Air Force selects Montgomery, Ala., for F-35 fighter jet program
The U.S. Air Force has selected the Alabama Air National Guard’s 187th Fighter Wing for the new F-35A fighter jet program, a decision that is expected to spur significant job creation and new investment. Gov. Kay Ivey said about the project, “The decision to send the F-35 to Montgomery is a testament to the leading aerospace state in the nation.” The decision means the 187th Fighter Wing will receive the Air Force’s latest fighter aircraft to replace its aging F-16 jets. It also ensures a future for the unit and around 1,000 new jobs in the Montgomery area. Over time, as much as $3 billion could be invested in the program.
Production ramp-up at Airbus Alabama could add 600 jobs
The Airbus Alabama manufacturing facility is in line for 600 new jobs, thanks to a planned second assembly line for the Bombardier C Series jetliner and a possible increase in the production of A320 Family aircraft. For that to happen, antitrust regulators must give their approval for Canada-based Bombardier to produce the aircraft in Alabama.
Birmingham startup to expand, create 175 jobs
Startup Pack Health plans to open a new headquarters in Birmingham and anticipates hiring 175 additional employees over the next four years, including programmers, developers, health advisers and other positions. Pack Health, whose mission is to help people overwhelmed by a diagnosis access the right care and develop the self-management skills to improve well-being, has already hired 30 employees as it renovates a building in downtown Birmingham. Capital investment in the project is $2.9 million.
Firearms manufacturer creating 366 jobs
Kimber Manufacturing has finalized plans to open a production facility in Troy, Ala. The firearms manufacturer will create 366 jobs and invest $38 million.
Shaw investing $184 million in Alabama plant
Shaw Industries Group will invest $184 million in its manufacturing facility in Andalusia, Ala. New manufacturing equipment will be installed at the plant, which produces fiber used to make carpet. Over 1,000 workers are employed at the plant.
Aerospace supplier adding jobs in Alabama
Hexcel will expand its existing plant in Decatur. The site has been chosen by the company for its first integrated U.S. carbon fiber and PAN production facility. The advanced composites are used in the aerospace and industrial markets. The deal will create 90 new jobs.
Wayne Farms launches $105 million Alabama expansion
Wayne Farms is starting a major expansion at its fresh poultry processing facility in Enterprise, Ala. The company is investing $105 million and adding 400 jobs at the facility.
Chinese paper company increasing investment in Arkansas plant
Sun Paper plans to boost its investment in a proposed Arkansas mill from around $1.3 billion to $1.8 billion. The new plans announced recently also include projected employment rising from 250 to 350 new jobs. Instead of a bio-products mill, Sun Paper’s planned Clark County facility will produce linerboard, one of the two products used to make cardboard boxes. There is a growing worldwide demand for cardboard boxes, in part due to the increase in next-day delivery and online shopping.
Plastic container company to build plant in Arkansas
The Missouri-based Silgan Plastic Food Corp. will build a 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility that will create up to 150 jobs in Fort Smith, Ark. The company makes plastic bottles and food containers.
Lockheed Martin breaks ground on new 1,800-employee R&D center
Lockheed Martin broke ground in February on a new research and development facility in Orlando, Fla. The project will create 1,800 jobs, most of which will be engineers. The defense and aerospace giant will work to develop new weapons systems at the center, including the Long Range Stand-Off Missile (LRSO), a plane-launched nuclear cruise missile.
Blue Origin moves into new Florida factory
Blue Origin has completed construction of its 750,000-square-foot rocket factory on Florida’s Space Coast. The company will build the New Glenn rocket at the $205 million plant, which houses 300 workers. Blue Origin joins SpaceX (where it launches and lands its rockets), United Launch Alliance and satellite manufacturer OneWeb in Brevard County.
Allegiant locates new hub on Florida panhandle
Allegiant Travel Company will invest more than $49 million to establish a new aircraft base housing two Airbus aircraft. The facility will create 65 new jobs at Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport in Okaloosa County, Fla.
JinkoSolar confirms $410 million investment in Jax
JinkoSolar confirmed recently that its U.S. subsidiary will close the deal it has been negotiating with Jacksonville, Fla., under the code name “Project Volt.” The Chinese cell and module manufacturer has not officially confirmed what it will be producing at the facility, but the big deal will result in 800 new jobs.
PricewaterhouseCoopers adding 350 jobs in Tampa Bay
PricewaterhouseCoopers will hire 350 assurance and tax professionals at the 250,000-square-foot building to be erected next to the company’s existing offices in Tampa’s West Shore business district. One of the Big Four auditors, PwC already has approximately 3,000 employees locally.
South Carolina company to relocate HQ to Fort Lauderdale
KEMET Corp. will relocate its U.S. headquarters from Greenville, S.C., to downtown Fort Lauderdale. The company, which makes electronic components for the automotive industry as well as other industries, will lease almost 65,000 square feet of space, which will house about 150 employees.
Central Florida tech firm adding 355 jobs
Lake Mary-based software firm Superion is adding 87,000 square feet of space and 355 jobs at its headquarters there.
NCR opens Atlanta HQ
Atlanta-based NCR opened its new headquarters in Midtown in January. The financial services technology giant has completed one tower of the block-long campus near Georgia Tech and Tech Square, with the other tower slated for completion later this year. The 750,000-square-foot campus can house 5,000 employees.
Japanese manufacturer expands at two sites in Georgia
OFS is investing almost $140 million to expand two facilities in Georgia. The company, which makes fiber-optic cable, will expand its facilities in Norcross and Carrollton. The deals will create 200 jobs.
Georgia Air Force Base to create hundreds of jobs
Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robbins, Ga., will be performing overhaul maintenance on C-130 aircraft flown by the Navy and the Marine Corp. The new work will create 400 jobs.
Georgia-Pacific to build $135 million Georgia lumber mill
Georgia-Pacific is building a new $135 million lumber mill west of Åugusta, Ga. The new 340,000-square-foot production facility in Warrenton, Ga., will replace an existing plant in Warren County and create 30 to 40 new jobs, bringing Georgia-Pacific’s workforce in Warren County to approximately 150 people.
New York medical device firm moving to Atlanta
Koning Corp., a medical technology company that has developed an innovative breast cancer screening device, is relocating its headquarters from Rochester, N.Y., to Atlanta’s innovation district at Georgia Institute of Technology. The deal will create 400 jobs.
Macon mill gets big investment
Graphic Packaging International plans to invest $136.8 million in new equipment at its mill in Macon. The company designs and manufactures paperboard used in packaging for the food and beverage industry.
Biotech device maker to locate in Kentucky
A biotech device maker will locate a new manufacturing operation in south-central Kentucky, creating 50 full-time jobs. Hardin Scientific will open a new $11.6 million plant in Green County where it will make incubators for tissue cultures and stem-cell research.
Over 400 jobs coming to Central Kentucky
The plant that will destroy chemical weapons in Madison County will begin hiring hundreds of workers this year. Beginning in the winter quarter and continuing into 2018, the plant will hire 450 to 500 people. About 300 of those people will work in the main plant that will destroy nerve agent.
Japanese company to locate first U.S. plant in Kentucky
Takigawa Corp., a flexible packaging and films producer, will invest $46 million in its first U.S. plant in Bardstown, Ky. The company will build a 180,000-square-foot plant that will house 180 workers.
Maker’s Mark to spend $31 million on Kentucky expansion
Maker’s Mark is considering an expansion of its warehouse facilities in Marion County, Ky. The distillery received preliminary approval for $500,000 in tax incentives from the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority board based on plans to invest $31.2 million on barrel warehouses.
Kentucky scores another 120 jobs
Illinois-based Tru-Tone Finishing Inc. is building a new plant in Lexington, creating 120 jobs. In addition to the plant in Illinois, the family-owned provider of industrial e-coating also operates a plant in Brownsville, Texas.
Groundbreaking for $872 million Entergy Louisiana plant
Officials and execs of the Entergy utility corporation gathered in southwest Louisiana to break ground for an
$872 million natural-gas-fired generating station. The Entergy Louisiana project will employ about 700 people in Calcasieu Parish at the peak of construction. It is expected to create 31 permanent jobs.
BASF plans expansion in Geismar, La.
BASF is gearing up to expand methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) capacity at its Geismar facility. Louisiana Economic Development (LED) announced the expansion will result in a $150 million investment and 15 new direct jobs.
Westlake Chemical plans expansion at Louisiana plant
Westlake Chemical Corp. is investing $140 million in an expansion of its Geismar plant.
Sasol updates $11 billion Westlake plant
According to an official at Sasol, the South African conglomerate that’s building an $11 billion industrial project in Calcasieu Parish has hired a little more than 550 plant employees and put to rest concerns that enough skilled craft workers could be found to build the project.
CenturyLink adding jobs in Monroe, La.
CenturyLink will create 150 new jobs in Monroe. The jobs will be part of the company’s new outbound sales center for its small business services.
Company relocates HQ from Atlanta to Monroe
Drax Biomass, which operates three wood pellet manufacturing facilities in Louisiana and Mississippi, is relocating its headquarters to Monroe, La. The company also operates a shipping operation at the Port of Baton Rouge. No word on how many jobs will be created.
Synnex Corporation to create 600 jobs in Mississippi
California-based IT company SYNNEX Corporation is pursuing a new venture in Northwest Mississippi. The company has expanded in DeSoto County, Miss., and intends to invest $20 million and create 600 jobs over the next five years.
General Atomics expands again in Lee County
General Atomics, a manufacturer of drones and launch systems for the U.S. military, is expanding for the 10th time since it opened at the Tupelo Lee Industrial Park South in 2005. The company is investing $20 million and adding 60 more workers and 128,000 square feet of space.
Praxair, GE Aviation open PG Technologies plant
In the winter quarter, Praxair, an industrial gas company, and GE Aviation opened their PG Technologies plant in Ellisville, Miss. The plant produces advanced coatings that enable next-generation jet engines to operate in higher temperatures. The 300,000-square-foot facility houses 250 workers.
Bath balm maker buys former film studio for Mississippi factory
A manufacturer has bought the former Mississippi Film Studio in Canton for $1.8 million, part of an expansion that’s projected to create 40 new jobs. Musee Bath is moving from leased space in Gluckstadt. It has 50 workers, and aims to add 40 more to make candles and soaps.
Swiss aluminum company announces big deal in Missouri Bootheel
Magnitude 7 Metals will occupy the former Noranda Aluminum facility in New Madrid County, Mo. The Swiss aluminum manufacturer will create 400 jobs in the deal.
Amazon to locate first Missouri center
Amazon announced in the winter it will build its first Missouri fulfillment center in
St. Peters. The 800,000-square-foot facility will house 1,500 full-time workers.
Cerner hiring 600 in Kansas City
Cerner plans to hire 600 more workers as part of its new $4.5 billion Innovations Campus. The expansion will support the company’s managed IT and revenue cycle services.
Manufacturer adding over 100 jobs at North St. Louis plant
After relocating a manufacturing and warehouse facility from Granite City, Ill., to St. Louis, Mo., last summer, Connecticut-based Fairfield Processing Corp. said recently it plans to add more than 100 full-time jobs over the next five years. The company provides fiber-processed products to the DIY, home decor and industrial trades.
Financial services bringing 375 jobs to North Carolina
EY (formerly known as Ernst & Young) is planning to create 375 jobs and invest $8.2 million in Charlotte over the next five years through an expansion and creation of a new innovation center. The center will focus on helping companies understand how artificial intelligence, robotics and other technologies are changing their industries.
Spirit AeroSystems expanding North Carolina operations
Kansas-based Spirit AeroSystems is expanding its operations at the North Carolina Global TransPark in Kinston, N.C. The company, which makes aerostructures for commercial and defense customers, is investing $55.7 million in the plant in Eastern North Carolina.
North Carolina wins Corning deals
New York-based Corning will add 428 jobs at plants it operates in Durham and Edgecombe counties in North Carolina. The Durham plant will see 317 new jobs and the Edgecombe plant will see 111. The company, which makes glass products for the pharmaceutical industry, will invest a total of $275 million at the two sites.
Distribution center set for Burke County, N.C.
Sunrise Global Marketing, the manufacturer of Greenworks Tools, plans to invest $10 million in a distribution center in the former 510,000-square-foot HHG building in Burke County, N.C. The deal will create 187 new jobs.
New Jersey company opening innovation hub in North Carolina
Conduent plans to open an innovation hub in Morrisville, N.C. The world’s largest provider of business process services will invest $2.7 million and create 200 jobs that are expected to average $100,000 in payroll per year.
Biotech picks Durham
Massachusetts-based biotech firm Bluebird Bio has selected Durham for a new facility. The company will open its third U.S. site at a 125,000-square-foot facility. Bluebird develops gene and cell therapies for genetic diseases and T cell-based immunotherapies to treat cancer. The company plans to hire 50 employees.
Oklahoma manufacturer adding jobs
CymSTAR, a manufacturer of modified simulators for the U.S. military, is adding 100 jobs at its facilities in Broken Arrow, Okla. The company uses mechanical, electrical and software engineering to modify the simulators.
Google investing $600 million in Oklahoma Data Center
Google is investing another $600 million into its Pryor data center — its second-largest data center in the world.
Paper company to build new Oklahoma plant
Paper manufacturer Sofidel America plans to build a $350 million plant in Inola, Okla. The paper plant will create 500 construction jobs and 300 permanent jobs.
DISH hiring 250 in Tulsa
DISH is reshoring about 1,000 jobs from overseas, and 250 of those will be in Tulsa, Okla. The network operates a customer care facility in Tulsa, where about 600 employees work.
Food ingredients firm to establish center in Tulsa
Chicago-based Ingredion, which makes ingredients for food and beverages, is establishing a shared service center in Tulsa that will be staffed by 60 people. The office will focus on accounting for the company worldwide.
Samsung marks opening of South Carolina appliance plant
South Carolina and Samsung officials in January celebrated the first washing machines made at the company’s first U.S. appliance manufacturing plant. The event came less than seven months after officials announced plans to locate in Newberry, invest $380 million in a former Caterpillar factory and create 1,000 jobs by 2020. The plant already employs more than 540 workers.
Electrolux expands in Anderson, S.C.
The appliance manufacturer Electrolux will invest $250 million in its refrigeration facility in Anderson. The expansion will not add more jobs to the 2,000-employee facility, but 800,000 square feet of space will be added to increase capacity.
Zeus expands existing operations in Aiken, S.C.
Zeus Industrial Products, a polymer extrusion manufacturer, is expanding its existing operations in Aiken, S.C. The company develops and manufactures tubing for a variety of industries, including the medical, fluid handling and electrical markets. Zeus’ $15.7 million investment in Aiken County complements a $15.9 million expansion in Orangeburg County and $76 million expansion in Calhoun County, both of which were announced over the last several weeks. With this project, Zeus is expected to create an additional 51 new jobs in Aiken.
South Carolina boat manufacturer to add 100 jobs
Tidewater Boats, a manufacturer of saltwater boats, is expanding its Lexington County operations to produce larger models. The company is investing $8.3 million and adding 100 jobs.
Tool maker opening new plant in South Carolina
Power-tool maker Stanley Black & Decker announced in the winter it is opening a new manufacturing facility in Fort Mill, S.C. The 345,000-square-foot plant will house 500 workers who will assemble cordless Dewalt tools. The company is investing $31 million.
Movement Mortgage adding hundreds of jobs in South Carolina
Movement Mortgage broke ground in the winter quarter on a new 90,000-square-foot building next to its headquarters in Lancaster County, S.C. The $18 million project will create 700 jobs.
South Carolina steel plant restarting
The Georgetown steelworks is reopening after being purchased by London-based Liberty House. The company plans to fire up the plant in the spring with 250 workers.
Optical distributor plans $27 million expansion in Florence, S.C.
ABB Optical Group plans to invest $27 million in its facility in Florence. The project will create 173 jobs, more than tripling the current workforce.
Google breaks ground in Tennessee
Google has broken ground on a $600 million data center in Tennessee that will bring 70 to 100 high-tech jobs. The new facility is expected to create 1,000 construction jobs and will likely go online in the first half of 2019. The Tennessee center is part of a $2.5 billion investment that includes new and expanding data centers in Alabama, Oregon, Virginia and Oklahoma.
Avant creating 200 jobs in Tennessee
Avant, a financial services firm, is opening up a new call center in Louisville, Tenn., which is located near Knoxville in Blount County. The deal will create 200 jobs.
AGC in Tennessee making $40 million investment, adding 85 new jobs
One of Hawkins County’s largest employers announced an expansion and more new jobs. AGC Glass North America plans to invest $40.6 million into its current Church Hill facility, which will require 85 new positions. The flat glass line manufactured at the Tennessee plant supports a new state-of-the-art MSVD coater that will be installed as part of the new plans.
Life sciences company expands in Memphis
Agilent Technologies, a California-based life sciences company, is expanding its logistics operations in Memphis. The project calls for 117 new jobs.
Furniture maker creating 200 jobs in Tennessee
Furniture manufacturer England Inc. will invest $31 million in its operations in New Tazewell, Tenn. The expansion will create 202 jobs in Claiborne County. The high-quality furniture manufacturer is an independent division of La- Z-Boy Incorporated and has been located in New Tazewell since 1964.
Daikin to hire 2,000 more for Houston-area campus
Daikin Industries, a Japanese heating and cooling giant, plans to hire thousands more at its Harris County manufacturing hub by 2020. The company currently employs about 4,900 workers at its Daikin Texas Technology Park, but expects to grow to 7,000. Daikin opened its $417 million campus last year.
Oracle moves into new Austin digs
Oracle Corp. has moved into its new Austin campus. About 3,000 workers will move into the facility this year. The company has enough room for 2,000 more.
World’s largest plastic plant to be built in South Texas
Exxon-Sabic will build a $10 billion plastics plant just north of Corpus Christi Bay in South Texas. The ethane plant will create thousands of construction jobs.
Dollar General to build Texas distribution center
The Tennessee-based Dollar General announced it will build a new 1-million-square-foot distribution center in Longview. The center, which will service around 1,000 stores, will house over 400 workers.
Union Pacific’s new Texas yard to bring hundreds of jobs
The company that built railroads across the United States is breaking ground and making its largest investment
ever — $500 million — in Texas’ Brazos Valley. “The Brazos Yard will be the largest facility Union Pacific has ever built,” said Brenda Mainwaring, the company’s Director of Public Affairs. Once open, the project will create 500 jobs.
USAA on hiring spree in San Antonio
USAA is preparing to move thousands of jobs to downtown San Antonio. During the move, the financial services giant will also add about 1,500 new jobs.
Amazon to hire 2,500 workers at newest Texas location
Amazon has announced it needs to hire an additional 2,500 full-time employees at the company’s new fulfillment center in North Texas. The new facility in Coppell (located just north of the DFW International Airport) is the third for the rapidly growing North Texas city and the fourth in the DFW Metroplex.
Irving, Texas lands 1,090 jobs
Cognizant, a Fortune 200 technology company, will invest $8 million in a regional technology and service delivery center in Irving. The project is expected to create almost 1,100 jobs.
Liberty Mutual’s new regional HQ opens in Plano, Texas
Boston-based Liberty Mutual moved into its new $325 million regional hub in Plano in January. About 2,700 employees from offices in Richardson, Frisco and Irving are consolidating into the 1 million-square-foot facility. Thousands more will be hired over the next two years as well.
Hong Kong textile manufacturer to locate in Bristol, Va.
The former Ball Corp. plant closed in Bristol in 2016. But, picking up the slack in December was Hong Kong textile manufacturer American Merchant (subsidiary of Merchant House International), which announced it would invest $20 million in the old Ball Corp. facility to produce high-end bath towels for sale in the U.S. The company will install 50 high-tech machines and will hire 405 in the deal.
Big deal in Virginia Beach
Global Technical Systems (GTS) will invest almost $55 million in a new electro-mechanical energy storage system operation in Virginia Beach. Virginia successfully competed against Florida, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Washington, D.C., for the project that will create 1,100 jobs.
Convergys brings 400 new jobs to Lynchburg, Va.
The Convergys Corporation, which sells customer management and information management products, announced recently that it is opening a new facility and bringing 400 new jobs to Lynchburg.
Atlantic Credit and Finance expands Roanoke hub
Atlantic Credit and Finance will invest $4 million to expand its operation complex in Roanoke, Va. The company will move to a new 50,000-square-foot office in downtown Roanoke. Virginia successfully competed against Michigan and Minnesota for the project that will create 115 new jobs.
Procter & Gamble to hire 200 more at new West Virginia plant
Procter & Gamble announced in the winter quarter it will hire 900 full-time workers for its new plant in Berkeley County, W.Va. That total is 200 more than the original announcement. The plant near Martinsburg will produce Dawn, Joy, Gain and Ivory dish-washing products, as well as Ivory and Gillette body washes. J
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