Relocations and Expansions - Summer 2016

ALABAMA

Boeing hiring in Alabama

Boeing Strategic Missile & Defense Systems is expanding its PAC-3 missile plant in Huntsville. The expansion will call for 70 new jobs.

 

Canadian lumber giant moving U.S. headquarters to Mobile

Canfor Southern Pine, a subsidiary of Canada-based Canfor Corp., is relocating its United States headquarters from Myrtle Beach, S.C., to Mobile in the coming months. The relocation will cost at least $5 million, and will result in 20 new hires.

 

Remington adding workers at Alabama plant

Remington Outdoor is adding 100 jobs at its gun manufacturing plant in Huntsville, Ala. The plant currently houses 350.

 

Rehau Construction adding jobs in Alabama

Rehau Construction, which is a manufacturer of polyethylene pipes, is investing $5 million to expand its plant in Cullman, Ala. The deal will create 50 jobs.

 

Huntsville company expands to South Alabama

The Huntsville-based Brown Precision, a provider of precision machining for the aerospace and medical industries, is opening a new manufacturing facility in Atmore, Ala. The $7 million deal will create 100 jobs.

 

ARKANSAS

Pinnacle Foods expands plant in Fayetteville, Ark.

Pinnacle Foods, a producer, marketer and distributor of food products, plans to expand its manufacturing in Fayetteville. The company is adding a new brand line, EVOL, to the Fayetteville location that will result in the addition of 25 new jobs. EVOL is a line that contains no antibiotics, no artificial ingredients, no GMOs and cage-free eggs.

 

Tyson breaks ground on Arkansas poultry plant

Tyson Foods recently broke ground on a $136 million, 200,000-square-foot poultry processing plant in Green Forest, Ark., in the summer quarter. The new plant is located adjacent to an older Tyson facility with 1,250 workers.

 

Peco Foods on hiring spree

Alabama-based Peco Foods has hired more than 500 workers at its new poultry plant in Pocahontas, Ark. The $165 million plant is expected to hire 1,000 more workers over the next two years.

 

Manufacturing plant to open in Paragould

Corbitt Manufacturing, a component manufacturing operation within American Railcar Industries, will open a new facility in Paragould. The company plans to invest nearly $3.5 million and create up to 60 new jobs with the new facility.

 

Software firm expands in North Little Rock


Elyxor, a software engineering firm, is expanding in North Little Rock. The company is adding 45 workers.

 

One hundred new jobs for Fort Smith

Shared Services Center-Fort Smith, a provider of office support functions for hospitals and health care facilities, will expand its presence in Fort Smith, adding 100 new jobs.

 

FLORIDA

Big deal in Southwest Florida

Arthrex, a Naples, Fla.-based manufacturer of medical devices, is expanding its campus there in Collier County. The company is investing $63 million and adding 560 jobs.

 

Lockheed Martin to open plant on Space Coast

Lockheed Martin plans to open a new manufacturing plant in Titusville, expanding its payroll on the Space Coast. The facility will be used in creating new capabilities for spacecraft. The project will create 300 jobs.

 

New commercial space company lands on Space Coast

California-based Moon Express has reached an agreement with the Cape Canaveral Air Force Base to license the use of launch pads 17 and 18. The company will use the pads for its lunar lander development and flight test operations. The deal will generate 50 jobs.

 

SpaceX to build new facility at Port Canaveral

SpaceX is set to transfer its operations on refurbished Falcon rockets to a new facility in Port Canaveral, Fla. The California-based aerospace company intends to lease a building on the north side of the port, and also plans to construct a second facility nearby, which will serve as a hub for the processing of refurbished rockets and other functions for SpaceX.

 

Roofing company picks Tampa for headquarters

After getting snubbed by Sarasota officials who feared that a new headquarters would poach existing jobs in a full employment situation in that city, North Carolina-based North American Roofing has picked Tampa for its project. The new headquarters will house 180 workers.

 

Mettler Toledo building $30 million plant in Pasco, 500 jobs

Mettler Toledo, a Swiss supplier of precision scales and instruments for laboratory, food-retailing and other industrial uses, is relocating its operations from Hillsborough County to a new $30 million manufacturing plant in Pasco County, Fla. The firm will also be closing its facility in Dryden, N.Y., as it consolidates its operations in the Sunshine State. The new plant will employ over 500 people.

 

Local healthcare tech company creating 100 jobs in Bay County

Jellyfish Health, a Florida company that’s created new technology aimed at reducing wait times for patients, will be hiring 100 people over the next three years. “We have built an application that allows you to stay at work, stay at home, lets you be in constant communication with your actual physician’s practice so that you arrive when they’re ready to see you and then you’re able to actually go back and receive your service and then leave,” said Dave Dyell, President and CEO of Jellyfish Health.

 

Citibank adding hundreds of workers in Jacksonville

New York-based Citibank is adding at least 800 employees to its facilities in Jacksonville. The financial services giant already employs 4,000 at its Southside Jacksonville campus.

 

Another fulfillment center for Amazon in the South

Amazon is building an 800,000-square-foot fulfillment center in Jacksonville, Fla. This new center, one of almost two dozen in the South — more than any other U.S. region — will house 1,500 workers.

 

Nashville-based Asurion hiring in Orlando

Asurion is hiring 350 for its Orlando call center. The company provides call center support for AT&T and Verizon, among other major clients.

 

Florida Blue hiring in Central Florida

Florida Blue, the state’s largest health insurer, is adding 280 jobs at its facility in Seminole County. The deal will triple the company’s workforce there.

 

ADP staking a claim in Central Florida

New Jersey-based payroll processing company ADP is moving into new offices in Maitland, Fla., near Orlando. The company will hire 1,600 workers for the new operation.

 

Logistics company hiring hundreds in Tampa Bay

BlueGrace Logistics, a company based in Riverview, Fla., that ships products for more than 10,000 companies, is adding 500 to 700 jobs and could move its headquarters to downtown Tampa. The company just received a $255 million investment from New York-based equity firm Warburg Pincus.

 

German downstream solar company relocates HQ to Miami

Conergy, one of the world’s largest solar companies, has relocated its U.S. headquarters from Denver to Miami. The company, founded in 1998, designs and builds solar power systems. The relocation has created 60 jobs in Miami.

 

Renewable energy supplier expanding plant in Pensacola

The Denmark-based Jupiter Group, a supplier to General Electric’s wind energy plant in Pensacola, is adding more than 200 jobs at its Pensacola facility. The plant makes coverings for GE nacelles as well as components for wind turbines.

 

In-flight entertainment systems developer hiring in Orlando

Paris-based Thales Group, a developer of in-flight entertainment systems, is adding space and jobs at its Orlando facility. The company is hiring 173.

 

Online job recruiter hiring 200 in Jacksonville

The job recruiter, randrr, will locate a new operation in Jacksonville. The company, which picked Jacksonville over the Silicon Valley and New York, is making a
$9 million investment and hiring 200.

 

GEORGIA

Raytheon opens new cyber facility in Augusta, Ga.

Raytheon has opened its cyber facility in Augusta and is now delivering a variety of cyber security capabilities to the Pentagon. The facility will work with the U.S. Army’s Cyber Command, which is relocating to nearby Fort Gordon. The Army is adding 2,600 military, 900 civilian and 200 contract jobs to Fort Gordon by 2019. 

 

GE relocates North American IT HQ from Connecticut to Atlanta

As GE shutters its current headquarters in Connecticut and moves it to Boston, Atlanta snagged an important unit of the company. General Electric is moving its North American IT headquarters to Atlanta. The project will generate 400 jobs.

 

GE Digital launches center in Atlanta

GE Digital will launch its first global Digital Operations Center in Atlanta. The center will provide customers with industrial solutions and software. The $3 million deal will create 250 jobs.

 

Retailer to establish distribution center

Variety Wholesalers, a retail store chain, will establish its second distribution center in Coweta County, Ga. The $10.5 million project will create 320 jobs.

 

Pratt & Whitney expanding Georgia operations

Pratt & Whitney is investing $65 million to expand it engine overhaul plant in Columbus, Ga. Construction will start this year on a new engine test facility. No jobs will be created in the deal.

 

Meal kit delivery adding 1,200 jobs

Home Chef, a meal kit delivery company, is investing over $3 million on a new distribution center in the Atlanta area. The deal will create 1,200 jobs.

 

Adidas opening first U.S. plant in metro Atlanta

Adidas, the Germany-based footwear maker, will open its first U.S. plant in Cherokee County, Ga. The $20 million factory will house 160 workers.

 

Tech support to open service center in Athens

Ireland-based Voxpro, a provider of tech support, will open a customer service center in Athens, Ga. The $4 million deal will create 500 jobs.

 

E-commerce firm hiring 1,250

Radial, formerly ebay Enterprises, plans to hire 1,250 new workers at its e-commerce facilities in Lawrenceville and Brunswick, Ga. The company is expecting large demands before and during the holiday season.

 

Another startup hiring big in Atlanta

Terminus, a startup marketing software company, will invest $1.5 million and create 100 jobs at its home in Buckhead, a suburb of Atlanta. The project calls for 24,000 square feet of additional space.

 

Payment processor relocating HQ to Buckhead

Fortune 1000 payment processor Global Payments is investing $220 million in a new headquarters in the Buckhead district of Atlanta. The company is also expanding its current headquarters in Sandy Springs, Ga., and adding a new data center in the Atlanta area. The move to Buckhead gets the company closer to the large fintech cluster in midtown Atlanta. The projects will create 275 jobs.

 

Duracell moving production of batteries to LaGrange

Duracell is shifting North American production of its AA and AAA batteries to an existing plant in LaGrange, Ga., from Lancaster, S.C. The move will add jobs in LaGrange. The company will continue making C and D size batteries at its plant in Cleveland, Tenn.

 

KENTUCKY

UPS breaks ground on Louisville Centennial hub expansion

Construction is in full swing on UPS’s $300 million investment in Louisville, which will triple the size of the package facility and nearly double sorting capacity. The project will create a mix of 300 new full- and part-time jobs.

 

Converted TVA plant 75 percent complete

Work on the conversion of the Tennessee Valley Authority’s largest power plant is 75 percent complete and the facility in Muhlenberg County, Ky., is expected to be online in spring 2017. TVA is spending $1 billion converting the facility from coal to natural gas.

 

Distributor expanding in Bullitt County

Alliance Entertainment, one of the world’s largest wholesale distributors of CD, DVD and Blu-Ray titles is expanding in Shepherdsville, Ky. The company is adding 150 associates.

 

Bourbon barrel manufacturer to build new Kentucky facility

East Bernstadt Cooperage, a maker of bourbon barrels, will invest over $20 million to build a new plant in Laurel County, Ky. The deal will create 75 jobs.

 

$36.4 million in move to Northern Kentucky, expects to create 500 jobs in state

CTI Clinical Trial and Consulting Services, a global company providing therapeutic expertise to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, will relocate its headquarters to Covington with a $36.4 million investment projected to create up to 500 jobs.

 

Louisville Plate Glass opens plant

Louisville Plate Glass, a maker of building-panel glass, opened its new plant in Louisville over the summer. The $5 million project will create 90 jobs.

 

Big bakery breaks ground

Indiana-based More Than a Bakery broke ground on a 310-employee facility in Versailles in the summer. The bakery will make cookies, crackers and other baked goods. The company is investing $57 million in the deal.

 

FedEx undergoing $150 million expansion in Northern Kentucky

FedEx Ground is now working on a $150 million expansion of its facilities in Boone County, Ky. The project hinges on securing revenue bonds to offset costs.

 

LOUISIANA

Sasol ups Louisiana project cost to $11 billion

Sasol has raised its cost estimate for the Lake Charles chemical project by almost 25 percent to $11 billion, the Johannesburg-based company recently said in a statement. It expects most units at the project to start producing in early 2019, with the remainder completed by the end of that year.

 

Lotte Chemical, Axiall break ground on $3 billion facility

In the summer quarter, Lotte Chemical and Axiall broke ground in Lake Charles, La., on a $3 billion ethane cracker complex. The joint venture will generate 215 jobs.

 

Company to open customer engagement center in North Louisiana

CSRA, a next-generation IT solutions firm, will open a 300-employee customer engagement center in Bossier City, La.

 

MISSISSIPPI

Chiquita returns to Gulfport

For the first time in almost two years, Chiquita Brands International is returning its shipping operations to the State Port of Gulfport, Miss., restoring about 40 full-time jobs at the facility. The fruit company departed in late 2014 for the Port of New Orleans after 40 years in Gulfport.

 

Furniture maker adding 600 jobs

Upholstered furniture manufacturer Southern Motion announced plans for a major expansion at the end of the summer. The Pontotoc, Miss.-based company that employs 1,200 there, is adding 600 employees at its newest plant in Baldwyn. The company is investing $20 million in the deal.

 

Container manufacturer expands in Mississippi

Plum Creek Environmental, a maker of waste and recycling containers and equipment, is expanding in the Columbus area. The expansion will move the company into a new facility in West Point. The deal will create 50 jobs.

 

Aerojet Rocketdyne expands

Aerojet Rocketdyne announced in the summer that assembly and testing of its ARI rocket engine will take place at its existing facilities at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in South Mississippi. The ARI is being developed to support the mandate to eliminate the use of Russian rocket engines for space launches. The project will create nearly 100 jobs.

 

Manufacturer picks Mississippi

Indiana-based AIA Countertops is building a new manufacturing operation in Baldwyn, Miss. The company is one of the largest natural stone and quartz countertop fabricators in the country. The project will create 60 jobs.

 

Manufacturer adding 100 jobs in rural Mississippi

BMSI, a manufacturer of specialty products for the Department of Defense as well as commercial restaurant equipment, is investing $6 million in its plant in Burnsville, Miss. The project will create 100 jobs.

 

Skyline Steel adding 15 jobs

Skyline Steel is investing $15 million and adding 15 employers in an expansion of its facility in Iuka, Miss. Skyline, whose parent company is Nucor, now employs 45 workers at the facility.

 

MISSOURI

Company hires 400

Serco, a federal contractor for national health benefit exchanges, has added 400 workers at its customer service center in Wentzville, Mo. Serco is based in Reston, Va.

 

MOHELA adding 365 jobs

The Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority is adding 365 jobs at its facility in Chesterfield, Mo. The jobs are student loan counselors and loan processors.

 

Bakery expanding in Joplin

HS Baking is investing more than $8 million to establish a large bakery in Joplin, Mo. The bakery will house about 60 workers.

 

NORTH CAROLINA

Honda Aircraft receives FAA certificate

After many years in design and testing, Honda, maker of the HondaJet, has earned a production certificate from the FAA. The certificate means that Honda can ramp up mass production of the $4.5 million jet at its facilities in Greensboro, N.C. 

 

HAECO Americas breaks ground on $60 million hangar

One of the Triad’s largest aviation MROs has announced a major expansion and the addition of 500 new jobs. Gov. Pat McCrory recently joined executives with HAECO Americas and other dignitaries to break ground on hangar number five.

 

Colorado company investing $18.8 million

Prescient, an integrated manufacturing and design technology company, has chosen the North Carolina Commerce Park near Mebane, N.C., for its East Coast center. The company will hire 205 in the deal.

 

Herbalife adding jobs in Winston-Salem

Nutrition product manufacturer and distributor Herbalife is expanding its facility in Winston-Salem, N.C. The company is adding 175 full-time jobs.

 

First tenant of new Winston-Salem manufacturing complex adding jobs

The Whitaker Park manufacturing complex, a former Reynolds tobacco facility in Winston-Salem, N.C., has landed its first tenant and the company is adding jobs. Raleigh-based Reason to Believe, a biotech startup, is adding space and hiring 47 workers in the deal.

 

Another Chinese greenfield deal announced in the South

U-Play Corp., a China-based manufacturer that makes disposable sanitary products, is investing $21.3 million in a plant in Mount Olive, N.C. The deal will create 88 jobs.

 

Pharma manufacturer building East N.C. facility

The Australia-based Mayne Pharma Group is building a new $65 million oral dose manufacturing operation in Pitt County, N.C. The project will generate 100 jobs.

 

Health care company adding 450 jobs

Relias Learning, an online health care training firm, is adding jobs in Cary, N.C. The $4.5 million project will include 450 new jobs.

 

Direct Pack to open in Rockingham

Direct Pack, which is a California-based maker of food-product packaging, will establish an East Coast facility in Rockingham, N.C. The company plans to invest over $12.7 million and employ 94 workers.

 

Aerospace manufacturer relocating to N.C.

DAE Systems, a California-based designer and manufacturer of specialty components for the aerospace and defense industries, is relocating its operations to Catawba County, N.C. The $6.8 million project will create 46 jobs.

 

$272 million intermodal terminal to be built

CSX will build the $272 million Carolina Connector intermodal terminal in Rocky Mount, N.C. When completed, the terminal will be capable of processing more than 260,000 containers per year. The North Carolina Department of Transportation will invest $100 million in the project.

 

OKLAHOMA

Boeing opens Oklahoma City facility

Boeing and Oklahoma officials celebrated the opening of a new 300,000-square-foot facility where research will be done to find ways to prolong the life of existing aircraft. The lab facility will house 800 workers.

 

Xerox hiring 425

Xerox is adding 425 jobs at its customer care facility in Yukon, Okla. The call center will be located at the Xerox plant that makes toner.

 

Southwest Airlines expands OKC call center

Dallas-based Southwest Airlines, which has had a call center in Oklahoma City since 1995, is expanding the facility. The airline will add 250 jobs. The new hires will help resolve customer issues and assist with reservations.

 

Progrexion to open Oklahoma City office

Utah-based Progrexion, a credit repair firm, is opening an office in Oklahoma City that will house 500 workers. The location is the eighth for the company in the last seven years.

 

Expansion of Choctaw Resort to create 80 new jobs

Choctaw tribal leaders officially broke ground on several expansion projects at the nation’s Grant Casino Resort in August. The expansion will create 80 new jobs, but no word on the price tag for the expansion.

 

SOUTH CAROLINA

Solvay doubles capacity in South Carolina

Belgian chemical company Solvay is inaugurating a new carbon fiber production line at its U.S. Piedmont Facility in South Carolina. The expansion will double production of a key raw material used in lightweight composite materials in the aerospace industry. The new line has won qualification by The Boeing Company to manufacture secondary structures such as wing flaps.

 

Anyone Home announces 500 jobs for Greenville County

Anyone Home, a contact and management company for the rental housing market headquartered in Lake Forest, Calif., is investing $1.1 million in a new location in Greenville County, which is expected to create more than 570 jobs.

 

Bondex expands plant in Trenton

Bondex, a manufacturer of thermally-bonded non-woven substrates, is expanding its manufacturing operations in Trenton, S.C. The project is expected to bring $11.5 million in new investment and lead to the creation of 17 new jobs in Edgefield County.

 

JR Automation Technologies expands manufacturing complex

JR Automation Technologies, a leader in custom automation solutions, will invest $3.4 million to expand its existing operations in Pickens County, S.C. The $3.4 million investment will mean 56 new jobs.

 

MRO setting up shop in Myrtle Beach

Arizona-based Kingman Airline Services, a maintenance, repair and overhaul company, is establishing operations in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The $2.5 million project will create 180 jobs.

 

Call center hiring 300

Concentrix is expanding its Greenville call center, adding to the 1,500 employees it has now. The new expansion will add 300 jobs.

 

McCall Farms expanding

McCall Farms, maker of brands such as Glory Foods, Margaret Holmes and Bruce’s Yams, is expanding its facilities in Florence County, S.C., where it is headquartered. McCall has been in South Carolina since before the Civil War. The company is investing $23 million and adding 150 jobs.

 

Door manufacturer expanding in rural South Carolina

Masonite International, a maker of doors and door systems, is expanding its plant in Bamberg County, S.C. The company is adding 50 jobs.

 

TENNESSEE

Cast-iron skillet maker breaks ground on largest-ever expansion in Tennessee

Lodge Manufacturing has been making cast-iron cookware for 120 years in South Pittsburg, Tenn. In June, the company embarked on its largest expansion ever, announcing that Lodge will spend $90 million on a new foundry and distribution center that will increase capacity by 75 percent. The project will create 92 new jobs, bringing the headcount to 400 at the plants. 

 

Big deal for Nashville region

Schneider Electric is consolidating two Tennessee offices and creating 250 new jobs in a move to Franklin, Tenn. In total, the French energy management and automation company will bring 1,140 jobs to the town just south of Nashville.

 

FedEx building facility in Middle Tennessee

Memphis-based FedEx, Tennessee’s largest company, announced it will build an $189 million distribution facility in Murfreesboro. The project will generate 190 jobs.

 

3,000 seasonal workers to be hired in Memphis

Radial, a new e-commerce company formed when eBay Enterprises and Innotrac merged earlier this year, is hiring 3,000 seasonal employees at its Memphis fulfillment center. The Pennsylvania-based company has 26 fulfillment centers in the U.S.

 

Flooring manufacturer expands in Northeast Tennessee

Mullican Flooring, a solid hardwood flooring manufacturer, is expanding for the fourth time in Johnson City, Tenn., since it moved its operations there in 2000. The company is adding 200 new jobs.

 

Call center adding 500 jobs in Northeast Tennessee Valley

Teleperformance is adding 500 workers at its call center in Bristol, Tenn. The company already has 700 employed at the facility.

 

Advanced manufacturing equipment company growing In Tennessee

ATC Automation will invest $10.4 million to expand the company’s operations in Cookeville, Tenn., and create 110 new jobs during the next five years. The expansion will help ATC meet growing national and global demand for its advanced manufacturing equipment.

 

Textile manufacturer adding 150 jobs

Polartec is adding 150 jobs to the factory it moved from Massachusetts to Cleveland, Tenn. The company is best known for inventing fleece used by companies like Patagonia, North Face and LL Bean.

 

Lowe’s building center

North Carolina-based Lowe’s will invest $100 million in a fulfillment center just north of Nashville in Robertson County. The center, which will help speed up online orders, will house 600 workers.

 

Trucking company hiring 105 in Northeast Tennessee

Forward Air, which is a Greeneville-based trucking and logistics company, is expanding in the Northeast Tennessee town. The company is investing $4.3 million and adding 105 jobs in Greene County.

 

Gap adds 100 jobs in Middle Tennessee

Gap is expanding its fulfillment capabilities at its facilities in Gallatin, Tenn. The company is investing $3.1 million and adding 100 jobs.

 

California-based company relocating to rural Tennessee

Cabinets to Go is relocating its headquarters and operations to Lawrenceburg, Tenn. The deal will create 88 jobs.

 

Cable manufacturer creating jobs

General Cable Industries is expanding its plant in Jackson, Tenn. The manufacturer of wire and cable used for data communication is investing $3.7 million in the facility and adding 51 jobs.

 

Parachute manufacturer adding jobs

Precision Military Aerodynamics, which makes parachutes for military and sporting use, is investing almost $2 million in its plant in Dunlap, Tenn. The deal will create 100 new jobs.

 

TEXAS

Another big project in D-FW

The California-based financial service giant Charles Schwab Corporation announced in the summer it will build a new $100 million regional campus in Westlake, Texas, just north of Fort Worth. The project will create 1,200 new jobs.

 

$930 million Corpus Christi bridge project breaks ground

Officials broke ground in the summer on the $930 million Harbor Bridge replacement project in Corpus Christi, Texas. When complete, it will be the largest precast concrete cable-stayed bridge in the U.S. The new bridge will have enough clearance to accommodate larger ships into the Port of Corpus Christi.

 

Samsung expanding in Austin

Korean chip maker Samsung Electronics is doubling the size of its research and development facility in Austin, Texas. The company is leasing 112,000 square feet of space in Southwest Austin. About 300 employees work at the current R&D center. The center supports a massive chip making operation in Austin that houses about 3,000 people.

 

Call center hiring 500

C3 Customer Contact is hiring hundreds at its call center in McGregor, Texas. The center has several insurance clients that call for 500 more jobs.

 

ThousandEyes announces expansion in Austin

San Francisco-based ThousandEyes, a provider of network intelligence software, has announced a new location in Austin, Texas. The company plans to hire around 30 in Austin by the end of the year to align with the company’s fast-paced growth.

 

Bank of Texas to bring jobs to Irving

Bank of Texas and its parent company BOK Financial are planning to open a new center in Irving for handling home loans, which could mean as many as 75 new jobs for the area. The bank has outsourced its mortgage servicing duties, but is planning to bring the operation in-house.

 

New call center to create 600 Texas jobs

Nationstar Mortgage will create about 600 jobs by opening a new call center in Longview, Texas.

 

Ulta is beautiful in Dallas

Ulta Beauty celebrated the official opening of its newest distribution center in Dallas after completing construction this summer. The new 700,000-square-foot facility is the company’s largest distribution center and is expected to bring in more than 500 new jobs to North Texas by 2018. The company has already hired 125 associates and plans to hire 155 more by the end of September.

 

Incentives clear the way for Best Buy operations center in San Marcos

Best Buy will be bringing as many as 50 high-tech jobs to San Marcos. The Minnesota-based electronics retailer plans to establish an e-commerce operations center in Hays County.

 

ExxonMobil investing $450 million to expand Texas refinery

Texas-based ExxonMobil is expanding capacity again at its Beaumont refinery in East Texas. The $450 million expansion will add 750 construction jobs and will increase production of ultra-low sulfur fuels by about 40,000 barrels a day.

 

Call center expanding

Convergys is expanding its call center in Laredo, Texas. The company has secured a new line of business in the health care industry and will add 200 jobs.

 

Company bringing 100 jobs to Katy

Pepperl+Fuchs, a company that provides automation for industries, including the oil and gas sector, is creating 100 jobs in Katy, Texas. The company is consolidating its facilities currently located in Twinsburg, Ohio.

 

Call center growing in South Texas

Advanced Call Center Technologies, which already employs 756 workers at its office in Harlingen, is adding 330 more employees. The company is one of the largest employers in the city.

 

VIRGINIA

Port of Virginia undergoing $350 million expansion

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced in the summer quarter that cargo capacity at the Norfolk International Terminals’ South Berth will be expanded, increasing capacity by 46 percent. The project represents an investment of $350 million. 

 

Niagara Bottling investing $95 million

Niagara Bottling will invest $95 million in a new bottled beverage plant in Chesterfield County, Va. Niagara is the largest private label bottled water supplier in the U.S. The project will create 76 new jobs.

 

More jobs coming to NOVA

A maker of software that helps analyze large amounts of data is expanding its headquarters in Northern Virginia. The company, Applied Predictive Technologies, is adding 368 jobs in Arlington County, Va.

 

Textile manufacturer expands in Henry County,

Henry County, Va., once one of the largest textile industry locations in the U.S., still has a handful of successful textile companies. Solid Stone Fabrics is expanding in Henry County, investing $1.5 million and adding 22 new jobs.

 

Aldi to build distribution center and establish HQ

German grocery retailer Aldi is planning to establish a divisional headquarters and build a 500,000-square-foot distribution center in Dinwiddie County near one of Amazon’s fulfillment centers. Virginia successfully competed against North Carolina for the $57 million project, which will create 145 new jobs.

 

Southern Power moving to Berry Hill Industrial Park

Southern Power has announced it will be moving into Berry Hill Industrial Park in Pittsylvania County, Va. In June, the subsidiary of Southern Company signed a $250 million purchase agreement and is in the first stages of developing the land for a natural gas facility. “The mega park has certainly been years in the making. . .we just got our permits from the state and with those permits we can start developing it a little,” said John Gilstrap, Mayor of Danville. “We just need to be patient, but things are falling into place.” The development will generate jobs and stimulate the economy in Virginia and surrounding areas.

 

Japanese company expanding

Toray Plastics is investing $45 million to expand its plant in Front Royal, Va. The company makes a variety of films, fibers and plastics. The project will generate 30 new jobs.

 

Appalachian Mountain Spirits expands in Smyth County

While committing to source 100 percent of its corn, barley and rye from Virginia farmers, Appalachian Mountain Spirits invested in a major expansion of its distillery in Smyth County, Va. The company will invest $1.95 million, create 13 new jobs, and purchase more than 3 million pounds of Virginia-grown corn, barley and rye.

 

MillerCoors investing $60 million

MillerCoors, a joint venture between SABMiller and Molson Coors Brewing Company, will invest $60 million to expand its Shenandoah brewery in Rockingham County, Va. The project will create 27 new jobs.

 

Motley Fool adding jobs at Virginia HQ

The Motley Fool, a multimedia financial advice firm, is keeping its headquarters in Alexandria, Va., and adding 60 new jobs. The company already has about 280 people working at its headquarters.

 

Feed mill to be set in rural Virginia

Performance Livestock and Feed Company is establishing a feed mill in Henry County, Va. The company is re-purposing a former furniture plant. The project will create over 30 jobs.

 

Manufacturer adding jobs in Virginia

Innovative Refrigeration Systems is adding new jobs at its plant in Lyndhurst, Va. The deal will create 100 new jobs.

 

Dollar Tree expanding Virginia HQ

Dollar Tree is spending $110 million to expand its headquarters in Chesapeake. The giant retailer’s project will create 600 jobs.

 

Call center in rural Virginia to hire 500

Frontier Secure will locate a call center in Wise County. The technical support facility is expected to house 500 workers.

 

WEST VIRGINIA

US Methanol announces plans to move plant to West Virginia

A California-based company is planning to move a methanol plant to Kanawha Valley, W.Va. US Methanol will move a production facility to the city of Institute creating more than 60 permanent positions when the plant begins operations in 2017. This type of facility, commonly known as a gas-to-liquid plant, converts natural gas into methanol used as a chemical feedstock to manufacture items such as gasoline and antifreeze. Governor Earl Ray Tomblin announced that the production facility will also bring more than 300 construction jobs to the area beginning this November.

 

Window and door maker adding jobs

Wincore Windows is adding jobs at its plant in Wood County, W.Va. The company is adding 50 full-time jobs. 

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