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

ALABAMA

Walmart’s “buy USA” pledge creates 100 new jobs in tiny Alabama town

Because of Walmart’s $250 billion pledge to support American manufacturing, a tiny Alabama town of 750 is landing 100 new jobs. Wadley, Ala., is home to Wadley Holdings, which manufactures patio furniture. Walmart recently chose the company to make the furniture for its stores. The result is the addition of 100 jobs at the plant in Randolph County.

 

New aircraft facility slated for Huntsville region

Sierra Nevada will build a new 130,000-square-foot plant at the Madison County Executive Airport in Meridianville, Ala. The plant will be equipped for future fixed- and rotary-winged aircraft support. The deal will create 200 jobs.

 

Commercial Jet announces 100 new jobs

Dothan, Ala.-based Commercial Jet Services is increasing its workforce by 100 aircraft maintenance and structures technicians. Commercial Jet established its CJet Academy in 2014 to train entry-level structures technicians.

 

French aerospace company to supply Airbus in Mobile, Ala.

France-based Zodiac, a supplier of aircraft cabins that employs more than 30,000 workers worldwide, will open a facility at the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley. The Mobile, Ala., location will be used to supply Airbus as it ramps up its A320 production at Brookley.

 

STERIS places division HQ in Birmingham

Ohio-based STERIS, a manufacturer of medical devices, has chosen Birmingham as the headquarters of its Specialty Services division. The $8 million headquarters will house 100 of the company’s workers who are at another facility in the Birmingham area, as well as 100 more.

 

Wells Fargo hiring 300 jobs in Birmingham area

Wells Fargo is placing a new online customer service center in Homewood, Ala., a suburban city in the Birmingham metro. The deal calls for 300 positions to be filled.

 

Viva Health expands its Birmingham HQ

Viva Health is starting renovations of its Birmingham headquarters that could bring as many as 400 more workers to its downtown offices. Viva is managing the Medicaid regional care organizations in Birmingham, Montgomery and Mobile.

 

Johns Manville bringing second line, 175 jobs to Jackson County, Ala.

Denver-based Johns Manville, a roofing products manufacturer, is expanding its Scottsboro, Ala., plant with a second production line. The new line will produce JM Top, a roofing membrane. The deal will create 175 jobs.

 

ARKANSAS

Bad Boy Mowers expanding Arkansas operations

Bad Boy Mowers is growing its Batesville, Ark., operations. The company is investing $7.8 million to add 68,000 square feet to its existing 1-million-square-foot facility. The deal will create 160 jobs. 

 

Remington Outdoor, SIG Sauer to create new jobs in Arkansas

Two firearms-related companies are creating new jobs in Arkansas. Remington will add more than 80 jobs at its Lonoke plant, and gun maker SIG Sauer is opening a Jacksonville ammunition manufacturing operation that will employ 50.

 

JB Hunt increasing workforce at Arkansas HQ by 1,000

Trucking company J.B. Hunt Transport Services is adding 1,000 workers to its headquarters in Lowell, Ark. Many of the new employeess will work in the company’s IT department.

 

Simmons Prepared Foods to hire 100 in Fort Smith

Simmons Prepared Foods, an innovative poultry processing company, is leasing space at Zero Mountain in Fort Smith and creating more than 100 jobs.

 

Pet food plant set for Arkansas

In the winter quarter, Simmons Feed Ingredients began construction on its new pet food ingredient plant in Siloam Springs, Ark. The nearly 90,000-square-foot facility will house 78 workers.

 

Two companies add jobs in downtown Little Rock

Two technology firms, Inuvo and PrivacyStart, announced in the winter they will add at least 75 jobs at their new headquarters located in downtown Little Rock’s River Market District this year.

 

FLORIDA

Blue Origin to build rocket plant on Florida’s Space Coast

Blue Origin, a spacecraft company backed by Amazon.com founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, is building a $200 million rocket assembly facility in Brevard County near the Kennedy Space Center. The facility will house about 300 workers. Brevard County is also in the running to land the company’s BE-4 rocket engine plant.

 

Telemundo building $250 million, 1,300-job HQ

In the winter quarter, Comcast, NBC Universal and Telemundo Enterprises executives joined Florida Gov. Rick Scott to announce the plans for Telemundo’s new $250 million, 1,300-employee headquarters to be located in northwest Miami-Dade County. The new facility is expected to open in 2018.

 

Melbourne-based Harris Corp. hiring 300

Harris Corp. is adding 300 jobs, with most of them being housed in the company’s new Technology Center in Palm Bay, Fla. Almost all of the jobs are engineering-based. The new hires will work with Harris’ Space and Intelligence, Critical Networks and Electronic Systems divisions.

 

Hundreds of aerospace and defense jobs being filled in Central Florida

Several aerospace and defense companies are hiring in Central Florida. Maryland-based Lockheed Martin is hiring 276 engineers for its Orlando, Melbourne and Cape Canaveral facilities. Virginia-based Northrop Grumman is hiring 223 analysts and engineers in both Orlando and Melbourne. Northrop Grumman won an $80 billion U.S. Air Force contract to design and build a new bomber aircraft. The bomber contract is expected to generate thousands of workers in Melbourne by 2019.

 

Kaman Aircraft adding 200 jobs in Jacksonville

Kaman Aircraft, an aerospace and industrial manufacturer, is expanding its operations in Jacksonville, Fla. The company is investing $30 million and adding 200 new jobs.

 

Naples medical device manufacturer hiring 350

Arthrex, a Naples-based medical device company, is investing $47 million in its manufacturing center in Ave Maria, Fla. The company is adding 218,000 square feet of space and 350 jobs.

 

French aerospace company moving operations from New Jersey to Florida

Safran S.A. is moving its AeroSource unit to Manatee County, Fla., from Somerset, N.J. The MRO company will hire 84 workers in the move. 

 

Insurer adding jobs in Tampa

The Willis Group, an insurance brokerage firm, is expanding its Tampa workforce. The company is adding 157 jobs.

 

Pharmaceutical company expands in Boca Raton

KRS Global Biotechnology is expanding its pharmaceutical and R&D facility in Boca Raton. The company is adding 160 jobs.

 

New Jersey firm opening IT center in Gainesville

USR Systems announced in the winter it will open an IT development center in Gainesville. The deal will create 140 jobs.

 

Fintech company hiring in Lake Mary, Fla.

Paylocity, a financial technology company providing payroll and HR solutions, is expanding its footprint in Lake Mary. The company is adding 176 new jobs.

 

Ship repair company creating 250 jobs at Port Tampa Bay

International Ship Repair & Marine Services has acquired a 10th dry dock at Port Tampa Bay. The new dock will enable the company to hire 250 more workers.

 

GEORGIA

Fintech Kabbage doubling workforce in ATL

Kabbage, which uses automation and analytics to provide short-term working capital to small businesses, is adding up to 300 jobs, doubling its Atlanta workforce. Kabbage fills a niche in the small business lending sector by making loans to companies who are often turned away by traditional financial institutions.

 

State Farm hiring 1,500 in Atlanta, raising wages

State Farm announced in the winter it is increasing the minimum wage for its new hires to $15.50 per hour. The company also said it is hiring 1,500 employees in the Atlanta area this year.

 

Unisys Corp. opens Client Service Center in Augusta, Ga.

Unisys Corporation officially opened its client service center in Augusta. The company plans to create up to 700 jobs in the next five years to provide IT support to a range of commercial and government clients.

 

Kaiser Permanente adding 800 jobs in Metro Atlanta expansion

Health care industry giant Kaiser Permanente will add 800 jobs in Atlanta, including 600 positions at a new facility in Gwinnett County. The move represents a $51 million capital investment.

 

Merchant e-Solutions to locate HQ and 140 jobs in Atlanta

Merchant e-Solutions, a division of Brazil-based Cielo S.A., a global payment processing company, will invest $5 million in Atlanta for its U.S. headquarters. The move will create more than 140 jobs.

 

Valmiera Glass expands facility in Dublin, Ga.

Valmiera Glass Group, a Latvia-based fiberglass manufacturer, will expand its U.S.-based headquarters in Dublin. The project will create 425 jobs and generate an investment of $90 million.

 

Anthem adding 450 employees in Columbus

Health-care insurer Anthem plans to add 450 employees to the 1,285 already employed at its BlueCross BlueShield of Georgia complex in Columbus by the end of 2017. Anthem will invest $3 million in the expansion.

 

Marketo hiring in Atlanta

A California-based software designer is expanding its East Coast hub in Atlanta, which is becoming a major player in the software sector. Marketo, which designs on-demand software, is adding 50 jobs to its current workforce of 100 in Buckhead.

 

Financial tech firm adding jobs in Atlanta

Payscape, an Atlanta-based financial technology firm is adding jobs in Atlanta. The company, which provides web-based payment applications that allow small businesses to accept mobile and online payments, is hiring 200.

 

Another fintech expanding in Atlanta

Atlanta has seen many deals in the last couple of years from the financial technology payments sector. The latest is InComm, which is expanding its facilities in Atlanta, Peachtree Corners and Alpharetta. The $20 million expansion will create 275 jobs.

 

Call center slated for metro Atlanta

VXI Global Solutions an IT outsourcing provider, is opening a call center in College Park, Ga. The project will create 570 jobs.

 

Biofuel plant to be built in Dooly County, Ga.

Ensyn Georgia Biorefinery will build a cellulosic biofuel refinery in rural Dooly County, Ga. The plant will convert woody biomass into fuel. The deal will create 138 jobs.

 

Specialty film manufacturer relocating from New York to Georgia

Jindal Films Americas is relocating its U.S. R&D center and headquarters from Macedon, N.Y., to Troup County, Ga. The company makes specialty films for packaging. It will also expand its existing plant in LaGrange, Ga. The $180 million project will generate 240 jobs.

 

KENTUCKY

Aerospace manufacturer adding jobs in Kentucky

Messier-Bugatti-Dowty is expanding its aircraft wheel and carbon brake plant in Walton, Ky. The $100 million project will add 80 new jobs.

 

Illinois-based distributor setting up facility

Eby-Brown, a convenience store distributor of tobacco and candy, is investing about $37 million in a facility in Bullitt County, Ky. The project will create 245 jobs.

 

Indiana-based company building $57 million bakery in Kentucky

More Than A Bakery LLC announced it will build a $57.1 million bakery in Versailles, Ky. The facility will produce cookies and crackers for major food brands. The deal will create 310 jobs.

 

$444 million federal prison to be built in Kentucky

The U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch confirmed in the winter quarter that the Bureau of Prisons plans to build a $444 million federal prison on a 700-acre site in Letcher County, Ky. The project will create 300 jobs.

 

Global law firm to place service center in Louisville

U.K.-based Hogan Lovells, a global law firm with its U.S. headquarters in Washington D.C., plans to open a Louisville service center that is expected to grow to 250 employees. The firm is investing $8.9 million in the project.

 

Northern Kentucky Tri-ED announces expansions — $300 million investment and 150 new jobs

Northern Kentucky Tri-ED announced in January that expansions by FedEx Ground Package System and Messier-Bugatti USA in Northern Kentucky were presented to the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority Board for approval.

 

Clark Material Handling reshoring jobs from Mexico to Kentucky

Clark Material Handling, a manufacturer of forklifts, is expanding its plant in Lexington, Ky. The $4.8 million project will create 30 jobs initially. The company will begin production of two electric forklifts that were previously built in San Luis Potosi, Mexico.

 

Passport Health’s $15 million partnership to add 650 jobs in Kentucky

Arlington, Va.-based Evolent Health announced it will partner with Louisville-based insurer Passport Health Plan. The partnership’s new regional Medicaid headquarters in Louisville will mean 650 jobs in the area.

 

British company plans production center in Kentucky

U.K.-based nutrition supplement manufacturer Cend LLC is opening a $17 million plant in Bullitt County, Ky. The deal will create 350 jobs.

 

Three distillery projects in Nelson County, Ky., ready to go

Jim Beam, The Bardstown Bourbon Company and Luxco plan to invest $325 million combined in three bourbon distillery projects in Bardstown and Nelson County, Ky.

 

Big Ass Solutions expanding in Kentucky

Big Ass Solutions is expanding its residential fan unit, Haiku Home, at its facilities in Lexington, Ky. It is also adding two new products, an LED light fixture and a wireless wall control. The Lexington-based manufacturer will add 100 jobs. 

 

LOUISIANA

Shell breaks ground on $717 million Louisiana project

Shell Chemicals broke ground on its $717 million linear alpha olefins plant in Geismar, La., in the winter quarter. When completed, the plant will become the largest single-site producer of alpha olefins in the world.

 

Westlake investing $350 million in Southwest Louisiana expansion

Houston-based Westlake Chemical is moving ahead with a $350 million expansion of its ethylene plant in Lake Charles, La. The company is also expanding its plant in Calvert City, Ky., but financial details of that expansion were not available.

 

Companies investing $3 billion in Lake Charles, La., plants

Lotte Chemical and Axiall Corp. announced two plants in Lake Charles in the winter quarter. Axiall and Lotte, through a joint venture called LACC LLC, will invest $1.9 billion in a new ethane cracker facility. Additionally, Lotte will build a $1.1 billion monoethylene glycol facility on the same site as the cracker.

 

Korean manufacturer picks Lake Charles, La.

South Korea-based Dongsung FineTec is investing $5 million in a plant in Lake Charles. The company, which produces insulation for LNG tanks, will hire 250 direct jobs.

 

MISSISSIPPI

Steel Dynamics breaks ground on $100 million facility in Columbus, Miss.

Steel Dynamics broke ground in January on its new Paint Line and Galvalume facility in Columbus. The project represents a corporate investment of $100 million and will create 40 jobs.

 

Topship planning for more than 1,000 jobs in Gulfport, Miss.

Edison Chouest Offshore subsidiary, Topship LLC, will build a shipyard at the state port in Gulfport. The company plans to invest $68 million at the inland port and at least 1,000 jobs will be created.

 

Caterpillar adding jobs in Mississippi

Caterpillar is adding a remanufacturing engine line in Corinth, Miss., which will require the addition of 41 jobs. The company is also adding four jobs at its plant in Booneville.

 

Plant reshored to rural Mississippi

True Temper Sports is closing a plant in China and shifting the work to an existing facility in Amory, Miss. The company makes steel tubes used in golf club shafts. The deal will create 100 jobs.

 

Delta Furniture adding 100 jobs in rural Mississippi

Pontotoc, Miss.-based furniture manufacturer Delta Furniture Manufacturing is setting up shop in Chickasaw County, Miss. The company, which has several facilities in Mississippi, is moving into an existing building in New Houlka that will house 100 workers.

 

Japanese food manufacturer expanding Mississippi plant

Ajinomoto Windsor, a frozen ethnic food manufacturer, is expanding its plant in Yalobusha County, Miss. The company is investing $20 million and adding 60 jobs to place a rice line in the plant.

 

Big projects in rural Mississippi

ABB, a power and automation technology company that serves the utility industry and others, is moving into the former Twin Creeks Technologies building located in Senatobia, Miss. ABB expects to create 300 jobs with the expansion to North Mississippi.

 

Furniture plant slated for Amory, Miss.

American Furniture Manufacturing will open a plant to make sofas and sleeper sofas in Amory. The plant will house 140 workers.

 

Michigan lumber company to build $85 million sawmill

Michigan-based Biewer Lumber announced it is building an $85 million sawmill in Newton, Miss. Production is slated for early 2017, when 125 workers will be hired.

 

MISSOURI

Cerner investing $528 million in Missouri

Kansas City-based Cerner Corp. is buying the space it occupies in Lee’s Summit. It is also adding equipment in a deal that is valued at $528 million. Cerner employs thousands in and around Kansas City, and is currently building the first phase of a $4.45 billion expansion in South Kansas City. 

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Aerospace manufacturer adding jobs in Missouri

High Tech Solutions, a manufacturer of machined components for the aerospace industry, is relocating its headquarters to Lee’s Summit, Mo. The project will create 46 new jobs.

 

German company expanding in K.C.

Multivac, a Germany-based packaging solutions company, is investing $6.9 million in its U.S. headquarters located in Kansas City. The project will create 50 new jobs.

 

New global HQ set for Maryland Heights, Mo.

World Wide Technologies is building a new global headquarters in Maryland Heights, Mo. The company is a systems integration firm founded in 1990. The $95 million project is expected to create 500 jobs.

 

Denmark-based Brodrene Hartmann plans $30 million manufacturing hub in Rolla, Mo.

Denmark-based Brodrene Hartmann A/S, the world’s leading manufacturer of molded-fiber egg packaging and one of the largest manufacturers of machinery for producing molded-fiber packaging, will open a $30 million manufacturing facility in Rolla. The company plans to create 50 new jobs in the area.

 

India-based company sets up HQ in St. Louis

India-based Lacgene Technologies has chosen St. Louis for its new U.S. headquarters. The company provides natural agricultural products and solutions using genetics and nanotechnology. The deal will create 30 new jobs.

 

St. Louis social network grows

LockerDome, an interest-based social network, which has designed a social media platform that caters to users’ interest, is tripling its office space in St. Louis. The company is also adding up to 300 jobs.

 

International plastics manufacturer expanding in Kansas City

Logoplaste, a plastics manufacturer based in Portugal, is investing $35 million in its Kansas City facilities. The deal will create 110 jobs.

 

NORTH CAROLINA

Recycler adding 350 jobs in Charlotte

Republic Services, a provider of recycling services, is opening a Customer Resource Center in Charlotte. The $6.8 million deal will create 350 new jobs.

 

Piedmont Airlines hiring 300 in Charlotte

American Airlines subsidiary Piedmont Airlines is adding 300 jobs in Charlotte. The airline operates regional flights for American.

 

Tape maker to build $40 million plant near Charlotte

In the winter quarter, Intertape Polymer Group announced it will build a new plant in Cabarrus County, N.C. The $40 million plant will house 49 workers.

 

California furniture manufacturer to open North Carolina plant

CH Living, an upholstered furniture brand of California-based Castle Home Furnishings, will open an 180,000-square-foot plant in Greensboro, N.C. The plant will house 200 workers.

 

Boeing to open data center in North Carolina

Boeing will open a 127,000-square-foot data center in Kings Mountain, N.C. The building will cost $75 million, but no word yet on the price tag for the entire center.

 

Tyson Foods adding jobs in North Carolina

Tyson Foods is expanding its chicken processing plant in Monroe, N.C. The $5 million project will create 56 jobs. The company employs more than 1,500 workers in Monroe.

 

Bosch adding 460 jobs in New Bern, N.C.

Germany-based BSH Home Appliances, the maker of Bosch and Thermador kitchen appliances, is expanding its New Bern plant by 460 workers. North Carolina beat out South Carolina and Tennessee for the deal.

 

Duke Energy plans solar farm in Monroe, N.C.

Charlotte-based Duke Energy is building a 60-megawatt solar array on 400 acres near Monroe. The project will be Duke’s third-largest solar farm.

 

Company opening facility in Greensboro, N.C.

Qorvo, a provider of radio frequency solutions for a variety of industries including aerospace and defense, will open a new facility in Greensboro. The company was formed with the merger of TriQuint and RF Micro Devices. The $25 million deal will create 100 jobs.

 

Corning division moving HQ to Charlotte

Corning Optical Communications announced in the winter it will open a new $38 million headquarters in Charlotte. The 650-employee headquarters will be bolstered by moves of about 500 workers in Hickory, N.C. The company will add 150 in Charlotte and keep about 1,000 in Hickory.

 

FedEx to place distribution center in Concord, N.C.

Memphis-based FedEx will consolidate facilities in Charlotte and Fort Mill, S.C., to a new $66 million distribution center in Concord. The project will consolidate 290 jobs.

 

Red Ventures adding jobs in North Carolina

South Carolina-based Red Ventures, which creates websites for companies while selling their products, is adding 500 jobs across the state line at its facility in Mecklenburg County, N.C. The company employs several thousand in the Charlotte area in both North and South Carolina.

 

Premier Research bringing 260 jobs to Durham, N.C.

Premier Research, a firm that serves the clinical development needs of the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors, is bringing 260 jobs to Durham. The company is investing $4.1 million in the deal.

 

OKLAHOMA

HVAC company breaks ground on new R&D lab in Oklahoma

AAON, an air conditioning, heating and ventilation company, broke ground in the winter quarter on a new R&D lab on its Tulsa campus where it employs 1,400. The $26 million facility, which will house 20 workers initially, will be used to test the company’s HVAC products.

 

Company expands in Ada, Okla.

Florida-based iQor, a provider of business process outsourcing, is adding 100 new jobs at its Ada, Okla., facility.

 

$30 million data center opens in Oklahoma City

TierPoint LLC has completed its third and largest Oklahoma data center in Oklahoma City. The $30 million data center is located in a 69,000-square-foot facility.

 

SOUTH CAROLINA

Billion-dollar groundbreaking in S.C.

“The largest carbon fiber producer in the world, Toray Industries, is now calling Moore, S.C., home,” said Gov. Nikki Haley at the January groundbreaking of Toray Carbon Fibers America in Spartanburg. The billion-dollar investment will mean 500 new jobs.

 

TD Bank to add 300 jobs in Greenville, S.C.

TD Bank is boosting its Greenville footprint by adding 300 jobs over the next year. The additional jobs will bring the bank very close to its previously announced commitment to have 1,400 jobs at its regional service center along Interstate 85 in Greenville.

 

Textile company establishing in Lancaster County, S.C.

3i Products Inc., which makes and distributes indoor and outdoor cushions and pillows, is establishing operations in Lancaster County. The $3 million investment is expected to create 100 new jobs.

 

NARENCO establishing solar power in Allendale County, S.C.

National Renewable Energy Corporation (NARENCO), established in 2009 and headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is on track to invest more than $85 million to establish solar power operations in Allendale County.

 

Lancaster, S.C., company to expand

An estimated 125 new jobs will come to Lancaster with the $15 million expansion of Nutramax Laboratories. The maker of animal health products has invested $29 million in Lancaster County since 2010, and currently employs 250 people.

 

Flooring manufacturer expands in rural South Carolina

KronotexUSA, which manufacures flooring, is adding 105 jobs and investing $230 million in its plant in Barnwell, S.C. It’s the fourth expansion in a decade for the Swiss-owned plant.

 

Boise Cascade investing in South Carolina plant

Boise Cascade is expanding its Chester, S.C., plywood plant. The $23.5 deal will create 52 jobs.

 

TENNESSEE

Google picks Clarksville, Tenn., for 15th global data center

In the winter, Google announced it was placing a $600 million data center on the property of the former Hemlock Semiconductor plant. The data center will employ about 70 workers. In the fall quarter, Google also took over a property in the South when it announced it would place a data center at a former TVA power plant in Jackson County, Ala.

 

Jack Daniel’s investing $140 million in Tennessee

Louisville-based Brown-Forman Corp. plans to invest $140 million at its Jack Daniel’s Distillery in Lynchburg, Tenn. Plans include an updated visitor center, new barrel houses, expanded bottling operations and other upgrades. The deal will create 30 jobs.

 

Health care firm building new HQ in Murfreesboro

Twelvestone Health Partners announced in the winter quarter it will build a new headquarters in Murfreesboro, Tenn. The $14.9 million project will create 200 jobs.

 

Welded pipe maker expands in Bristol, Tenn.

BRISMET, a manufacturer of stainless steel, nickel alloy, super duplex and titanium welded pipe used by the heavy industrial sector, is investing about $5 million in its plant in Bristol. The project will create 60 new jobs.

 

Olympus to build multi-million facility in Bartlett, Tenn., create 280 jobs

A Japanese medical manufacturing company will build a new multi-million dollar facility in Bartlett. Olympus will construct a service and distribution center adjacent to its existing facility, which manufactures medical devices. More than $12 million is being invested in the new facility, which will create more than 280 new jobs in the Memphis region.

 

$100 million wind farm slated for Crossville, Tenn.

Virginia-based Apex Clean Energy announced it is building a $100 million wind farm in Crossville. The 20- to 23-turbine project will generate 71 megawatts of power.

 

Famous Massachusetts textile company relocating operations to Tennessee

Polartec, formerly Malden Mills, is relocating its original factory in Lawrence, Mass., to Cleveland, Tenn. The popular fleece maker will hire 200 in the move. The company was founded in Massachusetts in 1906 as Malden Knitting. In 1979, the company introduced polar fleece, creating a new outerwear garment category.

 

Protomet expanding in Oak Ridge, Tenn.

Protomet, an engineering, manufacturing and technology company, is adding 100,000 square feet of space and 200 jobs at its base in Oak Ridge. The company is investing $30 million in the expansion.

 

Berry Plastics expands in Jackson, Tenn.

Berry Plastics, a maker of food containers and bottles for the health-care industry, is expanding its facility in Jackson. The company, a Fortune 300, is adding 70 to 80 jobs.

 

Yamaha expands East Tennessee boat plant

Yamaha Jet Boat Manufacturing announced plans to invest $17.7 million in its Vonore, Tenn., boat plant. The project will create 150 new jobs.

 

Logistics company growing by 425 jobs in Nashville area

Cavalry Logistics is expected to sublease the former Best Buy store in Antioch, Tenn., and add 425 employees. The third-party logistics provider is a subsidiary of Michigan-based Universal Truckload Services.

 

TEXAS

​Amarillo needs 180 welders

Spain-based Gestamp Renewable Industries is opening its first American wind tower manufacturing plant in Amarillo. Almost 200 welders are needed immediately for the $40 million investment. The facility will employ over 300 when up and running.

 

Oracle to build massive campus in Austin

California technology giant Oracle announced plans to build a 560,000-square-foot campus in East Austin. The new campus will focus on cloud computing technology. The company currently employs about 1,100 workers in Austin and the new campus will consolidate those employees and add 550 more.

 

Austin captures California relocation

Shopgate, a German mobile commerce firm, is relocating its U.S. headquarters from California to Austin, Texas. The company will hire 50 in the move.

 

Med tech company relocating to Austin

ClearData Networks, a medical technology company, is relocating its operations from Tempe, Ariz., to Austin, Texas. The digital health care cloud services firm will hire 80 in the move.

 

Monsanto building $140 million cotton operation in Lubbock

Monsanto announced plans to build a new $140 million cotton seed processing facility in Lubbock, Texas. The facility will be the company’s primary U.S. hub for all commercial cotton seed processing, including treating and bagging the seed. The project is expected to create 40 jobs.  

 

Microsoft to build large data center in West San Antonio

Washington-based Microsoft purchased 158 acres in West San Antonio, Texas in the winter quarter. The technology giant will build an eight-building data center that will encompass about 1.2 million square feet on the site.

 

Air Products to build $400 million hydrogen plant in Texas

Pennsylvania-based Air Products announced it will build a $400 million hydrogen plant in Baytown, Texas. The project is scheduled for completion in 2018.

 

Wayfair to create 450 jobs in Bryan, Texas

Boston-based Wayfair, one of the largest online retailers for decor and home furnishings, will open a new customer service center in Bryan. The project will generate 450 job openings.

 

Major renovations at Round Rock facility

Los Angeles-based ProPortion Foods, a distributor of fully cooked meat products, is poised to move into its new Round Rock headquarters with renovations underway at the former Sysco facility. The move is expected to bring up to 400 jobs to the local market.

 

FedEx plans massive facility in Houston

FedEx will open a massive new ground facility in Cypress, Texas next summer. The 800,000-square-foot project will house the Memphis-based company’s largest FedEx Ground facility in Texas and will employ 400 people.

 

Tech travel giant Sabre expanding Texas HQ

Technology travel giant Sabre Corp. is expanding its headquarters in Southlake, making room for an additional 400 employees.

 

Homegrown company in Waco, Texas expands

Time Manufacturing, a maker of truck-mounted hydraulic lifts, is celebrating its 50th anniversary with an expansion of its plant in Waco. The company will invest $5.8 million and hire 121 workers.

 

VIRGINIA

Target adding 600 jobs at Virginia distribution center

Retailer Target is boosting employment at its large distribution center in Suffolk, Va. The company is adding 600 to its workforce and will install new equipment to distribute products.

 

European manufacturer to open plant in Richmond metro

Polykon Manufacturing, a European manufacturer of ingredients used in drugs and cosmetics, will invest $60 million to open a plant in Henrico County, Va. The $60 million project will create 50 jobs. 

 

Aerospace supplier expands in Virginia

A manufacturer of advanced composite materials used in aviation, space and defense technologies, EURO-COMPOSITES is expanding its plant in Culpeper County, Va. The $10.5 million deal will create 58 jobs.

 

Norfolk Southern picks Roanoke for new HQ

Norfolk Southern Corp. is consolidating its Virginia and Pocahontas divisions to Roanoke, Va., to reduce costs and increase growth. The move will reduce staff and possibly close the railroad’s Bluefield, W.Va., Pocahontas division headquarters.

 

NC Virginia to expand its data center

Native Cloud (NC) Virginia is investing $42 million in its data center in Scott County, Va. The project will create 72 new jobs.

 

Technology company AvePoint bringing 100 jobs to Richmond

Gov. Terry McAuliffe welcomed AvePoint to Richmond in the winter and announced 100 new technology jobs for the area. AvePoint, a New Jersey-based software company, is also expanding its existing Arlington County office, creating 55 jobs there.

 

Swedish company to build first plant in Henry County, Va.

Starsprings, a maker of mattresses for long-haul trucks, is investing $3.7 million in a plant in Henry County, Va. The project will create 68 jobs.

 

Hardide Coatings opens plant in Martinsville, Va.

U.K.-based Hardide Coatings, a provider of advanced surface coatings, opened its new plant in Martinsville, Va., in the winter quarter. The $7 million facility houses about 30 workers.

 

Arkay Packaging to expand in Botetourt County

A Botetourt County packaging company is expanding, bringing 50 new jobs to the Roanoke Valley. Arkay Packaging Corp. will invest $11 million in new equipment at its plant in the EastPark Commerce Center.

 

Harris Teeter to establish distribution center in Virginia

Grocer Harris Teeter announced in the winter quarter it will build a $95 million distribution center in Carolina County, Va. The project, which will include 1.5 million square feet, will generate 400 new jobs.

 

Results adding hundreds of call center jobs in Henry County, Va.

The Results Companies announced in the winter it will open a new call center at the former StarTek facility in Collinsville, Va. The new center will house more than 500 workers.

 

Call center expanding in Virginia

The Dallas-based outsourcing firm Telvista is adding 300 jobs at its call center in Danville.

 

Call center adding hundreds of jobs in Virginia

STARTEK is adding 430 jobs at its call center in Lynchburg, Va.

 

WEST VIRGINIA

Trash-to-fuel plant breaks ground in West Virginia

A new standard trash-to-fuel facility in Martinsburg, W.Va., broke ground in the winter quarter. The facility will convert household waste into clean-burning solid fuel. The project will create 20 jobs.