May 2025

Regional

 

Austin still a top 10 moving destination, according to new ranking

Austin remains one of the top moving destinations in the U.S., according to Pennsylvania-based Penske Truck Rental, which annually creates a list of the top 10 moving destinations based on its highest number of one-way customer truck rentals. Austin ranks ninth in the latest list, which was compiled from 2024 data, one spot below the previous year. “In 2024, we saw people moving with clear intent — driven by lifestyle fit, space or location,” said Kevin Malloy, senior vice president of Penske Truck Rental. 

 

Penske’s top 10 one-way moves included: 

Houston

Atlanta

San Antonio

Dallas

Orlando

Charlotte

Las Vegas

Chicago

Austin

Tampa

 

Aerospace less affected so far this year as some deals and rumors fly

Natilus, a California startup working to develop hyper-efficient blended-wing aircraft, is looking for U.S. sites for what initially will be a 250,000-square-foot factory making cargo jets. The plan is to hire more than 300 workers for the factory in phase one. Sites across the South are under consideration for Natilus and some really big aerospace projects in the summer quarter that will require tens of thousands of jobs if announced in a labor shed that is as thin as ever. 

 

There are too many ongoing aerospace projects to mention being built now, but Airbus in Alabama and Boom Supersonic in North Carolina are two that are ramping up. And there is also a rumor of another next-generation aircraft manufacturer that might create 10,000 or more jobs. Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Florida are supposed to be in on that deal, according to multiple reports. 

 

U.S. birth rates hover near historical lows

The U.S. birthrate remains stubbornly low. Only 3.6 million babies were born in the U.S. in calendar year 2024 with a rate of 54.6 births per 1,000 women in their child-bearing years. Births among women in their teens and early 20s hit record lows, while births among women in their 30s rose. Increases were seen mostly among Asian and Hispanic women.

 

Hartsfield-Jackson holds on to “world’s busiest”

Data from Airports Council International in April showed that Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport defended its top position as the busiest airport by passenger volume in 2024. Over 108 million passengers traveled through the massive terminals in calendar year 2024. The totals were up 3.3 percent from 2023, but down 2.2 percent from 2019. Atlanta has ranked as the busiest airport in the world for decades, except for 2020 when the airport lost out to the airport in Guangzhou, China. 

 

Alabama

 

Uncertain times, but this deal from Mercedes-Benz in Alabama helps if Trump’s theory is correct about tariffs

Mercedes-Benz U.S. International (MBUSI) is planning to bring a new model to its gargantuan complex between Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. The press release stated that the model would be a core segment vehicle added to a new line at the Vance, Ala., plant by 2027. 

 

From the MBUSI press release.  

“Tuscaloosa has been a key hub for Mercedes-Benz vehicles for almost 30 years. It’s a natural step to bring a further model to Alabama as part of a strategy to deepen our commitment to the United States, a market which has been our home for more than a century.” Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG Ola Källenius said.

 

Mercedes-Benz has exported roughly two-thirds of its annual output from the U.S. for decades as Tuscaloosa is its largest export point to the rest of the world for its most expensive and popular SUVs. The German automaker is currently the largest manufacturer in central Alabama. 

 

“With the integration of a further model, we’re taking a further step in our local-for-local approach, enhancing the integral role of our Tuscaloosa plant within our flexible digital global production network,” Board of Management Member with the Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Jörg Burzer said.

 

The last several years have been eventful for MBUSI. Workers at MBUSI in Vance voted against unionization last year during a widely publicized push by the United Automobile Workers Union to expand into Southeastern facilities.

 

 

Alabama Commerce Department receives recognition for AIDT’s new EV Technology Center 

We do not normally cover announcements from our two or three worthy competitors, but Business Facilities named Alabama in its “Economic Development Organizations of the Year.” The publication, published outside the South, cited the $30 million Electric Vehicle (EV) Technology Center currently under construction by AIDT, the state’s workforce development agency. The EV Technology Center is a cornerstone of Alabama’s strategy to lead in electric vehicle manufacturing and advanced automotive innovation. Located at the Alabama Robotics Technology Park (RTP), the center is designed to equip Alabama’s workforce with the high-tech skills needed to support the transition to next-generation, sustainable vehicle production.

 

 

AL.com: Mazda’s Alabama plant will quit making SUVs for Canada in response to Trump tariffs

Mazda will begin redirecting SUVs originally made for the Canadian market at its Huntsville plant to U.S. buyers this month. According to a report by Nikkei Asia, this will effectively boost production of the CX-50 for the domestic market by 10 percent. In April, the Japanese luxury automaker announced it would pause Canadian production beginning May 12th in response to President Donald Trump’s automotive tariffs and the Canadian response. At that time, Mazda said there will be no changes to its overall production volume at the Huntsville plant. 

 

Arkansas

 

Elopak opens its first U.S. carton plant in Little Rock 

Global packaging company Elopak opened its first ever U.S. carton converting plant in Little Rock, Ark., in the spring quarter. The state-of-the-art factory cost $100 million and will produce Pure-Pak® cartons for liquid dairy products, juices, plant-based drinks and liquid eggs. Elopak CEO Thomas Körmendi was joined by local officials for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the factory site in Little Rock. “Demand for our low-carbon, sustainable cartons in North America has been growing at an unprecedented rate for several years. This new factory will serve both new and existing customers across the United States, reaching millions of Americans every day,” said Körmendi.

 

General Dynamics and U.S. Army open new 155MM artillery facility in Calhoun County, Ark.

General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems and the U.S. Army have opened a new load, assemble and pack (LAP) facility for 155 mm high explosive artillery projectiles near Camden, Ark. This 155 mm artillery facility represents an investment of $110 million for General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems. It will create 185 new jobs in the region. 

 

Executives, state and local officials break ground on Messer’s new air separation unit in Berryville, Ark.  

State and local officials welcomed Messer, a leading industrial gases company, to break ground on a new state-of-the-art air separation unit (ASU) in Berryville, Ark. Company executives, along with state and local officials, celebrated the construction milestone during a private groundbreaking ceremony in May. The deal represents a $70 million investment. 

 

Florida

 

Big aerospace deal in Volusia County, Fla. 

AURA AERO Inc., the French designer and manufacturer of next-generation aircraft, has announced its intent to build a 500,000-square-foot manufacturing and assembly plant in Volusia County at the Daytona Beach International Airport. The facility will create more than 1,000 high-paying jobs in the area.

 

Central Florida’s massive manufacturing growth since 2014 is very impressive

We have heard all the stories about “manufacturing in the U.S. leaving in droves to China.” That was so 1990s, a millennium ago. Sure, that is still happening to a lesser degree – U.S. manufacturing seeking labor savings that are no longer there as before in China. 

 

But the data shows a manufacturing magical show happening in the South since the end of the Great Recession, peaking in 2015 with over 700 deals meeting or exceeding our thresholds of at least 200 jobs and/or $30 million in investment. Two-thousand and fifteen was the first year since 1993 that the South landed over 700 deals in one year and it was the last time our region reached that mark. Of course, tariffs have snuffed or slowed a lot of that momentum so far in this administration. 

 

The steamroller of EV and battery deals in 2022 and 2023 was the largest manufacturing deal surge since 2015. In those years, total investments announced topped the half-a-trillion mark, but did not reach the 730 total-deal mark like in 2015. In other words, total deals are being surpassed in a deluge of multi-billion-dollar investments. 

 

The unexpected rash of megadeals announced in 2022 and 2023 did not beat the 730 big deals of calendar 2015, the apex of the Great Recession recovery that featured as many reshored deals, including expantions and new. 

 

Central Florida has essentially been absent from massive EV and battery deals like those being finished up in the Southern Automotive Corridors of I-95 (Hyundai, Savannah), I-85 (Kia), I-65 (Hyundai, Mercedes, Honda, Mazda and Toyota in Alabama), General Motors south of Nashville, Nissan in Tennessee, GM in Kentucky, along with Ford’s plants in the Commonweath. Throw in I-55 in Mississippi (Nissan, Toyota), and those interstates are the spines of the Southern Automotive Corridor. However, the manufacturing sector in Central Florida is booming, lack of EV participation or not. The growth in manufacturing has been substantial with $17 billion invested in the region, a 93 percent increase from 2014. 

 

Central Florida has a diversified manufacturing industry, with significant activity in aerospace and defense, boat manufacturing and medical device technology.

 

Georgia

 

CRH to expand metro Atlanta footprint

Governor Brian P. Kemp announced in the spring quarter that CRH, a provider of building materials solutions, plans to create more than 300 new jobs in metro Atlanta and invest $1.7 million. The new shared services center will support CRH’s Americas Materials Solutions business that is also headquartered in Atlanta. CRH’s Americas Materials Solutions business provides aggregates, asphalt, paving, ready-mixed concrete and construction services, and is the leading integrated building materials solutions provider in North America.

 

Kentucky

 

Earth Breeze’s nearly $6 million facility creating 226 manufacturing jobs in Mercer County, Ky.

Gov. Andy Beshear joined local leaders in Mercer County and executives from Earth Breeze, a producer of environmentally friendly laundry detergent sheets, to cut the ribbon on an approximately $5.9 million operation in Harrodsburg that is creating 226 full-time Kentucky jobs.

 

Aegis Sortation expands in Louisville; $16 million, 80 jobs 

Gov. Andy Beshear highlighted new and exciting momentum within the state’s manufacturing industry as Aegis Sortation, a leading provider of efficient, high-quality sortation solutions, will locate in a new facility and expand its Louisville operation with a nearly $16 million investment, creating 80 new Kentucky jobs.

 

Louisiana

 

Historic investment: Woodside Energy announces $17 billion final investment decision for LNG facility in Southwest Louisiana

Woodside Energy Group announced its $17.5 billion final investment decision for the foundation of its new liquefied natural gas (LNG) production and export facility in Calcasieu Parish. The facility, named Louisiana LNG, is expected to produce up to 16.5 million metric tons of LNG per year. This announcement takes its place in both state and national history as being the first greenfield LNG project to reach final investment decision under President Trump’s second administration, and the largest single foreign direct investment and greenfield project in Louisiana history. 

 

Another big deal in Louisiana

CF Industries Holdings, Inc., the world’s largest producer of ammonia, and its partners have announced an approximately $4 billion final investment decision to establish a low-carbon ammonia facility. Upon completion, this new facility on the West Bank of Ascension Parish will be the largest facility of its kind in the world. The investment is a joint venture with JERA Co., Inc., Japan’s largest energy company, and Mitsui & Co., Inc., a leading global investment company. The project is expected to create 103 new permanent jobs with an average salary of $110,000. Louisiana Economic Development (LED) estimates the project will result in 311 indirect jobs, for a total of 414 potential new jobs in the Capital Region.

 

 “Louisiana wins again,” Governor Jeff Landry & LED secure $5.8 billion Hyundai steel plant

In the spring quarter, Hyundai Motor Group announced it will invest $5.8 billion in a new manufacturing facility in Ascension Parish. This first-of-its-kind site marks Hyundai’s inaugural North American steel facility, establishing a fully integrated and made-in-America supply chain to support its automotive manufacturing operations across the United States.

 

The ultra-low carbon steel production plant will be located on approximately 1,700 acres in Donaldsonville, La., anchoring the RiverPlex MegaPark on the Westbank of the Mississippi River in Ascension Parish. At approximately 17,000 acres, RiverPlex is the largest undeveloped tract along the deep-water Mississippi River. Hyundai Steel Company (HSC), a member of Hyundai Motor Group, is expected to create more than 1,300 new jobs with an average salary of $95,000. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will result in about 4,100 indirect jobs, for a total of 5,400 potential new jobs in the Capital Region.

 

Mississippi

 

Amazon picks Marshall County, Miss.

Amazon is continuing its investment in Mississippi by locating inbound cross dock operations in Marshall County. The project will create 1,000 new jobs. Amazon will construct a 930,000-square-foot facility in Chickasaw Trails Industrial Park that will receive and consolidate products from vendors. Amazon will then ship the products to surrounding fulfillment centers within its network.

 

North Carolina

 

Randolph County, N.C., is attracting much more than Toyota as the battery plant is finishing up

A Maryland concrete company is coming to Randolph County. The company announced in April that it plans to establish a manufacturing facility in Randolph County. It chose the former Hughes Furniture site on High Pine Church Road southwest of Asheboro, a site of about 32 acres it plans to purchase. The company’s estimated investment is $9 million, and it expects to create 60 jobs averaging annual wages of $63,000, according to Randolph County Economic Development Corporation.

 

Boom Supersonic opens Colorado site for testing its engines

Boom Supersonic has opened a test site near its Colorado headquarters for developing the engine for the jetliners it plans to build in Greensboro, N.C. The site in the Colorado Air and Space Port east of Denver will support testing of the 12-foot-long core of the engine, which consists of the compressor, combustor and turbine. The company’s main manufacturing center is at Greensboro’s Piedmont Triad International Airport. 

 

 

Governor Stein Celebrates Boviet Solar Factory Grand Opening in Pitt County, N.C.

Governor Josh Stein joined business leaders and elected officials at the grand opening ceremony for Boviet Solar’s new solar module factory in Greenville. Governor Stein celebrated Boviet Solar’s $294 million investment in North Carolina and highlighted its continued commitment to clean energy. “North Carolina continues to be a leader in the clean energy economy, and I am proud to welcome Boviet Solar as it opens its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Greenville,” said Governor Stein. “As our state grows, so do our energy needs. I look forward to partnering with Boviet Solar to strengthen our workforce and build stronger clean tech infrastructure in North Carolina.”

 

“With nearly 110,000 people working in our clean energy sector, North Carolina ranks ninth in the nation for clean energy jobs,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “Boviet is a powerful addition to our supply chain that includes a roster of 220 solar companies that are helping to provide more low-carbon energy sources.”

 

In 2024, Boviet Solar announced it would create more than 900 jobs and invest $294 million in its first North American manufacturing facility that will produce high-quality solar panels and photovoltaic cells. Founded in Vietnam, the company is a leader in solar project development with commercial, industrial and residential customers in the United States. The state-of-the-art facility in Pitt County will increase the company’s global production capacity in a 1-million-square foot manufacturing campus.

 

Tennessee

 

Oracle expands Nashville’s East Bank footprint with $42 million land purchase to pave way for HQ2

In the spring, Oracle Corp. invested $42 million in another East Bank site addition as it constructs its HQ2, similar Amazon’s in Northern Virginia. Varying job totals have been announced, but Oracle’s deal on the banks of the Cumberland River in downtown Nashville is one of the largest employment deals announced in the South in 40 years at around 9,000 jobs. The tech hub is located on over 70 acres, a seemingly small space to house 9,000 jobs. 

 

Texas

 

Goldman Sachs’ big deal in Dallas is going through

According to the Dallas Business Journal, “Goldman Sachs is making waves in Dallas and the Lone Star State with its massive new campus under construction, but the project goes beyond office space. It signals a strategic shift for the New York City-based financial giant that's helping to reshape North Texas' economic landscape. While a Goldman Sachs top executive has reaffirmed the firm's dedication to New York, its Texas-sized investment and 5,000-employee commitment to its new campus point to Dallas-Fort Worth's growing role in the future of finance in the Southwest and nationwide. – Dallas Business Journal

 

Dallas ’burb named most livable city in America

Flower Mound, Texas, topped the list of best places to live in the U.S. this year, according to a new ranking released by Livability. The Dallas suburb ranked No. 1 in the U.S. with a livability score of 875 out of 1,000. Methodology used 100 data points including overall economy, housing options, amenities, transportation, safety, education and health for markets with populations between 75,000 and 500,000. According to Livability, over 2,000 businesses operate out of Flower Mound. The average household income is $216,000. The city has a diverse and robust economy, according to the publication.

 

New industrial and tech institute forming in Texas

A group of major players in the industrial and defense tech sectors are getting together with venture capitalists, universities and policymakers to launch a new institute in Texas that focuses on assisting the U.S. on innovation that keeps the nation ahead of places like China. The Endless Frontiers Institute will have offices in Austin and at Baylor University in Waco. It is part of a 10-year plan that will be driven, in part, by a consortium that includes the Council on Foreign Relations, the University of Texas, Rice University, Texas A&M University and Baylor University, as well as Austin-based venture firms 8VC and Overmatch Ventures, and Arlington-based America’s Frontier Fund.

 

Major data center campus set for the combined San Antonio/Austin market

Denver-based Tract has secured its 1,515-acre data center campus at the Caldwell County megasite that could support 800 jobs and 4 gigawatts of data center space at full buildout. 

 

Elon Musk’s mini-city outside of Austin continues to take off

Elon Musk continues to add to his business campus in Bastrop, Texas, where The Boring Company and SpaceX are adding jobs and millions in square footage. Musk’s mini-city features housing and neighborhood amenities, a grocery store named Boring Bodega and a health clinic on site. But most of the action comes from SpaceX, where it employs thousands in Texas, including at its launch sites in Boca Chica, Texas, and Cape Canaveral. Gov. Greg Abbott recently said 1 million more square feet will be added to the SpaceX building in the next three years, and 400 more jobs will be created. There, SpaceX manufactures its Starlink satellite internet system. 

 

Virginia

 

Amazon buys land in NOVA for another data center

Amazon Data Services Inc. paid $195 million for 97 acres centered at Cochran Mill Road, due east of Philip A. Bolen Memorial Park in Leesburg, Va. The deal, which closed April 16, amounts to roughly $2 million per acre, which is fairly cheap compared to other recent deals in Loudoun, the data center capital of the world.