’s EV sales prior to its opening of BlueOval near Memphis

The West Tennessee Ford plant being built near a site between Memphis and Jackson, Tenn., is still two years away from opening. So, since electric pickups will be assembled there along with battery manufacturing, where are Ford’s EV sales prior to BlueOval City’s opening? Ford electric vehicle sales got off to a strong start in 2025, continuing to improve year over year after a record 2024. The Michigan-based behemoth sold more than 5,600 EVs in January 2025, a 21 percent increase from the same month a year prior. The company also sold more than 13,000 hybrid vehicles, a 19 percent jump YOY. Ford classes EVs and hybrids as "electrified" vehicles.

The numbers show that within two years, the Ford plant will have plenty of demand from consumers. BOSK's BlueOvals’s Kentucky One plant should come online this year, and its Tennessee facility is scheduled to come online near the end of this year. Those facilities are expected to significantly increase Ford's EV production capacity.

Failures from the surge in next generation clean mobility investments are mounting up

The failed Freyr Battery project in Coweta County, Ga., might turn out smelling like a rose for both parties. The Norwegian battery company Freyr announced plans to build a $2.6 billion battery factory in Coweta County in November 2022. However, in February 2025, Freyr announced that it was canceling the project and is putting up a large swath (368 acres) of woodlands it owns for sale. The property sale in Coweta County could garner $50 million. The company will use part of that to pay back about $27 million it has received in incentives for the project. The property is at Interstate 85 and Bethlehem Church Road, south of the Newnan-Coweta County Airport. Freyr was set to receive a total of $358 million in grants and incentives for its clean energy tech project.

Montgomery, Ala., stays red hot

Rarely does a quarter go by now without a significant announcement made in Alabama’s capital city. In the winter quarter of 2025, Diageo North America announced a $415 million manufacturing plant in Montgomery. Premium drinks company Diageo North America announced plans to open a new manufacturing and warehousing facility in Montgomery with 100 jobs as the company moves to build an increasingly resilient and efficient supply network. The 360,000-square-foot facility will have a multi-million case annual production capacity for Diageo’s leading beverage alcohol brands. This site will enhance the company’s North America supply chain operations and support future growth for the company’s export business.

The new facility, which will be referred to as “Diageo Montgomery,” will provide a new point of operations closer to the company’s beverage distributors in the Southern U.S. region. The site’s strategic location is expected to reduce required road travel, significantly helping to further mitigate carbon emissions associated with logistics operations.

Buffalo Trace finishes $1.3 billion distillery expansion in the capital city of Frankfort, Ky.

In early January, a 10-year, $1.3 billion expansion plan came to a close at Buffalo Trace’s distillery in Frankfort. The company recently added eight fermenters, at 93,000 gallons each, giving it 32 total on the campus.

Churchill Downs unveils $920 million new Kentucky Derby experience

Churchill Downs announced in the winter hundreds of millions in capital projects stretched out over multiple years, to "enhance and expand the Kentucky Derby experience." The Louisville-based company projects are, collectively, the largest expansion and renovation projects undertaken in the 150-year history of the storied racetrack.

Class A office vacancy success in Atlanta after a few years of post-pandemic “see-throughs”

What is a “see-through”? Easy. Look at a new office building and if you can see through to the other side of windows without obstruction, well, there ain’t anyone in there. New construction in Austin, Atlanta, D/FW, NOVA, Charlotte, even Nashville, has waned as of late after a surge under the Biden administration. Generally, a good thing as folks come back to the office in droves, four years later.

But Atlanta seems to have come back strong from the emptying-out of high-rises during and after the pandemic. As of February, metro Atlanta’s new space brought to the mega-market $14 million square feet built from 2016 to 2021 -- those office buildings were 92 percent occupied, according to commercial real estate giant JLL. Still, office vacancy rate across metro Atlanta is still 27 percent as of the fourth quarter of 2024.

Richmond, Va.-based Dominion Energy to spend $50 billion to increase capacity

Dominion Energy is preparing for the rash of data centers and growth in general by investing over $50 billion over the next five years. Dominion said data centers contracted 88 percent more power capacity, or 19 gigawatts (GW), in December as compared to July.

Washington-based software giant Microsoft announces two massive Texas data centers in Medina County

Microsoft is planning two new massive data centers in Medina County, according to filings with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Dubbed "SAT93" and "SAT94," the two structures would be 245,000 square feet each and rise at a parcel of land the firm owns north of the County Road 381 and 385 intersection, just north of Potranco Road. The two projects combined are estimated to cost $700 million, though those estimates are usually subject to change. The greater San Antonio region has attracted a number of data center players over the years.

Georgia breaks export records, rises in total trade

Governor Brian Kemp joined the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) in announcing that the State of Georgia surpassed $53.1 billion in exports, a year-over-year increase of 6.4 percent that outpaced the national average of 2.3 percent. The state also moved up a rank to sixth in the United States for dollar value of trade, serving as a global gateway to facilitate more than $198.7 billion in trade to 222 unique countries and territories.

Exporting to 219 unique destinations in 2024, Georgia retained its No. 12 ranking in the U.S. for dollar value of exports. Civilian aircraft and ancillary parts also remained the state’s No. 1 export, followed by motor vehicles, data processing machines (computers), electrical apparatus for line telephony (telephone sets), and medical devices.

Gov. Beshear: Kentucky sets back-to-back exports record with over $47 billion in products shipped globally

Gov. Andy Beshear announced Kentucky once again set an all-time record for products shipped globally, with $47.7 billion in exports in 2024. The commonwealth broke the record set in 2023 with an 18.7 percent increase over the previous year. “The global demand for Kentucky-made products, made by hard-working Kentuckians right here in the commonwealth, has never been higher,” said Gov. Beshear.

Alabama exports total $26.8 billion in 2024, reaching more than 200 countries

Alabama-based companies exported goods and services worth more than $26.8 billion in 2024, down slightly from the previous year, but still ranking as the second-highest annual tally for worldwide shipments from the state, Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair announced in February. The value of last year’s exports dipped 2 percent from the previous year’s record total of $27.4 billion, according to data from the Alabama Department of Commerce. The 2024 total was nearly 30 percent higher than the figure for 2019, indicating strong growth from pre-pandemic levels.

Capital investment by existing industry excels in South Carolina, accounting for $5.38 billion

The South Carolina Department of Commerce released its 2024 industry recruitment results, with an announced total capital investment of $8.19 billion from January to December 2024. Existing industries reinforced their commitment to South Carolina by reinvesting in the state through expansion projects, accounting for $5.38 billion of all announced capital investment last year. “The capital investment and economic development activity announced in 2024 reinforces South Carolina’s position as a competitive destination for businesses across many sectors,” said Secretary of Commerce Harry M. Lightsey III.

North Carolina-based Boom Supersonic validates quiet supersonic flight

In the winter quarter, Boom Supersonic said that results from its successful sound-barrier-breaking flight of its demonstration plane indicate that faster-than-sound flight without an audible sonic boom is technically possible with its technology. The company expects to build “no sonic boom” airliners next at its complex at the Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, N.C. The Denver-based company said that specialized arrays of microphones under the flight path of the XB-1 test plane on January 28th confirmed that sonic booms did not reach the ground during the plane’s repeated periods of flights above Mach 1.

Meta selects Northeast Louisiana as site of $10 billion artificial intelligence optimized data center

Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta announced it will build a $10 billion artificial intelligence data center in northeast Louisiana, a transformational investment that cements the state’s status as a major innovation hub and puts this picturesque rural community on the leading edge of a global digital revolution.Meta projects the data center will support 500 or more new direct jobs in Richland Parish. LED also estimates the project will result in the creation of more than 1,000 indirect jobs, for a total of more than 1,500 potential new jobs in the Northeast Region. The company estimates 5,000 construction workers at peak of construction on the 2,250-acre former Franklin Farm megasite that sits between the municipalities of Rayville and Delhi, about 30 miles east of Monroe.

$17 billion data center campus proposed in West Coweta County, Ga.

Atlas Development has filed plans with the state for “Project Sail,” a $17 billion, 13-data-center development in Coweta County in West Georgia. Each data center could consume 72 megawatts of power, according to a site plan submitted to the county. This could mean the project would require more electricity than all of the county's households.

Texas’ Permian Basin booms

The Texas Oil and Gas Association recently came out with its annual energy and economic impact report showing record-breaking industry numbers for 2024. And yes, the Permian Basin is booming again. Texas saw mass crude oil production this past year, with new records being set in the last six of the past 12 months. In October, the state produced 5.86 million barrels per day of crude oil. This is the highest total ever and accounts for 44 percent of the nation's total.

Texas becomes the top-rated state for solar installations in the U.S.

A new report by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie released that Texas is the top-ranked state for solar capacity installed in 2024 with 7.9 GWdc through Q3. Texas is also leading the way with more solar and wind jobs than any other state, passing California and Florida in 2024.

U-Haul ranks D/FW metro No. 1 for one-way moves in 2024

Dallas/Fort Worth was the hottest place in the country for one-way moves last year. Austin ranked No. 5 among the top U.S. growth metros in 2024, and Houston ranked No. 9. Texas was the No. 2 state for move-ins — bested from the top spot after three consecutive years by South Carolina. The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area was followed on the recent list by Charlotte, N.C., (No. 2); Phoenix (No. 3); and Lakeland, Fla. (No. 4). Texas was the No. 2 state for move-ins but was beat out by South Carolina, which is having its best in-migration according to data released in January.

Eli Lilly plans at least $27 billion in new U.S. manufacturing investments

Eli Lilly announced in the winter quarter that it will invest $27 billion to add capacity through the building of four new manufacturing plants in the U.S. The company is responding to demand to its weight loss and diabetes injections which are soaring in sales. Eli Lilly operates several manufacturing plants in the South,The company is currently in negotiations with several states and welcomes additional interest in the four new plants with ones already underway in North Carolina.

Duracell to relocate from Connecticut; invests $56 million into R&D center near Georgia Tech

Chicago-based Duracell will invest $56 million into a new research and development headquarters in Atlanta. The company will place the new hub at Georgia Tech’s Science Square, creating 110 jobs. It's set to open in summer 2026 and will be part of the Science Square Labs. Duracell is relocating the R&D facility from Bethel, Conn., said a company spokesperson.

Jacksonville Jaguars break ground on $1.4 billion stadium redo

The home of the Jacksonville Jaguars at 1 Alltel Stadium Place began its $1.4 billion renovation in early January, a team spokesperson said. Current work includes driving test piles to ensure they’re strong enough to support the weight of loads. Such work was approved through a foundation permit in December.

Serioplast to open manufacturing site in Shenandoah County, Va.

Serioplast, a global manufacturer of rigid plastic packaging, will invest $25,725,000 to occupy a 140,000-square-foot industrial facility in Shenandoah County. The company is headquartered in Seriate, Italy, and provides packaging for companies like Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Reckitt Benckiser and more. The project will create 45 new jobs.

Charms LLC to expand in Tipton County, Tenn.

Charms will invest $97.7 million and create 62 new jobs to expand its manufacturing plant and distribution center near Memphis in Tipton County. Established in 1912, Charms is the manufacturer of Blow Pops™ and has been manufacturing candy in Covington since 1973. The company was acquired by Tootsie Roll Industries in 1988. Upon completion of the project, Charms will employ nearly 500 people in Tipton County.

West Star Aviation to expand in Hamilton County, Tenn.

West Star Aviation will create 200 new jobs and invest nearly $32 million in Hamilton County. West Star Aviation has been operating in Chattanooga for the last decade. The announcement marks the company’s third expansion in Tennessee.

AAON to establish operations in Memphis

AAON has selected the former American Snuff facility in Memphis to house its new HVAC production operations. Through the project, the company plans to create 828 new jobs and invest $238 million in Shelby County over the next five years. The expansion to Tennessee will position AAON to better serve its customer base, and upon completion, the 787,000-square-foot facility will produce various types of thermal management equipment for data centers under the BASX brand, including air-cooled systems, computer room air handlers, direct evaporative coolers and liquid cooling distribution units. Based in Tulsa, Okla., AAON is a global leader in HVAC solutions, employing nearly 4,000 people worldwide.

Norwegian outerwear manufacturer adding jobs at HQ in North Carolina

Helly Hansen, a Norwegian outerwear and workwear brand, is adding jobs in Greensboro, N.C., at Kontoor Brands’ headquarters there. There are a yet-to-be-known number of new jobs announced in the deal.

Semiconductor supplier expanding in Texas

Korean semiconductor supplier Samsung Electronics is investing $110 million at its facility in Killeen, Texas. The deal will create 24 new jobs.

Hendrick Motorsports expanding its racin’ HQ in North Carolina

The NASCAR team is investing $65 million to expand its presence in Concord, N.C. No jobs reported.

That clawback feeling

California company Smart Wires moved to North Carolina pledging 250 jobs. Now the state is pulling its incentives. North Carolina has terminated millions worth of incentives set for the cleantech company that moved its headquarters to Durham from California with plans to create hundreds of local jobs. In 2021, the company, which partners with electric utilities to help maximize grid capacity picked Durham over a competing site in Austin, Texas, for a new headquarters.

Federal government aviation partner Science and Engineering Services celebrates expansion in Huntsville

Science and Engineering Services LLC, an aviation partner to the U.S. government and more than 30 foreign military partners, marked the official opening of a new 111,000-square-foot facility at Huntsville International Airport as it expands its capabilities. Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Huntsville, SES LLC is a recognized industry leader in system development, maintenance, modification, reset, integration, training and contractor logistics support for rotary and fixed-wing aircraft.

Hyundai opens new care center for 4,000 team members in Montgomery

Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) celebrated the grand opening of its new Care Center in the winter quarter. The $14 million facility is designed to enhance the health and well-being of its 4,000 team members. Located at a new central site on the southwest corner of the general assembly building on the HMMA campus, the automaker said the Care Center represents its commitment to its Alabama workforce. Said Chris Susock, HMMA’s President and CEO, “This new facility is more than just a place for enhanced medical services. It’s a resource for wellness, fitness, physical therapy, fire prevention and emergency response. It’s why we are calling it our Care Center.

Key Tronic Corporation executes new lease to expand domestic operations in Arkansas

Key Tronic Corporation, a provider of electronic manufacturing services, is expanding its clean-tech manufacturing operations in Arkansas, establishing its flagship manufacturing and research and development location in Springdale. The company anticipates investing more than $28 million in the new facility and expects to create over 400 new jobs in the next five years.

Georgia-Pacific announces $90 million investment to grow consumer tissue business

Georgia-Pacific is investing $90 million at its Crossett, Ark., mill to continue growing its retail consumer tissue business. The investment at the Crossett mill will add 50 new jobs and will increase converting capacity for high quality bath tissue, including Georgia-Pacific’s valued Angel Soft brand. Initial production from this investment is expected in 2026. By the end of this project, Georgia-Pacific will have invested more than $250 million at Crossett since 2019.

UniFirst expanding in Owensboro, Ky.

UniFirst Corp., a North American leader in providing customized business uniform programs, facility service products and first aid and safety services, will expand its existing facility in Owensboro with a nearly $28 million investment.

Nitto to locate new multimillion-dollar facility in Frankfort, Ky, creating 220 manufacturing jobs

Gov. Andy Beshear announced that Nitto, a global developer of state-of-the-art technology and provider of products and services for automotive, electronics, aerospace and other industries, will open a new facility in Frankfort, creating 220 full-time jobs. “The economic momentum Kentucky is seeing is a direct result of tremendous growth among our largest and most vital industries, and manufacturing, automotive and aerospace are at the center of that growth,” said Gov. Beshear.

Kitchen Food Co. investing $69 million to build world-class facility in Hopkinsville, creating 925 Kentucky jobs

Gov. Andy Beshear announced one of the largest job-creation projects in the commonwealth since the start of his administration as Kitchen Food Co., an Australia-founded premium ready-meals business, will locate a new world-class prepared foods facility in Hopkinsville with a $69 million investment creating 925 quality ongoing Kentucky jobs. This represents the single largest job-creation announcement in Christian County in over 20 years, and the fifth largest job-creation project statewide under the Beshear-Coleman administration.

Cinis Fertilizer to build new $109 million green fertilizer production plant, creating 65 jobs in Hopkinsville

Cinis Fertilizer, a Sweden-based producer of green fertilizer, plans to locate a new $109.2 million production plant in Christian County, a project that will create 65 new full-time jobs. The company will construct a new facility at 200 Recharge Blvd. in Hopkinsville, with construction beginning mid-2025. The operation will recycle waste salt from battery production at the nearby Ascend Elements facility to produce low-carbon fertilizer. New jobs created at the facility will include, among others, process operators, warehouse personnel, process engineers and general administration.

Southeastern Timber Products investing more than $120 million in Choctaw County, Miss.

Southeastern Timber Products is expanding its operations in Ackerman. The project represents a corporate investment of $123.4 million and will create 40 new jobs. Southeastern Timber Products is a family-owned-and-operated manufacturer of southern yellow pine lumber, timber and decking products. The company is expanding its Ackerman sawmill to increase production capacity from 120 million board feet per year to 300 million board feet per year.

Yancey Engineered Solutions locating operations in Panola County, Miss.

Generator enclosure and fuel tank manufacturer Yancey Engineered Solutions, a division of Yancey Bros. Co., is locating operations in Batesville. The project is a $20.8 million investment and will create 250 jobs.

Compass Datacenters project generates $10 billion investment in Lauderdale County, Miss.

Dallas-based Compass Datacenters, a multinational data center developer, is locating its next hyperscale data center campus in Meridian. The campus will consist of eight data centers that will be constructed over an eight-year period. Upon occupancy, Compass Datacenters’ campus will represent an investment of $10 billion, including future tenants’ information technology equipment. The campus will also create thousands of direct and indirect jobs. Compass Datacenters builds single-tenant, hyperscale data center campuses. The large-scale campuses built by Compass are designed to last for more than 100 years and create economies of scale to support local businesses and jobs.

Stark Aerospace expanding in Columbus, Miss.

Global aerospace and defense company Stark Aerospace is expanding in Lowndes County, Miss., as it has won a new U.S. Navy contract. The deal will create 96 jobs. Investment totals were not available.

Messer expands presence in the South with new air separation unit in Berryville, Ark.

Messer, a leading industrial gases company, has announced a strategic investment of over $70 million to construct a state-of-the-art air separation unit (ASU) in Berryville, Ark. The new facility will address the growing demand for industrial gases in the southern part of the U.S., reinforcing Messer’s commitment to supporting expanding industries in the region. Messer’s site in Berryville will create quality career opportunities, will employ more than 20 people and provide temporary local jobs during the construction phase of the project. This new ASU will also complement the company’s existing facility in Lewisville, Ark., enhancing production capacity to meet the increasing demand for essential gases.

Longtime Birmingham manufacturer invests $45 million in neighboring Walker County, Ala.

Nelson Brothers, a maker of explosives chemicals for the mining industry, is investing $45 million in its plant near Parrish in Walker County. The deal secures the current workforce of 55 and will add five jobs.

Aerospace company opens its North American HQ in metro Atlanta

PBS Aerospace will establish its North American headquarters in Roswell, Ga., a suburb of Atlanta. The small turbojet engine manufacturer’s deal will include the headquarters and manufacturing and research and development operations. The company is investing $20 million and will create 95 jobs. Aerospace products were Georgia's top export in 2023.

Hydrogen fuel and equipment supplier to invest $33 million for new facility in Savannah

HydroFleet announced it will build a production and fueling station for heavy-duty trucks in Pooler, Ga., near the Port of Savannah and Hyundai’s massive new plant there. HydroFleet's facility will be able to refuel about seven to 14 trucks a day. The company plans to eventually expand this to 50 trucks a day. HydroFleet provides fleet solutions including forklifts, heavy-duty trucks (such as Hyundai Class 7 and 8 trucks) and hydrogen-powered charging.

Texas Biomedical Research Institute expanding in San Antonio

The Texas Biomedical Research Institute has launched a major expansion of its West San Antonio campus. The company is spending $210 million to expand its 200-acre campus where it does research and development. It is looking to leverage the gains made through its involvement in efforts to combat Covid-19 and other infectious diseases. The company is recruiting scientific talent at this time.

Japanese prosthetic leg maker sets up U.S. headquarters in NOVA

BionicM, a Japanese developer of prosthetic devices that use humanoid robotics technologies, has announced its new U.S. headquarters in Loudoun County, Va

Huntsville and other Southern markets rank at the top for Southern tech hubs

Huntsville, Washington, D.C.; Austin, Texas; Raleigh, N.C.; Dallas and Huntsville round out the top five in the South in a report conducted and published by CommercialCafe. The five markets were ranked by measuring factors like tech job density, median earnings and quality of life. D.C. was named No. 1.

Steelmaker ArcelorMittal is planning a $1.2 billion expansion near AM/NS Calvert in Mobile County, Ala.

A European steel manufacturer announced it is proceeding with plans to build a $1.2 billion advanced, non-grain-oriented electrical steel plant in Mobile County. Construction is expected to begin later this year. The deal will create 200 full-time jobs and an estimated 1,300 construction jobs.

Amazon workers reject union in vote at North Carolina warehouse

Amazon workers at a facility near Raleigh, N.C., overwhelmingly voted against unionizing in January. Of the 3,276 ballots cast, there were 2,447 votes opposing the union and 829 in favor, according to the National Labor Relations Board. There were 77 challenged ballots, a gap that’s too narrow to change the outcome of the election. The results still need to be certified by the NLRB.

L3Harris breaks ground on solid rocket motor “factories of the future” in Arkansas

L3Harris Technologies marked the beginning of construction on four new solid rocket motor production facilities at the company’s Camden site, hosting Department of Defense officials, industry customers and state and local dignitaries at a ceremony in the winter quarter. The expansion is part of a $215.6 million cooperative agreement with the Defense Department’s Defense Production Act. The new facilities will incorporate modern equipment and processes.

Key Tronic Corporation executes new lease to expand domestic operations in Arkansas

Murakami Manufacturing expanding in Kentucky

Murakami Manufacturing USA, a supplier of side-view exterior mirrors and automotive components, announced plans to expand the company’s operation in Taylor County with a $3.4 million investment.

ROCKWOOL expanding operations in Marshall County, Miss.

ROCKWOOL is expanding its operations in Marshall County. The project represents a corporate investment of more than $100 million and will create approximately 30 new jobs. ROCKWOOL, the world’s leading manufacturer of environmentally friendly stone wool insulation, has been operating in North America for over 35 years. The company’s Marshall County facility, which has been in operation since 2014, produces a range of residential, commercial, industrial and roofing stone wool insulation.

MetOx International to create 333 jobs in Chatham County, N.C.

MetOx International, a pioneering manufacturer of high-temperature superconducting wire, will build a major production facility in Chatham County, creating 333 jobs. The company will invest $193.7 million in North Carolina. MetOx, with headquarters in Houston, Texas, is a leader in High Temperature Superconducting technology (HTS) and the company is dedicated to advancing new energy solutions and establishing a resilient HTS manufacturing base in the United States.

Finnish furniture maker announces first North American manufacturing facility

SBA Home, a furniture manufacturer, will create 250 jobs in Davie County. The newly created company says it will invest more than $70 million to establish its first North American furniture production facility in the Town of Mocksville. SBA Home is the largest division of SBA Grupe UAB, a Lithuanian conglomerate, that exports furniture to 50 different countries around the world. After more than 20 years, the company has grown to employ more than 3,000 employees in four manufacturing facilities and a distribution center in Lithuania. This new location will be a 500,000-square-foot innovative production facility to manufacture and distribute trendy furniture products to meet the demand of its U.S. customer bases.

Lufthansa Technik to expand component workshop in Tulsa

In the winter quarter, Lufthansa Technik announced its plans to expand the component workshop in Tulsa during a groundbreaking ceremony. The groundbreaking ceremony marks the next phase of a multi-million-dollar investment aimed at further solidifying Lufthansa Technik’s position as a premier partner for aircraft component services in the Americas. The expansion will increase the facility’s total size to over 140,000 square feet, with an additional 25,000 square feet of new space. Overall, 90 new workstations will be created to accommodate the facility’s expanded operational needs.

Commerce celebrates groundbreaking of $1.2 billion lithium refinery in Muskogee, Okla.

In the winter, representatives from the Oklahoma Department of Commerce were on hand in Muskogee to celebrate the groundbreaking of one of the largest lithium refineries in the country. Stardust Power Inc. is building the facility on a 66-acre site near the Port of Muskogee, which will eventually be able to produce up to 50,000 metric tons per annum of battery-grade lithium.

Eastern Engineered Wood Products selects Anderson County, S.C.

Eastern Engineered Wood Products (Eastern), a wholesale distributor of engineered wood products, announced it selected Anderson County to establish the company’s first South Carolina operation. The $18.7 million investment will create 31 new jobs. Founded in Pennsylvania in 1998, Eastern supplies engineered wood products to building materials dealers and lumberyards across the East Coast.

Eaton expands its South Carolina footprint with new facility in Union County

Eaton, a global leader in intelligent power management technologies, announced it is growing its South Carolina footprint with new operations in Union County. The company’s $340 million investment will create 700 new jobs and establish a new manufacturing facility for three-phase transformers, critical to the nation’s power grid. A longtime South Carolina employer, Eaton provides intelligent power management solutions for the data center, utility, industrial, commercial, machine building, residential, aerospace and mobility markets. The company serves customers in more than 160 countries.

Big, new and unexpected automotive projects still rolling in the Southern Automotive Corridor

Isuzu has selected Greenville County to establish its new U.S. production base. A supplier of commercial vehicles, the company’s $280 million investment will create more than 700 new jobs. A subsidiary of Isuzu Motors Limited, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of medium- and heavy-duty trucks, Isuzu supplies commercial vehicles for the United States and Canadian markets.

Isuzu trucks entered the North American truck market in 1984, and the company sold 44,000 units in the last fiscal year, its highest total ever. Isuzu has purchased a 1 million-square-foot facility, on over 200 acres of land on Augusta Road in Greenville County, that it is converting into a state-of-the-art assembly plant to expand Isuzu’s vehicle supply capabilities in North America.

The new plant will include a variable-model, variable-volume production line that produces both internal combustion engine vehicles and electric vehicles. When completed, the plant will produce the company’s N-Series Gas, N-Series Electric and F-Series Diesel trucks, and will have a production capacity of 50,000 units annually.

Project anticipates creating over 250 new jobs in South Carolina

HII, a global defense provider, announced it has selected Berkeley County to establish the company’s first South Carolina operation through the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of W International SC, LLC and Vivid Empire SC, LLC (collectively, “W International”), a South Carolina-based complex metal fabricator specializing in the manufacture of shipbuilding structures, modules and assemblies. Through its investment, HII anticipates creating over 250 new jobs. Headquartered in Virginia, HII manufactures naval ships and defense technology solutions for customers including the U.S. Navy.

$99.6 million investment will create jobs in the Palmetto State

Cardiff Products, a beverage manufacturer, announced it selects Lexington County to establish the company’s first South Carolina operation. The $99.6 million investment will create 94 new jobs.

December 2024

LSU Center for Energy Studies releases 2025 Gulf Coast Energy Outlook

Researchers at the LSU Center for Energy Studies have released their 2025 Gulf Coast Energy Outlook, and the takeaway is clear: a balanced, all-of-the-above approach to energy supply and decarbonization presents a generational opportunity for Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. The numbers are large. By 2030, the Gulf Coast region is projected to see:

$219 billion in liquefied natural gas investments

$151 billion for chemical and refining industries

$107 billion for energy transition projects

Alabama’s ag, food products sector surges with major investment projects

When the J.M. Smucker Co. celebrated the opening of a $1.1 billion manufacturing facility in McCalla recently, it marked another milestone in a long-running growth spurt that’s energizing Alabama’s key agriculture and food products sector. Since early 2021, more than 50 growth projects in this sector have launched statewide, paving the way for more than $3.5 billion in new investment and creating more than 2,500 jobs, according to Alabama Department of Commerce data.

The Carolinas are attracting workers and companies at a fast pace

North Carolina and South Carolina remain two of the fastest growing states in the U.S., according to new data from the Census. North Carolina added 164,800 people between 2023 and 2024. With the addition of Northern migrants and companies, the adds bring North Carlina’s population to just over 11 million, or the ninth-largest state ahead of Michigan and Georgia.

South Carolina has attracted all kinds of companies and people from “up North.” At 1.7 percent population growth, The Palmetto State grew faster than North Carolina from 2023 to 2024. Its population is nearing 6 million people. Florida and Texas remain at the top of state population growth in the U.S.

And the tech talent keeps moving to Florida, Texas, and elsewhere in the South

According to a study by CommercialCafe, the American South was the choice destination for innovation in its 2024 top 20 Southern metros report. The study ranked 2024’s top Southern metros with populations of more than 200,000. Also factored are technology job density, median earnings and overall quality of life. Some of the markets in the top 20 will surprise you.

Top Southern tech clusters

Washington, D.C. (top metro for tech in the South)

Austin, Texas (the second-best tech metro in the South)

Houston, Texas

Dallas, Texas

Jacksonville, Fla.

Orlando, Fla.

Tampa Bay, Fla.

Palm Bay, Fla.

Crestview, Fla.

Raleigh, N.C.

Durham, N.C.

Huntsville, Ala.

Fayetteville, Ark.

Charlotte, N.C.

Wilmington, N.C.

Richmond, Va.

Charlottesville, Va.

Roanoke, Va.

Atlanta, Ga.

Source: CommercialCafe

Samsung finished with CHIPS ACT incentives. Investments in two Texas semiconductor facilities lower than expected

South Korea-based Samsung Electronics is downsizing its investments in two chip plants in the Austin, Texas MSA. The company’s federal incentives have paved the way for Samsung to expand its longtime plant in Austin and start up a new one just up the road in Taylor. Samsung officials confirmed total investments of $37 billion in the two plants, down from initial estimates of $45 billion. Still, both projects will rank high in the top 10 investment deals in calendar year 2024.

Carolina Panthers secure as much $800 million to improve Bank of America Stadium

The Panthers are spending as much as $800 million in updates to their Charlotte stadium. The stadium opened in 1996.

Bama spending $2 billion on Tuscaloosa stadium

For reference, The Alabama Crimson Tide is investing $2 billion in upgrades at Saban Field in Tuscaloosa.

Vanguard buys Centene’s campus office in Charlotte

Pennsylvania-based Vanguard has purchased what was the planned 700,000-square-foot campus for Centene’s East Coast headquarters in Charlotte. Vanguard is consolidating its Charlotte operations and 2,400 employees to its new office digs.

Nearly 6,000 acres on the fringe of D/FW are slated for data center development

Almost 6,000 acres have gone up for sale in Southern Dallas-Fort Worth. Sales pitches to data center operators have begun on several sites near Midlothian, Texas

New home sales drop in D/FW; prices fall

New sales of homes in Dallas-Fort Worth were essentially flat last month. However, in a sign that may continue, the three-month average of new homes was down by $4,500 from October. The area still claims to have the highest average home prices in the state of Texas.

UCF economist believes Central Florida could outpace the national economy in 2025

Sean Snaith, director of the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Economic Forecasting, recently maintained that Florida will outpace the national economy in growth and Central Florida will do even better. Snaith said, “I think the outlook is pretty positive for Central Florida. Epic Universe opens in 2025, the first major theme park opening in 25 years. Plus, Disney made an announcement it is spending $17 billion in Central Florida in tourism infrastructure,” Snaith said in an Orlando Business Journal report.

Massive facilities from some of the world’s largest drug developers soon to be operational in the Research Triangle

North Carolina is one of the South’s major hubs for biomanufacturing, specifically in the Triangle and just outside of it to the west and east, such as Durham, Wilson County and elsewhere. The Triangle’s largest project underway is Novo Nordisk’s $4.1 billion expansion in Johnston County. The Danish drugmaker began building a new facility that will bring 1.4 million square feet of production space online. Other projects being built in and near the Triangle include Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies is finishing its multi-billion project in Holly Springs, among several others underway.

Triangle’s Wake County is busy working prospects in the winter

According to Michael Haley, executive director of Wake County Economic Development, the area he serves has 37 project requests and if all the deals are captured, they would equal 13,000 jobs and $7.6 billion in capital investments. Most of the working projects from Wake are in advanced manufacturing, the life sciences, office deals and headquarters.

UNC-Chapel Hill exceeds $1.5 billion in research and development

For the first time, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has earned a ranking of top 10 research universities nationwide. The university exceeded $1.5 billion in investments. Johns Hopkins University led the country at more than $3.8 billion in research expenditures.

UPS expanding in Alamance County, N.C.

Atlanta-based shipper UPS, with its largest worldwide hub in the South (Louisville), is expanding its regional distribution center in Alamance County, N.C. UPS will add 100,000 square feet at its facilities in Mebane, N.C.

New chief to take over the Richardson, Texas Chamber job

Julie Snyder has been named CEO or the Richardson Chamber of Commerce. She was the CEO of the Kyle, Texas Chamber.

Georgia swamp, the largest blackwater swamp in North America, sets up for mining rare metals

Georgia’s Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge has been nominated to join the United Nations’ World Heritage List, the feds announced in December. The designation is a step forward to bring recognition to the swamp, just as a titanium mine is preparing to mine for titanium there.

Hyundai announces it has launched 21 of its XCIENT heavy-duty, hydrogen fuel-cell trucks associated with its new massive complex in Bryan County, Ga.

The hydrogen trucks will transport vehicle parts from suppliers across the South to Hyundai’s massive new EV complex near Savannah.

With a loan from the Feds for $6 billion, Rivian will try again at building its EV facility in Georgia

A nearly $6 billion federal loan should help Rivian restart construction on a $5 billion, 7,500-job project east of Atlanta in Covington. At the time of Rivian’s announcement, it represented the largest development project by value in Georgia history.

Dothan Warehouse creating 50 jobs in Alabama

In the fall quarter, Dothan Warehouse announced a $5.2 million expansion project in Houston County, Ala. The deal will create 50 jobs.

Gov. Sanders and AEDC’s Rural Services Division awards to 31 Arkansas communities

The Arkansas Economic Development Commission’s Division of Rural Services is investing in cities, counties and communities in the state. The nearly $400,000 in grants program helps Arkansas small towns pay through and expand services such as public safety, parks and recreation.

Irving Tissue expanding in Georgia to the tune of $600 million

In the fall quarter, Gov. Brian Kemp announced that Irving Tissue will add 100 new jobs as part of a nearly $600 million expansion at its Macon, Ga., Facility.

Big hiring deal in Kentucky

Australia-based Kitchen Food Co., a maker of premium ready meals, will locate a new world class prepared foods facility in Hopkinsville, which has been on a pretty good run the last few years. The $69 million investment is expected to create a whopping 925 jobs, the largest job deal in Christian County in over 20 years.

Call center to create 115 jobs in rural Carter County, Ky.

AT&T announced in December it will place a customer service project in Northeast Kentucky.

Company hiring in rural Kentucky

Gov. Andy Beshear announced in December that Nexigen Communications, a privately-owned technology company, is investing over $4 million in Campbell County, Ky. The deal will create 75 jobs.

Next generation agritech facility represents a $50 million investment in Pulaski County, Ky.

Bosch Berries, an international grower of bell peppers, strawberries and blackberries, celebrated the grand opening of its new $50 million greenhouse operation in Pulaski County. Kentucky has captured several of these high-end greenhouses of late. Twenty-eight jobs are being created.

Toyota to build new $922 million advanced paint facility at its plant in Georgetown, Ky.

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky (TMMK) announced in December it will build a new advanced paint facility at its massive assembly plant in Georgetown, Ky. Gov. Andy Beshear said, “Kentucky and Toyota have formed a winning partnership over the last 40 years that has been transformational for families throughout the commonwealth.”

The new $922 million facility will add 1 million square feet of capacity while decreasing carbon emissions by 30 percent. The project, scheduled to open in 2027, follows a $1.3 billion investment announced in 2024 at the Georgetown site to bring assembly of an all-new, three-row electric SUV to the U.S. market in 2026. Both plants directly support Toyota’s goal of zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Swedish company to invest $109 million to locate facility in Kentucky

Cinis Fertilizer, a Sweden-based producer of green fertilizer, plans to locate a $109 production plant in Christian County. The project will generate 65 new jobs.

L2 Aviation to establish operations in Boone County, Ky.

L2 Aviation, an avionics design, manufacturing and engineering company, is investing over $12 million in a facility in Boone County, Ky. The deal is the company’s first in the Bluegrass State and will generate 250 Kentucky jobs.

Chick-fil-A Supply to set up $100 million distribution center in Kentucky

Chick-fil-A Supply is building a new $100 million distribution center in Kenton County, Ky. The deal will create 178 jobs and will support about 150 Chick-fil-A retail locations.

Land swap boosts 300-job project in McCracken County, Ky.

In November, Global Laser Enrichment (GLE) finalized a land transfer with the Commonwealth of Kentucky to build a proposed uranium enrichment project. GLE is acquiring 665 acres to build the facility that will house 300 workers.

Shelbyville Battery Manufacturing announces largest project in Shelby County, Ky., history

In the fall quarter, Shelbyville Battery Manufacturing announced the largest project in Shelby County (Louisville MSA) history in the form of a state-or-the-art, 6-gigawatt hour battery cell and module plant in an existing 1-million-square-foot building in Shelbyville. The $712 million plant will house almost 1,600 new workers.

Stellar Snacks cuts ribbon on largest economic project in West Louisville in over 20 years

In November, Stellar Snacks joined state and local officials to cut the ribbon on the company’s newest operation, a $137 million investment set to create 350 full time jobs.

DHL Express to build $292 million plant in Northern Kentucky

German shipper DHL Express broke ground on a large facility in the fall quarter. The aviation maintenance operation will create 300 new jobs across the river from Cincinnati.

Meta selects Northeast Louisiana as site of $10 billion artificial intelligence optimized data center

A large site east of Monroe and West Monroe, La., in Richland Parish was selected by Meta, the parent group of Facebook and Instagram. The $10 billion-plus deal will create 500 or more direct jobs and 5,000 workers at its peak to complete construction of the 4 million-square-foot facility. Gov. Jeff Landry calls the investment “a new chapter” for the state. Entergy Mississippi is the power generator of the massive data center. It will build three combined cycle combustion turbines with a capacity of 2,260 megawatts to serve the complex.

Climeworks proposes $50 million investment to expand Louisiana’s direct air capture hub into Southwest Louisiana

Direct air capture (DAC) technology developer Climeworks announced plans recently to build a facility in Southwest Louisiana as part of the “Project Cypress” DAC Hub. Climeworks will mobilize an additional $50 million in private investments to match the initial $50 million in DOE funding. The company will hire 140 in the deal.

Packaging maker investing $35 million to enhance and upskill its workforce at Hammond, La., plant

Graham Packaging, a leader in design and manufacturing of sustainable packaging, is investing $35 million to expand its production facility in Tangipahoa Parish. The expansion will modernize equipment and upskill its workforce of 100.

Starke Aerospace expanding in Columbus, Miss.

Global aerospace and defense company Stark Aerospace is expanding in Lowndes County to support a new contract with the U.S. Navy. The project will create at least 96 new jobs. Stark Aerospace recently was awarded a $61.454 million contract by the U.S. Navy for missile canister production in support of the Mark 41 Vertical Launching System, an on-board missile canister launching system. The contract includes additional options that, if exercised, could increase the cumulative value of the contract to $312.8 million.

Chemical manufacturer to invest $540 million in DeLisle-Harrison County, Miss.

PCC GulfChem Corporation is locating manufacturing operations in DeLisle. The project represents a corporate investment of at least $540 million and will create at least 84 jobs. In addition to the direct jobs being created by PCC GulfChem, hundreds of contractor and construction jobs will be created during the project’s initial phases.

Koch Foods expanding in Mississippi

Food production and distribution company Koch Foods is expanding in Scott County. The project is a $145.5 million investment and will create 128 jobs. Founded in 1973, Koch Foods is a U.S.-based retail, wholesale and industrial foodservice provider that stands out as one of the nation’s largest poultry processors. To better serve its customers, Koch Foods is expanding its processing and distribution operations and rehabbing its facility in Morton.

Georgia-Pacific announces $90 million investment in rural Arkansas

Georgia-Pacific is investing $90 million at its Crossett, Ark., mill to continue growing its retail consumer tissue business. The investment will add 50 new jobs and will increase converting capacity for high quality bath tissue, including Georgia-Pacific’s valued Angel Soft brand. Initial production from this investment is expected in 2026. By the end of this project, Georgia-Pacific will have invested more than $250 million at Crossett since 2019

Welspun Tubular breaks ground on expansion at its Little Rock facility

In the fall, Welspun Tubular celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion of its High Frequency Induction Welded (HFIW) pipe manufacturing facility in Little Rock, Ark. This expansion represents a $100 million investment to expand and upgrade the company’s line pipe portfolio in the United States. The expansion is expected to add an additional 175 jobs at the plant.

Governor Sanders, AEDC award $10 million to 13 Arkansas communities for industrial site development

Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders joined the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) to award 13 communities with $10 million through the Arkansas Site Development Program. This funding will be used to enhance industrial sites across Arkansas, increasing their readiness for job-creating economic development projects. The communities receiving funds include Arkadelphia, Berryville, Hope, Jonesboro, Little Rock, Malvern, Monticello, Morrilton, Newport, Prescott, Searcy, Stuttgart and Texarkana.

Buying a metro Atlanta home in 2025 might be easier

Realty.com’s senior economist Ralph McLaughlin said in the winter that the
Atlanta housing and commercial real estate market is inching closer to attaining equilibrium. Buyers are expected to benefit from the uptick in available home supply anticipated nationwide.

Electronics giant Delta picks D/FW city for 1,500-employee plant

Taiwan-based Delta Electronics is expanding manufacturing capacity at its campus in Plano, Texas. The company focuses on developing smart energy-saving products and solutions for artificial intelligence and cloud data centers, telecom networks, electric vehicle charging and more. The project will create 1,500 new jobs.

Fort Worth okays incentives for potential $632 million Bell factory

Fort Worth City Council unanimously approved a 10-year tax abatement as the city attempts to lure aviation defense company Bell Textron to locate a $632 million manufacturing plant in far north Fort Worth.

Billion-dollar global manufacturer to invest $100 million in North Mississippi

A global manufacturer is set to launch an expansion of its Marshall County, Miss., production facility. Denmark-based Rockwool plans a multimillion-dollar investment to expand its plant in Byhalia. The company currently has 270 employees at that facility and projects that the expansion would add up to 35 new jobs, according to a Rockwool spokesperson.

New York tech firm moves HQ to Raleigh in search of talent

StoredTech, a technology company out of upstate New York, has moved its headquarters to Raleigh — and it’s hiring. No word on how many jobs will be created. Mark Shaw, founder of StoredTech, said the decision to relocate the headquarters from New York was straightforward.

September 2024

For real-time news on business, politics and economic development in the South, go to SouthernBusiness.com or subscribe to the magazine. For more information on the automotive industry, go to SouthernAutoCorridor.com.

Regional/National

CNBC ranks top states for business

CNBC recently released its list of "America's Top States for Business 2024." In the study, CNBC used data from each state’s primary economic development arm, the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report and numerous other sources to determine the rankings.

States are scored on 128 metrics across 10 broad categories of competitiveness. Each category is weighed based on how frequently states use them as a selling point in economic development marketing materials. The highest score states can reach is 2,500.

CNBC’s Top Five States for Business 2024 (all Southern)

Virginia
North Carolina
Texas
Georgia
Florida

Foreign automakers out produce domestics for the first time in 2023

Reports from Autos Drive American and the American International Automotive Dealers Association says international automakers made 4.9 million light vehicles in 2023 and Detroit’s Big 3 — GM, Ford and Chrysler — produced 4.6 million.

ALABAMA

Automakers contribute $10.8 billion to Alabama, report says

Alabama’s four assembly plants and affiliated factories contributed $10.8 billion to the state’s economy last year. That’s according to a new report from Autos Drive America and the American International Automobile Dealers Association (AIADA). According to the report, the auto industry has invested $14.5 billion in Alabama.

Last year, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Hyundai, and Mazda-Toyota produced 1.124 million vehicles, with $10.7 billion in autos purchased from U.S. suppliers.

In 2023, Alabama’s automotive industry created 88,947 total jobs, generating $6.4 billion in total compensation. That includes more than 17,000 direct jobs, and 64,000 indirect jobs. According to the report, every direct auto making job supports 3.5 additional jobs in Alabama. In revenue, the industry generated $892 million in state and local taxes, and $1.5 billion in federal tax receipts.

Alabama announces new EV workforce training center to support automotive industry growth

Governor Kay Ivey announced in the summer that Alabama is building a $30 million workforce training center in Decatur that will focus on electric vehicles and emerging technologies in order to position the state’s auto industry for the next chapter of its growth. The facility will be located on the campus of the Alabama Robotics Technology Park, a unique $73 million center operated by AIDT that helps companies train workers on advanced R&D and manufacturing technologies.

Shipbuilder Austal to add over 1,000 jobs at its downtown Mobile, Ala. complex

Austal USA announced plans to expand its Mobile shipyard with the construction of an additional waterfront assembly facility to support the growth of shipbuilding in Alabama’s Port City. The expansion project, fueled by a capital investment of more than $288 million, is set to create 1,032 new jobs over the next four years, according to the Mobile Chamber. This infrastructure expansion includes the construction of Final Assembly Building #2 (FA 2). The facility will feature three bays to build large steel modules including the Coast Guard’s Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) and the Navy’s TAGOS-25 ocean surveillance steel ships.

Korean parts maker expanding in Opelika, Ala.

Auto parts maker Daewon is planning a $46.2 million expansion in Opelika, Ala. that will create 100 jobs.

Toyota begins production on new engine line in Huntsville, Ala.

Toyota Alabama announced that it has begun production of its i-FORCE 2.4-liter turbo engine line at its Huntsville engine plant, culminating a $222 million corporate investment in the project. The 2,000 employee plant will provide powertrains for the new Tacoma pickup.

ARKANSAS

The largest direct extrusion press in North America is in Arkansas

Aluminum extrusion and metal fabricator Taber Extrusions of Russellville, Ark., announced a $60 million expansion of its facility that will introduce the largest direct extrusion press in North America. The project is expected to create 70 jobs. It will add 125,000 square feet to Taber’s existing 140,000-SF facility and increase overall production capacity “by multiples,” the company said.

Hino Motors closing large plant in Arkansas Delta

A couple of decades ago, Toyota and its site selection guru, Dennis Cuneo, scouted a megasite across the bridge from Memphis in Marion, Ark. to build a large assembly plant. That was the pickup truck project that ended up on San Antonio. While East Arkansas lost out on that deal, they gave the Delta a “parting gift,” according to workforce development pro, Dr. Glen Fenter. Fenter is the superintendent at Marion, Ark. Schools.

The parting gift was Hino, which makes stamping and component parts in Marion. In June, the Japanese-based parts manufacturer announced it will close the 1,300-employee facility in late 2027. HMM is a subsidiary of Japanese publicly traded company Hino Motors Ltd., of which Toyota owns a majority stake. HMM began production at its Marion facility in 2006 and expanded multiple times over the years.

GEORGIA

Atlanta’s data center projects march on

Microsoft is constructing a new data center campus on Atlanta’s Southside. Since 2023, data center construction in metro Atlanta has increased 211%, which is the fastest among major data center markets across the country, according to real estate services firm CBRE. Microsoft has targeted Atlanta’s Southside for data center development, paying at least $171 million so far this year to acquire more than 480 acres, including the Union City site.

Maker of transformers to open Georgia factory near Plant Vogtle

A European company that makes transformers for utilities and vehicles announced it will open a facility in eastern Georgia near the sprawling Plant Vogtle nuclear power station. Ritz Instrument Transformers will invest $28 million in the new facility in Waynesboro, about 30 miles south of Augusta, and promised to hire 130 workers. The German company, which already operates two Georgia plants, develops and produces transformers ranging from 600 volts to 500 kilovolts in addition to cast metal parts.

Hyundai begins hiring push in Savannah

Korean automaker Hyundai is well into hiring at its metaplant just west of Savannah. The plant is nearing completion and test vehicle assembly has started. Hyundai’s facility is reshaping the Savannah area’s labor landscape. The assembly plant and adjacent battery factory, located 25 miles west of downtown Savannah near Ellabell, will employ 8,500 at full build-out while suppliers will put 7,000 more residents to work.

On again, off again, Georgia Rivian EV plant lands $5 billion in funding from Volkswagen

Rivian Automotive Inc. landed a major investment that may get its Georgia plant back on track. The EV startup has joined with Volkswagen to fund its prospective plant east of Atlanta. Rivian could help the German automotive company expand its plans for software-defined vehicles based on Rivian's existing software platform, electrical architecture and technical capabilities.

Hyundai supplier to create 200 jobs in Georgia

Doowon Climate Control America will build a new plant near Metter in Candler County, Ga. The $30 million investment will create 200 new jobs. Gov. Brian Kemp said that Georgia’s expanding EV industry is benefiting rural corners of the state. “In fiscal year 2023, alone, 82 percent of new jobs created and more than $20 billion of investments went to communities outside the metro Atlanta area,” Kemp said in a news release.

Imola Automotive USA establishing a plant in Fort Valley, Ga.

The Italian electric car manufacturer will break ground in the third quarter of 2024, eventually employing 7,500 people the company announced.

KENTUCKY

Toyota boosts investment to $1.3 billion for Kentucky battery production

The automotive leader announced the investment in their flagship Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky (TMMK) facility in Georgetown, cementing their commitment to being a long-term employer and establishing the automotive plant as a central part of Toyota’s electrification strategy. The company plans on producing an all-new, three-row battery electric SUV. With a total investment of $10 billion, TMMK is Toyota’s largest production facility globally, having produced 12 million vehicles including the Camry, America’s best-selling sedan.

Distiller breaks ground on new $143.7 million distillery in Morehead, Ky.

Eastern Light Distilling broke ground this summer on a new distillery in East Kentucky. The $143 million deal will create 50 new jobs.

Gov. Beshear: Mitsubishi Electric US to bring 122 high-wage jobs with $143.5 million investment in Maysville, Ky.

Gov. Andy Beshear announced that Mitsubishi Electric US (MEUS) will repurpose an existing manufacturing facility in Maysville to produce highly efficient heat pump compressors, which will bring 122 new full-time jobs with a $143.5 million investment. The Cabinet for Economic Development believes this is the largest project in Mason County in 20 years.

“I had the privilege of meeting with Mitsubishi Electric’s leadership during last week’s economic development visit to Japan to discuss our longstanding partnership and how we can continue to grow together. We also discussed the unique opportunity presented by this project, and it is incredible news for the company and for the commonwealth,” said Gov. Beshear. “The establishment of this facility positions Mitsubishi Electric, a leader in all-climate heat pump systems, to take its business to the next level and emphasizes the importance of investing in companies that are committed to U.S. manufacturing. I want to congratulate the company’s leadership on their decision to reinvest in Kentucky.”

Gov. Beshear: Mizkan America to Expand Manufacturing Facility in Owensboro With $156 Million Investment Creating 44 Quality Jobs

Gov. Andy Beshear highlighted exciting news within the state’s food manufacturing sector as Mizkan America (MA), an industry-leading producer of pasta sauce and vinegar products, announced plans to expand their current facility in Owensboro with a $156 million investment creating 44 new Kentucky jobs.

The project will see the company expand its Owensboro facilities by approximately 320,000 square feet, bringing its total operational space to over 970,000 square feet. The additional space will allow for building improvements, new machinery and equipment, IT upgrades and related assets that will help Mizkan best meet the current and future needs of its customers while maintaining its position as a market leader.

LOUISIANA

Northshore New Orleans on a nice deal run

Construction has begun on a $46 million cold storage facility in Pearl River, La. that promises 100 new jobs. It is one of several deals turned recently in St. Tammany Parish. Georgia-based Agile Cold Storage is building a new facility that will house food production and distribution through the Port of New Orleans to around the world. The project is one gained by the announced $1.8 billion expansion of one of the South oldest port facilities.

Company plans to add 160 jobs in Lake Charles, La.

Process Service Specialists, a specialty industrial mechanical contractor, will invest $3.5 million in its facility over the next three years, a move that will result in 160 new jobs.

New Southland Industrial Coatings manufacturing facility in Acadiana to create nearly 300 new jobs

Southland Industrial Coatings announced it is investing $13.1 million to construct a new fireproofing facility in St. Landry Parish that will serve customers in the utility and renewable energy industries nationwide.

With this expansion, the Louisiana-based family business expects to create 120 direct new jobs with an average annual salary of more than $53,000 and retain 340 existing jobs in the state. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will also result in 178 indirect new jobs, for a total of 298 potential new jobs in the Acadiana Region. The company estimates 195 construction jobs at peak construction.

“The continued expansion of Southland Industrial Coatings, and its parent company Southland Steel Fabricators, is a Louisiana success story,” LED Secretary Susan B. Bourgeois said. “We thank this family-owned business for its ongoing commitment to the skilled workers of Louisiana and continued investment in rural Louisiana.

Life for Tyres Group Limited announces $46 million tire recycling facility in La.

Europe’s largest end-of-stage tire recycling company, the Tyres Group will establish its first U.S. processing facility at the Port of South Louisiana, creating 46 direct new jobs in St. John the Baptist Parish.

MISSISSIPPI

Swiss manufacturer Liebherr locating in Tupelo, Miss.

Liebherr, one of the largest manufacturers of construction equipment in the world, is locating distribution and manufacturing operations in Lee County. The project represents a corporate investment of $176 million and will create at least 180 jobs by 2026. The company potentially will invest up to $238.4 million and create up to 342 jobs to support its new operations. Liebherr selected The HIVE Business Park in Tupelo as the location to expand its North American operations. The company will develop a new campus on a 118-acre site that will enable it to construct more than 1 million square feet of building space.

Ashley expanding furniture manufacturing in Lee County, Miss.

Ashley Furniture Industries, the largest manufacturer of home furnishings in the world, has plans to expand operations in two of its existing locations in Lee County. The project represents a corporate investment of approximately $80 million in facilities and equipment and will create at least 500 new jobs. This project will expand Ashley’s foam and mattress production in Verona through the purchase and renovation of a neighboring facility and the construction of a new facility. Additionally, Ashley plans to expand operations in Saltillo, currently the country’s largest mattress plant, with a substantial investment in equipment and operations. This project aims to enhance the company’s operational efficiencies to better serve Ashley’s customers in over 155 countries worldwide.

Cummins, Daimler Truck and Paccar to build $1.9 billion battery facility in Marshall County, Miss.

The tri-venture will bring 2,000 jobs at the Chickasaw Trails Industrial Park in Byhalia, Mississippi. The operation will produce batteries for medium and heavy duty commercial electric trucks.

NORTH CAROLINA

Fayetteville, N.C., chosen for nearly $1 billion titanium plant. Here's what we know.

A nearly $1 billion titanium plant bringing hundreds of high-paying jobs will be built in Cumberland County, according to the Fayetteville-Cumberland Economic Development Corporation. American Titanium Metals, operating under the name Project Aero, has announced it will build its aerospace-grade titanium mill in Fayetteville, creating more than 300 jobs with an average salary of $123,476, the news release said. The project involves an investment of more than $867 million in buildings and equipment, according to the release.

Natron Energy announces $1.4 billion investment at Edgecombe County, N.C. megasite

Natron Energy, Inc., the only commercial manufacturer of sodium-ion batteries in the U.S., has announced it will invest $1.4 billion to establish a sodium-ion battery giga-factory at the Kingsboro CSX Select Megasite in Edgecombe County, N.c., creating more than 1,000 jobs. The new facility will add to the company’s Michigan-based production capabilities. Natron will receive close to $30 million from the North Carolina Megasite Readiness Program for onsite preparation of the Kingsboro Megasite.

Fujihatsu & Toyotsu Battery Components, North Carolina LLC to invest $60 million near Toyota plant in Randolph County

The venture will produce prismatic aluminum cell cases and cell covers with discharge values. The Toyota supplier will create 133 jobs.

Japanese manufacturer plants flag in Greenville, N.C.

Nipro, a manufacturer of medical equipment is establishing a new plant in Pitt County, N.C. The $400 million project will create 232 jobs.

Wake Forest Innovation Quarter launches second phase in Winston-Salem

The 250-acre Wake Forest Innovation Quarter is growing the life sciences on Tobacco Road. Innovation Quarter’s second phase, which will double the science park’s square footage, lands Greensboro/Winston-Salem as a top 10 U.S. market for life sciences construction activity, according to a recent ranking by commercial real estate search-engine Commercial Search. Consuming about half-a-million square feet at Innovation Quarter is the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM). The institute is a global leader in R&D, clinical trials, tech transfer and workforce development surrounding leading-edge health treatments.

OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma Celebrates $51 Million Investment in Tulsa Region’s Tech Hub

Gov. Kevin Stitt released a statement celebrating the $51 million federal investment in Tulsa’s Tech Hub. The Tech Hub, which focuses on autonomous technologies such as drones, will make Tulsa the world’s leading destination for innovation, investment and talent in this technology and will find uses in industries spanning agriculture, defense, energy, health care, and manufacturing and beyond. “Oklahoma has a long legacy of excellence in aviation, defense and manufacturing, which makes our great state the ideal location to lead the development of the next generation of autonomous technologies,” said Governor Stitt. “The future of autonomous systems is right here in Oklahoma, and I am thrilled to see the innovations Oklahoma companies are generating as we continue to become a top 10 state.”

SOUTH CAROLINA

Scout Motors to be revived in South Carolina

We are seeing just about every conceivable combination available right now as automakers making a bee-line to electrification. One such effort at taking a brand that was built by International Harvester decades ago is reviving the old Scout brand, which many consider the first SUV. Volkswagen and others have invested in Scout Motors and plan a $2 billion factory capable of making up to 200,000 of the iconic vehicles in South Carolina. Reports state that Scout Motors will build its factory in Blythewood about 20 miles north of Columbia, which will ultimately employ 4,000 people on 1,600 acres right in the middle of the developing “battery belt.” The plant itself will occupy 1,100 acres of that property.

AESC is spending over $3 billion in South Carolina

AESC, a world-leading battery technology company, announced the expansion of its lithium-ion electric vehicle battery manufacturing operations in Florence County, S.C. The company’s $1.5 billion investment will create 1,080 new jobs. This investment follows AESC’s initial announcement in December 2022 and expansion announcement in December 2023, resulting in a total investment of $3.12 billion and supporting 2,700 new jobs across the local community. In 2022, the company announced a multi-year partnership with BMW to supply technology-leading battery cells to be used in the next generation electric vehicle models produced at Plant Spartanburg. AESC’s latest expansion will extend the partnership to additionally provide electric vehicle battery components for BMW Group’s Mexico Assembly Operations.

Tesla to establish first S.C. facility in Greenville County

The electric car company plans to lease 251,100-square-feet to create a regional parts distribution facility.

$3 million investment will create 68 new jobs in S.C.

Fenecon, a provider of energy storage systems, announced it is establishing its first North American operation with headquarters and manufacturing in Greenville County. The company’s $3 million investment will create 68 new jobs. Founded in Germany, Fenecon is a leader in the clean energy sector, known for its innovative battery energy storage systems and smart energy management. The company designs and produces cutting-edge energy storage solutions for the home, commercial and industrial markets.

TENNESSEE

Construction progress at Ford's BlueOval City near Memphis; delay in production

Work on West Tennessee's BlueOval City is entering a new phase. Last year, Ford hit peak construction employment in Q3 2023, matching the timing given two years ago when Ford first came to town. In fact, when plant manager Kel Kearns first gave that timeline, BlueOval City was still an empty field. Months later, it was an active construction site about 50% done — with plenty of mud still around — when Ford CEO Jim Farley visited in March 2023. The company has spent billions getting construction and supplies and is now well into the installation phase, if not nearly complete. As of the summer quarter, machinery was being installed in BlueOval City's paint shop, vehicle assembly, and stamping areas. That means work now moves inside the massive facilities on campus, with literal tons of equipment installed in a way that has been planned for months to ensure top-level efficiency. So, the massive campus is nearly completed. However, production has been delayed and EVs are now to become available in 2027, one year past original projections.

LG Chem signs $19 billion deal with GM

With construction of LG Chem’s $3.2 billion factory in Clarksville, the largest foreign investment in Tennessee history, the South Korean battery maker has agreed to provide GM with battery materials able to power 5 million all-electric vehicles with a 300 mile range.

TrueGreen to move C-suite execs to Franklin, Tenn.

One of Memphis’ largest private companies is relocating its execs to Franklin, the affluent city south of Nashville where Nissan operates its North American headquarters among other major corporate players. However, the company stated it is not relocating its headquarters.

Howmet Aerospace announces Tennessee expansion

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter and Howmet Aerospace Inc. officials announced the company is expanding its Morristown, Tenn., location. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Howmet Aerospace has locations in 13 different countries around the globe and 15 states across the U.S. With the Morristown expansion, the company will create 50 new jobs and invest an additional $27.9 million in Tennessee.

TikTok is moving forward with a new Nashville office

Online sensation TikTok is leasing almost 150,000 square feet in Nashville’s Music Row’s Moore Building to place its permanent office there.

TEXAS

ExxonMobil adding research center at Houston area headquarters

ExxonMobil is renovating its 385-acre headquarters in Spring, Texas to accommodate a new research center, which will relocate up to 600 employees to the Houston area and hire additional people locally. The oil and gas supermajor is closing its other research centers around North America — two locations in Canada and one in New Jersey — and will build up the Houston area as its only remaining research center in the region. While the company has other research centers around the world, Exxon decided this was the best move for North America.

Elon Musk continues his love affair with Austin

Elon Musk's X is now trying to lock down office space in the Texas capital. The company is moving its headquarters to Austin from San Francisco. Elon Musk says he’s moving his companies out of California. In two posts on X, the billionaire said he will move SpaceX’s HQ from Hawthorne, Calif., to Starbase, Texas, a company town being built in the southern part of the state. Social media platform X will move from San Francisco to Austin, Texas, he then said.

German hydrogen company Thyssenkrupp Nucera is growing in Houston

An international electrolyzer company is looking to Houston as a prime location to build out its hydrogen business. Germany-based Thyssenkrupp Nucera, which is a supporting partner of the HyVelocity Hydrogen Hub, established its Houston office in 2021 and is preparing for the local hydrogen ecosystem to grow.

DC leaders endorse plan for $1B Port of San Antonio campus

Congressional leaders are supporting the Port of San Antonio’s proposal to develop a new billion-dollar campus for Air Force Cyber. The 16^th Air Force’s AFCYBER campus would replace outdated structures and be designed and built to serve as a base of the future, according to multiple high-level backers of the project. AFCYBER employs more than 2,000 airmen, civilians and contractors who conduct sensitive cyberspace and information operations, electronic warfare, intelligence, and reconnaissance activities in support of U.S. national security objectives.

Texas county approves Toyota incentives for $531 million San Antonio expansion

Local officials are hopeful nearly $32 million in public incentives will sway Toyota to invest more than $531 million in a major expansion of its San Antonio manufacturing campus. In the summer, Bexar County Commissioners authorized negotiations with Toyota on an incentives package valued at $14.9 million. Commissioners have now approved a contract between the county and Toyota tied to those incentives.

Tesla to occupy 1 million square feet in Kyle, Texas

EV automaker and Austin-headquartered Tesla is moving forward with a warehouse and light assembly facility in Kyle. No word on jobs.

Elon Musk wants to move Tesla, SpaceX incorporation to Texas

The Tesla, SpaceX and X chief executive said the company will hold a shareholder vote to decide whether to incorporate in the Lone Star State.

Norwegian EV parts supplier set to spend millions, hire hundreds in Mesquite, Texas

Hexagon Purus ASA, which makes batteries and systems for electric vehicles, is moving into existing facilities in Mesquite. The project will create 250 jobs.

Vehicle parts manufacturer for Tesla to open plant in Austin metro

US Farathane, parts supplier to Tesla’s Austin factory, announced in the winter it open a plant in North Austin. The project will create 100 jobs.

Global automotive parts supplier to invest $100 million north of Austin

Hanwha Advanced Materials LLC, a massive global automotive parts supplier is investing $100 million and hiring hundreds as it sets up shop in Williamson County, north of Austin. The company will build its new plant in Georgetown.

VIRGINIA

Submarine cable manufacturer to build $681 million plant in Chesapeake, Va.

Governor Glenn Youngkin announced that LS GreenLink USA, Inc. will invest $681 million to build a state-of-the-art 750,000-sq.-ft. high-voltage direct current submarine cable manufacturing facility to serve the global offshore wind industry on approximately 100 acres of brownfield in the City of Chesapeake. The new facility will create over 330 full-time jobs. “LS GreenLink’s investment in Virginia will showcase the Commonwealth as a leader in offshore wind industry manufacturing,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “LS GreenLink has recognized that Virginia has the skilled talent, world-class logistics location, and business environment that will allow it to serve its growing global customers for submarine power cables.”

June 2024

For real-time news on business, politics and economic development in the South, go to SouthernBusiness.com. For all projects announced in the South and more, go to SB-D.com. For more information on the automotive industry, go to SouthernAutoCorridor.com.

Regional

“Hold my beer:” Home prices in Texas and Florida are falling

The residential real estate market is cooling and prices have started falling in some cities in Florida and Texas, where robust home-building activity in recent years has helped boost the number of homes for sale. The two states account for almost 25 percent of new U.S. residential building permits and 47 percent of permits in the South and has since 2019, according to Census Bureau data.

UAW successfully organizes union at VW plant in Chattanooga

UAW wins at VW plant Tennessee, no chance for union at Mercedes plants in Alabama

In April, workers at a Volkswagen plant in Tennessee voted to join the union, the first large nonunion auto plant in the South to do so. Weeks later, the union negotiated a new contract bringing significant pay and benefit improvements for its members at several North Carolina factories owned by Daimler Truck.

What are the top 10 highest taxed states? Not one from the South.

New York residents spend the most on taxes of any state in the country; a whopping 12% of their annual income goes to state and local government income taxes. Here are the other nine highest income tax states.

New York 12%
Hawaii 11.8%
Vermont 11.1%
Maine 10.7%
California 10.4%
Connecticut 10.1%
Minnesota 10%
Illinois 9.7%
New Jersey 9.5%
Rhode Island and Utah 9.4%

Source: Wallet hub

South Carolina earned top inbound state for moves; top five include four from the South

The 2023 Allied US Migration Report presents a detailed analysis of the current trends in interstate moves across the United States, highlighting significant patterns and underlying economic factors.

According to Allied, South Carolina tops the list of states for relocation in 2023, according to the study. According to the Allied US Migration Report, the most attractive state for people to move to in 2023 was South Carolina (65%). And Charleston was the top city (70%). The percentage represents the number of people moving into the state as a share of the state’s total number of movers.

The top five inbound states included Arizona, Tennessee, North Carolina and Florida in the Allied ranking. Other data from the report included:

Top Outbound States

Illinois

California

Pennsylvania

Michigan

Washington

Top Inbound Cities

Charleston, S.C.

Tucson, Ariz.

Charlotte, N.C.

Nashville, Tenn.

Phoenix, Ariz.

Top Outbound Cities

San Diego, Calif.

Chicago, Ill.

Seattle, Wash.

Detroit, Mich.

Los Angeles, Calif.

Source: Allied US Migration Report

Governor calls North Carolina the “epicenter of clean energy”

In the spring quarter, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said that the Tar Heel State is the center of clean energy. From the Triad Business Journal, “If you talk to any CEO of any car company in the world, they will tell you that they are stumbling all over themselves to get into the market first for affordable vehicles,” says Governor Roy Cooper, who calls North Carolina “the epicenter of clean energy.”

Toyota is building its $13.9 billion battery manufacturing plant in Randolph County, N.C. (near Greensboro). Also, Vietnam EV maker VinFast has started constructing the first electric vehicle manufacturing facility in the Triangle Region in Chatham County. That project is fueled in part by a $1.2 billion economic development initiative, largest in the state’s history. Toyota’s project will create more than 5,000 jobs upon completion in 2025.

The story also contained a quote from the president of Toyota Battery Manufacturing:

“The thing that we were really, really interested in, and we felt like we can capitalize on, was the human capital in the people, the talent pool that they had here, mainly driven a lot by their school systems, their college systems,” says Sean Suggs, North Carolina president of Toyota Battery Manufacturing.

Alabama

Montgomery, Ala. lands next-gen Meta data center

In May, Meta Platforms announced that it will build a 715,000-square-foot data center on a 1,500-acre site across Interstate 65 from the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama plant in Montgomery. Menlo Park, California-based Meta operates Facebook, Instagram, Threads and WhatsApp, among other products and services. It is the second Meta data center in the state. The other is in Huntsville.

In a report by the Alabama News Center, Meta seems very happy about the decision to pick Alabama’s Capital. “Montgomery is the perfect home for Meta,” Brad Davis, director of Community and Economic Development at Meta, said. “It offers so much. Great access to infrastructure and renewable energy, a strong pool of talent and most importantly, a great set of community partners who have helped us move this project forward quickly. You all have been amazing from the beginning, and we thank you.”

Coca-Cola investing $338 million in new Birmingham headquarters

Coca-Cola United continues to move closer to building a new $338 million campus that will be a gateway to Birmingham, city and company officials said in June. The new HQ is being built at the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport.

Genpak cuts ribbon on Montgomery, Ala. expansion

Foodservice packaging company Genpak LLC cut the ribbon on its $22.8 million expansion to its Montgomery facility that turns the building into a distribution hub. The company has resumed operations now that it has upgraded the plant.

“Working for Alabama” package aims to supercharge the state’s economic growth

In the spring quarter, Governor Kay Ivey signed the “Working for Alabama” legislative package into law, with the goal of transforming Alabama’s workforce, getting more Alabamians trained for high-paying jobs, streamlining Alabama’s economic development efforts and investing into Alabama communities, especially those in rural areas.

The bipartisan, six-bill package aims to streamline and make more efficient and effective the state’s efforts and strategies in these respective areas.

“Our state leaders over the past few years have taken up several ambitious challenges to address Alabama’s top areas of need,” Governor Ivey said. “And the results are paying out in dividends.

“From broadband to infrastructure to The Game Plan we passed last year and now, Working for Alabama, we have come together to put Alabama first and have paved the way for a stronger economy and a better quality of life for all Alabamians,” she said.

Alabama’s poorest region is all-in on ecotourism

Alabama’s Black Belt has all the ingredients to become a premier ecotourism destination, according to a report produced by a renowned ecotourism expert who conducted a detailed assessment of tourism development potential in the region.

The report, authored by Costas Christ and Associates, and including Beyond Green Travel and the University of Alabama Center for Economic Development, recommends that tourism planning and development in the Black Belt focus on the three pillars of nature, culture and community. It also urges communities throughout the Black Belt to collaborate and work together to foster economic development throughout the region’s 23-county footprint.

“By emphasizing the conservation of nature and protection of cultural and historic sites, along with local community engagement, the Black Belt can become a leading ecotourism destination,” said Christ, who is a former editor and senior director for sustainability for National Geographic and a top travel expert. “The Black Belt is a diamond in the rough. It just needs some polishing,”Christ said in an interview with Alabama News Center.

Korean parts maker expanding in Opelika, Ala.

Auto parts maker Daewon is planning a $46.2 million expansion in Opelika, Ala. that will create 100 jobs.

Arkansas

EV battery-quality lithium plant in Arkansas gets boost

Standard Lithium Ltd., the company developing commercial lithium operations in Arkansas and east Texas, announced Wednesday that it has a new partnership with publicly traded Equinor ASA. Norway-based Equinor is investing up to $160 million in the new plants.

Standard, based in Vancouver, British Columbia, will get a $30 million cash payment at closing of the deal. Additionally, Equinor will solely provide funds for a $60 million work project in southwest Arkansas and in east Texas. Standard has been producing battery-quality lithium products at a test plant in El Dorado for more than three years.

EV startup scratches Arkansas from its site list

Electric vehicle manufacturer Canoo Technologies announced in November 2021 that it was moving its corporate headquarters from Texas to Bentonville, Ark. and planning a research and technology center in Fayetteville. That is unlikely to happen now as the warehouse in Bentonville where Canoo was to being EV assembly is now up for sublease, only after a couple of years of the company signing a 10-year lease. But Canoo never moved in because it could not secure, according to the company, a second site in the area to house its headquarters.

Tractor Supply opens in Maumelle, Ark.

Tractor Supply has opened its 10^th U.S. distribution center in Maumelle, Ark. The 1.1 million square-foot facility represents an investment of more than $175 million in the region and will create 500 full-time jobs for local residents. Tractor Supply is the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the country.

Rural Arkansas county on a major five-year run

Zekelman Industries, the largest independent steel pipe and tube manufacturer in North America, will invest up to $120 million to expand the manufacturing capabilities and product offerings of its subsidiary, Atlas Tube, in Mississippi County, Ark.

The project will bring Zekelman’s total number of employees in the area to more than 300. During the unveiling, the manufacturer also announced it will partner with Arkansas Northeastern College on a new workforce training initiative. Mississippi County is the largest steelmaking county in the U.S. with plants like Big River Steel, Nucor and U.S. Steel.

Bekaert Corporation is expanding its manufacturing facility in Arkansas

Bekaert Corporation is expanding its manufacturing facility in Van Buren, creating 38 new jobs in the region. A global leader in the steel wire transformation and coating technology sector, Bekaert produces steel wire and strands at the Van Buren facility. The company has operated in Van Buren since 1970.

Hino Motors closing large plant in Arkansas Delta

While East Arkansas lost out on that deal, they gave the Delta a “parting gift,” according to workforce development pro, Dr. Glen Fenter. Fenter is now superintendent at Marion Schools.

Florida

Travel+Leisure moving 1,000 positions to new downtown Orlando headquarters

The Orlando-based timeshare/vacation ownership giant is relocating from its current HQ located in the tourism sector of the region.

Georgia

Atlanta City Councilmembers seek data center ban

Atlanta City Councilmembers Jason Dozier and Matt Westmoreland introduced two pieces of legislation in May that would ban data centers from being built within the BeltLine Overlay District and within a half-mile of transit stations in Atlanta. According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, every councilmember is backing the legislation, which would not affect existing data centers nor those already approved for construction. “We want to make sure you have spaces that will be utilized by people rather than equipment and robots,” Dozier said.

Atlanta is the hottest data center market in the U.S. right now, growing by 211% in projects under construction between 2022 to 2023, according to a CBRE report. Members of the City Council say that data centers should not be built where more appealing uses of the land, such as greenspaces and affordable housing.

Owner of Tommy Bahama announces $130 million Georgia project.

Atlanta-based Oxford Industries Inc., which owns several retail brands including Tommy Bahama, Lilly Pulitzer and Johnny Was, announced in the spring it will build a $130 million distribution center in the Toombs County town of Lyons. The project will create 60 new jobs.

Kentucky

Hydro Aluminum expands manufacturing operation in Henderson, Ky.

The producer of recycled aluminum products will invest $85 million, creating 31 new, high-wage jobs.

Louisiana

EV battery material maker buy land in Ascension Parish, La.

Element 25, an Australian mining company, has purchased a 35-acre site in Ascension Parish where it hopes to invest $289 million in a plant to make electric battery components. The plant would be the first in the Western Hemisphere to manufacture high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate, or HPMSM, a critical component in electric vehicle batteries.

Northshore New Orleans on a nice deal run

Investment to Expand Hammond Headquarters, Retain More Than 100 Tangipahoa Parish, La. Jobs

S&W Wholesale Foods, a Louisiana-based leading independent foodservice supplier, announced it is investing $21 million to acquire a new facility that will increase operational capacity and allow the company to fill orders for customers across the Gulf Coast more effectively and efficiently.

The company is expected to retain more than 100 existing jobs in Tangipahoa Parish. The project is estimated to create 60 construction jobs at peak construction.

Metal processor is expanding in Northwest Louisiana

BENTELER Steel/Tube Manufacturing is investing $21 million to expand its plant at the Port of Caddo-Bossier with the construction of a new threading facility for hot rolled seamless steel tubes. The deal will create 49 jobs. The products are used in the oil and gas energy sector.

Mississippi

Electric truck tri-venture in Mississippi snags BlueOval City CEO

BlueOval City, a Ford-driven project north of Memphis is nearing completion. Ford will manufacture its next-generation electric truck at BlueOval City, which is scheduled for completion this year.

Kel Kearns, formerly the plant manager at the Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center at BlueOval City, will serve as CEO of Amplify Cell Technologies, the name for the tri-venture between Cummins, Daimler Truck, and Paccar. The nearly $2 billion facility will produce differentiated lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery cells in Marshall County, Miss. The North Mississippi plant is projected to house 2,000 workers.

Anduril Industries expanding operations in Stone County, Miss.

Anduril Industries is expanding its operations in McHenry. The project represents a corporate investment of $75 million and will create 60 new jobs. Anduril is a defense technology company on a mission to transform U.S. and allied militaries with advanced technology. Anduril combines modern software expertise with a rapid and differentiated approach to hardware development and manufacturing.

The company, based out of Costa Mesa, California, acquired Adranos, Inc. last year, along with its solid rocket motor production site in Stone County. The expansion will enhance the capabilities of that facility to increase the propellant mixing and solid rocket motor annual production capacity from 600 to more than 6,000 tactical-scale solid rocket motors. The expansion supports growing demand from Anduril’s customers. Mississippi Development Authority

Blue Delta Jeans expanding in Lee County, Miss.

Custom blue jean manufacturer Blue Delta Jeans Company is expanding at its location in Lee County. The project is a $1,500,000 corporate investment and will retain 55 jobs.

Blue Delta currently leases 15,000 square feet of its facility in Shannon. The company is purchasing the facility, which will allow it to expand to fill its entire 25,000 square feet. Blue Delta plans to renovate the facility, as well.

Founded in 2012 in Tupelo, the bespoke denim company, whose clients include artists and athletes, creates custom-fit, tailored blue jeans to each client’s specific measurements, operating by its motto “one size fits one.” Today, Blue Delta products are sold online and carried by more than 400 wholesale partners across the U.S., Canada and the UK.

Connor Industries locating operations in Coahoma County, Miss.

Boat manufacturer Connor Industries is locating operations in Clarksdale. The project represents a corporate investment of at least $8 million and will create 56 jobs.

Connor Industries’ new location will enable the company to manufacture and test boats year-round on the Mississippi River. The project involves the construction of a new 48,600-square-foot facility to house Connor Industries’ new Clarksdale operations, as well as public infrastructure improvements in north Coahoma County, including the construction of a new road over the Mississippi River levee and a river dock landing.

The Mississippi Development Authority is providing assistance for site development and infrastructure improvements. Substantive additional support is being provided through grants from the U.S. Economic Development Administration and Delta Regional Authority.

Based in Canada, Connor Industries’ product line includes welded aluminum commercial, luxury and emergency response vessels. The company expects to complete construction next year and plans to fill the 56 jobs shortly after completion. Mississippi Development Authority

North Carolina

Wolfspeed has a neighbor at the 1,800-acre Chatham-Siler City Advanced Manufacturing (CAM) Site

In the spring quarter, Wolfspeed topped off its semiconductor plant in Chatham County, N.C. The facility will produce 200mm silicon carbide wafers, significantly expanding Wolfspeed’s materials capacity by meeting the demand for next generation semiconductors critical to the energy transition and AI. Innovative Construction Group, which was acquired by national homebuilder PulteGroup (NYSE: PHM) in 2020, announced in the spring it is investing roughly $40 million in operations in Siler City.

John Deere expanding in North Carolina

John Deere confirmed in the spring it plans an expansion of its campus in Kernersville, N.C. (Forsyth County) with a $70 million, 380,000-square-foot expansion and add about 150 workers. The company will produce excavators at the plant that currently houses 600 employees.

Pennsylvania manufacturer lands in Greensboro, N.C.

Clearly Clean is coming to Greensboro with plans to hire about 80 people and invest nearly $25 million in a manufacturing facility in Greensboro, Gov. Roy Cooper announced in the spring quarter. The company makes recyclable plastic food trays for the meat and poultry industries.

South Carolina

Nucor Steel breaks ground on $425 million expansion in South Carolina

Nucor Steel Berkeley broke ground on the construction of a new galvanizing line in May. The $425 million investment will create more than 50 new full-time jobs, according to a news release. The new galvanizing line is expected to start up in mid-2025. Adding a new galvanizing line at the South Carolina sheet steel mill supports Nucor’s strategy to expand the company’s capabilities and grow its participation in the automotive and consumer durables markets, the release stated. The mill in Berkeley County produces flat-rolled steel which has hundreds of everyday uses, including parts for cars, water heaters, lawnmowers, appliances and more. Nucor Steel Berkeley also produces steel beams that are used as support structures in bridges and buildings.

Small EV maker to create jobs in South Carolina

Columbia Vehicle Group (Columbia), an electric vehicle manufacturer, announced it selects Aiken County for the company’s first South Carolina operation. The company’s $12.2 million investment will create 180 new jobs.

Part of the Nordic Group of Companies, Columbia manufactures pure electric vehicles for industrial and commercial markets under the Columbia and Tomberlin brands. The company’s products, which include golf carts, utility vehicles, maintenance vehicles and e-bikes, are distributed globally.

Columbia is relocating manufacturing operations from Florida and Wisconsin to Aiken County for closer proximity to customers and its supply chain. The company will purchase and upfit the existing 154,480-square-foot facility located at 2063 University Parkway in Aiken.

German industrial giant Siemens partnering on battery manufacturing ecosystem in South Carolina

Siemens is partnering with Kontrolmatik, a power systems integrator, to create a sustainable battery ecosystem in The Palmetto State. The collaboration is centered on a sustainable battery ecosystem to transition to a decarbonized energy system as it ramps up energy storage operations in the state and in North America.

Drywall manufacturer to establish first South Carolina plant

Southern Wall Products, a maker of drywall finishing products, is investing $23 million in a plant in Anderson County, S.C. The project will create 28 new jobs.

Tennessee

Oracle plans ‘world headquarters’ in Nashville

Software giant Oracle Corp. announced in the spring quarter it will build its ‘world headquarters’ on a 70-acre piece of property on the city's downtown riverfront. That was news to Austin officials, who captured the company’s U.S. headquarters in 2020 when Oracle moved from Silicon Valley. For now, it looks like the company will operate both campuses for now. The company says it is building a “park” in Nashville with “buildings in the park.” The $1 billion deal is expected to create 8,500 jobs.

BlueOval City coming to life in West Tennessee

Ford Motor Co. made a major announcement in the spring regarding its BlueOval City plant north of Memphis. Stamping, of workforce and environmental initiatives and confirmed that mass hiring for BlueOval City is scheduled to start next year.

Robotic training cells, conveyors, paint spray booths, and stamping press lines have been installed at what is called the Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center (TEVC) in rural Stanton, Tenn.

Hiring for hourly workers is set to begin in 2025, with Ford unleashing its BlueOval Learning workforce development plan to build up a local workforce in the meantime. Vehicles are expected to be delivered in 2026 from the massive plant.

PPG picks Loudon County, Tenn. for new $225 plant

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter and PPG officials announced the company has selected Loudon as the location of its newest paint and coatings manufacturing facility.

PPG will invest a total of $225 million and create 129 new jobs in Loudon County through the project. The Loudon plant will be PPG’s first new U.S. manufacturing facility in the last 15 years and is part of the company’s greater investment to expand and innovate advanced manufacturing in North America.

Tennessee announces another major investment in broadband

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter announced today the state will award $162.7 million in broadband and digital opportunity grants.

In total, these investments will provide broadband access and digital opportunity programs to more than 236,000 Tennesseans across 92 counties.

“Broadband is essential to all Tennesseans, and that’s why we are making strategic investments in our state’s broadband infrastructure and digital opportunity programs to create a pathway to education, job training and greater opportunity statewide,” said Gov. Lee. “I thank the Financial Stimulus Accountability Group for their continued support and management of these broadband dollars.”

With the announcement, TNECD has invested more than $715 million to expand the state’s broadband infrastructure, connecting more than 689,000 Tennesseans across 275,000 residential and business locations.

Texas

Giant industrial park underway near Samsung plant being built in the Austin suburbs

More than 1 million square feet of warehouse and distribution space is planned in Hutto, not far from Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.'s sprawling chipmaking plant in nearby Taylor.

The site of the project is about 10 miles west of Samsung’s growing campus and about 20 miles north of Tesla Inc.’s massive gigafactory in eastern Travis County, both of which have spurred demand in the industrial market as their suppliers expand in the region.

Huge, 13,000-acre development outside Laredo, Texas set to redefine nation's busiest port

A 13,000-acre development is taking shape outside Laredo that will deliver thousands of new homes, commercial and industrial space – even an airport. The project, called Talise, is underway. It will boast a development lifespan about 30 years long and cost just shy of $7 billion, according to news sources.

Virginia

Veteran-owned data sciences company JDSAT to expand operation in Virginia

Governor Glenn Youngkin announced in the spring that JDSAT, Inc., a veteran-owned application development and data sciences firm, is investing $630,000 to expand its operations in Fairfax County. The company intends to invest in technical staff and analysts to support its growing artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and data science business. The project will create 60 new jobs.

Global clean energy manufacturer Topsoe to invest $400 million in Virginia

Topsoe, a Danish manufacturer and global leader in carbon emission reduction technologies, plans to invest more than $400 million to build a factory at Meadowville Technology Park in Chesterfield County. Pending Final Investment Decision, the company will manufacture advanced, energy-efficient Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cells (SOEC) that are essential in the production of clean hydrogen at the facility. Federal tax credits from the U.S. Department of Energy under the Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Credit (Section 48C) will support the construction of the facility, which would be Topsoe’s largest U.S. investment. The project is expected to create 150 new jobs.

April 2024

For real-time news on business, politics and economic development in the South, go to SouthernBusiness.com. For all projects announced in the South and more, go to SouthernBusiness.com and SB-D.com. For more information on the automotive industry in the South, go to SouthernAutoCorridor.com.

Alabama

Alabama claims No. 1 spot last year for auto-exporting states for the first time

Alabama has become the nation’s No. 1 auto-exporting state, with international vehicle shipments surging past $11.2 billion in 2023 to overtake long-time leader South Carolina, according to new trade data.

Alabama’s auto exports have climbed 45% in value since 2021, when they totaled $7.7 billion, according to figures from the Alabama Department of Commerce. “Alabama’s auto industry has become an exporting powerhouse, with vehicles produced in the state finding markets around the world,” said Ellen McNair, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce.

While Alabama’s auto exports have been climbing, South Carolina’s have remained steady at just over $10 billion a year since 2021, the data indicate. Other top auto-exporting states include Michigan, California and Texas.

Alabama auto exports landed in 78 countries in 2023, with major trading partners Germany, China and Canada being the leading destinations, according to Commerce data.

OMCO Solar to hire 70 in North Alabama

Arizona-based OMCO Solar, a manufacturer of steel structures for solar panels, is investing $10 million in its second facility in Alabama in Limestone County. The deal will create 70 jobs.

Southern Roots Nut Co. to hire 120 in Dothan, Ala.

The New Mexico-based company will invest $16.6 million to renovate an existing building and to build a new hub to process, store and distribute raw pecans. The expansion will employ 120 skilled workers.

Arkansas

Americold holds ribbon cutting in Russellville, Ark.

The global leader in temperature-controlled logistics is investing $90 million to expand its operations in Russellville, adding 30 new jobs.

Elopak breaks ground on $70 million production facility in Little Rock

The plant will produce Pure-Pak® cartons for milk and other liquids. The new production facility at the Port of Arkansas near Little Rock, Ark. will employ more than 100 workers.

Florida

Apple to open offices in South Fla.

The global tech giants signed a 42,000-square-foot office lease deal in Coral Gables, Fla.

Renewable energy project breaks ground near Orlando

Panacea Global Energy Inc. secured 63 acres in Osceola County for green tech campus, to create 1,200 jobs. A subsidiary of French renewable energy leader, CMG Clean Tech, Panacea Global Energy Inc. will build a flagship green garden village, a first-of-its-kind renewable energy research park.

Georgia

Imola Automotive USA establishing a plant in Fort Valley, Ga.

The Italian electric car manufacturer will break ground in the third quarter of 2024, eventually employing 7,500 people.

Meissner Corp. plans $250 million life sciences facility near Athens, Ga.

The company, which specializes in microfiltration and pharma products, plans to build a manufacturing, laboratory and distribution facility in Clarke County.

Fantasy sports company PrizePicks expands in Atlanta

The company will invest $25 million in its new headquarters, hiring 1,000 new workers over the next seven years.

LanzaJet Freedom Pines Fuels opens world’s first alcohol-to-jet aviation fuel production facility in Ga., to employ 250.

The $70 million facility will produce 10 million gallons a year of sustainable aviation fuel.

Kentucky

FEAM Aero holds grand opening of $45 million expansion in Boone County, Kent.

The company’s new three-bay hanger at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport will support nearly 250 full-time positions.

Goose Creek Candles breaks ground on new distribution facility expansion project in Casey County, Kent.

The family-owned candle maker will invest $5 million and employ 160 people.

North American Stainless to celebrate $244 million Carroll County, Ky. expansion Gov. Andy Beshear joined local officials and leadership from North American Stainless (NAS) and its parent company, Spain-based Acerinox, to celebrate the one-year mark since the company announced a $244 million expansion at its Carroll County facility, a project creating 70 full-time jobs. The expansion to the company’s 4.4 million-square-foot Ghent facility consists of a new cold rolling mill, new roll grinders, extensive upgrades of anneal and pickling lines to support the new rolling mill, a new temper mill and the expansion of the melt shop building.

Louisiana

India-based pipe and tube manufacturer selects NW Louisiana for first U.S. plant

Global Seamless Tubes & Pipes, a leading manufacturer and exporter of carbon, alloy and stainless steel cold drawn and hot finish seamless tubes and pipes, announced it will invest $35 million to establish its first U.S. production facility in northwest Louisiana.

The India-based company expects to create 135 direct new jobs in DeSoto Parish.

Lincoln Foodservice Equipment, a Welbilt company, to establish operations in Caddo Parish, La.

The producer of commercial-grade foodservice equipment will create 99 direct new jobs with salaries above $50,000.

BBP, am automatons solutions manufacturing company, announces expansion in Baton Rouge, La.

The Louisiana-based company will create 75 new jobs with its headquarters expansion in Baton Rouge.

Horsburgh & Scott Company establishes 32,000-square-foot facility in Slidell, La.

The international manufacturer repairs, services and assembles industrial gearboxes for the defense industry. The Cleveland-based company will create 40 new high earning jobs with its $4.9 million investment in St. Tammany Parish.

Japan-based UBE Corporation will invest $500 million in Jefferson Parish, La.

The chemicals company will establish its first U.S. manufacturing facility to produce battery components dimethyl carbonate (DMC) and ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC), which are used to create electrolyte in lithium-ion batteries.

Agile Cold Storage announces 150,000-square-foot facility in St. Tammany Parish

The diversified storage and logistics solutions company will invest $45.9 million in its new cold storage facility. The project will bring a total of 195 direct and indirect jobs to southeastern La.

Mississippi

CORE X Partners to establish cold storage in Gulfport, Miss.

The global supply chain and cold storage industry leader will break ground this year on a 150,000-square-foot cold storage facility. Serving food producers and manufacturing across the Southeast, the company will create a total of 73 jobs.

Owl’s Head Alloys locating aluminum processing plant in West Point, Miss.

The Bowling Green, Ky.-based company will invest $29 million and create 68 new jobs.

North Carolina

German-based Schott Pharma unveils plans to construct $371 million factory in Wilson, N.C.

The factory, which will produce glass and polymer pre-fillable syringes, will employ 400 by 2030.

New N.C. megasite? Landowner assembles 800-acre site seeking industrial rezoning near Lexington

A Charlotte-area landowner is seeking rezoning of nearly 800 acres of land in several parcels in Davidson County for heavy industrial use to create a site whose size would approach that of state-level megasites. “This property is extremely well suited for industrial development from the standpoint of infrastructure,” the county planning staff noted.

With no Epic Games HQ in sight for prime Cary, N.C. site, expert weighs in on property's future

One of the most exciting announcements in the South from several years no longer seems to be a reality.

From reports: “As the months go by with no word about the future of the former Cary Towne Center property, it seems apparent that Epic Games has no immediate plans to move forward with building a new headquarters on the prime site in a town that's attracting plenty of developers.

“Epic Games, the video game developer based in Cary, said in the winter through a spokesperson that there were no updates to share.

“Real estate watchers in the Triangle are starting to wonder what the future of the former mall property will look like as the town continues its development spree. On the other side of Cary Towne Boulevard, the highly popular mixed-use project Fenton is moving toward starting its second phase. And downtown Cary continues to transform with new retail and residential projects in the works. Meanwhile, west Cary is seeing construction boom for residential and commercial developments.

“Dennis Donovan, a site selection consultant with WDG Consulting, said it might be tough to attract another headquarters campus like the one Epic Games proposed back in 2021 after buying the property, which today has an assessed value of more than $100 million.

“First, there aren’t many HQ relocations,” he said, adding that a stronger possibility for the site, should Epic relinquish it, might be a tech company consolidating office operations, “some of which might already be based in the Raleigh, Durham area.”

“Donovan said the real demand is happening with sites that are ready to go. Starting from scratch, which would be the case in Cary, “becomes very difficult.” -- Triangle Business Journal

Oklahoma

Stardust Power selects Muskogee, Okla., to build battery-grade lithium refinery

The company will make a more than $1 billion investment in the lithium refinery.

AAR breaks ground on MRO facility in Oklahoma City

AAR Corp., a provider of aviation services, broke ground on its expansion of its maintenance and repair facility. The new facility will accommodate all 737 variants,

North American Air Exchange grows in Muskogee, Okla.

The heat exchange manufacturer moved to Wagoner in 2023, and is set to bring 100 new jobs.

South Carolina

Scout Motors to be revived in South Carolina

We are seeing just about every conceivable combination there are right now as automakers making a bee-line to electrification. One such effort at taking a brand that was built by International Harvester decades ago is reviving the old Scout brand, which many consider the first SUV. Volkswagen and others have invested in Scout Motors and plan a $2 billion factory capable of making up to 200,000 of the iconic vehicles in South Carolina. Reports state that Scout Motors will build its factory in Blythewood about 20 miles north of Columbia, which will ultimately employ 4,000 people, on 1,600 acres right in the middle of the developing “battery belt.” The plant itself will occupy 1,100 acres of that property.

AESC is spending over $3 billion in South Carolina

In 2022, the company announced a multi-year partnership with BMW to supply technology-leading battery cells to be used in the next generation electric vehicle models produced at Plant Spartanburg. AESC’s latest expansion will extend the partnership to additionally provide electric vehicle battery components for BMW Group’s Mexico Assembly Operations.

Tech giant Google to build data center in S.C.

The company purchased a property in Dorchester County. The location of the property and Google’s investment amount has not been disclosed.

Delta Children to invest $33.1 million to establish first S.C. operation

The children’s furniture manufacturer selected Orangeburg County to construct a 400,000-square-foot manufacturing and distribution facility, creating 123 new jobs.

Ferroglobe, producer of silicon metal, establishing operations in Marlboro Co.

The company will invest $20 million and hire 19 workers for its quartz filtering operation in Wallace, S.C.

DCC Metal Recycling announces expansion in Dillion County, S.C.

The metal recycling company will create 78 new jobs with its $11 million investment. The new 48-acre site will be the company’s seventh South Carolina operation.

Tennessee

Construction progress at Ford's BlueOval City near Memphis

Work on West Tennessee's BlueOval City is entering a new phase.

Last year, Ford hit peak construction employment in Q3 2023, matching the timing given years ago when Ford first came to town. In fact, when plant manager Kel Kearns first gave that timeline, BlueOval City was still an empty field.

Months later, it was an active construction site about 50% done — with plenty of mud still around — when Ford CEO Jim Farley visited in March 2023. The company has spent billions getting construction and supplies and is now entering the installation phase.

As of April, machinery is being installed in BlueOval City's paint shop, vehicle assembly, and stamping areas. That means work now moves inside the massive facilities on campus, with literal tons of equipment installed in a way that has been planned for months to ensure top-level efficiency.

Now, as the campus begins installing machines, that would be followed by new workers, then Ford starts producing trucks to be delivered to customers in 2026.

Ford doubling down on EVs, hybrids at BlueOval City's T3 gets release window

Ford Motor Co. announced that it is embracing electric vehicles (EV) and hybrid vehicles for its Ford Blue division. By the end of the decade, it plans to offer hybrid powertrains on every model.

LG Chem signs $19 billion deal with GM

Custom Foods of America Inc. to expand in Knox County

The Tennessee-based food product manufacturer will create 249 new jobs with a $51 million investment at its Pleasant Ridge location.

Fiberglass and polymer concrete manufacturer NewBasis, LLC to establish operations in Wilson County, Tenn.

The company will create 249 new jobs.

FreightWise to expand Brentwood, Tenn. headquarters

The logistics data company will create 48 new jobs and invest $2 million in Williamson County.

Baltimore Aircoil to expand in Rhea County

The HVAC and refrigeration manufacturer will create 63 new jobs and invest $16.5 million to expand operations at its Manufacturers Road location in Dayton, Tenn.

Landmarks Ceramics cuts ribbon on plant expansion in Mt. Pleasant, Tenn.

Landmarks Ceramics invested $70 million to add a new kiln to increase production, creating a North American logistics hub for the Gruppo Concorde-owned company.

Bridgetown Natural Foods LLC to expand in Middle Tennessee

The West Coast company will invest $78.3 million to open a manufacturing and distribution center in Lebanon, creating 219 new jobs.

Schneider Electric to expand, add 455 jobs

The energy management and automation company will invest $85 million in Wilson and Rutherford counties, continuing its growth in the energy sector.

Amazon builds facility in Jackson, Tenn.

The 69,000-square-foot, last-mile facility will bring about 100 jobs to the area, adding a distribution facility between Memphis and Nashville.

INTOCAST announces state-of-the-art factory in Carroll County, Tenn.

The German-based company, which specializes in manufacturing refractory products for the steel industry, will spend $15 million and create 103 new jobs. The operation will be the company’s first in the U.S.

Texas

Dallas workers' return to office ranks No. 1 among major U.S. cities

Dallas workers are coming back to the office more than other major U.S. cities, a new report says. Placer.ai report analyzing foot traffic data for office properties in the U.S. and Dallas came in first with an average of 18.6 returning to the office after three years of some workers leaving as a result of the pandemic.

Austin's job market ranked best in Texas — here's how it scores nationally

Austin has the hottest job market in Texas, and it's considered one of the best in the country. That's according to The Wall Street Journal's annual ranking of America's hottest job markets. The Texas capital ranked No. 7 overall — tied with Nashville — and beat out Dallas (No. 10), Houston (No. 19) and San Antonio (No. 25, tied with Denver and Boston).

Salt Lake City took the top spot this year, followed by three cities in Florida: Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa. Oklahoma City came in at No. 5, followed by Miami at No. 6. Austin, which fell five spots in this year's ranking, had the strongest labor-force participation among large metro areas, according to the WSJ.

Companies like Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Tesla Inc. and Apple Inc. have made huge investments in the Austin area, positioning them to add thousands more employees here in the coming decade.

Battery chemicals producer Orion breaks ground on plant near Houston

Orion, a specialty chemicals company formerly known as Orion Engineered Carbons, has broken ground on a new plant near Houston to manufacture battery ingredients. The company, which is incorporated in Luxembourg, began construction on its second plant producing acetylene-based conductive additives on April 9. The deal represents a $140 million investment.

Natural gas power plant slated for Texas east of Austin

Sandow Lakes Energy Company is building a 1,200-megawatt natural gas power plant in Milam County, Texas at the former site of the 31,000-acre Alcoa aluminum plant. It is near where Samsung is building its multi-billion semiconductor campus.

Virginia

Remember one of the biggest deals ever in the South, Amazon’s HQ2 in Northern Virginia and 25,000 jobs? Here is an update.

Work has begun at Amazon’s Northern Virginia’s HQ2. Here’s what’s happening.

Construction plans have begun, installing utilities for PenPlace, the second phase of Amazon’s HQ2, which remains delayed but, we’re told, not scaled back.

In March of 2023 Amazon paused development plans for the second and larger phase of its second headquarters. A spokesperson has told SB&D that the e-commerce giant has made “no changes” to its hiring or construction plans, including building a new public school.

Phase one of Amazon HQ2, known as Metropolitan Park — 2.1 million square feet of new office space in two towers — opened to workers in May of 2023.

Conservative group files lawsuit to stop massive wind farm off Virginia Beach

The National Legal and Policy Center, a nonprofit conservative watchdog group based in Falls Church, Va., filed a lawsuit in March against Dominion Energy, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the U.S. Department of the Interior and other government bodies, to try and stop construction of Dominion’s $9.8 billion, 176-turbine offshore wind farm expected to begin construction this summer 27 miles off the Virginia Beach coast.

The group wants to suspend or stop the Commercial Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project, claiming the massive wind turbines pose a risk to North American right whales under the Endangered Species Act, not to mention one of the largest military submarine bases in the world. The group also criticized President Joe Biden’s January 2021 executive order mandating an increase in clean energy production, including offshore wind energy.

HP Hood announces $83.5 million expansion in Frederick County, Va.

The national dairy processor will expand its dairy processing operations at its Winchester-area facility.

Arlington-based, RTX subsidiary Raytheon lands $118 million contract with the U.S. Army

The defense company will produce common sensor payloads for the California-based General Atomics Aeronautical Systems’ MQ-1C Gray Eagle, serving as “eyes” for the unmanned aircraft.

FreezPak Logistics to invest $77.5 million, create 80 new jobs

The cold and dry storage leader will build a 245,000-square-foot facility in Suffolk, near the Port of Virginia.

Tucker Door & Trim to create 50 jobs in Va.

The Georgia-based manufacturer of doors, windows for the construction industry will spend $10 million for its facility in Henrico County.

March 2024

For real-time news on business, politics and economic development in the South, go to RandleReport.com. For all projects announced in the South and more, go to SB-D.com. For more information on the automotive industry in the South, go to SouthernAutoCorridor.com.

Regional/National

Construction workforce shortage tops 500,000

According to the Associated Builders and Contractors, the labor crunch in the U.S. construction industry shows no signs of ending anytime soon. The industry needs to attract an estimated 501,000 additional workers beyond the normal pace of hiring this year and 454,000 new workers in 2025 as construction demand is expected to slow somewhat next year.

CBRE’s 2024 U.S. Investor Intentions Survey shines on the South

Included in the top 10 of CBRE’s top 10 markets for total property returns were Dallas/Fort Worth; South Florida; Raleigh/Durham; Nashville; Atlanta; Charlotte; Tampa and Washington, D.C. Make the top 10 outside the South were Boston and New York City.

U.S. News and World Report’s top 10 places to live in the U.S.

U.S. News and World Report recently named their best places to live in the U.S. in 2023 and 2024 and Green Bay, Wisc. Claimed first place. Huntsville, Ala.; Raleigh/Durham was third followed by Boulder, Colo. and Sarasota, Fla. Making up the top five.

Those were followed by Naples, Fla.; Portland, Me.; Charlotte, N.C.: Colorado Springs, Colo. and Fayetteville, Ark.

Alabama

Alabama sets record for exports

For the second consecutive year, Alabama has set a new value record for exports with $27.4 billion.

Overseas shipments of Alabama-made vehicles, aerospace parts, minerals and metals, as well as other products, rose more than 6% from the 2022 mark of $25.5 billion, according to the Alabama Department of Commerce.

“Looking forward, the potential for greater export growth is there, and we are already exploring new and expanding markets for Alabama companies,” said Alabama

Department of Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair, who is succeeding Greg Canfield in that role.

New aluminum project forges ahead in South Alabama, even though costs have risen 60 percent

Novelis is building a monster of an aluminum production plant in North Baldwin County, Ala. The site is at the former South Alabama Megasite.

Initially, the project was to cost a tad over $2.5 billion. Now, it’s estimated the plant, which will take up much of the 3,000-acre site, will cost just over $4 billion to build.

Steve Fisher, CEO of Novelis, said that the facility will be a “true plant of the future,” giving the lifetime of the plant of “decades.” The facility was announced to house 1,000 employees. According to Fisher, automotive and beverage contracts have already been secured to where the factory will be profitable well into the future.

From Alabama to space: ULA’s Vulcan Rocket blasts off on inaugural mission

United Launch Alliance’s next-generation Vulcan rocket lifted off for the first time in Florida in January on a mission that marked a new era of space capabilities for the company’s Alabama-made rockets.

Payloads are heading to the Moon and include the ashes of several deceased “Star Trek” celebrities. “Vulcan’s inaugural launch ushers in a new, innovative capability to meet the ever-growing requirements of space launch,” said Tory Bruno, ULA’s president and CEO.

ULA assembles the Vulcan rocket at its sprawling factory in Decatur, where it has also built the Atlas V and Delta IV launch vehicles being replaced by Vulcan. ULA and its partner, Beyond Gravity, which makes payload fairings, are expanding the Decatur production site through projects valued at $350 million that will create a total of 200 jobs.

Montgomery, Ala. Hyundai workers announce union drive; UAW eyes Tesla, VW and Mercedes

Workers at a Hyundai plant in Montgomery have launched a union drive, the second announced organization effort at a major Alabama automotive manufacturer in the last month. The other is at the state’s Mercedes-Benz plant in Tuscaloosa County. That plant has fended off union efforts several times in its 26-year history.

The United Auto Workers (UAW) claimed in the winter quarter that 30 percent of workers at Hyundai’s plant in Montgomery had signed union cards.

Gov. Kay Ivey sets goal for Alabama to have highest starting teacher salary in the South

Alabama’s starting teacher pay could be going up to $47,600 - the highest among neighboring states, if Gov. Kay Ivey gets her way.

Primordial Ventures, a medical supplies manufacturing start-up, plans Birmingham production hub

The veteran and minority-owned company plans to create 30 new jobs at the Alabama facility.

Airbus continues constructing three new A320 hangar bays in Mobile

The aerospace giant’s major expansion is slated to bring 1,000 new jobs to the Mobile facility, doubling its industrial footprint in Alabama. Last May, the facility celebrated the delivery of its 100^th Alabama-built A320 Family aircraft to Delta Air Lines.

Brasfield & Gorrie to expand Birmingham HQ

One of the nation’s largest privately held construction firms will expand its national headquarters with an $18.9 million investment. The expansion project will create 85 new, quality jobs.

Conecuh Sausage expanding in Andalusia, Ala.

The iconic Alabama maker of hickory smoked sausages will invest $58 million and create 110 with its second production facility in the state.

Myer Companies plans expansion in Mobile County

The engineering, fabrication and repair service company will invest $2.6 million and create 26 new jobs.

AE Industrial Partners affiliate Rocket Shoals LLC has acquired an industrial facility in Colbert County

The sprawling industrial facility will be used for aerospace manufacturing and will become the new headquarters for aerospace suppliers and manufacturers.

Toyota begins production on new engine line in Huntsville, Ala.

Douglas Manufacturing expands in Pell City, Ala.

The conveyor systems manufacturer will construct a state-of-the-art 50,000-square-foot idler plant at its Industrial Park Drive location in Pell City with an $11.7 million investment. The expansion will create 50 new jobs.

Arkansas

Missile manufacturer breaks ground on plant in East Camden, Ark.

R2S, a joint venture between Rafael Advanced System and Raytheon, broke ground in a new manufacturing facility in late February in East Camden. Sixty workers will be hired to build the Tamir missile for the Iron Dome Weapon System. R2S will invest $63 million in the project.

Hope Baking Co. expansion is underway in Hope, Ark.

The $37 million project is expected to create 266 new jobs.

Walther Manufacturing to expand firearm manufacturing facility in Fort Smith

The company plans to spend $30 million in western Arkansas, creating 76 new jobs.

Florida

Panacea Global Energy Inc. secured 63 acres in Osceola County for green tech campus, to create 1,200 jobs

A subsidiary of French renewable energy leader, CMG Clean Tech, Panacea Global Energy Inc. will build a flagship green garden village, a first-of-its-kind renewable energy research park.

Disney plans massive $60 billion spending plan for theme parks, cruises

The Burbank, Calif.-based entertainment giant has announced its 10 year plan, suggesting expansions at its Central Florida theme parks, cruise lines and more.

Kaseya to create 3,400 jobs in Miami, Fla.

The global IT management software firm will make a capital investment of more than $16 million to expand in Miami-Dade County, creating up to 3,400 high-paying jobs.

MSC Group to open $100 million North American Cruise HQ in South Florida

The international shipping company will open a 120-square-foot cruise division in Miami’s downtown. The new headquarters is expected to create 668 new jobs.

Georgia

By capturing so many data centers, Georgia now needs more power

Georgia Power has approached regulators in the Peach State to request approval to bring more electric power to the state, even after the company just started up the nation’s first new nuclear reactor in decades last year. The wave of economic development projects Georgia has captured in the form of the electric vehicle and battery industry and data centers is already putting a strain on the grid in the state.

Company officials claimed in the winter that it needed to produce more power and fast. Most of that additional electricity capacity will come in the form of fossil fuels being burned at this point. Much of the forecasted additional demand – about 80 percent – is driven by the power needed new data centers slated for the state. Data centers, while a tax generating bonanza for states and communities, are notoriously large electricity and water users.

AJC moves offices to Midtown Atlanta

The Atlanta-Journal Constitution is moving its operations from the Atlanta suburbs to a new office on Midtown’s Peachtree Street. The media property will least 21,000 square feet in its relocation to the city’s center. AJC is looking to hire 100 new worker in the move. Its goal is to top 500,000 in its subscription base.

Hyundai supplier to create 200 jobs in Georgia

Doowon Climate Control America will build a new plant near Metter in Candler County, Ga. The $30 million investment will create 200 new jobs.

Gov. Brian Kemp said that Georgia’s expanding EV industry is benefiting rural corners of the state. “In fiscal year 2023, alone, 82 percent of new jobs created and more than $20 billion of investments went to communities outside the metro Atlanta area,” Kemp said in a news release.

Gerresheimer to expand in Peachtree City

The medical device manufacturer is expanding with an $88 million investment in a new facility at the Southpark International Industrial Park. Bringing 200 new jobs to Fayette County, operations at the new facility will begin in fall 2024.

Amazon buys 430-acre site east of Atlanta

One of the world’s largest companies has purchased a massive site within the fast-growing industrial corridor east of Atlanta. Amazon Data Services Inc., a subsidiary of online retail giant Amazon, paid $36 million for the Covington, Ga. site that could soon house a large data center campus.

Qcells signs huge, 2,000 job deal to build solar panels for Microsoft in Ga.

The solar panel maker will supply tech giant Microsoft with Georgia-made solar panels, enough solar modules to power 1.8 million homes. The project is considered one of the largest such deals in history.

Mailchimp cuts ribbon on new Atlanta headquarters

The whimsy designed, Beltline adjacent office space opened as a 360,000-square-foot white-collar workers playground, with tiki-themed rooms and quirky backdrops.

Solarcycle to create 600 jobs in Polk County, Ga.

The advanced technology-based solar recycling company will invest $344 million in a first-of-its-kind solar glass manufacturing facility in Cedartown. The facility will use retired solar panels to make new solar glass.

Kentucky

Gov. Beshear joins North American Stainless to celebrate $244 million Carroll County, Ky. expansion

Gov. Andy Beshear joined local officials and leadership from North American Stainless (NAS) and its parent company, Spain-based Acerinox, to celebrate the one-year mark since the company announced a $244 million expansion at its Carroll County facility, a project creating 70 full-time jobs.

The expansion to the company’s 4.4 million-square-foot Ghent facility consists of a new cold rolling mill, new roll grinders, extensive upgrades of anneal and pickling lines to support the new rolling mill, a new temper mill and the expansion of the melt shop building.

Details on Kentucky’s $9 billion bourbon economic impact

The Kentucky Distillers’ Association (KDA) held its 2024 Bourbon Economic Impact Announcement in February. Gov. Andy Beshear was quoted as saying to the crowd, “Bourbon is America’s native spirit, and even during a time when Kentucky’s whole economy is on fire, this industry continues to play a unique and enormous role in driving our economy and representing Kentucky to the rest of the world.” The 2023 report, titled “The Economic & Fiscal Impacts of the Distilling Industry in Kentucky," valued the collective economic impact at $9 billion.

Toyota boosts investment to $1.3 billion for Kentucky battery production

Crown Verity USA Inc. to expand operations in Warren County

The grill and cookware manufacturer will spend $9.7 million expand and consolidate its fabrication operation, creating 73 jobs in Kentucky.

WPT Nonwovens cuts ribbon on new facility in Ohio County, Ky.

The $19.5 million, 35 job, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility will add capacity for HVAC filtration media and hygiene fabrics.

Staghorn, an Atlanta-based spirits company, opens first distillery, Garrard County Distilling Co.

The $250 million facility in Garrard County, Ky. will support 60 new jobs. This is the first commercial distillery in the formerly dry county.

Bosch Berries to locate agri-business in Pulaski County, Ky.

The $49.5 million investment in a new greenhouse operation in Somerset will create 29 new, full-time jobs.

Tyson Food cuts ribbon at Bowling Green facility

The state-of-the-art, $355 million food production facility will create nearly 450 full-time jobs in Warren County. At 400,000-square-feet, the facility will produce classic Tyson Brands like Jimmy Dean and Wright Brand bacon. The advanced facility is equipped with high-tech robots for increase efficiency.

Belmark Inc. to locate new operation in Allen County

The manufacturer of packaging will invest $99 million on their new 156,000-square-foot flexible packaging plant, creating 159 full-time jobs.

Louisiana

Wind farms and carbon capture not likely to share the same areas off Louisiana’s coast

A turf war is brewing off the Southwest Louisiana coast where carbon capture projects and wind farms want the same seafloor off of Cameron Parish. From reports:

Companies that plan to store tons of carbon dioxide under vast stretches of sea floor south of Cameron Parish are objecting to an overlapping development area Louisiana granted to a Danish offshore wind energy developer last month.
The two uses likely can’t coexist; the carbon-capture companies told the state Department of Natural Resources, which signed agreements for both uses on the same footprint along state-managed waters near Holly Beach and Creole.
Virginia-based Venture Global expressed its “strong objection” to the offshore wind agreement, saying it may “complicate or impede ongoing environmental assessments, testing and the rigorous underground (carbon) injection well permitting process."
Castex Carbon Solutions of Houston, which was also granted a large carbon dioxide storage area near Cameron, wants the DNR to make clear that its project “takes precedent” over the proposed wind farm. NOLA.com

Lake Charles Methanol II, LLC plans to invest $3.24 billion in new Louisiana plant

The plant will produce low-carbon methanol at the Port of Lake Charles, creating 123 direct new jobs in Calcasieu Parish.

Life for Tyres Group Limited announces $46 million tire recycling facility in La.

Europe’s largest end-of-stage tire recycling company, the company will establish its first U.S. processing facility at the Port of South Louisiana, creating 46 direct new jobs in St. John the Baptist Parish.

Lincoln Foodservice Equipment, a Welbilt company, to establish operations in Caddo Parish, La.

The producer of commercial-grade foodservice equipment will create 99 direct new jobs with salaries above $50,000.

Boise Cascade announces $75 million expansion in Allen Parish

The wood products and veneer maker will create a total of 107 direct and indirect jobs for southwest Louisiana.

Mississippi

Mississippi captures its largest single investment in AWS

Amazon Web Services is investing $10 billion to establish multiple data center complexes in two Madison County industrial parks. The project is a planned $10 billion corporate investment and will create at least 1,000 high-paying, high-tech jobs.

This investment by AWS is the single largest capital investment in Mississippi history and four times the size of the previous largest economic development project.

AWS is the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud. These data centers will enable customers of all sizes and across all industries, such as healthcare, manufacturing, automotive, financial services, public sector, telecom, and more, to transform their businesses. Millions of customers—including the fastest-growing startups, largest enterprises, and leading government agencies—are using AWS to lower costs, become more agile and innovate faster.

The new data centers will contain computer servers, data storage drives, networking equipment, and other forms of technology infrastructure used to power cloud computing.

Mississippi Major Economic Impact Authority funds will be used to assist with infrastructure needs, workforce training and site development.

Bill Cork, Executive Director of the Mississippi Development Authority said about the project, “MDA is proud to have been instrumental in the successful culmination of this transformative $10 billion project. This monumental win underscores Mississippi’s attractiveness for major investments and signifies a boost to our economic landscape.

In about a 10-day stretch, Mississippi captures its two largest projects in history

A joint venture among Accelera by Cummins, Daimler Trucks & Buses and PACCAR, have chosen Marshall County, Miss. for a $1.9 billion electric battery cell production plant. The project will create 2,000 jobs.

Accelera, Daimler Truck and PACCAR each own 30% of, and jointly control, the joint venture. EVE Energy will serve as the technology partner in the joint venture with 10% ownership. The joint venture aims to accelerate and localize battery cell production and the battery supply chain in the U.S. The company will manufacture battery cells for electric commercial vehicles and industrial applications, creating quality manufacturing jobs in the growing clean technology sector.

CORE X Partners to establish cold storage in Gulfport, Miss.

Cummins, Daimler Truck and Paccar to build $1.9 billion battery facility in Marshall County, Miss.

The tri-venture will bring 2,000 jobs at the Chickasaw Trails Industrial Park in Byhalia, Mississippi. The operation will produce batteries for medium and heavy duty commercial electric trucks.

North Carolina

Disney to invest $1.5 billion in ‘Fortnite’ maker Epic Games; N.C. facility a go?

The game maker took down an entire mall for its new headquarters in Cary, N.C. and that project was thought to be lost. The Walt Disney company will invest $1.5 billion in Epic where the game maker to create a “games and entertainment universe” on the property. New games featuring characters from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Avatar and more are expected to be created.

Siemens Energy is bringing more than 500 jobs to North Carolina

The manufacturing jobs will be located in both Mecklenburg and Wake counties. The jobs are high-paying, with minimum wages of more than $87,000, according to what the company told the state, Siemens Energy plan to invest nearly $150 million across both counties, where it already has operations. In Mecklenburg County, the company will establish its first manufacturing site in the U.S. to build Large Power Transformers (LPTs), a critical component of the nation’s power grid.

Cummins plans $580 million investment in Nash County

The engine and generator manufacturer will create 80 jobs in Eastern North Carolina with its investment in new equipment and upgrading its assembly line “for next generation products.”

Dominion Energy buys 500 acres for massive N.C. facility

The land buy in Person County precedes the breaking ground on a liquified natural gas storage facility.

Aircraft MRO to open at N.C.’s PTI

Marshall USA is scheduled to open its new aircraft maintenance facility at Greensboro’s Piedmont Triad International Airport. The project will create 240 jobs.

Dehn Inc. will invest $38.6 million and create 195 jobs in Iredell County, N.C.

The family owned German electrical engineering company manufactures surge and lightning protections systems and safety equipment.

Food manufacturer to open $42.25 million operation in Gaston County

Häns Kissle cut the ribbon at its new facility, where it plans to employ more than 200 workers. The company makes salads and prepared foods that are sold in grocery stores.

Japan-based pharmaceutical manufacturer Kyowa Kirin selects N.C. for $200 million project

The life sciences company will create more than 100 high-paying jobs at the new Helix Innovation Park at the Brickyard.

Fujihatsu & Toyotsu Battery Components, North Carolina LLC to invest $60 million near Toyota plant in Randolph County

The venture will produce prismatic aluminum cell cases and cell covers with discharge values. The Toyota supplier will create 133 jobs.

GXP-Storage is developing $80 million campus in Nash County

The biopharma storage firm will locate its headquarters at the Middlesex Corporate Centre, near Raleigh. The company plans on hiring nearly 100 employees.

Drylock Technologies to invest $27 million, create 113 jobs in Reidsville, N.C.

The Belgian maker of hygiene products picked the former Albaad site in Rockingham County to relocate their baby-care production from Europe. The company is moving in to an existing 450,000-square-foot building.

Oklahoma

Stardust Power selects Muskogee, Okla., to build battery-grade lithium refinery

The company will make a more than $1 billion investment in the lithium refinery.

Automated production machine maker bdtronic to expand in Broken Arrow, Okla.

The announcement secures 60 new jobs with an average wage of $66,000.

South Carolina

South Carolina announces second highest year in industry investment in state history

The South Carolina Department of Commerce reported that from January to December, 2023, the state saw $9.22 billion in capital investment with 14,120 announced jobs, the second highest. Notably, there were three announcements with investments of $1 billion or more. They are Scout Motors, Albemarle Corporation and QTS Data Centers.

Tech giant Google to build data center in S.C.

The company purchased a property in Dorchester County. The location of the property and Google’s investment amount has not been disclosed.

Tesla to establish first S.C. facility in Greenville County

The electric car company plans to lease 251,100-square-feet to create a regional parts distribution facility.

SHL Medical, Switzerland-based pharma manufacturer to expand in North Charleston

The provider of advanced drug delivery solutions is building a $150 million facility to meet the demand of the autoinjector market. The project will create 165 jobs in the Charleston area.

Nova Molecular Technologies expanding Sumter, S.C. facility

Nova Molecular Technologies (Nova), a high-purity solvents manufacturer, today announced it is expanding its operations in Sumter County. The company’s $23.75 million investment will create 20 new jobs.

Founded in Texas in 1991, Nova is a leader in high-value solvent recovery technology. The company’s Recover and Return model launched in 2017 and helps customers reduce their environmental impact by recovering chemicals that would otherwise be sent to waste disposal. Nova also manufactures and markets chemicals that are used in the biopharma, analytical and agricultural markets.

Tennessee

Type One Energy moves HQ to Tennessee from Wisconsin

Tennessee has selected its first recipient of Gov. Bill Lee’s nuclear energy fund. Type One Energy Group Inc. will receive funding tied to its $223 million investment in East Tennessee, according to a news release from the state Department of Economic and Community Development.

The company will build the world’s most advanced stellarator at TVA’s Bull Run Fossil Plant. The energy company will move its headquarters from Madison, Wisconsin, to Knoxville and expand its research and development center in Clinton, Tenn.

Oracle continues plans to build 1.2 million-square-foot campus in Nashville

The tech giant has purchased the industrial riverfront on the east bank of the Cumberland River, signaling the continuation of its 2021 announced, $1.35 billion investment in the River North campus. The project will create 8,500 jobs by 2031.

LG Chem signs $19 billion deal with GM

Genera to expand its Sustainable Biomaterials Campus in Vonore, Tenn.

The vertically integrated manufacturer of circular, compostable packaging solutions will spend $350 million in capital investment, creating 230 new jobs.

Xxentria Technology announces $45 million investment to establish facility in Mt. Pleasant, Tenn.

Based in Taiwan, the leading manufacturer of metal composite material will create 85 new jobs at the Cherry Glen Industrial Park.

Custom Foods of America Inc. to expand in Knox County

The Tennessee-based food product manufacturer will create 249 new jobs with a $51 million investment at its Pleasant Ridge location.

Fiberglass and polymer concrete manufacturer NewBasis, LLC to establish operations in Wilson County, Tenn.

The company will create 249 new jobs.

FreightWise to expand Brentwood, Tenn. headquarters

The logistics data company will create 48 new jobs and invest $2 million in Williamson County.

Baltimore Aircoil to expand in Rhea County

The HVAC and refrigeration manufacturer will create 63 new jobs and invest $16.5 million to expand operations at its Manufacturers Road location in Dayton, Tenn.

Technology Lab to create 71 jobs in Nashville

The company will invest $1.8 million to expand its services in the Greater Nashville region.

Texas

Apple moving more jobs from California to Austin

By relocating about 120 jobs to Austin from California, tech giant Apple is growing its AI operations in the Capital City. According to Bloomberg, Apple is moving employees who work at the company’s Data Operations Annotations unit that they would be merging with the Texas portion of the group. The unit involved in artificial intelligence and Apple’s virtual assistant, Siri. Apple currently employs about 7,000 workers in the Austin area, more than any other place outside of the company’s Silicon Valley headquarters.

Austin named No. 1 by Millen Institute’s 2024 Best Performing Cities

The Austin area has retaken the top spot on the Milken Institute's prestigious 2024 Best-Performing Cities list. The index from the nonprofit think tank has been published annually since 1999 and ranks cities on a variety of metrics, including job creation, wage growth and output growth.

Samsung’s current economic effect on the Austin region is enormous

South Korean chipmaker Samsung Electronics Co. has put out new numbers to show the mighty effect the company has on the Austin area.

Samsung said in February is has invested $26.8 billion into the economy in the past year, which includes its long-running chip plant in Austin and its new factory being built in Taylor, Texas. The company employs about 15,000 direct jobs and it is unclear from reports if that includes thousands of construction workers building the new plant.

To put that amount into perspective, Tesla Inc. reported that the overall impact from its Giga Texas factory in eastern Travis County contributed $987 million to the gross state product in 2022.

Japanese Samsung supplier gets new digs in Austin

Samsung supplier Tokyo Electron has a new home in Austin. Tokyo Electron, which is based in Japan but considers Austin its North American headquarters, supplies customers with equipment used to manufacture semiconductors and other electronics.

Norwegian EV parts supplier set to spend millions, hire hundreds in Mesquite, Texas

Hexagon Purus ASA, which makes batteries and systems for electric vehicles, is moving into existing facilities in Mesquite. The project will create 250 jobs.

Tesla to occupy 1 million square feet in Kyle, Texas

EV automaker and Austin-headquartered Tesla is moving forward with a warehouse and light assembly facility in Kyle. No word on jobs.

Vehicle parts manufacturer for Tesla to open plant in Austin metro

US Farathane, parts supplier to Tesla’s Austin factory, announced in the winter it open a plant in North Austin. The project will create 100 jobs.

Global automotive parts supplier to invest $100 million north of Austin

Natural gas power plant slated for Texas east of Austin

Firefly Aerospace is growing in Central Texas

It all started with one rocket testing stand in the rural Central Texas town of Briggs, north of Leander. Today, Firefly Aerospace has grown into a commercial space payload company that plans four rocket launches this year, six to eight next year and a dozen in 2026. The company has doubled its manufacturing space and added new rocket stands as its new contract with Northrup Grumman takes off.

Grainger to open large facility in Hockley, Texas

Illinois-based W.W. Grainger, a distributor of maintenance and repair products, is opening one its largest U.S. facilities near Houston. The 1.2-million-square-foot facility will house 400 workers.

MGC Pure Chemicals America Inc. plans $130 million expansion in Killeen, Texas.

The chemicals manufacturer will double capacity to serve customers like Samsung, which is building a $1 billion plant 60 miles away.

Brazil-based Zallby Digital announces first U.S. headquarters in Frisco, Tex.

A leading provider of digital solutions, the company will establish a headquarters at The Star in Frisco, which is also the headquarters for the Dallas Cowboys.

Defense giant Lockheed Martin to expand in Fort Worth

The company will lease 136,265 square feet of industrial space to be used as a storage facility. Lockheed Martin has been producing aircraft from its Fort Worth factory at 1 Lockheed Blvd. since World War II.

Elon Musk wants to move Tesla, SpaceX Incorporation to Texas

The Tesla, SpaceX and X chief executive said the company will hold a shareholder vote to decide whether to incorporate in the Lone Star State.

Swedish firm relocates North American HQ to Plano, Texas from Connecticut

Assa Abloy Global Solutions, which operates in more than 70 countries, is a manufacturer of locks, doors and other high-tech security systems. The company will hire 350 in the move.

Virginia

Dominion receives approval for $9.8 billion wind farm off Virginal coast

The 2.6-gigawatt farm will generate enough renewable energy to power up to 660,000 homes once complete.

Real Estate firm CoStar to relocate HQ out of DC and into NOVA

Real Estate data company CoStar Group will move its headquarters from downtown D.C. to Arlington, Va. The company employs about 650 in D.C.

Wizards and Capitals to move to Virginia

Monumental Sports & Entertainment is expected to move to the new $2 billion Entertainment District at Potomac Yard.

Universal Logistics Holdings plans to invest $50 million, create 45 jobs in Botetourt County

The Michigan-based transportation and logistics company will expand its heavy truck division at its 254,000-square-foot building in Cloverdale.

Mack Trucks will invest $14.5 million to expand in Roanoke County

The Swedish-based Volvo Group subsidiary and heavy-duty truck manufacturer will expand its current production facility by 72,000-square-feet to increase capacity for its medium-duty truck line and medium-duty electric truck line. The project will create 51 new jobs.

Solenis plans $193 Suffolk, Va. Facility

The Wilmington, Delaware-based producer of specialty chemicals will build an 80,000-square-foot production facility to supply the waste water treatment, pulp and paper industries. The facility will house approximately 100 employees.

November 2023

FDI in China turned negative for the first time on record

Foreign Direct Investment turned negative on a net basis in the third quarter of 2023. That has never happened since record keeping first began. China’s economy is suffering as it (the world’s second largest economy) continues to struggle with COVID recovery, a dearth of labor, a lack of consumer and corporate confidence and reshoring of companies that have been manufacturing in China for decades. Data from the third quarter showed an outflow of $11.8 billion, the first net negative since records began in 1998. In addition to negative FDI, China’s exports fell for the sixth straight month in October. Chinese exports fell 6.4 percent in October compared with a year earlier, to $275 billion.

In related news regarding China, the Communist country passed a significant milestone last year when, for the first time, it traded more with developing countries than the U.S., Europe and Japan combined, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The U.S. continues to keep the heat on China with export bans, tariffs and investment limits. This has created a lessening of a reliance on supply chains out of China and more jobs for Americans and Europeans that otherwise might go to China. The limitations have also created a more secure technology transfer among Chinese and U.S. companies.

So where did your favorite manager at your favorite restaurant go after COVID?

If you are like me, relationships you had at your bank, your favorite bar, restaurants, well, some of those folks seemed to disappear during and after the COVID years of 2020 and 2021. I have asked people who replaced those I adored and trusted for so long, “Where did everybody go?” It could be that they retired, according to officials with the Federal Reserve.

More than three and a half years after COVID decimated the U.S. economy, there are now 2 million more retirees than predicted by the Federal Reserve. Called the “Great Retirement,” apparently a couple million workers in this country simply up and retired rather than deal with the pandemic in their previous working environment.

In an age when birthrates in the U.S. are at their lowest levels since the “Great Depression,” deaths almost equal births and rates of those turning 65 are ten times higher than those turning working age (16). The labor participation rate for those over 65 and older is still well below pre-pandemic levels. The fact that there are 2 million more retirees than expected by the experts is just another blow to a workforce that cannot even come close to satisfying the 10 million jobs that are available in the South and elsewhere in the country.

RurAL on a winning streak, as is the rural South in general

Economic developers from rural communities in Alabama attended the RurAL Summit in November that was sponsored by the Alabama Department of Commerce. It was held at the Central Alabama Community College. Since 2020, the state’s rural counties have attracted over $4 billion in new capital investment through a series of economic development projects expected to create more than 5,400 jobs, according to Commerce estimates. Last year alone, new projects landing in Alabama’s “targeted” or rural counties will bring $1.8 billion in new investment and 1,900 jobs to communities such as Courtland, Selma, Greenville, Fayette and Cusseta. Governor Kay Ivey, a native of Wilcox County, told the economic developers gathered at the Summit that she is committed to helping spur growth across all of Alabama, particularly in the state’s rural areas. MadeInAlabama.com

Who said “80 percent of all new jobs are created by existing industry?” Then again, 100 percent of all lost jobs are created by existing industry

We have heard for decades the fable that 80 percent of all new jobs are created by existing industry. It is just untrue. It is a different percentage in the South in any given year. Yet, we are quite sure that 100 percent of lost jobs are created by existing industry.

That sadly happened in Ardmore, Okla., in November, and residents of the city were stunned. “No one saw it coming,” said Bill Murphy, CEO of the Ardmore Development Authority, when Michelin announced it is winding down tire production at the plant that houses 1,400 workers. Michelin is Ardmore’s largest employer and a manufacturing anchor for Southern Oklahoma’s economy.

The plant, which opened in 1970, will close by the end of 2025, or sooner. Michelin officials cited changes in the passenger vehicle market, including larger tires for SUVs and new designs for electric vehicles. The company made the decision to pass on modernizing the plant for next-generation tires. The rubber-making line at the plant will continue to operate to deliver product to other Michelin tire plants in the U.S.

Louisville continues its quest as an all-for-everyone major market in the South

According to a report from the payroll and HR online platform Gusto, the Louisville metro area was the fastest growing market in the U.S. for job growth in September. Jobs grew at a 2.5 percent pace in Louisville that month. Second place for job growth in September was Virginia Beach at 1.5 percent. Completing the top five were Indianapolis, Richmond and Cincinnati, all at 1 percent.

Kentucky tourism development projects break all-time records with over $300 million invested

Kentucky had a banner year in tourism investment in 2002, including constant additions to its famed Bourbon Trail. Then came 2023. Over $300 million in capital expenditures broke the 2022 record for investments in tourism projects in the Commonwealth. Nine new tourism development projects were announced in 2023. Over 90,000 jobs are supported by tourism in Kentucky and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail surpassed 2 million visitors for the first time in 2023.

Georgia hits the jackpot with clean energy jobs

Georgia, with a large electric vehicle industry that is just emerging, is second only to Michigan with the number of new and expanded clean energy projects announced since August, when President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which provide incentives for clean air application in manufacturing and other industries.

Nearly 20,000 jobs are being created in Georgia in new clean energy projects, a full 10 percent of the 200,000 expected to be created since the signing of the IRA. The Democrats’ comprehensive healthcare and clean energy law included billions of dollars in tax credits for the private sector to transition from fossil fuels to clean energy. Billions have already been gifted to those such as Hyundai, Toyota and other automakers, as well as in new hydrogen fuel projects and in carbon capture. Investments in deals in those fields announced since the IRA was implemented are in the hundreds of billions. One of the largest clean energy projects ongoing is Hyundai and SK’s investments throughout the South, and more than $14 billion in Georgia alone.

Interior Department approves massive Virginia wind farm

In November, the Biden Administration approved a plan called the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project that is designed to erect up to 176 giant wind turbines off the coast of Virginia. If completed, it would be the nation’s largest offshore wind farm yet. The 2.6-gigawatt wind farm would produce enough electricity to power more than 900,000 homes without creating any carbon dioxide. The project, to be built by Dominion Energy, would provide about 900 jobs each year during construction and support about 1,200 jobs once the wind farm begins operations.

The green fuel that even red America loves

Many Republicans have railed against the government’s subsidies for wind and solar, excoriated its support for electric vehicles and decried moves to curb oil and gas. But one clean-energy candidate has broad support from some of the reddest parts of the U.S.: hydrogen. Take the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana, a largely Republican-controlled region that is home to many of the oil and gas refineries in the U.S.

Backers of hydrogen in that area include Rep. Randy Weber (R., Texas) and Rep. Clay Higgins (R., La.), a Freedom Caucus member who describes fossil fuels as “the lifeblood of our modern society.” Both support a Houston-based hydrogen program vying for a piece of $7 billion in federal grants, though they voted against the legislation that made the grants possible.” The Wall Street Journal

“All of the above” clean energy hub may settle in the coal country of Southwest Virginia

Southwest Virginia, specifically Wise County, is coal country if there ever was one in the South. . .that region and East Kentucky.

Wise County and neighboring localities in Southwest Virginia may become home to a massive clean energy development that could attract up to $8.25 billion in capital investments, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced in November. A joint agreement has been charged between Energy DELTA Lab, Dallas-based Fortune 100 energy company Energy Transfer and Wise County that will involve the development of 65,000 acres of former coal mining land for “all-of-the-above” energy technology (Virginia Business) — including natural gas, nuclear, renewable energy and other emerging energy sources.

When completed, the massive $8.25 billion private investment project could generate 1 gigawatt of power. A total of more than a dozen individual developments are being considered that could generate nearly 2,000 jobs over up to 65,000 acres, mostly of old coal mines. “All of the above” projects include wind, solar, nuclear, hydrogen and pumped storage hydro, as well as energy storage technologies.

Is Epic Games more than wishy washy on Cary, N.C., headquarters?

On January 3, 2021, Epic Games announced a new headquarters at the former Cary Towne Center Mall in Cary, N.C., near Raleigh. Since then, the company and the local government have demolished most of the 980,000-square-foot former mall on an 87-acre site. Epic operates Fortnite, one of the world’s largest games with over 350 million accounts and 2.5 billion friend connections. Yet, public records from the Town of Cary show no activity regarding Epic’s headquarters plan going forward. Even worse, Epic recently announced layoffs totaling 170 people in the Triangle region. Public records obtained from the Town of Cary show zero updates from Epic Games on its plans for the former shopping mall – but they do show a flurry of concern. From the Triangle Business Journal: “Sad news,” said Mark Lawson, president of the Cary Chamber of Commerce, referencing the firm’s mounting legal bills and adding that he is “not surprised.”

New LNG plant picks contractors to build facility in Louisiana

A new liquefied natural gas project in Louisiana led by a veteran Houston LNG developer officially has contractors for its facility. Gulfstream LNG, which plans to export 4 million tonnes per annum of LNG, has brought Honeywell UOP and Kiewit Energy Group Inc. as technical partners for the Plaquemines Parish project. All three contractors have headquarters or major offices in Houston. Baker Hughes will provide liquefaction equipment, Honeywell will provide its gas treatment technology, and Kiewit will provide engineering, procurement and construction support. Houston Business Journal

Alabama wage growth outpaces national wage growth

“Wage growth has been slowing in Alabama, but it was higher than national wage growth in October. For workers who have stayed in the same job for the last 12 months in Alabama, median annual salary was $60,500 in October, 6 percent higher than one year prior. That’s according to data from ADP Pay Insights, which tracks wages and salaries of over 10 million employees over a 12-month period. Nationally, those figures were $57,800 and 5.7 percent in October. Birmingham Business Journal

Northern Atlanta suburb the first BioReady Community in Georgia

A northern Atlanta suburb has been dubbed gold BioReady Community, a designation some local life sciences leaders hope will encourage investment in the industry. Johns Creek is the state’s first gold-designated BioReady Community, Maria Thacker-Goethe, president and CEO of trade association Georgia Bio, announced receently. The program aims to encourage communities to streamline the process for luring biological and life sciences companies to Georgia.

The BioReady designation indicates the community’s zoning allows for biotech laboratory and manufacturing and that it provides other services, such as a life sciences liaison in city hall. The designation is meant to be a signal that the area is friendly to life sciences business. Atlanta Business Chronicle

Samsung’s economic effect on Central Texas’ economy doubled in one year

Samsung has been operating in Austin for decades making computer chips and other technological wonders. Construction is ongoing at its new campus in Taylor, Texas, just outside the Austin city limits. It is also expanding its longtime home in North Austin. The chipmaker – part of the South Korea-based Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. – apparently pumped $13.6 billion into the local economy at its two sites in 2022, up from $6.3 billion the year prior, while also supporting 21,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Wolfspeed looking for fast ramp-up to North Carolina chip plant

Wolfspeed is cranking up its $5 billion semiconductor materials plant that is under construction in Chatham County, N.C., near Siler City. The company has just begun hiring and plans to house 1,800 workers at the plant by 2030. Wolfspeed’s CEO, Gregg Lowe, expects the North Carolina plant will be built and operational quicker than the company’s plant in Mohawk Valley, N.Y., where power devices have recently started production.

Urban Land Institute names Nashville the No. 1 “city to watch” in overall real estate prospects

For the third year in a row, Nashville has been ranked as the top market for overall real estate prospects according to a new study by the Urban Land Institute. In the fall quarter, the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, which focuses on real estate and land use, released its 2023 Emerging Trends in Real Estate Report.

Ford is postponing production at second EV battery plant in Kentucky

Originally, Ford announced two electric vehicle battery plants at the former Glendale megasite in Hardin County, Ky. The first facility is well under construction; however, the domestic automaker is postponing the second plant as it weighs the market. Officials at Ford are “slowing down” investments in electric vehicle production given the “dynamic” market of EVs at this early date of the new industry. Ford has also slowed production and future capacity at plants in Michigan to better match EV demand.

New Orleans officials look to fix saltwater intrusion in the water supply

Thanks to a changing climate and a deeper navigation channel in the Mississippi River, the saltwater intrusion that has threatened New Orleans area drinking water supplies this year is expected to become more frequent. The scale of the crisis has sparked calls for a permanent solution. While there is no shortage of ideas, they all come with a huge price and no certainty about who will pay for them. One favored plan would involve redesigning and rebuilding plants serving New Orleans and Jefferson Parish to allow them to remove salt from river water, projects that could cost hundreds of millions of dollars, parish officials say. NOLA.com

Port of Brunswick (Ga.) aims to become largest vehicle export/import port

In October, Georgia Ports Authority CEO Griff Lynch outlined the growth schedule for the Port of Brunswick as it expands to surpass the Port of Baltimore as the nation’s largest port for roll-on, roll-off cargo. The Georgia port is adding a fourth ship berth at Brunswick’s main terminal and is deepening and widening the harbor. “We will be the No. 1 port when we stand before you at this event in 2026,” Lynch told members of the Brunswick Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce at the Jekyll Island Convention Center.

Developers granted approval for additional phases of Huntsville industrial parks

“The Huntsville Planning Commission granted approval for additional phases to two industrial parks in the Limestone County part of the city. Both parks are near major employers Mazda Toyota Manufacturing, Amazon, Buffalo Rock and Polaris and will total more than 200 million square feet when completed. The commission granted preliminary approval of the Huntsville West Industrial Park and layout and approval of phase three of Airport Properties being developed by the Huntsville Logistics Center. Triad Properties and Fairway Investments have already started work on the first building in the Huntsville West industrial Park, a 385,000-square-foot facility that will feature 32-foot minimum clear heights, 60-foot speed bays, 84 truck docks, a 185-foot truck court with 60-foot apron, space for 198 car parking spaces and 96 trailer parking spaces. AL.com

Nashville has the worst commutes for workers in the nation

According to a new study by Forbes Home, Nashville is home to the worst commute in the U.S. Workers in Nashville wasted an average of 41 hours to traffic last year and residents spend on average 28.6 minutes commuting to work each day. Forbes Home writes in its report. “Nashville is a city that has experienced massive growth in recent years. The city has 452,194 workers with 2.6 percent of households that do not have access to a car.”

EV materials project lands outside the heart of the industry in the Southern Automotive Corridor

A North Carolina county on the coast has landed a major economic development project. Epsilon Advanced Materials, an India-based manufacturer of battery materials, is planning to invest roughly $650 million to build its first North American factory in Brunswick County, N.C., far outside the spine of the Southern Auto Corridor, which now is I-65 and I-75 (considering Hyundai’s metaplant near Savannah and other projects). The company could create 500 jobs over three years to produce natural and synthetic graphite anode material.

Duke Energy building first-of-its kind green hydrogen system in Florida

Duke Energy Corp. plans to build a first-of-its-kind green hydrogen system at its existing facility in DeBary. The combustion turbine will be the first such system deployed anywhere. The hydrogen system is part of Vision Florida, a program that also includes the company’s first floating solar array, a pilot underway at the Hines generating station in Polk County. Vision Florida tests innovative projects such as microgrids and battery energy storage, among others, to prepare the power grid for a clean energy future, according to the company’s website. The technology for the new hydrogen system was developed through collaboration between Charlotte, North Carolina-based Duke Energy, Chicago engineering firm Sargent & Lundy, and General Electric subsidiary GE Vernova, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Orlando Business Journal

Hyundai’s Savannah area metaplant: The Southern Automotive Corridor’s signature win to date?

For decades, the rumors that Volvo and Audi would build full assembly plants in the Southern Automotive Corridor would surface, then go away, then surface again. One rumor ended when Volvo announced it would build its first vehicle plant in the Western Hemisphere in 2015 near Charleston, S.C., in Berkeley County. Who placed second in Volvo’s site search? Why, none other than a site near Savannah in Bryan County, Ga. Needless to say, the folks in Savannah felt that they had won the Volvo deal and were seriously bummed when they learned their place earned the bridesmaid status. Seven years later, Hyundai showed up and announced the largest automotive project in the South’s history, a nearly $8 billion battery and assembly facility that will eventually house over 8,000 workers. Not a bad consolation prize, huh?

Hyundai broke ground on the massive plant near Savannah in October of 2022. The goal of the Korean automaker and its battery partner LG Energy is to begin production in early 2025 in order to begin capitalizing on new federal tax credits for EVs manufactured in the U.S. However, Hyundai officials have stated that production could begin as early as October of 2024. The complex is enormous, encompassing 3,000 acres. Hyundai and LG Energy’s manufacturing process will be a blend of artificial intelligence, robotics and human labor for a “smart factory,” putting the meta into a “Metaplant.” Suppliers to Hyundai so far have made commitments for over 6,000 jobs and an additional $2.7 billion in new investments.

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, “The facility will feature a glass-encased conveyor belt ‘bridge’ to transport vehicles from the factory’s paint shop over to final assembly. Jumbo Park, the plant’s head of engineering, said the elevated and lit passage will be visible from Interstate 16.

One of the campus’ parking lots will feature a solar-panel canopy, which Park said will provide 5 percent of the factory’s electricity. The rest will be obtained through power purchase agreements, with the goal of sourcing 100 percent of the facility’s electricity from renewable sources.

Visitors to the plant will be able to explore a greenspace at the front of the facility abutting the interstate, which officials said will be larger than Savannah’s iconic Forsyth Park, which spans more than 30 acres. The goal, Park said, is to “connect the community with the people who work in the plant.”

For employees, on-site amenities will include restaurants, stores, a fitness center and health clinics, Hyundai officials said.

Hyundai has not announced which models it will assemble at the Georgia plant. However, officials have said they will make electric models from the company’s three brands. Those would be Kia, Hyundai and the luxury line, Genesis. First year output is expected to be 300,000 EVs.

Where are people from who are moving to North Carolina?

North Carolina had the fourth highest number of residents move from other states in 2022, new U.S. Census data shows. In calendar year 2022, almost 350,000 people moved to North Carolina from other U.S. states. That figure was the fourth highest among all U.S. states. Florida was the No. 1 state as a source of new migration to North Carolina, followed by Virginia, South Carolina and New York. Only Florida, Texas and California attracted more new residents from the U.S. than did North Carolina in 2022.

Virginia housing market slowest in more than 10 years

Virginia’s housing market last month was the slowest September the state has had in more than a decade, according to a Virginia Realtors report. Virginia home sales in September dropped 21.1 percent from the same month last year. Home sales totaled 8,023 last month, down 2,149 home sales compared with September 2022. The last time the September market was this slow happened in 2012, which had 7,005 sales that month.

Massive new office skyscrapers going up in Austin, but no one is moving in

Historically, Austin, Texas, is one of the most active office markets in the South, as its tech scene has accelerated dramatically since the 1990s. However, since the pandemic, new office space has been a crap shoot as gobs of Class A space sits empty in so many major markets throughout the country.

For example, metro Atlanta set a record for its vast amount of empty and unwanted office space. It only took three months to break it in the summer quarter. Nearly 31 percent of all office square footage in metro Atlanta was available for rent at the end of September, according to data from real estate services firm CBRE.

Austin is not immune from the vacancies. One 66-story behemoth known as “Sixth and Guadalupe” is nearing completion and timing could not be worse. Tech giant Meta signed a lease for all 19 floors of office space as construction was underway in early 2022. When the building opens near the first of the year, all of the space Meta signed up for will be empty. Meta has shelved its move-in plans and is now attempting to sublease nearly 600,000 square feet of space, 1,626 parking spots, 17 private balconies and a nice green space. As of November, there have been no takers.

In addition, the job search engine, Indeed, has moved into its namesake tower in Austin. However, it has placed 100,000 square feet of downtown office space on the sublease market.

Currently, Austin has more space on the sublease market than ever before.

Big River Steel opens new electrical steel line at its plant in the Arkansas Delta

U.S. Steel’s Big River plant in Osceola, Ark., has opened a new electrical steel line that will position the company as a key supplier in the electric vehicle market. The new steel product is ultra-thin with all the magnetic properties needed for EVs. No electric vehicle, motor, or generator today is operational without the steel grades needed to transform electrical power into usable energy.

First private rail line in U.S. in a century

The new Brightline rail had its inaugural run Friday, with round-trip tickets to and from Miami to Orlando priced at $158, or $298 for first-class. Groups can buy four round-trip tickets for $398, according to the Associated Press. The Orlando-to-Miami run is the first private intercity passenger service in the U.S. in a century. It’s estimated that roughly 40 million people travel between the two Florida cities each year, with more than 90 percent making the trip by car. Brightline has invested $5 billion with the expectation that the high-speed train will attract about 20 percent of those travelers.

Mercedes-Benz to expand again in Alabama, van plant in South Carolina

Mercedes-Benz has applied for tax breaks for potential projects at two U.S. plants, including its Tuscaloosa County facility and its electric delivery vans and medium-sized electric luxury transporter plant in South Carolina. Both expansions include new all-electric models. In Alabama that would be the GLC SUV, which is currently only available with a combustion engine.

In 2022, Mercedes began electric vehicle production in Vance, Ala., capping five years of activity and more than $1 billion in investments, which also added an electric battery factory in Bibb County and 1,000 more employees. The German automaker is applying for incentives available under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which has sparked billions in clean energy projects throughout the South.

Florida retirees leaving Florida at rates never before seen

For more than 80 years Florida was one of the nation’s most active retiree markets, as millions migrated to the Sunshine State for the weather and a low cost of living. That is changing.

The cost of housing has risen 60 percent since 2018, according to Redfin, where the median price of a single-family home in Florida was $250,000. Today, five years later, it is roughly $400,000 for an average home in Florida. In addition, insurance costs for housing have risen as well because of a double whammy of rising rates and rising risks from hurricanes and other climate-driven disasters. If insurance becomes too expensive for people to buy homes, or banks to give mortgages in vulnerable locations, it could set off a drop in demand and property values.

Many Florida retirees are finding lower cost locations in the South, including places in Alabama, Tennessee and South Carolina.

GE completes $450 million dishwasher manufacturing lines

GE Appliances, a Haier company, cut the ribbon on its investment in the company’s Louisville, Kentucky HQ.

Three-million-square-foot industrial park planned for Simpsonville, Ky.

A pair of developers are planning a large industrial park on 300 acres at 64 Logistics Park.

GTL Americas LP to build $3.5 billion fuel factory in Jefferson County, Ark.

The liquid natural gas conversion facility will hire 2,500 construction workers to build, with an estimated 225-250 full-time employees once compete.

Tennessee gives Kroger $1 million incentive for 50,000-square-foot pharmacy central fill facility

The facility will be the fifth facility for Kroger in the United States and is expected to employ 140 people.

Ineos Group to acquire acetic acid plant in Texas

The U.K.-based chemicals company will buy a 600-kilatonne plant in Texas City for $490 million from Tennessee-based Eastman Chemical.

Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) to invest $190 million to upgrade production line in Montgomery, Ala.

The automaker plans to retool and upgrade its manufacturing facility for the fifth generation Santa Fe.

Latitude Corp. hosts shovel ceremony at the Manning Industrial park in Clarendon County, S.C.

Initially lured to the state by readySC, a technical college system program to train and recruit workers, the Wisconsin-based company will spend $29 million and hire 200 employees in the rural county.

Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation completes latest expansion in Savannah, Ga.

The $150 million expansion will increase the facility’s capacity by 142,000 square feet and will add 1,600 new jobs to the region.

Vietnamese glove maker is coming to Arkansas

Phu Duc Huy US Inc. plans on hiring about 300 people once its facility becomes fully operational in Lake Village, Ark.

SIG Sauer announces plans to expand in Jacksonville, Ark.

The New Hampshire-based firearms and ammunition manufacturer will spend $150 million to expand operations at 1809 Swift Street. The investment will create 625 new jobs over five years.

San Antonio Airport nears ground-breaking on the next phase of $2.5 billion expansion

Construction is set to begin on a $61.7 million facility to expand the airport’s capacity to move more passengers.

Raleigh-Durham International Airport to begin construction of $500 million runway

Following the Federal Aviation Administration’s approval of the airport’s new international runway, officials gathered on RDU’s airstrip to celebrate with ceremonial shovels. The project will take seven years and $534 million to complete.

Toyota Boshoku America and Gov. Beshear celebrate announcement of $225 million investment in Hopkinsville, Ky.

The automotive company will bring 157 high-paying jobs to Western Kentucky.

Envelope maker expands in Virginia

Parkland Direct, a lithographic print and custom envelope manufacturer, announced a $10 million expansion in Bedford County. The investment will create 41 jobs.

Goldman Sachs Group breaks ground on $500 million campus in Dallas

The financial giant’s 800,000-square-foot building will be constructed on three acres on the southeast corner of the North End Development. The campus will serve as the regional base for Goldman Sachs, eventually employing 5,000 people when it opens in 2027.

National outdoor retailer REI Co-op opens state-of-the-art distribution center in Tennessee

The 400,000-square-foot Wilson County facility, which will run exclusively on renewable power, will employ more than 230 workers.

Radial Inc., a leader in eCommerce solutions, to hire 2,000 in Louisville, Ky.

The company plans to fill the entry-level fulfillment positions to support eCommerce demand this holiday season.

Stellar Snacks plans $137 million facility in West Louisville, Ky.

The Nevada-based snack food company will employ 350 people at the 434,000-square-foot facility, located at 1391 Dixie Highway.

Walmart plans to build a $350 million dairy facility in South Georgia

The dairy plant will create 400 jobs in Valdosta. It will produce dairy products that will be distributed to 750 Walmart and Sam’s Club stores in the region.

Nucor opens $1.7 billion steel mill in Brandenburg, Ky.

Gov. Beshear joined local officials and Nucor Corporation leadership for the grand opening of the company’s steel plate manufacturing facility in Meade County. The project has created hundreds of high-paying jobs.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group opens office in Tampa

The Japanese bank will employ up to 500 people and sublease 80,000 square feet in MetWest International.

U.S. Steel launches new steel line in Arkansas

The manufacturer cut the ribbon on its new non-grain oriented electrical steel line at its Big River Steel facility in Osceola, Ark. Construction on the $450 million project began in October 2022.

Archer Aviation finalizes plans to develop electric aircraft plant in Georgia

The Santa Clara, California-based company is constructing a 350,000-square-foot plant to build electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft next to Covington Municipal Airport. Expected to be completed next year, the plant will create more than 1,000 jobs.

Airbus celebrates ongoing expansion in Mobile, Ala.

The giant facility for Airbus’ manufacturing of jetliners will employ 1,000 workers.

Ascension Seton plans $230 million expansion in Round Rock, Texas

The St. Louis-based company will expand its 201 Seton Parkway facility with the addition of 160 new patient rooms, operating rooms and expanded space for emergency and other departments. The expansion will create about 400 new jobs.

West Virginia-based Ziegenfelder breaks ground on factory near Austin, Texas

The $46 million, 61,000-square-foot factory will be operational by the end of next year. The company is known for making dessert pops and aims to produce 1 million frozen treats daily.

Qcells completes $2.5 billion factory expansion in Dalton, Ga.

The factory will produce 30,000 solar panels a day, creating 510 new jobs. By next year, the factory will employ a total of 1,800 people.

ZT Systems intends to expand in Georgetown, Texas

The New Jersey-based company manufactures equipment used for cloud computing and artificial intelligence systems. With the purchase of a 435,000-square-foot facility, the expansion will employ at least 1,500 people.

Alcon plans $100 million expansion in Fort Worth, Texas

The eyecare company’s proposed expansion entails the construction of a 250,000-square-foot facility on the Swiss-American pharmaceutical and medical device company’s campus.

Tennessee’s largest CPA firm expands into Kentucky

Nashville’s top-ranked business consulting firm LBMC expands with the acquisition of Louisville-based Strothman & Co. The move will increase the number of LBMC employees to more than 850.

Thermoplastic piping manufacturer expands in North Carolina

Canadian-based IPEX will create 150 new jobs in Mecklenburg County with its $200 million, 200,000-square-foot facility in Pineville.

Construction continues at Hyundai’s $7.6 billion Metaplant in Savannah, Ga.

The 2,000-worker, 2,906-acre construction site is showing signs of progress with steel frames going up for most of the buildings, and roof and wall work beginning. Hyundai defined the Metaplant on the facility’s first groundbreaking anniversary -- “transformative, transcending."

Rivian confirms 2024 Georgia factory groundbreaking

Speaking at the company’s new showroom at Ponce City Market in Atlanta, Rivian announced plans to break ground on its $5 billion factory near Rutledge, Ga., early next year. The factory will produce the R2 crossover and is expected to employ 7,500 workers.

Daechang Seat Corp. announces $72.5 million manufacturing facility near Hyundai’s Metaplant near Savannah, Ga.

The company makes seat frames, and the new facility will employ 500-plus people at the Savannah Chatham Manufacturing Center, an industrial park along I-16.

North Carolina lands EV battery components plant

Epsilon Advanced Materials, an Indian manufacturer of battery materials, will invest $640 million to build a factory in Brunswick County. The company will create 500 new, well-paying jobs.

Charlotte Pipe invests $460 million in Stanly County, N.C.

The move, a gamechanger for rural Stanly County, will enable the company to become more efficient. Charlotte Pipe will employ 500 workers at the new plant.

Lockheed Martin in Orlando, Fla., receives two contracts for F-35s

The defense contractor will supply Romania and the Czech Republic with F-35s. Romania will spend $6.5 billion and Czech roughly $5 billion. Both contracts will include training services and flight simulators, which are developed by the company in Orlando.

Brunswick expansion will make Georgia home to the U.S.’s largest automotive port

The Port of Brunswick and other port facilities support 561,000 jobs and contribute $59 billion annually to Georgia’s gross domestic product, according to the University of Georgia.

PACCAR is expanding operations in Columbus, Miss.

The global automotive technology company is investing $209.4 million in two projects that will create 100 jobs. An industry leader in the design and manufacture of premium trucks, the company is expanding its existing facility by 50,000 square feet to add remanufacturing operations to the site.

Skydweller Aero brings operations to Hancock County, Miss.

The $65 million total in corporate investment and solar powered aircraft inventory will bring its flight test and aircraft modification operations to Hancock County, creating 36 new jobs.

Alden Group opening new facility in Mississippi

The renewable energy company works with area poultry processors to transform waste products into dry matter to supply refineries to make biodiesel. Its Smith County facility will employ 30 workers.

GE Vernova lands in Atlanta’s The Battery

The General Electric spinoff, which encompasses GE’s portfolio of energy businesses, has leased 77,000 square feet. Around 400 employees will work out of the new hub.

Wolfspeed begins hiring 1,800 for semiconductor factory in North Carolina

Announced last year, the $5 billion facility near Siler City will cover more than 1 million square feet.

Railcar company has chosen The Line in South End for its new Charlotte Headquarters

TTX Company, which provides railcars and freight car management services, will invest $14.5 million into its 150-job headquarters.

Hwashin to build Georgia plant to supply Hyundai

Korean auto parts and frame supplier is investing $176 million into a new plant in Dublin, which will create 460 new jobs. Hwashin has facilities globally, including its first in the U.S. in Alabama.

Lionsgate to invest $200 million in Douglas County, Ga., film studio

The California-based entertainment giant says the film studio could launch in February 2024, becoming the company’s Georgia home base.

Centibillionaire Jeff Bezos moves to Florida

The Amazon founder, with a net worth of $160 billion, says he wants to be closer to his parents in Miami.

PGT Innovations, a Florida-based maker of windows and doors, will invest $54.3 million in Georges, Va.

The 659-job, glass manufacturing operation will take place in the former Rolls-Royce facility in Prince George County.

Global pharmaceutical company Indivior selects Raleigh, N.C. site for its first facility in the U.S.

The company will invest $60 million and hire an additional 35 employees at its new site, which will produce treatments for opioid addiction and schizophrenia.

DataBank announced it plans to build $2 billion data center near Atlanta

The project will become metro Atlanta’s largest data center and the company’s fifth in the region.

Hyundai Industrial to invest $24 million in Coweta County, Ga.

The automotive parts supplier will create 100 new jobs at a new manufacturing facility near Newnan, becoming yet another part of the large network of suppliers for Hyundai and Kia since Hyundai’s Metaplant announcement.

Bad Boy Mowers to expand in Arkansas

The company will expand its campus in Batesville and create 300 new jobs over five years.

September 2023

For real-time news on business, politics and economic development in the South, go to www.RandleReport.com. For all projects announced in the South and more, go to SB-D.com. For more information on the automotive industry in the South, go to www.SouthernAutoCorridor.com.

Age Demographics 2021

10,800 people per day are born in the U.S. = 3.94 million a year

10,700 people per day turn age 65 = 3.90 million per year

2,800 migrants per day enter the U.S. legally and illegally = 1.02 million a year

9,607 deaths per day in the U.S. = 3.50 million

Total: Net loss in the workforce of minus 6,707 per day = 201,000 lost workers per month = 2.40 million lost workers per year

Source: Census

Ranking: States with the “Best & Worst Jobs Markets”

Louisiana was named the country’s strongest labor market, boosted by “its diverse economy and range of industries, from energy to aerospace to advanced manufacturing. Louisiana’s labor productivity, increases in job openings and low quit rate led all states according to the Peak Sales Recruiting Analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Eight of the top 10 states with the strongest labor markets are located in the South.

Louisiana

South Carolina

Florida

Virginia

Idaho

Georgia

Alabama

Kentucky

Arkansas

Delaware

Source: Peak Sales Recruiting

Three hundred people a day move from California to Texas

The “Texodus” migration continues as it has for three decades, yet, we have never seen it like this before. According to Census and StorageCafe data, residents moving from California to Texas has increased by 80 percent when compared to a decade ago. And why not? The average home price in, say, Santa Clara County, Calif. is $1.46 million. That same home can be purchased in Dallas County for $410,000. If all the residents moving to Texas from California were to create their own city, it would have a population of 111,000 people.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear joins Toyota Boshoku at the auto parts maker’s announcement

Toyota Boshoku announced in October that the auto parts maker is investing $225 million in Hopkinsville, which will create 157 jobs.

Pratt Industries opens $500 million paper plant in Henderson, Ky.

In what is written as the largest investment in 25 in this part of Kentucky, Pratt Industries opened the company’s $500 million paper plant in September. The 1.15-million-square-foot facility will house 320 workers.

Safran Landing Systems expands in Kentucky

Safran Landing Systems Kentucky announces the expansion of its Boone County facility, creating 92 well-paying jobs. Safran Landing Systems Kentucky produces and refurbishes advanced carbon composite brake disks and produces aluminum alloy wheels and brakes for large commercial and military aircraft. The initial carbon site construction was completed in 1999, with wheel and brake construction in 2007. In 2016, a major expansion project was launched to increase the carbon capacity of the company by 50%. The company has invested over $300 million in the Boone County site and employs 340 Kentucky workers. The Lane Report

Hyundai rushing to open $7.6 billion Savannah area EV plant

Korean automaker Hyundai has put construction in high gear as it tries to open the largest EV facility in the U.S. The quicker the plant can open, say officials, the more incentives the automaker can receive in federal electric vehicle incentives. Hyundai Motor Group is the parent company of Kia, which also has a plant in Georgia. Hyundai operates its other U.S. plant in Montgomery, Ala.

Construction pauses on $2 billion Scout Motors EV plant in South Carolina

Volkswagen, which has a plant in Chattanooga, is trying to revive a brand that many believe was the forerunner to modern-day SUV. Construction has temporarily ceased on the Scout Motors EV facility in Blythewood, S.C. is being done to give time for the company to continue clearing land and obtaining wetland permits. The finest EV model is expected to meet its planned opening in 2026. Scout and VW say 4,000 jobs will be created.

Texas startup to hire 200 at new North Houston plant

A startup that makes ammonia-to-power equipment to decarbonize overseas shipping is developing its first facility in North Houston. Ammonia is a hydrogen derivative. As more uses for hydrogen are created, more ammonia plants are expected on the Gulf Coast. The deal will create 200 jobs.

Atlanta, Dallas … office vacancies everywhere in major markets in the South

About one-quarter of Atlanta’s office space is vacant. It is worse than that. When factoring in space that companies are renting but no longer want for sublease, it is over 30 percent of all office square footage in metro Atlanta. That is a record high. All total, subleased space accounts for some 44 million square feet.

Atlanta sees record office space vacancies

During the summer, metro Atlanta set a record for it massive amount of empty office space. It took on two months to break it. Nearly 31 percent of all office square footage in metro Atlanta was available for rent at the end of September.

Hyundai pouring more cash into Alabama plant; Kia to invest $200 million to make EV SUV in Georgia; adds to Korean Automotive Corridor that started in Montgomery, Ala.

Hyundai’s multi-billion-dollar plant being built near Savannah means the Korean automakers have established a $50 billion (or thereabouts) beachhead for manufacturing their vehicles in North America, as well as their suppliers, over a 320-mile span from Montgomery, through West Georgia to Savannah. In October, Hyundai announced plans to invest another $290 million in upgrades for the next-generation Santa Fe SUV.

Glove maker announces plant in Chicot County, Ark.

Vietnamese manufacturer, Phu Duc Huy will invest in the nitrile glove to the tune of $50 million. The deal will create 300 jobs.

Gun maker, Sig Sauer, plans $150 million expansion of Arkansas facility

The firearms and ammunition manufacturer will expand employment at the plant to 973.

Company expanding its high-tech footprint in Mississippi

Raytheon broke ground in September on an expansion of its Consolidated Manufacturing Center in Forest, Miss. The $50 million deal will create 100 new jobs. The expansion will increase capacity for the integration of Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band pods for the U.S. Navy.

Latitude, a precision metal contract manufacturer, to expand to Clarendon County. S.C.

Latitude will invest $29 million in its first South Carolina plant in Clarendon County, S.C. The company started as a machine shop in Wisconsin. The deal will generate 200 new jobs.

$1 billion data center slated for York County, S.C.

QTS Data Centers, is investing $1 billion in a new center near Charlotte in South Carolina. It is the ninth time a company has announced a $1 billion deal.

Another deal for York County, S.C.

Silbaf Solar, a solar panel manufacturer, announced plans in September by establishing a plant in York County, S.C. The $150 deal will create 800 jobs.

Polish glass fabricator expanding in Henry County, Va.

Poland-based Press Glass Inc. will spend more than $155 million to expand its operations in Henry County and add 335 jobs, marking the largest expansion in the county’s history, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Wednesday. The largest independent glass fabricator in Europe, according to a news release, Press Glass will construct a 360,000-square-foot addition at its existing facility in the Commonwealth Crossing Business Centre in Ridgeway, where it manufactures glass for the commercial construction industry. The company currently employs more than 300 workers at the site, which it opened in 2020. “With this expansion, Press Glass will make the largest single capital investment by a business in Henry County’s history,” Youngkin said in a statement. Virginia Business

Ship repair facility expanding in Norfolk, Va.

Lyon Shipyard, a full-service ship repair company, is investing $8.5 million and hiring 134 to open a marine repair facility in Norfolk. The shipyard will increase capacity to service ships that service offshore wind farm operations.

Denver, Houston firm to build carbon capture facility off Southwest Louisiana Gulf Coast

Carbonvert and Castax Energy announced in September they have signed a deal with the state of Louisiana to convert a 24,000-acre Gulf of Mexico tract off of Cameron Parish into a subsurface storage hub that could sequester more than 250 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. The tract extends about three miles out into the Gulf.

St. James rare earth element recycling plant moves to the nexr phase of grant funding

ElementUS Minerals, which is proposing an $850 million facility that would recycle iron and rare earth elements from the waste at a St. James Parish alumina plant, has made it to the second phase of a U.S. Department of Energy loan program. ElementUS is seeking a $400 million loan from the energy department’s Clean Energy Financing Program. The project passed the initial phase, which included analysis of its process, business plan and anticipated carbon footprint. Several more steps must be completed before ElemtenUS gets a loan, company officials said in a press release. NOLA.com

Corps new for decades that dredging the Mississippi River would create a water crisis

The Army Corps of Engineers has known for decades that its continual efforts to deepen the Mississippi River for bigger ships would trigger a saltwater crisis that has New Orleans’s water systems. The area has seen saltwater in drinking water for weeks.

Savannah port to expand to Hutchinson Island

The George Ports Authority is planning a new 395-acre container terminal to Hutchinson Island on the Savannah River. Port officials first announced the expansion in 2019.

Pretty big deal south of Atlanta

NewCold, a cold storage developer, is planning a distribution facility in Henry County, Ga. The $333 million project will create at least 170 jobs.

America is in a factory boom again

On a warm Saturday morning in July, as Kathie Leonard planned to set out on her boat for a day on the water off the coast of Maine, her phone rang. The call was from the head of the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development, asking if Auburn Manufacturing — the specialized textiles maker Leonard runs — would be interested in hosting “the president” in the coming week. At first she replied, “President of what?” Leonard told CNN. Then the Maine official clarified she was referring to President Joe Biden. “I was like, ‘Really? Is this a true call?’” Leonard said. “But I was eventually convinced and said yes, of course we’re going to do it. I mean, you don’t say no to such an opportunity.”

The following Friday at Auburn Manufacturing, located about an hour north of Portland, Biden touted the success of his economic agenda, pointing to manufacturers’ rising investments in construction projects as evidence. In the growth of blue-collar work, Biden has much to celebrate. In July, construction spending from manufacturers rose about 71% from a year earlier, according to Commerce Department data, and manufacturers had 106,000 more employees in August compared to a year earlier, despite business surveys showing softening consumer demand. CNN

Why America has a long-term labor crisis

The U.S. economy has been running, improbably, with an unemployment rate under 4% for nearly two years. That isn’t just a holdover from pandemic bottlenecks, when employers let millions of people go and then struggled to find workers when demand roared back, economists and business leaders say. It is a storm that has been brewing for decades, flaring up most recently in the form of worker strikes at automakers and airlines. Labor shortages are turning into a long-term labor crisis that could push wages and turnover higher. Work experts have warned for years that the combination of baby boomer retirements, low birthrates, shifting immigration policies and changing worker preferences is leaving U.S. employers with too few workers to fill job openings. While the labor market is softening, none of those factors are expected to change dramatically in the coming years. The Wall Street Journal

Texas will have an $18.6 billion surplus and avoid a recession, Comptroller projects

Texas is likely to avoid an anticipated recession and, on the contrary, is projected to have more than $18 billion in unspent money at the end of this two-year budget cycle, thanks to an unexpected increase in state revenue in recent months, Comptroller Glenn Hegar said Thursday. “Despite sharply higher interest rates, household budgets stressed by inflation and adverse economic conditions among major trading partners, the national economy has continued to grow,” Hegar said in his Certified Revenue Estimate, updating how much money lawmakers will have to spend. “Meanwhile, the Texas economy has outperformed the national economy, and the economic outlook included with this revenue estimate does not assume a recession in Texas.” Texas Tribune

In a few weeks, voters from across the state will be asked to weigh in on more than a dozen proposals to amend the state’s constitution. Known as the “constitutional election,” the biennial survey follows the work of state lawmakers in Austin, who must now persuade voters to approve their recommendations to the state’s guiding document. To help voters understand some of the issues on the statewide ballot, The Texas Tribune hosted a half-day event at Angelina College on Oct. 5. Below are brief summaries of the three discussions. You can also replay each conversation, which were taped.

“Economic miracle” at stake in election, East Texas lawmaker says

Texas’ economic future is at stake this election, a state lawmaker said. Rep. Trent Ashby, a Lufkin Republican and who led on several of the constitutional amendments that voters will consider this fall, said the state would fall behind if voters don’t approve three key infrastructure questions. “I think we run the risk of losing our Texas economic miracle,” Ashby said. The money allocated for each of the infrastructure propositions — water, broadband and energy — has already been allocated toward their respective projects, but can only be utilized if voters pass each amendment. The funds created allow money to be placed outside of the general treasury to be used past the biennial budget created every legislative session. Texas Tribune

Report Claims NC Pension Plan Underfunded By Billions. What About Other States?

North Carolina’s state pension plan has racked up more than $19 billion in unfunded liabilities, according to a new report. The report – from the Pension Integrity Project, an initiative of the Reason Foundation, a libertarian think tank – estimates state pension systems across the nation will likely remain at historically high debt levels – but that North Carolina is doing better than most. According to the North Carolina Treasurer’s office, the state pension plan had a market value was $112.5 billion as of Sept. 22. There are 357,649 beneficiaries receiving monthly payments, and 644,975 active and former employees who are members but not yet collecting pension benefits. The total monthly distribution of benefits funds is $600 million. Leonard Gilroy, senior managing director of the Pension Integrity Project, said pension funds have to figure out how to fund benefits that will be distributed years from now. “It’s, what do we need to put in today to make sure 20, 40, 50 years from now, so there’s enough money in the kitty for when they retire,” he said, adding that unless the market is more favorable to some of the pension systems, the debt could mean some states will have major issues meeting their obligations without some other kind of intervention. Triangle Business Journal

Georgia Power Says It May Need More Electricity Capacity And Soon

Just over a year ago, state regulators approved Georgia Power’s plan to meet customer’s electricity needs for the next two decades, which called for shuttering most of its coal plants and replacing them with huge amounts of solar and gas. Now, a new notice published recently by Georgia Power suggests the company thinks it needs more power sooner than expected to feed demand from residents and businesses. While details are scarce and Georgia Power has not asked state regulators to approve any additional capacity yet, signs indicate a formal request from the company may be imminent. Atlanta Journal Constitution

SK Battery Ushered EV Sector Into Georgia. Now It Is Cutting Some Jobs

SK Battery America in Jackson County, among the foundational manufacturers in Georgia’s electric vehicle ecosystem, is laying off workers after years of rapid expansion. SK Battery declined to say Tuesday evening how many positions are involved, but the company has confirmed that a group of workers have been laid off in Commerce, about 70 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta, where the subsidiary of South Korea-based SK Innovation has two lithium-ion battery manufacturing facilities. Automakers and suppliers have announced tens of billions of dollars in promised EV investment in Georgia and tens of thousands of new jobs, courted with billions in state and local government incentives. But Tuesday’s news marks what may be the Georgia EV sector’s first significant loss.

Why The Charlotte Region Is Set To Gain Thousands Of Manufacturing Jobs

On Sept. 19, solar-panel manufacturer Silfab Solar announced plans to invest $150 million and create 800 jobs at a new facility in Fort Mill. The disclosure was the culmination of a search process dating back to 2021. The deal captures the state of Charlotte’s industrial market, which is seeing growing interest from manufacturers. The Charlotte region’s population boom, the economic growth that follows and its Southeast location make the area a natural target for resurgence in U.S. manufacturing. Those factors are aided by recent federal legislation aimed at boosting the sector. Projects like Silfab’s could represent an initial step in Charlotte’s accelerated push to diversify its economy. “We’ve got a lot of fiscal stimulus that is helping drive investment in technology like the CHIPS (and Science) Act and then the Inflation Reduction Act,” said Mark Vitner, chief economist at Charlotte-based Piedmont Crescent Capital. Charlotte Business Journal

GE Appliances Shows Off $450M Transformation At Appliance Park

GE Appliances, a Haier company, welcomed government and community leaders to Appliance Park to see two new dishwasher manufacturing lines on Wednesday morning. The new lines complete a $450 million investment in the company’s Louisville headquarters that was first announced in late 2021. GE Appliances, a Haier company, welcomed government and community leaders to Appliance Park to see two new dishwasher manufacturing lines on Wednesday morning. The new lines complete a $450 million investment in the company’s Louisville headquarters that was first announced in late 2021. Louisville Business First

Ford Pausing Work On $3.5 Billion Michigan Electric Vehicle Battery Plant

Ford is pausing work on a new, $3.5 billion electric vehicle battery plant in Michigan, even as the transition to electric vehicles has become a major sticking point in a United Auto Workers strike against automakers Ford, GM and Stellantis. No final decision has been made on whether the plant will, ultimately, become operational, said Ford spokesman T.R. Reid. If completed, the plant will be located on a 950-acre site in southern Michigan near the town of Marshall. Ford’s plans were to employ 2,500 people when the plant opened for production in 2026. Ford had had announced plans for the battery factory last February. CNN

Construction Underway For All On-Site BlueOval Suppliers Near Memphis, But Mysteries Abound

Ford’s BlueOval City will feature at least six supplier facilities, and construction is underway on all of them, according to the Megasite Authority CEO Clay Bright.

Bright, providing a supplier park update to the wider board on Wednesday, Sept. 20, said that he is “pushing” for the suppliers to wrap up agreements and get their requests for economic incentives finalized with the Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development (TNECD).

“I have no idea how long it’s going to be. I’ll tell you this, there’s six items on there,” Bright said at the meeting. “I’m pushing all these suppliers to go ahead and come to terms with the lease agreements. The PILOT program is something I keep pushing them to go to TNECD, but the onus is on them as far as getting that done.” Memphis Business Journal

August 2023

GDP: Country/U.S. Region/Selected U.S. States GDP 2022*

United States $24.7 trillion

China $17.3 trillion

U.S. South (13 states + D.C.) $8.2 trillion

U.S. West (12 states) $6.5 trillion

U.S. Northeast (12 states) $5.5 trillion

U.S. Midwest (13 states) $4.5 trillion

Japan $4.2 trillion

Germany $4.1 trillion

California $3.7 trillion

India $3.4 trillion

United Kingdom $3.1 trillion

France $2.8 trillion

Texas $2.3 trillion

Russia $2.2 trillion

Canada $2.1 trillion

Italy $2.0 trillion

Source: Statista (2022 totals); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, *Southern Business & Development using three percent gain in U.S. states from 2021 to 2022 based on BEA totals that are incomplete for 2023.

Available workers per 100 jobs openings in the South

State Workers

Texas 89

Kentucky 66

Louisiana 60

Florida 59

Georgia 57

Tennessee 56

D.C. 55

Mississippi 55

North Carolina 55

South Carolina 53

Virginia 51

Oklahoma 50

Alabama 45

Arkansas 44

Source: SB&D and Visual Capitalist

U.S. Regional Populations 2022

Region Population

South 128,000,0000

West 74,000,000

Midwest 69,000,000

Northeast 57,000,000

Source: Census

Age Demographics 2021

10,800 people per day are born in the U.S. = 3.94 million a year

10,700 people per day turn age 65 = 3.90 million per year

2,800 migrants per day enter the U.S. legally and illegally = 1.02 million a year

9,607 deaths per day in the U.S. = 3.50 million

Total: Net loss in the workforce of minus 6,707 per day = 201,000 lost workers per month = 2.40 million lost workers per year

Source: Census

Ranking: States with the “Best & Worst Jobs Markets”

Louisiana

South Carolina

Florida

Virginia

Idaho

Georgia

Alabama

Kentucky

Arkansas

Delaware

Source: Peak Sales Recruiting

Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act: It’s a gusher of an 80 percent increase in industrial construction in the last year

The White House celebrated the first anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act in late August calling the projects that result an “economic miracle.” It is a gusher of trillions of dollars of taxpayer incentives (subsidies to others) that have resulted in an increase in spending on factories – primarily built for next-generation energy, such as electric vehicles, carbon capture and the like.

Public works spending has increased by almost 14 percent in the last year; conservation and development (30 percent); electric power projects (37 percent); and highway infrastructure (over 20 percent), according to the Census and Treasury.

Clean energy projects represent 200 new projects totaling over $120 billion. The 2021 infrastructure bill increased spending by $550 billion and the Chips Act handed over $280 billion in investment, which includes $40 billion and a 25 percent investment in tax credits for computer chip factories. These incentives have perked up foreign direct investment as well.

Chinese ownership of American South farmlands being challenged

Across the South, the third largest economy in the world, new laws are preventing foreign ownership of farmlands. In an effort to protect national and food security, Southern states are restricting foreign land ownership after Chinese companies made inroads into buying farmland in the region. Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, North Carolina and South Carolina are all a part of a wave of legislation in the South that restricts foreign land ownership. In almost every case, those restrictions center on farmland.

Three hundred people a day move from California to Texas

Atlanta, Dallas … office vacancies everywhere in major markets in the South

CBRE: Large industrial and distribution leases down dramatically

In a report published this summer, real estate firm CBRE Group found a 36 percent year-over-year drop in lease signings that measured 1 million square feet of less. Many companies during the pandemic felt the need to protect their inventory levels as global supply-chain disruptions made during Covid-19 made it difficult to obtain products from overseas.

TVA will invest $15 billion to meet the region’s growth over the next three years

Tennessee-based Tennessee Valley Authority’s Board of Directors announced in late summer the utility will approve $15 billion in investments over the next three years to build additional generation and upgrade systems “to ensure the region continues to benefit from affordable, reliable power.” TVA CEO Jeff Lyash said,”It took us 90 years to build our current power system which positively changed the life of millions. In the next 30 years, we will have to double or triple the current systems at a speed unlike any other time in TVA history."

Texas breaks all-time record for oil and gas production

The largest producer of the U.S. energy sector – the Texas oil and natural gas industry – set a new record production in June and July, surpassing highs set in 40 years ago, according to the Texas Oil & Gas Association.

Feds to spend $1.2 billion on carbon capture projects in Louisiana and Texas

The U.S. Department of Energy plans to spend $1.2 billion in Louisiana and Texas to create “Regional Direct Air Capture Hubs” to remove more than 1 million metric tons of existing CO2 from the atmosphere each year. The two major projects in the two states are expected to create thousands of jobs.

Central Florida tourism industry had an $87 billion economic impact in 2022

The largest region in the South for tourism saw it hit an all-time high in investments in 2022, generating $87.6 billion. U.K.-based Oxford Economics released a study in the summer that looked at Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties’ tourism industries’ visitor spending, jobs and state and local taxes. Of course, that part of the South is home to Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort, among many others, encompassing over 40,000 acres in Central Florida.

Where are manufacturing jobs being added?

Texas has added the most manufacturing jobs in the U.S. between January 2021 and May 2023 with 86,000. California came in second with 79,000 and surprisingly, Florida placed third with 37,000 manufacturing jobs. Of course, those are the top three populated states in the country, so the figures are not per capita. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Electric vehicles are reinventing the automotive supply chain

The 2023 Deloitte Automotive Supply Study expected that revenues for internal combustion engines, as we as fuel and exhaust systems are expected to decline 44 percent through 2027. Meanwhile, revenues for electric drivetrains, batteries and fuel cells are expected to rise to 245 percent. An internal combustion powertrain has about 2,000 parts. Battery electric vehicle powertrains have about 20 parts. For more information on the South’s automotive industry, go to SouthernAutoCorridor.com

Arkansas funding “Boot Camp” to train 500 steel workers in Northeast Arkansas

Arkansas Northeastern College has received a $1.2 million grant from the Arkansas Office of Skills Development to help create a program to train 500 steel workers in the program’s first year.

Kia to invest $200 million to make EV SUV in Georgia; adds to Korean Automotive Corridor that started in Montgomery, Ala.

South Korean automaker Kia is investing $200 million in its West Georgia (West Point) factory to begin production of an electric-powered SUV, the EV9 large, three-row SUV. The company made the announcement in the summer quarter. Over 40 percent of Kia vehicles sold in the U.S. are assembled at the plant near LaGrange, Ga., which is just over 80 miles from its mother ship company, Hyundai, and its plant in Montgomery, Ala. Hyundai’s multi-billion-dollar plant being built near Savannah means the Korean automakers have established a $50 billion (or thereabouts) beachhead for manufacturing their vehicles in North America, as well as their suppliers, over a 320-mile span from Montgomery, through West Georgia to Savannah. Hyundai has already begun production and assembly of the first-ever Genesis Electrified GV70 SUV. It is the first Genesis model to be assembled in the United States at the Montgomery manufacturing facility.

CNBC’s top states for business in 2023; North Carolina takes No. 1 for the second straight year

The South is slouching. For years, the CNBC “Top States for Business had 10-out-of-10 Southern states in the top 10. Not this year. North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and Georgia made up the top four best states for business. But Minnesota, Washington, Michigan and Utah also were named in the top 10 from outside the South. Texas and Florida also made the top 10 list for CNBC.

Texas may be losing some of its attraction to business

For the first time, CNBC did not place the state of Texas in its top five best places for business. The state remains a juggernaut economy simply based on its major markets and population. It fell to No. 6 on the CNBC scale. North Carolina was named No. 1, followed by Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia and Minnesota.

Texas to invest in community colleges

The Texas Senate has approved a bill to allocated almost $430 million in funding for the state’s 50 community colleges. The workforce development deal aims to incentivize and award colleges based on students’ performance.

Italian solar manufacturer selects Oklahoma site for $1 billion factory

Enel will invest in solar manufacturing in Inola, Okla., creating 1,000 jobs with a 3 gigawatt annual production capacity by 2025. As part of U.S. President Joe Biden’s landmark climate change law, the Inflation Reduction Act, the company’s domestically- made panels will make facilities built with the panels eligible for a lucrative tax credit.

Amazon’s Arlington, Va. HQ2 East Coast headquarters welcomes 2,000 employees

The tech giant will continue to welcome an additional 1,000 to 2,000 employees in phases until September or October of this year. The company has hired 8,000 people in the area so far.

Space Force selects Florida’s Space Coast for new training HQ

The new Space Training and Readiness Command, or STARCOM, will bring hundreds of employees to the Space Coast to train Space Force members in wargaming and tactics. The Air Force-based command will be located at Patrick Space Force Base in Florida.

Clemson University, South Carolina to invest in rural internet

With a $185.8 million federal grant and $400 million from the South Carolina General Assembly, a plan to invest in South Carolina’s broadband infrastructure will begin this year.

ALABAMA

First Solar will build a $1.1 billion factory with 700 workers in Lawrence County, Ala.

The facility at the Mallard Fox West Industrial Complex is part of First Solar’s investment in its push to have more than 10 gigawatts of manufacturing capacity by 2025. The project is one of the biggest announced in a Northwest Alabama in recent years.

Alabama is all-in on finding 11,000 auto industry workers

There are more than 11,000 jobs in Alabama among its hundreds of auto industry suppliers and OEMs, like Toyota’s engine factory in Huntsville, down in Montgomery at Hyundai, in Tuscaloosa at the Mercedes plant and out east with Honda. Alabama has implemented what they call the “Shift” campaign to recruit those workers. “Shift” is a campaign crafted by Birmingham-based Big Communications to reach beyond Alabama to potential workers around the South who may be seeking their first jobs, or better ones.

Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp. plans $232 million micro-reactor manufacturing plant in Alabama

The highly automated MMR Assembly Plant will manufacture non-radiological modules needed to construct its advanced microreactors. Once operational, the facility will employ 250 workers.

Kronospan announces expansion in Oxford, Ala.

The wood panel manufacturer will invest $350 million into its plant in Oxford, creating 150 new jobs. Kronospan will have invested over $1 billion and will employ about 600 people upon completion of its expansion.

ARKANSAS

Big River Steel’s new $3 billion mill in Osceola, Ark. to source 230 megawatts of electricity from $327 million solar generation field

Entergy Arkansas is planning to meet the demand on 2,100 acres with 650,000 solar panels. The project, named Driver Solar, will supply 40% of the electricity demand for the plant.

Aerojet Rocketdyne grows in Camden, Ark.

The defense industry contractor will add 200 new jobs at its rocket systems manufacturing facility at the Highland Industrial Park, where it produces 75,000 solid rocket motors annually. The U.S. Department of Defense agreed to a $215 million investment to expand its facilities in Camden, Huntsville, Ala. and Orange County, Va.

FLORIDA

Cosentino Group to build manufacturing plant in Northeast Florida

The Spanish manufacturer of natural stone and architectural surfaces will build its first North American plant in Jacksonville with a $270 million investment, creating 180 jobs with an average salary of $56,600.

Space Force selects Florida’s Space Coast for STARCOM Training HQ

The command chose Patrick Space Force Base in Florida to place one of its major operations for the Space Training and Readiness Command, or STARCOM. The move will bring hundreds of personnel to the Space Coast to help develop training for Space Force members.

Amazon invests $120 million in satellite processing facility on Florida’s Space Coast

The project will create 50 new, high paying jobs. The project is part of Project Kuiper, Amazon’s satellite broadband network comprised of 3,236 low Earth satellites.

GEORGIA

Finland-based Admares to build $750 million manufacturing facility in Ga.

The building materials manufacturer will employ approximately 1,400 workers in its South Georgia manufacturing plant in Waycross.

Startup EV maker Rivian gets go ahead in Georgia to build its $5 billion plant

The Georgia Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal contesting the legitimacy of Rivian’s expected property tax breaks for its new $5 billion EV facility in the state. Rivian first announced plans for a massive 2,000-acre, $5 billion electric vehicle plant in Georgia in December 2021. At fully operational, the complex east of Atlanta will be capable of assembling 400,000 vehicles annually.

Hyundai, LG to build $4.3 billion EV battery plant in Georgia

The electric vehicle battery plant near Savannah in Bryan County will become the second battery plant Hyundai is building in the state. The project is a part of its previously announced, $5.5 billion complex in Bryan County, which will bring 8,100 jobs.

Pratt & Whitney plans $200 million Georgia expansion

The aircraft engine maker will add 400 new jobs in Columbus, Ga. The aerospace company first opened in Columbus in 1984 and has since grown from a small operation to employing 2,000 workers.

First new Vogtle nuclear reactor becomes operational in Georgia

The first of the two new units at Plant Vogtle has officially entered commercial service. The Georgia Power owned reactors will be in service for the next 60 to 80 years. Finished years behind schedule and billions over budget, the project was initially pitched as part of a nuclear revival that would bring vast amounts of carbon-free energy.

Financial services giant Morgan Stanley expands in Alpharetta, Ga.

The company has expanded its lease by 100,000-square-foot and hopes to add 1,800 jobs to its Georgia workforce.

KENTUCKY

Gov. Andy Beshear tours BlueOval SK plant in Glendale, Ky.

In August the second electric vehicle battery plant broke ground at Ford and SK’s BlueOval’s battery facility in Hardin County, Ky. The $5.8 billion complex will house 5,000 workers who will produce advanced batteries for Ford and Lincoln brand electric vehicles. The megasite in Glendale had been available for more than two decades, with Hyundai checking it out among other large users more than 20 years ago. Hyundai eventually took its plant to Montgomery, Ala. The two battery plants in Kentucky will go online in 2025.

$240 million investment starts at MAGMA tech facility in Bowling Green, Ky.

O-I Glass has begun construction on a revolutionary greenfield glass facility, utilizing MAGMA technology. The technology is used for manufacturing flexible, modular glass production.

Aerospace Composites Solutions announces Kentucky expansion

The $16.8 million project in Morgantown, Ky. will create 72 new full-time jobs. The composite design and manufacturing company focuses on improving aircraft performance.

Eastern Light Distilling is constructing a $143.7 facility in Rowan County, Ky.

The craft bourbon producer will introduce 50 new jobs.

LOUISIANA

$850 million rare-Earth recycling plant in Louisiana moves on to next phase

ElementUS is trying to capture a $400 million loan from the energy department’s Clean Energy Financing Program in order to recycle iron and rate earth elements from the waste at a St. James Parish, La., alumina plant. Several things must come into place before the massive project becomes a reality.

SunGas Renewables to invest $1.8 billion in Rapides Parish, La.

The company expects to create 109 new jobs by establishing a renewable low-carbon methanol production facility.

Louisiana to receive $156 million from the Department of Defense

Besides pay raises, $112 million will go to funding a weapons generation facility at the Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier Parish.

MISSISSIPPI

Hush Aerospace brings operations to Tupelo, Miss.

The unmanned aerial systems designer and manufacturer will invest $13.9 million and will create 80 jobs in its new state-of-the-art facility. The company plans to provide the domestic drone market with cutting edge UAS platforms that meet the rigorous standards of NASA and the military.

APEX Ammunition LLC expands in Columbus, Miss.

The shotgun ammunition manufacturer will spend $4.45 million and will create 64 direct jobs.

Point Eight Power, Inc. opens operations in Hancock County, Miss.

The manufacturer of power distribution systems invested $7.75 million and created 78 new jobs.

NORTH CAROLINA

VinFast breaks ground in North Carolina

What is expected to be the largest economic development project in North Carolina history broke ground officially on in the summer. Last year, the Vietnamese automaker announced plans to build a 7,500-job facility at the Triangle Innovation Point megasite near Moncure as part of a $4 billion investment. The company filed site plans with Chatham County that revealed the factory will be more than 2.8 million square feet with eight buildings.

Toyota invests an additional $2.1 billion in North Carolina

The automaker’s latest investment in its EV battery plant near Greensboro brings the total investment there to nearly $6 billion. The company has yet to announce employment numbers, but expects to hire a similar number to the expansion last year, which grew job numbers by about 350.

Ameriprise Financial opens new corporate office in uptown Charlotte, N.C.

The Minnesota-based financial services firm will lease 53,000-square-feet at 300 South Tyron. The new corporate office will bring about 400 new jobs.

Bosch to expand in Lincolnton, N.C.

Robert Bosch Tool Corp. will invest $130 million in a major expansion of its manufacturing operations in Lincoln County, creating 404 jobs. The new positions will have minimum average wages of $53,204.

CommScope adds hundreds of jobs in Catawba County, N.C.

The fiber-optic manufacturer will expand its operations in the Charlotte region with a $60.3 million investment that will lead to the creation of 250 jobs.

OKLAHOMA

The first Cobalt and Nickel refinery broke ground in Lawton, Okla. during the summer quarter. Westwin Elements is opening the plant that will house 85 workers in 2024.

Sam’s Club to locating distribution center in Oklahoma City

Walmart division Sam’s Club is opening a 300,000-square-foot distribution center. The project at the OKC Logistics Park will create 130 jobs.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Largest project in Northeast South Carolina breaks ground

In the summer quarter, a groundbreaking ceremony was performed for AESC in Florence, S.C. The Japanese battery facility will employ over 1,000 workers at an average salary of $65,000 a year. The project, according to Florence County Economic Development CEO Gregg Robinson, AESC’s deal is one of the largest economic development deals in the county’s history. AESC will supply battery cells used in next generation electric vehicles produced by BMW near Greenville.

BMW breaks ground on new S.C. battery plant

German automaker BMW broke ground on its new high-voltage battery assembly plant in Woodruff, S.C. in the summer. The 1-milion-square-foot facility, with an investment of $700 million, will support the company’s $1 billion in investment to supply and build fully electric BMW X models at its plant in Spartanburg.

E. & J. Gallo Winery to open new production line in Chester County, S.C.

The nation’s largest winemaker employs about 230 full-time employees at its Fort Lawn hub. The first phase of the expansion will include a total investment of $423 million and the creation of nearly 500 jobs.

“Project Cobra” to bring $1 billion project to York County, S.C.

The code-named project is slated to bring 12 new jobs to the Lake Wylie area. As of this writing the company remains unnamed.

TENNESSEE

6K Energy to invest $166 million in battery material manufacturing plant in Jackson, Tenn.

Governor Lee announced the company will invest in a full-scale PlusCAM™ battery material manufacturing plant. With its initial investment, 6K Energy plans on expanding to $250 million in future phases. The company will also be using its $50 million U.S. Department of Energy grant for the factory.

Napster to move HQ to Nashville

The global music company and music streaming service Napster has selected Nashville for its new corporate headquarters.

Magna International plans $790 million, 1,300-job facility in West Tennessee

The automotive supplier will build three facilities to supply Ford’s BlueOval City. Magna International is the fourth-largest auto parts supplier in the world and the biggest in North America.

TEXAS

Telsa breaks ground on its in-house lithium refinery near Robstown, Texas

A major investment by Tesla, the plant will produce battery-grade lithium and manufacture battery materials. The first of its kind in North America, the facility will adopt an industrial refining method using acid-free lithium routes.

Plant Agricultural Systems growing in West Texas

PLANT-AS is going ahead with a projected $510 million investment of more than 1,100 acres of advanced Controlled Environment Agriculture production in Amarillo and Lubbock. The project is estimated to create 700 full-time employees with a total payroll of $35 million.

Houston-based NextDecade secured $5.9 billion in financing to build massive LNG export terminal

The company will begin work on a massive new gas liquefaction plant and export terminal in the Rio Grande delta. When complete, the facility will become one of the largest gas export terminals in the world.

Microsoft plans $230 million data center north of Castroville, Texas

The company plans to build a 106,000-square-foot campus with an administrative building and two co-location centers.

VIRGINIA

2,000 Amazon employees move into HQ2 in Arlington, Va.

Amazon’s $2.5 billion HQ2 East Coast headquarters has hired over 8,000 employees so far for the Virginia headquarters.

Poland-based Press Glass Inc. expands in Henry County, Va.

The glass manufacturer for the commercial construction industry will invest $155 million and hire 335 people, becoming the largest expansion ever announced in the county’s history.

July 2023

One hundred million dollars invested in two new Northrop Grumman offices

Offices for defense contractor Northrop Grumman have been completed at the Redstone Gateway in Huntville, Ala. The Birmingham construction firm Robins & Morton completed the $100 million project, including two “build to suit” facilities and a parking deck.

Construction for Goldman Sach’s $500 million new campus to begin later this year in Dallas, Texas

Regional offices of the Manhattan-based banking firm Goldman Sachs’ are to be built in the Uptown area of Dallas, Texas. Downsized by 10 percent, the project is to be completed by 2027.

Richardson International, Canadian based agri-business leader, to invest $220 million in Memphis Wesson Oil production plant

According to the Memphis Business Journal, the upgrade of the Wesson Oil production plant is pending approval. Richardson expanded into Memphis in 2019 with the purchase of the Wesson Oil production plant.

$240 million investment beings at MAGMA tech facility in Bowling Green, Ky.

O-I Glass has begun construction on a revolutionary greenfield glass facility, utilizing MAGMA technology. The technology is used for manufacturing flexible, modular glass production.

TAT Piedmont Aviation to expand operations at the Piedmond Triad International Airport

The aviation repair company will create 85 jobs with a $13.8 million investment. “Aviation and aerospace companies of every stripe are choosing North Carolina as the best place to grow their business,” said Governor Cooper.

Tennessee Governor Lee signs Transportation Modernization Act into law

Governor Bill Lee signed the historic, bipartisan legislation, creating a $3.3 billion investment to modernize Tennessee’s transportation needs in rural and urban communities.

Georgia-Pacific LLC spends $50 million to upgrade paper towel mill

The Port Hudson, LA mill will be upgraded with increased capacity and improved equipment. 20 miles north of Baton Rouge. The mill produces paper towels for Brawny and other brands.

Washington Commanders owner to sell Virginia NFL team for $6 billion

Dan Snyder has agreed to sell the team to NBA legend Magic Johnson and a group of investors. A record setting amount for any professional sports franchise, the Bethesda, Md. based group of investors also owns the NHL’s New Jersey Devils.

Lego breaks ground on $1 billion Chesterfield, Va. facility

The first manufacturing plant in the U.S. for the Denmark-based toymaker, the project is one of Virginia’s largest economic development projects ever announced, according to Virginia Business. The project will create 1,761 jobs, with production starting in 2025.

Cross Technology of Winston-Salem is expanding with a $3.4 million grant

The 140,000-square-foot building upgrade for the machining company and maker will employ 120 more people over the next two years in Yadkin County.

6K Energy to invest $166 million in battery material manufacturing plant in Jackson, Tenn.

Albemarle Corp. will invest $1.3 billion and create more than 300 new jobs in Chester County, N.C.

Approval has been granted for Albemarle Corp.’s investment in its lithium hydroxide processing facility in Chester County. The significant investment comes after previous passes for incentives by the county when the project was under the code name Project Raven.

$3 trillion being invested in the rural American South

Federal tax incentives and loans for green energy from Biden’s climate legislation is supporting a major increase in corporate investments in the rural American South. The spending is the largest single industrial stimulus by the federal government since the New Deal.

Kentucky has the longest running, lowest unemployment ever recorded in the state

The record comes with a 3.8 percent unemployment rate over the last 15 months. Governor Beshear also announced the state has added 46,000 more jobs in Kentucky since February 2020, a 2.3 percent growth in jobs.

Georgia has received $17.5 billion in investment by Korean firms since 2020

Supporting 23,000 total jobs in the state, Korean companies like Kia, Hyundai Motor Group, SK Group and others are continuing to invest.

240 high-paying jobs created by Marshall Aerospace in North Carolina

Marshall Aerospace has selected Piedmont Triad International Airport for its first location in the United States to service C-130 aircraft. The company plans to invest $50 million.

Firearm manufacturer subsidiary FN America plans expansion in South Carolina

The company plans to expand in Pickens County with a $33 million investment that will create 176 new jobs.

Disney plans to invest in $17 billion in Walt Disney World over the next 10 years

Disney CEO Bob Iger announced the plan, which will create 13,000 jobs in Central Florida, as the company continues its feud with Governor DeSantis.

Acquisition Integration to create 250 jobs in Alabama

The aerospace logistics and distribution company plans to build 170,000 square feet of hangar and office space at the Pryor Field Regional Airport. The $30 million investment will create 250 jobs.

Global renewable energy company SPI Energy Co. Ltd. to invest $65.9 million in South Carolina

SEM Wafertech and Solar4American Technology announced the investment to establish operations in Sumter County. The solar companies’ investment will create 300 new jobs in Sumter County.

$42.7 expansion planned by BorgWarner Inc. in Oconee County, S.C.

As part of its “Charging Forward” initiative, the Auburn Hills, Mich.-based automotive supplier will create 122 new jobs in its plans to upgrade its facility in Seneca to integrate new EV battery systems.

Congo LLC will expand its Louisville, Kentucky HQ

The $8.25 million project will produce 500 high-paying jobs. The company plans to relocate to a 110,000-square-foot location at 13551 Triton Park Blvd.

Castellini Co. creates 180 jobs, to invest $16.6 million in Kentucky

The third-party logistics company for the food industry is expanding its Wilder operations with a $16.6 million investment.

EV car maker Rivian to invest $10 million in Bullitt County, Kentucky

The planned remanufacturing facility in Shepherdsville will create 218 high-paying jobs, continuing the EV industries’ growth in the state.

Church & Dwight Company will expand in Virginia

The baking soda manufacturer plans to invest $27 million in its expansion of its Chesterfield County operations, which will create an additional 53 new jobs.

Richmond National Group to create 100 jobs in Henrico County, Va.

The specialty insurer plans to expand its headquarters by adding 7,200 square feet of office space to its Greater Richmond footprint.

Delta Star will invest $30.2 million in Lynchburg, Va. expansion

The industrial power equipment manufacturer will create 149 jobs by adding 80,000 square feet of manufacturing space and 14,000 square feet of new office space.

CharterUp is relocating its HQ to Austin, Texas

The online bus-booking platform plans to add 100 jobs.

Tech company Tquila Automation to create 200 jobs in Birmingham, Ala.

The delivery hub will be located at The Switch, Birmingham’s innovation district, in the 65,000-square-foot Nextec building.

Westwater Resources plans $202 million graphite plant in Alabama

The Coosa County plant will supply material for EV battery manufacturer SK On.

Telsa breaks ground on its in-house lithium refinery near Robstown, Texas

Jaxport receives its largest ships ever

Benefiting from deeper waters, the Jacksonville, Fla. port has seen the arrival of One Stork through the St. Johns shipping channel. The vessel can carry more than 14,000 20-foot-long containers.

Plans finalized for wind farm in Carroll County, Ark.

Scout Clean Energy has completed its plans for developing the $300 million Nimbus Wind Farm in Northwest Arkansas. The wind farm is expected to produce enough electricity to power nearly 30,000 homes.

Chart Industries plans to invest $73.7 million in production facility in Mobile County, Ala.

The second production site in Mobile County, the company will increase its production of cryogenic containers. The project will create 59 jobs.

Aerospace supplier to relocate from Texas to Creola in Mobile County, Ala.

Superior Air Parts plans to relocate its corporate headquarters and manufacturing operation producing FAA-approved replacement parts for piston-engine aircraft. The $24.2 million investment will create 180 jobs over 5 years.

Air tank manufacturer plans expansion in Norfolk, Va.

Bauer Compressors plans to invest $7.4 million in an expansion of its production capacity for hydrogen and natural gas compressors. The investment will create an additional 47 jobs.

Pentagon awards Northrop Grumman Corp. $244.6 million for ballistic missile work

The Falls Church, Va.-based defense contractor will continue work on ballistic missile defense system capabilities in Alabama, Colorado and California. The work will be complete in March of 2026.

Volkswagen plans to hire 500 workers in Chattanooga, Tenn.

The automaker will be hiring for its manufacturing plant in Hamilton County, raising its employee number to 5,500. The Chattanooga facility manufactures the electric ID.4 SUV as well as the Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport SUVs.

Oneok to acquire Magellan Midstream Partners for $18.8 billion

The Oklahoma-based natural gas company will close on the deal in the third quarter of 2023. With significant operations in the Houston area, the combined company will have a total value of $60 billion.

Clarksville, Ark. to invest in hydrogen power plant

Syntex Industries LLC of Little Rock will design and construct a hydrogen energy power plant to generate more than 500 megawatts of clean electricity in Clarksville. Construction will begin by the fourth quarter of 2023 and is slated to create more than 100 jobs.

Window and door manufacturer to open production facility in Alabama

Sierra Pacific Windows will invest $60 million and hire 300 people in Phenix City. Its first production facility in the American South, the company has acquired 610,000 square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space on 113 acres.

Ryder Systems relocates to South Florida

The fleet management and supply chain company will move to the Colonnade office tower in the Coral Gables’ business district. Eight hundred hybrid workers will be based in that office. The deal will rename the building to Ryder Colonnade.

Texas to invest in community colleges

Italian solar manufacturer selects Oklahoma site for $1 billion factory

Enel will invest in solar manufacturing in Inola, Okla., creating 1,000 jobs with a 3 gigawatt annual production capacity by 2025. As part of U.S. President Joe Biden’s landmark climate change law, the Inflation Reduction Act, the company’s domestically made panels will make facilities built with the panels eligible for a lucrative tax credit.

Food sector servicer to supply 50 jobs in Springdale, Ark.

Cypress Cold Storage, a warehouse supplier for the food industry, breaks ground on a new state-of-the-art cold storage facility in Arkansas. The 170,000-square-foot facility of temperature-controlled space will accommodate 22,000 pallets of freezer storage.

Medical device manufacturer to bring 340 jobs to Atlanta’s former State Farm campus

Boston Scientific Corp. will lease nearly 250,000 square feet in Johns Creek. The largest office deal so far this year, the deal will bring life science research and development to the metro.

Hanon Systems to build auto parts factory near Hyundai Motor Group’s coastal Georgia EV plant

The Korean auto parts maker will invest $40 million and employ 160 people in its new facility in Bulloch County, Ga. The future $5.54 billion Hyundai EV plant is the largest economic development project in state history.

Mississippi State University begins construction of new computing center

The university will invest $45 million in building the new High Performance Computing Data Center in the Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park. The 35,000-square-foot building will expand MSU’s high performance computing capabilities.

Cold-Link Logistics invests $64 million in Mississippi

The 200,000-square-foot cold storage facility will create 84 new jobs in Jones County, Miss. In partnership with transportation logistics company Whitestone Transportation, the corporate site will be developed with the assistance of the Mississippi Development Authority, the city of Ellisville and Jones County.

Ameriprise Financial to open corporate office in Charlotte, N.C.

The new 53,000-square-foot corporate office in uptown Charlotte will bring 400 jobs to the metro area. Joe Sweeney, Ameriprise president, said the firm chose Charlotte for the expansion due to the city’s highly skilled workforce.

Cosentino Group to build $270 million facility in Jacksonville, Fla.

The natural stone and architectural surfaces manufacturer has announced a major investment on a 408,000-square-foot facility at the Cecil Commerce Center. The company plans to hire about 180 people with an average salary of $56,000. This would be the Spanish companies first facility built in North America.

Heyco Werk USA Inc. to expand in Emporia, Va.

The automotive parts manufacturer will invest $5.4 million and create 21 jobs with its expansion in Greenville County. The company produces plastic molder parts for the auto industry, specifically meeting needs for the BMW plant in South Carolina.

Amazon’s Arlington, Va. HQ2 East Coast headquarters welcomes 2,000 employees

The tech giant will continue to welcome an additional 1,000 to 2,000 employees in phases until September or October of this year. The company has hired 8,000 people in the area so far.

Wood panel manufacturer Kronospan to expand in Ala.

Kronospan will invest $350 million to expand its Oxford, Ala., operations, creating an additional 150 jobs. Once complete later this year, the company will have employed 600 people and invested a total of more than $1 billion since 2008. The Oxford facility is the largest wood products site in North America.

Cooperative Electric Energy Utility Supply invests $52 million in South Carolina

With the purchase of the 247,000-square-foot Airport Distribution Center, the company will provide equipment to electric cooperatives across the state. The investment will create 61 new jobs.

Mattress Warehouse to create 108 new jobs near Columbia Metropolitan Airport

The company will operate a warehouse and distribution center at the Airport Distribution Center in South Carolina.

Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits invests $80 million in relocation

The state-of-the-art distribution center will operate at the Saxe Gotha Industrial park in South Carolina.

Chick-fil-A creates 165 new jobs in South Carolina

The company’s $80 million investment in its new distribution center at the Saxe Gotha Industrial Park serves to meet the growing demand in the region.

Bluegrass Bottling to expand in Lancaster, Ky.

The woman-owned, Kentucky-based business has broken ground on a new bottling facility. The $6.25 million investment will create 27 new jobs. The bourbon-related business will continue to operate its Lincoln County operations, where it employs around 20 people.

Toyota invests an additional $2.1 billion in North Carolina

Hyundai, LG to build $4.3 billion EV battery plant in Georgia

The electric vehicle battery plant near Savannah in Bryan County will become the second battery plant Hyundai is building in the state. The project is a part of its previously announced, $5.5 billion plant in Bryan County, which will bring 8,100 jobs.

Finland-based home manufacturer plans Georgia facility

The building manufacturer will set up operations in Waycross, Ga., with a $750 million facility. The company will employ more than 1,400 people in its first U.S.-based operation.

VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering plans to expand in Alabama

The aerospace company will hire 200 people in its expansion in Mobile. The expansion will begin in late June in conjunction with Airbus’ previous announcement to build a new assembly line for the A320 single-aisle passenger aircraft.

Steel Dynamics breaks ground on $2.5 billion aluminum factory in Mississippi

The Lowndes County plant was announced by Golden Triangle CEO Joe Max Higgins. The mill will produce nearly 650,000 tons of finished product for the beverage packaging, automotive and alloy industry.

Space Force selects Florida’s Space Coast for new training HQ

Energizer Holdings plans North Carolina expansion

With a total investment of $43 million over four years in Asheboro, the company will create an additional 178 jobs with an average salary of $54,000. Asheboro and Randolph County together offered $420,000 in incentives for the battery manufacturer.

Bosch expands its Charlotte, N.C. manufacturing capabilities

The tool company announced a major expansion with a $130 million investment to increase its production of power tool accessories in Lincoln County. The expansion will create 404 jobs with an average annual wage of $53,204.

E. & J. Gallo Winery opens New Amsterdam Vodka production line in North Carolina

The nation’s largest winemaker will invest a combined $423 million with a creation of nearly 500 new jobs in Chester County. Operations include a distribution center, production lines, warehousing, bottling, canning and an import and export center at the Fort Lawn hub.

Activation Capital will build an innovation center in the Bio+Tech Park in Richmond, Va.

The innovation incubator will develop the new hub with a $53 million investment. The 34-acre commercial park is adjacent to the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center and has more than 70 companies and laboratories on its campus.

Aerojet Rocketdyne adds 200 new jobs in Arkansas

The supplier of rocket systems to the American military will expand and modernize its facilities in Camden with a $215 million investment from the U.S. Department of Defense.

SK Signet opens EV charger manufacturing facility in Plano, Texas

The company’s ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the first SK Signet manufacturing facility located in the U.S. The facility plans to produce more than 10,000 chargers for electric vehicles and is expected to bring 183 jobs by 2026.

INFAC North America plans expansion in Taylor County, Ky.

The automotive industry manufacturer will break ground in Campbellsville as the company invests $53 million. The expansion will create 220 jobs. This will mark the second expansion by the company at their facility in Campbellsville since starting operations in 2008.

Clemson University, South Carolina to invest in rural internet

With a $185.8 million federal grant and $400 million from the South Carolina General Assembly, a plan to invest in South Carolina’s broadband infrastructure will begin this year.

The Feds are investing $12.7 million in South Carolina community development

The United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development had awarded Jasper County, S.C. $12.7 million in community development.

Dongwha begins building electrolyte plant in Tennessee

The $70 million Clarksville, Tenn. electrolyte plant, which specializes in electrolytes, the main component for batteries, will be complete in 2024. The facility will have an annual production capacity of 86,000 tons.

Delta Biofuel announces $100 million investment in Acadiana region.

The company plans to build a full-scale renewable fuel production facility in Iberia Parish, La. The company will convert sugarcane waste into biofuel for low-emission energy generation. The investment will create 126 new jobs with an average wage of $62,500.

Shell Catalysts & Technologies expands in West Baton Rouge Parish

The Louisiana Economic Development says 17 new jobs with an annual salary of $94,000 will be created with the Shell Catalysts & Technologies’ $121.7 million capital investment in its Port Allen facility. Catalysts are used to generate a less energy-intensive refining process for biofuels and aviation fuel as well as medical equipment and shoes. The catalyst refining plant in Port Allen is the largest in the world.

Westfield Fluid Controls to create 67 new jobs in Lafayette, La.

The new state-of-the-art facility for advanced manufacturing will create jobs with an annual salary of $49,797 with a capital investment of $5.1 million.

Company code-named “Project Cobra” slated to bring $1 billion data center to South Carolina

The economic development project has yet to be finalized. It could bring a data center to Lake Wylie and would create 12 high paying jobs in the area.

Japanese battery manufacturer Envision AESC breaks ground on facility in South Carolina

The new plant will employ more than 1,100 workers with an average salary of $65,000. Florence County Economic Development CEO Gregg Robinson says the investment marks a milestone as one of the biggest economic development projects ever for the county.

Walmart to invest $350 million in regional distribution center in Alabama

The Cullman, Ala. plant investment will double the amount of supplies the distribution center will ship with an implementation of a robotics and software platform developed by Symbotic LLC. Walmart operates five distribution centers and 144 retail stores in Alabama and employs over 41,000 in the state.

GM will invest $500 million in Texas plant

GM’s investment will prepare its Arlington, Texas facility to produce its next generation of SUVs. The investment confirms that the company plans to continue investment in its traditionally powered vehicles in preparation for its emerging EV business.

May 2023

$100 million invested in two new Northrop Grumman offices

Offices for defense contractor Northrop Grumman have been completed at the Redstone Gateway in Huntsville, Ala. The Birmingham, Ala.-based construction firm Robins & Morton completed the $100 million project, including two “build to suit” facilities and a parking deck.

Construction for Goldman Sachs’ $500 million new campus to begin later this year in Dallas

Regional offices of the Manhattan-based banking firm Goldman Sachs are to be built in the Uptown area of Dallas, Texas. Downsized by 10 percent, the project is to be completed by 2027.

Richardson International, Canadian-based agri-business leader, to invest $220 million in Memphis, Tenn.

$240 investment begins at MAGMA tech facility in Bowling Green, Ky.

O-I Glass has begun construction on a revolutionary greenfield glass facility, utilizing MAGMA technology. The technology is used for manufacturing flexible, modular glass production.

TAT Piedmont Aviation to expand operations at the Piedmont Triad International Airport

Tennessee Governor Lee signs Transportation Modernization Act into law

Governor Bill Lee signed the historic, bipartisan legislation, creating a $3.3 billion investment to modernize Tennessee’s transportation needs in rural and urban communities.

Georgia-Pacific spends $50 million to upgrade paper towel mill

The Port Hudson, La. mill will be upgraded with increased capacity and improved equipment. Twenty miles north of Baton Rouge, the mill produces paper towels for Brawny and other brands.

Washington Commanders owner to sell Virginia NFL team for $6 billion

Dan Snyder has agreed to sell the team to NBA legend Magic Johnson and a group of investors. A record-setting amount for any professional sports franchise, the Bethesda, Md.- based group of investors also owns the NHL’s New Jersey Devils.

Lego breaks ground on $1 billion facility in Chesterfield, Va.

Lego has broken ground on the first manufacturing plant in the U.S. for the Denmark-based toymaker. The project is one of Virginia’s largest economic development projects ever announced, according to Virginia Business. The project will create 1,761 jobs, with production starting in 2025.

Cross Technology of Winston-Salem is expanding with a $3.4 million grant

The 140,000-square-foot building upgrade for the machining company and maker will employ 120 more people over the next two years in Yadkin County, N.C.

6K Energy to invest $166 million in battery material manufacturing plant in Jackson, Tenn.

Governor Bill Lee announced the company will invest in a full-scale PlusCAM™ battery material manufacturing plant. With its initial investment, 6K Energy plans on expanding to $250 million in future phases. The company will also be using its $50 million U.S. Department of Energy grant for the factory.

Albemarle Corp. will invest $1.3 billion and create more than 300 new jobs in Chester County, S.C.

Approval has been granted for Albemarle Corp.’s investment in its lithium hydroxide processing facility in Chester County, S.C. The significant investment comes after previous passes for incentives by the county when the project was under the code name Project Raven.

Kentucky has the longest running, lowest unemployment ever recorded in the state

The record comes with a 3.8 percent unemployment rate over the last 15 months. Governor Andy Beshear also announced the state has added 46,000 more jobs in Kentucky since February 2020, a 2.3 percent growth in jobs.

Georgia has received $17.5 billion in investment by Korean firms since 2020

Supporting 23,000 total jobs in the state, Korean companies like Kia, Hyundai Motor Group, SK Group and others are continuing to invest.

240 high-paying jobs created by Marshall Aerospace in North Carolina

Marshall Aerospace has selected Piedmont Triad International Airport for its first location in the United States to service C-130 aircraft. The company plans to invest $50 million.

Firearm manufacturer subsidiary FN America plans expansion in South Carolina

The company plans to expand in Pickens County with a $33 million investment that will create 176 new jobs.

Disney plans to invest in $17 billion in Walt Disney World over the next 10 years

Disney CEO Bob Iger announced the plan, which will create 13,000 jobs in Central Florida, as the company continues its feud with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Acquisition Integration to create 250 jobs in Alabama

The aerospace logistics and distribution company plans to build 170,000 square feet of hangar and office space at the Pryor Field Regional Airport. The $30 million investment will create 250 jobs.

Global renewable energy company SPI Energy Co. Ltd. to invest $65.9 million in South Carolina

SEM Wafertech and Solar4American Technology announced the investment to establish operations in Sumter County. The solar companies’ investment will create 300 new jobs in Sumter County.

$42.7 expansion planned by BorgWarner Inc. in Oconee County, S.C.

As part of its “Charging Forward” initiative, The Auburn Hills, Mich.-based automotive supplier will create 122 new jobs in its plans to upgrade its facility in Seneca to integrate new EV battery systems.

Congo LLC will expand its HQ in Louisville, Ky.

The $8.25 million project will produce 500 high-paying jobs. The company plans to relocate to a 110,000-square-foot location at 13551 Triton Park Blvd.

Castellini Co. creates 180 jobs, to invest $16.6 million in Kentucky

The third-party logistics company for the food industry is expanding its Wilder operations with a $16.6 million investment.

EV car maker Rivian to invest $10 million in Bullitt County, Ky.

The planned remanufacturing facility in Shepherdsville will create 218 high-paying jobs, continuing the EV industries’ growth in the state.

Church & Dwight Company will expand in Virginia

The baking soda manufacturer plans to invest $27 million in its expansion of its Chesterfield County operations, which will create an additional 53 new jobs.

Richmond National Group to create 100 jobs in Henrico County, Va.

The specialty insurer plans to expand its HQ by adding 7,200 square feet of office space to its Greater Richmond footprint.

Delta Star will invest $30.2 million in Lynchburg, Va., expansion

The industrial power equipment manufacturer will create 149 jobs by adding 80,000-square-feet of manufacturing space and 14,000-square-feet of new office space.

CharterUp is relocating its HQ to Austin, Texas

The online bus-booking platform plans to add 100 jobs.

Tech company Tquila Automation to create 200 jobs in Birmingham, Ala.

The delivery hub will be located at The Switch, Birmingham’s innovation district, in the 65,000-square-foot Nextec building.

Westwater Resources plans $202 million graphite plant in Alabama

The Coosa County plant will supply material for EV battery manufacturer SK On.