Airbus set to report uptick in deliveries for the month of May at its Alabama plant
Airbus maintained a brisk pace of jet deliveries in May, handing over more jets to customers than in the previous month, according to sources familiar with the matter. The European plane maker is likely to report about 50 handovers for the month, after making 45 deliveries in April. At that level, May’s performance would take Airbus to roughly 220 deliveries so far in 2021, ahead of the 160 tallied at the same time last year — an indication of why the Toulouse, France-based company is optimistic about an eventual recovery in demand. Airbus announced recently that it has told suppliers to prepare for a production ramp-up of its best-selling A320-series jets to 64 per month by the second quarter of 2023.
Mohawk to expand into yarn production at Alabama plant
Mohawk Industries is introducing yarn production at its plant in Roanoke, Ala. The yarn will be used in the carpet manufacturing process. The deal will create 130 jobs.
Amazon reveals new Alabama warehouse and 500 jobs
Amazon announced plans to open a 1 million-square-foot fulfillment center in Huntsville, a project that will create more than 500 jobs. The company said the facility will be built near the new Mazda Toyota vehicle factory that’s under construction west of Huntsville in Limestone County.
Manufacturer bringing 50 jobs to Auburn
After surviving Chapter 11 bankruptcy, an Auburn manufacturing company specializing in building engines is looking to add people to its team. Briggs & Stratton now has a new owner and a new CEO and is looking to fill 50 positions.
Poultry operator adding 290 jobs in Little Rock, Ark.
Arkansas-based Custom Craft Poultry is opening a new poultry processing plant in Little Rock. The company has repurposed the former Odom’s Tennessee Pride sausage plant and invested nearly $10 million in the project. It is expected to create 290 new jobs.
Amazon to fill 1,500 jobs in Little Rock
Amazon is ready to hire 1,500 people to work at two new facilities in Central Arkansas. Staffing the new fulfillment centers — one at the Port of Little Rock and the other in North Little Rock — is the largest single such effort that Jay Chesshir said he can remember in his time leading the Greater Little Rock Chamber of Commerce, and will elevate the online retail company to one of the top employers in Central Arkansas.
FiberPro plans $3 million expansion, 69 new jobs in Hot Springs
FiberPro of Hot Springs announced plans to expand its manufacturing facility there, investing more than $3.1 million and creating 69 jobs over three years. FiberPro designs and builds log and lumber handling equipment.
Packaging manufacturer is expanding in Northeast Arkansas
Anchor Packaging, which makes packaging materials from recycled materials, is expanding its Paragould manufacturing plant. The $21 million investment will create 45 jobs.
L’Oréal to add 45 jobs with $12 million expansion of North Little Rock plant
New York City-based L’Oréal USA announced in May that it will invest more than $12 million to expand its plant in North Little Rock. The project is estimated to add 45 jobs to the 350 jobs at the plant.
New Boston Whaler factory opens in Florida
Brunswick Corporation and Boston Whaler recently held a groundbreaking ceremony ahead of the reopening of its 225,000-square-foot Flagler County manufacturing facility. The expansion will bring more than 400 jobs to the local economy.
ID.Me bringing 500 jobs to its new Tampa office
Virginia-based ID.me is opening a new office in Tampa, and will bring 500 jobs with it. The digital security firm, which is headquartered in the Washington, D.C. suburbs, says it hopes to hire employees for the new office by the end of this year.
FedEx to hire nearly 500 in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
FedEx will build a new sortation facility at Legacy Park in Port St. Lucie. The project will create 475 jobs.
Chicago company relocating HQ to Tampa
Signode Industrial Group, a maker of packaging tools and equipment, is relocating its headquarters from Chicago to Tampa. The deal will create 200 jobs.
City Furniture expected to bring 500 new jobs to Plant City
A national furniture chain is opening an operation in Plant City, bringing in 500 new jobs. City Furniture’s new complex is a $125 million project that will include a warehouse and corporate offices.
Paper plant coming to Tampa Bay
Port Tampa Bay has agreed to lease 37 acres to the Celadon Development Corporation to build and run a paper-fiber manufacturing plant. The plant will recycle paper products that would normally go to fields, but will now be processed and shipped in container loads primarily to Asia to be turned into paper products. The plant represents a $400 million investment and at least 100 jobs in this first phase.
Amazon adding 400 jobs in South Florida
Amazon says it hopes to create more than 400 jobs with the opening of four new delivery stations in Homestead, Kendall, Miramar and Fort Lauderdale. The new facilities are designed to ease same-day or even two-hour deliveries to residences in high-density neighborhoods.
Feit Electric bringing 120 new jobs to Henry County, Ga.
Feit Electric, a smart home and energy-efficient lighting brand, will invest more than $25 million to open a distribution center in Henry County. This will be the company’s first distribution center on the East Coast and will create 120 jobs in McDonough.
FanDuel bringing 900 jobs to new Atlanta tech hub
Mobile gaming site FanDuel has announced plans for a tech hub, with anticipated 900-plus jobs, in Atlanta. The proposed 68,000-square-foot operations center will host hundreds of high-paying jobs focused on software engineering, information technology and product
development.
Minute Maid moving to Atlanta
Coca-Cola is moving its Texas-based Minute Maid operation to Atlanta. The decision will end a 57-year relationship Coke’s flagship juice brand has had with the Houston area. The Sugar Land-based offices house 120 employees who have been working remotely for the past year during the coronavirus pandemic. Some of them may stay in the Houston area, a company spokeswoman said. The Minute Maid employees who move to Atlanta will be integrated into the company’s main headquarters complex near Georgia Tech.
Second Amazon facility to open in Appling
Columbia County, Ga., recently announced that a second Amazon facility will break ground in the area. This new sortation center will employ hundreds of full-time and part-time employees. It will be located in the same business park as an Amazon fulfillment center that promises 800 jobs and significant growth for the area.
PAC Worldwide investing $47 million in Fulton County with 400 jobs
PAC Worldwide, a global manufacturer of custom packaging, will open its first location in Georgia with a $47 million investment in Fulton County. The company’s new advanced manufacturing facility in Union City is expected to open in summer 2021 and will create 400 jobs.
Danimer Scientific planning $700 million, 400-job expansion in Georgia
Danimer Scientific, a developer and manufacturer of biodegradable materials, plans to invest $700 million in expanding its Bainbridge manufacturing operations, nearly quadrupling its workforce in Decatur County. In March, Danimer and Mars-Wrigley announced a partnership to develop an innovative home compostable packaging, with Skittles candy as the brand’s first product to use the new packaging.
Sumter County to gain 1,000 jobs with new call center
A ribbon-cutting was recently hosted as TLC Associates opened its new call center facility in the Ted Baldwin Business and Technology Park Complex in Americus, Ga. The company will hire 1,000 staff members.
Gov. Beshear announces projects in Eastern Kentucky
Governor Andy Beshear, Congressman Hal Rogers and local leaders held a news conference recently to announce Abandoned Mine Land projects in several Eastern Kentucky counties. The projects, funded by more than $14 million in grants, will take place in Floyd, Harlan, Laurel, Morgan and Perry counties. “These projects are creating good jobs and a healthier future for Eastern Kentuckians,” Gov. Beshear said. “These projects mean drinkable water and training and re-employment for those who have been laid off.”
Update: Amazon begins hiring 2,000 new jobs at CVG
Amazon announced that it has begun hiring for jobs at its $1.5 billion air cargo hub at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, where it plans to create 2,000 new positions. The jobs — loading and unloading aircraft and sorting packages — will pay at least $17.50 per hour and include a signing bonus of $2,000.
TVA to build Kentucky’s largest solar site
The Tennessee Valley Authority has announced plans to build the largest solar-plus-storage project in its Kentucky service area, which will benefit two well-known companies. The new Logan County solar farm, part of the TVA’s Green Invest program, will provide Facebook’s regional data center operations with 145 megawatts of solar power and General Motors’ Corvette Plant in Bowling Green with 28 megawatts of solar power.
Kentucky glass plant getting $45 million from Apple
Apple is strengthening ties to Corning’s plant in Mercer County, Ky., announcing it will award another $45 million to support Corning’s work to supply glass for the tech giant’s iPhones and other devices. This latest investment will expand Corning’s manufacturing capacity and “drive research and development,” according to Apple.
Tofu maker announces big Kentucky deal
House Foods, a maker of tofu, will locate its first Kentucky facility in Louisville. The company is investing $146 million and will create 109 full-time jobs.
Manufacturer adding 700 jobs in Kentucky
KCC Manufacturing, a manufacturer of commercial HVAC products, is expanding in Simpsonville, Ky. The company will invest $60 million and is adding 700 jobs.
Nucor adding a tube mill in Kentucky
Nucor Tubular Products, a division of steel products manufacturer Nucor Corp., plans to build a $164 million tube mill and create 72 full-time jobs in Gallatin County. With this investment, Nucor will add to its already significant presence there.
Lineage Logistics investing $42 million in New Orleans expansion
Michigan-based Lineage Logistics will build a $42 million expansion of its cold storage facility at Port of New Orleans. Lineage plans to create 50 new jobs there.
Amazon creating 1,000 jobs in Northwestern Louisiana
Amazon has planned a 650,000-square-foot fulfillment center in the northwestern Louisiana city of Shreveport. The development will generate $200 million in capital investment and add more than 1,000 jobs to the local economy.
ExxonMobil plans $334 million expansion at Baton Rouge chemical plant
ExxonMobil is planning to invest $334 million on an expansion and maintenance project at its chemical plant in Baton Rouge. The project will create about 750 temporary construction jobs over the next two years, according to the company in its filing with the state. Upgrades at the chemical plant, which employs 3,700 workers, has begun and is expected to complete by 2023.
Big deal in North Central Mississippi
Milwaukee Tool announced in the spring it will build a facility in Grenada, Miss., that will house 800 workers. The company will also add another 400 jobs at other plants it operates in the state along with a $60 million investment. The Greater Grenada Partnership and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) also are assisting with the project. The Greater Grenada Partnership donated 40 acres in the Grenada County Business and Technology Park to help capture the deal.
Amazon to open new facility in Mississippi
Amazon plans to open a new fulfillment center in Byhalia, Miss. The company expects to hire 500 in the deal.
Red Land Cotton bringing 40 jobs to Tylertown
Red Land Cotton, a manufacturer of high-end linens, has located sewing operations in Tylertown. The project is a $375,000 investment and will create 40 jobs.
Mississippi sawmill adds 43 jobs
Hankins Lumber in Grenada, Miss., is adding new sawmill operations, Hankins Timbers, to its existing business enterprise. The project is a $12.5 million corporate investment and will create 43 jobs.
Meat processor to create jobs in Missouri
Chicago-based Swift Prepared Foods, a maker of sausages and other meat products, is opening a new meat processing facility in Columbia, Mo.
The $200 million development will create 251 jobs.
Impressive job-making deal in Missouri
Carlisle Construction Materials, a manufacturer of building products for the real estate markets, announced in April it is investing $62 million in a new deal in Sikeston, Mo. The project will create 100 new jobs.
John Deere Reman expands in Springfield, creating 130 new jobs
Deere & Company, a world leader in agriculture and construction, is expanding operations in Springfield. The re-manufacturing division of Deere & Company —
John Deere Reman — will add drivetrain and hydraulic re-manufacturing operations to its existing facilities, creating 130 new jobs.
Big distribution deal in Joplin
This spring, Casey’s General Stores cut the ribbon on its new $62 million distribution center in Joplin. The state-of-the-art warehouse, logistics and distribution facility will add 125 jobs to the region.
Chicken coop company returns to North Carolina
A custom chicken coop manufacturer is returning to North Carolina with plans to create hundreds of new jobs. Carolina Coops was founded in Durham in 2009. As it expanded, it opened in upstate New York. Now, a $2.1 million investment will bring a new manufacturing location to Butner. Carolina Coops will create 147 new jobs over the next three years in Granville County. By 2026, the company expects to have created as many as 500 new jobs.
Apple announces 20,000 new U.S. jobs, 3,000 in Research Triangle
In April, Apple announced it would add 20,000 new jobs in the U.S., and invest over $400 billion in new projects around the country. At the same time, Apple revealed plans for a new $1 billion, 3,000-employee campus between the cities of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill in the Research Triangle. The new campus will involve machine learning, artificial intelligence and software engineering. According to the Charlotte Observer, the incentives to Apple could reach $1 billion. If so, that would be the largest in North Carolina history.
Amazon bringing $100 million distribution center to Johnston County
Amazon is planning another major expansion in the Triangle, with a $100 million distribution and fulfillment center in the works for Smithfield in Johnston County. The warehouse will create 500 jobs paying at least $15 an hour.
Amazon announces new facilities for Charlotte
Amazon plans to open a new fulfillment center and two delivery stations that will bring hundreds of new jobs to the Charlotte area. The news comes after Amazon last fall announced the opening of new distribution centers in the Charlotte area that would create more than 1,000 jobs.
Aluminum can maker expands in Winston-Salem
Ardagh Group, a supplier of infinitely recyclable metal and glass packaging, will add 94 new jobs in Forsyth County. The company will invest at least $195 million to expand its current beverage can metal manufacturing facility in Winston-Salem.
Google bringing engineering hub and 1,000 jobs
Google is opening a cloud engineering hub in Durham, the California-based tech giant announced recently. The company said the office could eventually support more than 1,000 jobs and grow into one of Google Cloud’s top five engineering hubs in the U.S. The company’s Google Cloud division will initially lease space in downtown Durham from Duke University and is “evaluating several locations” for a permanent home.
Credit Karma expanding in Charlotte with 600 jobs
Credit Karma announced that it is expanding its operations in Charlotte, adding 600 new jobs and investing $13 million to transform its existing operations into an East Coast Headquarters.
British pharmaceutical manufacturer opening new facility
Abzena, a British pharmaceutical manufacturer, will invest $213 million in Sanford, N.C., for a new plant that will house 325 workers.
Biopharma company creating 725 new jobs in North Carolina
North Carolina’s largest biopharmaceutical manufacturing organization, Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies, plans to create 725 jobs and invest $2 billion in Wake County. The subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate Fujifilm is building a new cell culture manufacturing facility in Holly Springs, N.C. The project was announced in January 2021, and the location finalized in March, with construction beginning immediately.
Red Hats for 500 new employees
IBM acquired Raleigh-based Red Hat two years ago for a whopping $34 billion. Now, the company plans to hire more than 500 new associates, concentrating on adding staff in the Triangle area of North Carolina and in Boston. The new talent will help develop products to meet the emerging edge computing needs of its clients.
Whirlpool announces a major expansion in Tulsa
Whirlpool announced it is investing $15 million into its factory in Tulsa, where the company produces freestanding and slide-in ranges under the Whirlpool, Amana, Maytag, KitchenAid and JennAir brands. The expansion will also mean the addition of 150 jobs there.
Trailer manufacturer adding jobs in Oklahoma
Cimarron Trailers, a manufacturer of aluminum trailers, is adding jobs at its plant in Chickasha, Okla. The plant will house 40 new workers.
Google expands in South Carolina with a $500 million investment
Google is investing $7 billion nationwide and $500 million will go toward further expanding its Berkeley County, S.C., operations. The company anticipates creating 10,000 full-time jobs this year, though there are no specifics yet on how many of those positions could be in South Carolina.
Another deal for Clarendon County
Clarendon County continues its run of projects announced over the last year or two. This time, Palmetto Yacht Management, a marine transport firm for luxury and oversized yachts, announced plans to invest nearly $4 million to establish operations in Clarendon County. More than 200 jobs will be created.
QVC expands operations in Florence County
QVC, the home shopping television network, is expanding its fulfillment center in Florence County, S.C. The $27.5 million project will generate 360 new jobs.
Oracle to bring 8,500 jobs, invest $1.2 billion in Nashville
In one of the South’s largest economic development deals in history, Austin, Texas-based Oracle via its previous headquarters in Redwood Shores, Calif., announced in the late spring it is building a campus on the east bank of the Cumberland River in downtown Nashville. Oracle is purchasing the land and investing $1.2 billion in the deal that will create over 8,000 jobs.
New manufacturer will bring 625 jobs to Orlinda, Tenn.
Puritan Medical Products, North America’s largest manufacturer of COVID-19 testing swabs, will establish new manufacturing and distribution operations in Orlinda, just south of Nashville. The project represents an investment of $220 million and the creation of 625 jobs over the next five years.
Amazon has begun hiring 1,000 jobs for new facility in Mt. Juliet
Amazon has started hiring for more than 1,000 full-time jobs at its new robotics fulfillment center in Mt. Juliet, Tenn. The facility will use robotics technology to pick, pack and ship smaller items to customers across the region. Amazon has projected up to 3,000 jobs for the Mt. Juliet facility.
French pet food company to expand Tennessee facility
Royal Canin, a pet food company headquartered in France, will expand its Lebanon facility, adding more than 90 jobs and investing more than $200 million. The Wilson County facility expansion began in 2019, and is scheduled for completion in 2022.
NTT Data chooses Nashville for its digital innovation center
NTT Data Services, a global technology firm, says it will make Nashville, Tenn., the home of its new digital innovation center. The company, which has several offices across the U.S., will invest $9.9 million and create 350 jobs with a focus on healthcare and manufacturing technology.
Gap distribution center expands in Gallatin, Tenn., creating 600 jobs
Gallatin’s Gap distribution center will expand operations with an $83 million investment and 600 new, full-time jobs.
Amazon adding hundreds of jobs in Memphis
Amazon announced a new facility in Memphis that will ship large items such as mattresses, grills and kayaks.
BP’s new offshore platform arrives in Texas
After a two-month, 16,000-mile trip, BP’s new Argos offshore platform arrived recently near Corpus Christi, bringing hundreds of jobs to the Gulf Coast offshore industry. The floating platform (which is as tall as a 27-story building and with a deck the size of a football field) is one of BP’s largest oil production platforms. It is the centerpiece of the British oil company’s $9 billion project to extract oil from the Mad Dog 2 field in 4,500 feet of water almost 200 miles south of New Orleans.
Four Lubbock companies announce combined 500 new jobs
Four Lubbock,-based companies are planning to expand, creating over 500 jobs and investing a combined $11.4 million in capital: SIMFLO, a leader in the vertical and submersible turbine markets, is expanding its current facility and constructing a new testing facility in Lubbock, which will be one of the largest test pits in North America. SIMFLO will invest $5 million and create 12 jobs. VXI Global Solutions, which designs customer engagement platforms, is creating over 350 new jobs. Tech company Starnik Systems, headquartered in Lubbock, is expanding with a capital investment of $5 million, and will bring 75 new jobs to the area. CEV Multimedia, which produces instructional materials for students and teachers, is creating 89 new Lubbock-based jobs, with a $229,555 investment.
ExxonMobil pitches $100 billion Houston carbon capture hub
ExxonMobil is seeking federal support to develop a facility that could capture all of the CO2 emissions from refineries and industrial facilities along the Houston Ship Channel. The price tag? An estimated $100 billion or more.
Tube manufacturer to bring jobs to large Texas steel plant
Bull Moose Tube will build a pipe mill on the Steel Dynamics campus in Sinton, Texas, near Corpus Christi. The new plant will produce 350,000 tons of hollow structural steel tube and sprinkler pipe each year. The project will generate 50 jobs.
New space media platform chooses Brownsville, Texas
Space Channel, a news and entertainment channel dedicated to all things space, will locate its new studio operations in Brownsville, moving from Los Angeles, Calif. The new studio will support Space Channel’s international network by focusing on Brownsville’s space-related infrastructure and its growing role in the space industry.
Fidelity Investments to hire hundreds at Westlake campus
Fidelity Investments will hire 475 new employees at its Westlake campus as part of a push to build out digital tools for investors and bolster client-facing positions
Nacero plans $7 billion gas plant in Texas=
The Odessa (Texas) Development Corporation and Nacero, a Houston-based company, have announced plans to build a $7 billion lower carbon gasoline manufacturing facility at a site in Penwell, Texas (near Odessa), in two phases. Construction of the Penwell facility will employ a peak of 3,500 workers during the four years of phase one construction. When fully operational, the plant will employ 350 operators and maintenance personnel with annual salaries of approximately $85,000 per person. Construction is slated to begin in Penwell before the end of this year.
Texas medical marijuana facility to create hundreds of jobs
Atlanta-based cannabis operator Parallel announced the creation of a $25 million cannabis cultivation, production and retail facility in the city of San Marcos. The new facility will create “hundreds of jobs” according to the local newspaper there.
Covestro plans $4.7 billion expansion near Houston
German chemical manufacturer Covestro AG wants to expand its plant in Baytown, Texas, with a $1.69 billion investment. The company will build new manufacturing units for polyurethane and polycarbonates at its existing manufacturing site near Houston.
Big hydroponic greenhouse to create over 100 jobs in Virginia
Sunny Farms will invest $59.6 million to establish a “state-of-the-art” facility at Taylor Farms in Virginia Beach. The deal will create 155 new jobs.
Consulting company HQ lands in Tysons, Va., will create 900 jobs
Guidehouse, a management consulting company, will invest $12.7 million to establish a global headquarters and create 900 jobs in Tysons. The new campus will house more than 1,550 employees when at full capacity,
Air purification company bringing 100 new jobs to Radford, Va.
Oransi, a North Carolina-based company that specializes in air purification products, is planning to invest $5.6 million to open a manufacturing facility in Radford. The company’s first manufacturing facility will create 101 new jobs.
Amazon to build robotics fulfillment center in Richmond
Amazon announced in April it will build a robotics fulfillment center in Henrico County. The facility will house 1,000 workers.
Biotech firm expanding in Richmond
Grenova, a Virginia-based sustainable biotech firm, is expanding its operations in Richmond. The company will make devices to wash and sterilize contaminated pipette tips for reuse in COVID-19 testing. The $10 million project will create 250 new jobs.
Frozen treat maker expanding in West Virginia
The Ziegenfelder Company is immediately creating 40 jobs at its manufacturing plant in Wheeling, W.Va. The hiring need is fueled by the company’s expansion and the addition of a new frozen dessert line.
Atlanta-based firm growing in West Virginia
The Atlanta-based business-to-business firm N3, which uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve clients’ sales portfolios, is expanding in Charleston, W.Va. N3, a subsidiary of Accenture, will add 100 jobs in the deal.
Sheetz to build distribution depot in Jefferson County, W.Va.
The convenience store chain Sheetz plans to build a $2 million distribution truck transfer station in
Kearneysville. When completed, the station will employ 34 workers.
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