GE Aviation investing $50 million in Auburn, Ala.
GE Aviation is expanding its additive manufacturing operation in Auburn. The project calls for a $50 million investment and 60 jobs.
FBI may invest $1 billion in Huntsville
Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, recently announced that the FBI may invest as much as $1 billion as it increases its presence in Huntsville. He also said that the continuing resolution budget includes $385 million for the FBI, which is part of the transference of FBI employees to Huntsville’s Redstone Arsenal. In November, the agency said it plans to move 1,350 jobs to the facility.
Airbus breaks ground on new line in Mobile
Jetliner manufacturer Airbus broke ground on a new $300 million manufacturing facility in Mobile in January. The new assembly line will produce the A220-100 and A220-300 aircraft for U.S. customers. Currently, Airbus makes the A320 family aircraft in Mobile. The expansion will create 400 new jobs.
U.S. Steel restarting Alabama mill to take advantage of higher steel prices
Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel’s plans to invest $215 million to install an advanced electric arc furnace (EAF) at Fairfield Works is expected to provide a boost to Alabama’s steel-making industry in its historic home. U.S. Steel had initiated construction of the EAF at its operations in Fairfield in March 2015, but suspended construction in December 2015 due to unfavorable market conditions. The project’s revival means the addition of 150 jobs at the Jefferson County facility.
Alabama Farm Center could bring 400 jobs to Chilton County, Ala.
The Alabama Farmers Agriculture Foundation is prepared to invest an estimated $100 million in a new Alabama Farm Center in Chilton County that could create up to 400 jobs. Plans call for a complex on 500 acres to include a 5,000-seat air-conditioned arena, a 150,000-square-foot exhibition building, 400-stall horse barn, 400 RV hookups and a variety of other barns and arenas.
New jobs coming to Winston County
Winston Homebuilders, a manufactured home producer, will be taking up residence at the former Southern Energy Homes facility in Double Springs, which left the area a few years ago. Winston Homebuilders will be hiring 150 workers in the deal.
CoorsTek expanding in Arkansas
CoorsTek Inc., a manufacturer of ceramic components, is adding 50,000 square feet to its facility in Benton, Ark. It’s part of a $26 million expansion that will increase employment by 60 workers. More than 200 people are housed at the plant now.
Sykes Enterprises to add more than 200 jobs in Fort Smith
Tampa-based Sykes Enterprises, a service provider for many Fortune 500 companies, is expanding its customer service center in Fort Smith, Ark. The company will add 200 jobs.
Southland Gaming & Racing in West Memphis, Ark., plans $250 million expansion
Southland Gaming & Racing in West Memphis will undergo a $250 million expansion. The project will include a 96,000-square-foot casino complex and a 20-story high-rise hotel. Southland began as a dog racing track in the 1950s.
Texas-based Firefly to launch $52 million expansion at Cape Canaveral, Fla.
The Cedar Park, Texas-based rocket company, Firefly Aerospace, will establish a new launch and manufacturing project in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Under the deal, Firefly will invest $52 million and add 200 high-paying jobs there.
Cape Canaveral has captured a new tenant.
Los Angeles-based Relatively Space, a 3-D rocket manufacturer and launch services provider, has signed a lease to build and operate its own facilities at Launch Complex at Cape Canaveral. The company is the fourth with orbital launch site capability at Cape Canaveral. . .SpaceX, ULA and Blue Origin are the other three.
Beacon Pharmaceutical relocates to Jupiter, Fla.
Beacon Pharmaceutical, a focused early-stage life sciences firm, will build a state-of-the-art facility in Jupiter. The new 200,000-square-foot headquarters will house 137 new jobs with a capital investment of approximately $80 million.
Insurance giant Progressive to hire 1,500 in Tampa
Ohio-based company Progressive is hiring 1,500 workers in Tampa. The jobs will be in customer service, sales and claims with an emphasis on workers who are bilingual in English and Spanish.
WellCare to hire 1,000
WellCare Health Plans of Florida, one of the Tampa Bay area’s largest companies, anticipates hiring more than 1,000 new employees to support membership growth that’s surpassed 1 million clients. The company will hire throughout the state, but about half of the positions are available in the Tampa Bay area.
Shaw expanding plant in Adairsville, Ga.
Three years after opening a huge plant in Adairsville, Shaw Industries, the largest employer in Bartow County, is adding a 500,000-square-foot addition to the plant, which could double the employment numbers there to more than 600 over the next three years.
Health IT company establishing headquarters in Atlanta metro
BioIQ, a health IT company that provides health testing and immunization programs for health plans, is relocating its headquarters from California to Cobb County, Ga. The $5 million project will create 500 jobs.
Animal pharma investing $120 million in three Georgia counties
Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA will create 225 jobs and invest more than $120 million in Gwinnett, Clarke and Hall counties. The company has located its North American headquarters in Duluth, creating 75 new jobs; is adding more than 100 new jobs at its manufacturing and R&D facility in Athens, and more than 50 jobs at the company’s Gainesville manufacturing facility.
Chinese tech company moving HQ from New Jersey to Alpharetta, Ga.
A China-based manufacturer of radio-frequency identification and biometric technology security products, ZKTeco, plans to relocate and expand its U.S. headquarters from New Jersey to Alpharetta. The move is expected to create 40 jobs and bring more than
$5 million in investment.
Kentucky company reshoring jobs from Asia
In the winter quarter, Clark Material Handling announced it was expanding its Lexington, Ky., headquarters and reshoring one of its forklift production lines (the “S-Series”) to Kentucky from Asia. The $4.6 million expansion will create 40 new jobs.
High-tech aerospace manufacturer to open new Kentucky facility
Meyer Tool, a supplier of aerospace parts, is opening a new $15.9 million facility near Erlanger, Ky. The company is acquiring and renovating an 83,000-square-foot property that will house 100 workers.
Commercial furniture maker expanding in Kentucky
Headquartered in Indiana, OFS Brands Holding, a manufacturer of furniture for offices, hospitals, hotels and schools, will invest $1 million in its existing operation in Grayson County, Ky., with plans to create 105 jobs.
Film manufacturer to expand in Kentucky, add 30 jobs
RKW North America plans to expand its facility in Simpson County and add 30 jobs. The German-owned manufacturer of industrial film will invest $18 million in the project.
Renewable energy project to put some former coal miners to work in Eastern Kentucky
Toyota, which has a large assembly plant in Georgetown, Ky., is partnering to build a 700-acre solar panel farm in Pike County, Ky. It is one of the largest renewable energy projects in the Appalachian region. The project will create 200 construction jobs and 50 permanent jobs.
ExxonMobil to invest $469 million in Louisiana
ExxonMobil will add a $469 million polypropylene manufacturing unit to its Baton Rouge petrochemical complex. The project will create 65 new jobs and 600 construction jobs.
Lafayette lands helicopter plant
In the winter quarter, Switzerland-based Kopter Group AG announced that it will assemble its new SH09 helicopter in Lafayette, La. The company, which will lease a building at the Lafayette Regional Airport, will invest $4.2 million and create 120 jobs with the project. Deliveries of the helicopters should begin in 2021.
Epic Piping announces $40 million expansion
Epic Piping has announced plans to invest up to $40 million to expand its facilities in Baton Rouge, La. A demand for the company’s pipe spool products is being driven by the number of large-scale projects underway in the petrochemical sector along the Gulf Coast. Epic’s employee count, currently at 900, is expected to increase to more than 2,000.
Louisiana lands $2.2 billion methanol complex
South Louisiana Methanol announced in January it will build a $2.2 billion methanol complex in St. James Parish. The complex will be built on a 1,500-acre site on the Mississippi River.
Food manufacturer adding capacity in St. Tammany Parish
Diversified Foods and Seasonings is investing $12 million to expand and upgrade its plant in Madisonville, La. The project is the result of moving a production line from Nebraska to Louisiana. The deal will create 44 jobs.
Pipe manufacturer adding jobs in Baton Rouge
Stupp Corp., a steel pipe manufacturer, is upgrading its two plants in Baton Rouge. The company, which has operated in Baton Rouge since 1952, will invest $22 million and add 128 jobs in the project.
Energy services manufacturer adding jobs in Louisiana
Bagwell Energy Services is investing $2.5 million at its Port of Delcambre fabrication facility in Iberia Parish, La. The company will create 150 new jobs.
Four hundred jobs coming to Mississippi county
Corelle Brands, a maker of housewares brands including Pyrex, Snapware and Corelle, announced in the winter quarter it is moving part of its manufacturing and distribution operations to Marshall County, Miss. The facilities will be located in the Chickasaw Trails Industrial Park near Byhalia. The $27 million project will create 400 jobs.
Kohler Engines expanding in Mississippi
Kohler Engines, a leading manufacturer of industrial gasoline and diesel engines, is expanding its manufacturing operations in Hattiesburg, Miss. The company is making a significant investment and is adding 250 jobs. Kohler is consolidating a plant in Wisconsin to Hattiesburg.
ABB expanding in Mississippi
Swiss company ABB is adding 200,000 square feet to its manufacturing facilities in Senatobia, Miss., to increase production of Tmax XT circuit breakers. The $36 million expansion will generate 50 new jobs. The company is also filling the remaining 150 jobs of another expansion announced in 2016.
Illinois medical equipment maker expanding in Mississippi
Baxter International is expanding a Mississippi Delta plant, with plans to add 50 to 100 new employees. The company has begun construction on the addition to the plant, which is one of the largest industrial employers in Cleveland, Miss. Baxter is investing $100 million.
Scotland-based company expanding Mississippi foundry
The Weir Group is expanding its Newton, Miss., foundry that manufactures ground engaging equipment for the mining industry. The $15 million deal will create 150 high skill jobs.
Homestretch expanding in Mississippi
HomeStretch, an upholstered furniture manufacturer, will invest $500,000 and create 71 jobs in an expansion of its facility in Nettleton, Miss.
Entergy adding jobs in Mississippi nuclear operations
The power company Entergy is adding jobs at its nuclear power division headquarters in Jackson, Miss., and also at its nuclear power plant in Grand Gulf, Miss. New Orleans-
based Entergy is adding 250 jobs in Jackson and 70 at its nuclear plant in Grand Gulf.
Bedding manufacturer expanding in Northeast Mississippi
Specialty foam manufacturer Elite Comfort Solutions is increasing capacity at its plant in Verona, Miss. The bedding manufacturer is investing $1.9 million and adding 65 jobs.
Pharmaceutical plant adding jobs in Mississippi
A maker of antacids sold in Mississippi and Alabama will expand its facility in Gulfport, Miss. Geri-Care Pharmaceuticals, which supplies Walmart, Walgreens and CVS, will add 200 jobs in the deal.
Purina to spend $115 million on Missouri expansion
Nestlé Purina PetCare announced the expansion of its southeast Missouri factory where Tidy Cats brand cat litter is made. The pet products company will spend $115 million on the project and expects to add about 30 jobs.
Manufacturer to open new plant in Missouri
Central States Manufacturing is opening a new plant in St. Peters, Mo. The $6 million project will create 88 new jobs.
Praxair expands Missouri plant
Praxair will expand its air separation plant in Neosho, Mo. The expansion will double capacity for the company’s liquid oxygen and nitrogen customers.
Charlotte-based Nucor plans to invest $1.3 billion in Kentucky plant, creating 400 jobs
Charlotte-based steel manufacturer Nucor Corp. will invest $1.3 billion in a new facility in Brandenburg, Ky. The mill will produce steel plates for manufacturers of barges, bridges, rail cars, refinery tanks, ships and other products. The new facility will house 400 workers that will earn an average of $45 per hour including benefits. Pictured are (l to r) Nucor CEO John Ferriola and Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin at the announcement.
Novartis-owned firm chooses Durham over Illinois or Ireland
AveXis, a gene therapy company developing treatments for rare neurological diseases, will invest $60 million to expand its manufacturing center in Durham County. The company plans to hire 200 associates.
Thermo Fisher Scientific investing $150 million
Thermo Fisher Scientific is investing $150 million in its pharma business in Greenville, N.C. The expansion will add capacity for the company’s sterile liquid products.
North Carolina Global Transpark growing again
Jetstream Aviation is setting up a new paint facility at the Global Transpark in Kinston, N.C., and will add 145 jobs. The $10.5 million public/private partnership will break ground this spring.
Fujifilm to expand biotech facility in North Carolina’s Research Triangle
Fujifilm Diosyth Biotechnologies is expanding its manufacturing operations in Research Triangle Park. The company is investing about $45 million and adding 100 jobs to add capacity at its single use cell culture manufacturing trains.
Aetna’s expansion to create 300 new jobs
Aetna, a subsidiary of CVS Health since November, expects to hire 300 new employees by the end of 2020 for customer service and clinical care jobs. The company will spend $2.5 million on a 16,000-square-foot expansion of its High Point facility to support the new jobs.
Cancer research firm hiring 200 in North Carolina
A clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company plans to hire 200 workers as it locates a commercial-scale immunotherapies plant in Wake County, N.C. Cellectis will develop gene-edited immunotherapies to fight cancer.
Furniture startup to bring 200 jobs to Hickory, N.C.
Design Foundry, a new upholstered furniture company, announced it will begin manufacturing in a former furniture plant in Hickory. The project will create 200 jobs.
Kimberly-Clark is investing $120 million in Oklahoma mill
Irving, Texas-based Kimberly-Clark Corp. is investing $120 million in its Jenks, Okla., mill that produces Cottonelle and Scott bath tissue. The company will add 270,000 square feet to begin production on Kleenex folded tissue products. The project will create 50 jobs.
MST Manufacturing locating in Claremore
MST Manufacturing will invest at least $5 million to relocate its operations to
Claremore. The company will transform three buildings totaling 52,000 square feet to house 100 CNC (computer numerical control) machining specialists who make aircraft parts for clients such as Spirit AeroSystems, Boeing, Gulfstream, Lockheed Martin and Triumph Aerostructures.
Tube manufacturer to locate plant, headquarters in Oklahoma
Salem Tube, a subsidiary of Spain-based Tubacex Group, is establishing its headquarters and manufacturing facility in Durant, Okla. The company makes stainless steel and nickel alloy tubes. The $40 million project will create 140 jobs.
ABB creating jobs in Oklahoma
In the winter quarter, ABB announced it will consolidate all of its North American process gas chromatograph analyzer manufacturing to its facility in Bartlesville, Okla. The project will add 90 jobs.
Swiss company continues to invest in South Carolina
Swiss Krono Group continues to invest in rural Barnwell, S.C. The company is adding 250,000 square feet to its existing manufacturing facility there, which will allow them to produce the board it currently purchases to manufacture laminate flooring. Swiss Krono will source wood products locally, which will also bolster the local timber industry. The expansion is expected to create 105 new permanent jobs and 500 construction jobs.
Ortec expands South Carolina plant
Ortec, a biomaterial and polymer technology company, will invest $20 million to expand its facilities by 50,000 square feet and increase its production capacity in Pendleton, S.C. The company also invested $20 million and added 60 jobs in 2016.
Sealed Air to spend $24 million to upgrade its facility in Simpsonville, S.C.
Sealed Air has entered into a joint venture with Japanese firm Kuraray to produce plant-based food packaging. Sealed Air will invest $24 million to upgrade its Simpsonville facility and will use Kuraray’s plant-based resin and post-consumer plastic.
Frontier Communications opens call center in Myrtle Beach
Frontier Communications, a provider of broadband, video, photo and data services, will open a new call center in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The deal calls for 70 jobs.
InvestiNet to invest $2.1 million and create 85 Jobs in Greenville, S.C.
Accounts receivable firm InvestiNet is expanding its facilities in downtown Greenville. The company will invest $2.1 million and create 85 jobs in the project.
Icee leaving California for Middle Tennessee
The iconic frozen beverage maker, The Icee Co., is relocating its corporate headquarters from California to La Vergne, Tenn., about 20 miles southeast of Nashville. The company revealed it would invest $10.3 million to make the move, creating more than 200 jobs in Rutherford County over the next five years.
SmileDirectClub to add 2,000 jobs in Nashville region
Orthodontic services provider SmileDirectClub will expand in the Nashville area with 2,000 new jobs. The company will invest $217 million in the expansion.
Silicon Valley recruiting firm moves HQ to Nashville
After a year of fast growth in Nashville, recruiting firm IQTalent Partners is doubling the size of its footprint and officially naming Music City as its headquarters, which means moving its central operations from Silicon Valley to Nashville. The company grew its Nashville office from 90 to 150 employees in 2018, and plans to hire additional workers this year, although the exact number has not been announced.
FreightWaves bringing new jobs to Chattanooga
FreightWaves expects to bring 300 jobs to Chattanooga in the next two years with the launch of its trucking freight futures program. The new program will allow trucking and logistics companies to trade freight moving costs, helping alleviate some risk.
Logistics company adding 500 jobs in Chattanooga
Arrive Logistics is expanding its facilities in Chattanooga, Tenn. The company will invest $3.6 million and add 500 jobs in the deal.
FedEx Logistics announces headquarters move in Memphis
FedEx Logistics will move its global headquarters to the former Gibson Guitar factory building in downtown Memphis. The Memphis company says it’s making a $48 million investment, and will consolidate multiple locations, bringing almost 700 employees to the location over the next several years. As a result of the FedEx Logistics announcement, a New York developer and the Orgel family of Memphis
are developing an eight-story office building and 250-room hotel across from the Gibson Guitar Factory building.
BAE Systems redesigns Kingsport, Tenn., facility
BAE Systems received a $74.7 million U.S. Army contract to design, construct and commission a new facility that will improve production at its manufacturing complex in Kingsport. Construction of the new facility at the Holston Army Ammunition Plant will play a vital part in the manufacturing process of several products that support the military, and is one of several multi-year Army-driven modernization requirements for the installation.
JNJ Express relocates to expanded campus in Memphis
Transportation company JNJ Express will invest $83.6 million to expand its operations, creating 610 new jobs over the next five years. The company will establish a new corporate headquarters and operations campus at a Southeast Memphis shopping center that has been vacant for more than a decade. The area surrounding it has a 23.6 percent unemployment rate, according to the company’s application for government incentives.
Stanley Black & Decker opens distribution hub in Denton, Texas
A massive shipping hub for tool manufacturer Stanley Black & Decker is bringing jobs to Fort Worth. The new 1.2-million-square-foot regional distribution center will employ more than 300 workers.
Exxon, Qatar to expand LNG export in Texas
Exxon and Qatar Petroleum announced recently that they will go ahead with a $10 billion project to export liquefied natural gas from a plant on the Texas Gulf Coast. The companies said construction at the Golden Pass plant in Sabine Pass, Texas, would start before April, and the export operation is expected to begin running in 2024. The project will create 9,000 jobs during the five years of construction and more than 200 permanent jobs once the facility is operational.
Asurion adding 430 jobs in Houston
Nashville-based tech care company Asurion plans to double its number of Houston employees and is moving into a bigger office to house them. The company will create 430 new jobs by the end of the year.
BNSF to invest $405 million in Texas
Fort Worth-based BNSF Railway, which is part of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, will invest $405 million in Texas this year to fund expansion and take care of regular maintenance. BNSF has nearly 5,000 miles of track to maintain just in its home state of Texas.
Hundreds of high-wage bio-science jobs for San Antonio
GenCure, a new company that focuses on cell-based therapies and regenerative medicine, is setting up its headquarters in a historic building that used to house an ice and cold storage business on the East Side. The building on East Houston Street has been renamed Velocity Texas, and is part of a planned innovation district that’s expected to create more than 600 good-paying tech jobs.
$120 million manufacturing plant serves up 500 new jobs in San Antonio
Cuisine Solutions is cooking up 500 jobs in San Antonio with the opening of a $120 million plant that will make refrigerated food. Construction has begun on the 290,000-square-foot manufacturing plant, and is expected to open in mid-2020.
Cognizant expands to Plano, Texas, with 500 jobs
A New Jersey-based IT services firm that already has a large operation in Irving is adding more workers in Plano. Plano’s economic development corporation has agreed to provide a $273,000 grant to Cognizant, which must create up to 500 jobs in a new office to be constructed near Legacy business park.
Progressive to hire 1,000 in Austin
Ohio-based insurance company Progressive is hiring 1,000 workers in Austin. The jobs will be in customer service, sales and claims with an emphasis on hiring bilingual workers.
Financial services firm expands in San Antonio
Accenture Federal Services plans to expand its San Antonio operations and add 500 new jobs. The company plans to invest $5 million as part of the expansion plan.
Credit union to create nearly 600 jobs in San Antonio
Pentagon Federal Credit Union has announced it will open a new $48 million regional financial center in San Antonio. The project will create 571 new jobs.
Clorox is opening cat litter plant in Virginia
The Clorox Company, a Fortune 500 consumer packaged goods company, plans to establish a new manufacturing operation for its cat litter business in Frederick County, Va. The project will create 100 jobs.
Call center hiring 600 in Virginia
The Results Cos. is adding 600 jobs and leasing additional space at its call center operation in Chesterfield County, Va. The company currently employs about 500 workers. The project represents an investment of $1.5 million.
Hundreds of jobs coming to Danville, Va.
A Virginia company plans to bring a large, vacant Danville property back to life. Norfolk-based PRA Group is investing $15.1 million and bringing 500 jobs to Danville’s Airside Industrial Park. PRA is a debt recovery company founded in Virginia Beach.
Electric products manufacturer expands in Virginia
M.C. Dean, an electrical design manufacturer, is investing $25 million at its plant in Caroline County, Va. The deal will create 100 new jobs.
European manufacturer picks Virginia
ERNI Electronics, a Europe-based manufacturer of electrical connectors, is planning to build a new office and plant in Chesterfield County, Va. The company plans to invest $25 million and hire 105 workers.
Cloverleaf Cold Storage investing $21 million in Virginia expansion
Cloverleaf Cold Storage will invest $21 million to add over 100,000 square feet to its facility in Chesapeake, Va. The expansion of the cold storage warehousing and food logistics company will create 33 new jobs.
Packaging company to invest $20 million in Botetourt County, Va.
Pratt Industries, a recycled paper and packaging manufacturer, will locate in Botetourt County’s shell building in the Greenfield industrial park. The company plans to invest a minimum of $20.1 million and will create 50 new jobs. The facility will be Pratt’s second manufacturing operation in Virginia.
Global tech company to open in Charleston, W.Va.
Technology company Infor will open its first West Virginia office in Charleston and create 100 new technology jobs. Infor develops business cloud software, specialized by specific industries. Its products are used in sectors that range from aerospace to manufacturing to professional services.
Buzz Foods adding jobs in Charleston, W.Va.
Charleston-based Buzz Foods will expand its facilities by adding a livestock slaughtering and processing facility. The expansion will increase access for locally raised agriculture products. The new facility will create 30 full-time jobs. J
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