April 2018

Nissan’s milestone in Mississippi

Nissan’s plant in Canton, Miss., produced its 4 millionth vehicle, a 2018 NV Cargo van, marking a major milestone for the facility that opened in 2003. To meet demand for the NV, the Japanese automaker is adding a second shift in April. About 250 jobs will be created or retained to staff the second shift.

 

Taskus to bring as many as 1,000 jobs to New Braunfels, Texas

TaskUs, a Los Angeles company that specializes in providing business services to digital brands such as Tinder and Hootsuite, is expanding its San Antonio-region presence with as many as 1,000 new call center positions in New Braunfels. The company reported in the coming years, it may have upwards of 2,000 workers in the region.

 

Tampa manufacturer ready to move to Pasco, Fla., and add 185 jobs

Tampa-based Mettler Toledo is ready to make its move to a new 270,000-square-foot facility in Pasco County where the manufacturing company will house 500 employees in its $30 million facility. The move was first announced in August 2016. The company is consolidating some of its operations in New York and Illinois. Mettler Toledo manufactures product inspection systems for the food and pharmaceutical industries.

 

Conveyor manufacturer plans $21 million project and 300 jobs in Kentucky

Louisville-based Santa Rosa Systems, a manufacturer of conveyor and automated sortation equipment, is planning a major expansion of its facility in Mount Washington. The company plans to invest $21 million to expand its facility. The expansion would create 300 jobs during the next 10 years, paying an average hourly wage of $25.

 

Tulsa-based Ross Group awarded $150 million Navy contract

Ross Group has been selected by Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest as one of three companies to provide engineering, procurement and construction services on military installations throughout the Southwest. The contract has an estimated value of $150 million over the performance period.

 

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.

 

New business coming to Georgia’s Westpoint Stevens Pepperell, 105 jobs

The 500,000-square-foot Westpoint building that has been closed for eight years will reopen its doors as a new industry will now call it home. The new occupant has yet to be announced, but Henry County Probate Judge David Money said the company will create 105 new jobs and invest $32 million.

 

Fitzgerald Industries to buy former Belden Plant in Monticello, Ky., create 250 jobs

Fitzgerald Industries, which manufactures aluminum dump truck beds, will locate in the former Belden plant in Monticello with a $6 million investment that will create 250 full-time jobs.

 

DRA’s investment adding jobs in Arkansas

The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) is investing big bucks into two counties that will create and retain jobs. In Lawrence County, DRA will invest $250,000 to pave County Road 210. The improvement will help support growing businesses in Black Rock, and will add 10 to 15 new jobs while also retaining another 45. Cleveland County will receive over $251,000 to improve water infrastructure that will support the relocation and expansion of two new businesses. About 20 jobs will be created and another 13 will be retained.

 

Indoor farming company bringing news jobs to Breathitt County, Ky.

Startup indoor farming company Hydroponic Farms USA will invest more than $44.5 million in Eastern Kentucky’s Breathitt County and create 121 jobs with the construction of a new facility on a reclaimed mine in Jackson.

 

New business brings jobs to Marion County, S.C.

Marion County recently welcomed DMA Sales, a North Carolina-based auto parts manufacturer, as the company expands its business with a new facility in Mullins. This $5 million, 300,000-square-foot facility is the largest distribution center for DMA Sales, which manufactures shocks and struts for customers including Nissan and O’Riley Auto Parts, and will use the new facility to store and supply those parts. The new facility will bring DMA Sales’ staff to 34 full-time employees over the next several months.

 

Auto supplier Yorozu opens Jasper, Ala., Plant

Auto parts maker Yorozu marked the grand opening of its $110 million manufacturing plant in Walker County, where hiring has been ramping up and will continue to grow. The Tier 1 automotive supplier produces metal stamped suspension components for automakers including Honda, Toyota and Nissan.

 

New River Hardwoods expands Tennessee facility

New River Hardwoods officials reported the lumber company will invest $3.8 million in its operations in Roan Mountain, Tenn. The company will install new equipment and convert its Roan Mountain log yard into a lumber manufacturing facility.

 

Low Country Case & Millwork relocates to North Charleston, S.C.

Low Country Case & Millwork, a manufacturer and installer of commercial casework and millwork, is relocating to a new, 52,000-square-foot facility in North Charleston. The company is projected to bring $7 million of capital investment and create at least 10 new jobs.

 

Indian tech company unveils Plano, Texas tech hub, could hire 450

An India-based information technology company recently unveiled a new hub in Plano, with plans to hire 150 workers to staff it. Wipro Limited plans to open its 45,000-square-foot Texas Technology Center, which will be home to the company’s U.S. cybersecurity center and house advanced analytics operations. It will initially employ 150, but plans to increase to as many as 450 workers over the next two years.

 

Alltran expanding Tulsa office with 150 new call center jobs

Alltran is bringing 150 new “high-paying” call center jobs to Tulsa. The company specializes in revenue cycle, accounts receivable and contact center solutions within health care, financial services, higher education and government.

 

Magna South Carolina plant to supply BMW

Headquartered in Ontario, Canada, Magna will supply seats to BMW Group for the first time with the opening of its seat-manufacturing facility in Spartanburg County, S.C. At the recent grand opening, Magna also announced an $8 million expansion of the plant, which will add 25,000 square feet and an additional 130 jobs, bringing the total workforce to 610 jobs at the facility, which will supply seats for BMW X5, X6 and X7 models.

 

Plywood manufacturer expands in Pittsylvania, N.C.

A longstanding corporate citizen of Chatham, Eastern Panel Manufacturing is investing $1 million to expand its manufacturing operations. The custom plywood manufacturer recently moved from its former 30,000-square-foot site to a 55,000-square-foot facility in the Chatham Industrial Park.

 

JSW Steel to invest $500 million in Baytown, Texas

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recently announced a $500 million investment from India-based JSW Group to expand its steel operations in Baytown. The expansion will create 500 new jobs at the plant

 

Corvid Technologies expands HQ in Mooresville, N.C.

Engineering firm Corvid Technologies, which provides physics-based engineering solutions for the defense, automotive, aircraft, and biomedical industries, will invest $28.9 million to locate its headquarters and create 367 new jobs in Iredell County. Salaries will average $100,000.

 

Frigitek facility planned at in Texarkana

Lionchase Holdings will build a 200,000-square-foot cold storage facility at TexAmericas Center, a mixed-use industrial park on 12,000 acres in Texarkana, Texas. The $20 million project is expected to create a minimum of 100 jobs.

 

New York Air Brake expands North Carolina operations

New York Air Brake, a manufacturer of train control systems for the railroad industry headquartered in Watertown, N.Y., will invest $9 million to expand its operations in Salisbury, N.C. The company plans to create up to 100 jobs in Rowan County.

 

Evonik expands Competence Center in Birmingham, Ala.

Following $50 million in investments over the past four years, Germany-based Evonik Corp. will add extensive manufacturing and R&D capabilities at its Competence Center for Medical Devices in Birmingham. The company plans to create more than 50 high-paying jobs there.

 

Medical manufacturer is hiring in Fort Worth

A company that makes products for wound care, sports injuries and joint implants is planning a $29 million expansion of its facility in Fort Worth. London-based Smith & Nephew, which already employs 200 people in Tarrant County, is adding 100 jobs.

 

Georgia Ports breaks ground in Chatham County, Ga.

Officials were on hand recently for the ground-breaking of the Mason Mega Rail project at the Georgia Ports. The $127 million project will double capacity at the port.

 

Over 170 new jobs in Loudon, Tenn.

Morgan Olsen is immediately hiring over 170 positions. The company produces walk-in vans and is looking to quickly fill these positions after being awarded a “record-breaking” contract for over 6,000 vans.

 

Wipro to raise headcount to 2,000 in Plano, Texas

India’s third largest IT services firm Wipro has set up a technology center in Plano, Texas and plans to ramp up its headcount there to 2,000 people over the next few years. The new facility will primarily house Wipro’s U.S. cyber security center.

 

Dorman Products plans hub in Portland, Tenn.

Dorman Products will invest more than $55 million to expand its operations in Robertson County, Tenn. The Pennsylvania-based automotive parts manufacturer plans to establish a new production and distribution facility and create approximately 215 jobs.

 

Magna Plant expanding in Spartanburg County, S.C.

Magna International, which is headquartered in Canada, will be expanding its automotive seat manufacturing plant in the Upstate and creating 130 new jobs.

 

LINAK expansion brings new jobs to Louisville, Ky.

More than 400 new jobs are coming to Louisville with the opening of a 75,000-square-foot expansion at LINAK Incorporated. The company, which is headquartered in Jefferson County, Ky., makes parts used in healthcare equipment, desks and other furniture.

 

Liebherr-International expands in Newport News, Va.

Liebherr-International AG, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of construction machinery and earthmoving equipment, will invest $45 million to expand its manufacturing and production facility in Newport News. The expansion will provide room for the company’s new headquarters, production, workshop facility, warehouse and distribution hub.

 

Grifols breaks ground on $120 million facility in North Carolina

Spain-based healthcare giant Grifols has broken ground on a new $120 million facility at its Johnston County site, part of a $320 million investment in Clayton. The company’s latest addition will be used for making hemotherapy products. An additional $210 million is being invested in its other facilities there. Grifols expects to hire about 250 new employees in Clayton over the next dozen years.

 

Marine manufacturing plant to open in Baldwin County, Ala.

Canada-based AdvanTec, a leader in marine manufacturing, announced plans to open a facility in Baldwin County, creating 46 jobs in its first three years. AdvanTec specializes in marine closure manufacturing, as well as industrial pipe bending for oil and gas applications.

 

New Orleans votes “yes” for DXC Technology

The New Orleans City Council recently passed an incentive package worth as much as $6.5 million that is part of a larger $120 million deal to bring the technology firm DXC to New Orleans. In exchange for the incentives, DXC has pledged to hire at least 2,000 people. The company’s pledge has been hailed as an economic game-changer for the city according to Greater New Orleans Inc.’s Michael Hecht.

 

Hickory, N.C.-area fiber-optic expansions to total $54 million, 100 jobs

A Hickory-area fiber-optic cable plant is adding 100 jobs and will spend almost $75 million on its huge facility in Catawba County. Italian energy and telecom cable company Prysmian Group already has about 500 working at its Claremont facility.

 

Union Pacific to complete $87 million in Louisiana projects

Union Pacific Railroad will complete $87 million in Louisiana rail improvements this year, including a major upgrade at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge. The rail carrier has announced more than $500 million in Louisiana rail projects since 2012.

 

Fibertex breaks ground in Randolph County, N.C.

Officials gathered at the site of a proposed Fibertex manufacturing facility to mark the company’s expansion into Randolph County with a groundbreaking. Based in Denmark, Fibertex Personal Care announced last year that it would locate its first U.S. manufacturing operation in Asheboro on what once was the Goodyear wire plant campus. The project means a $114 million dollar investment and 145 new jobs. Fibertex Personal Care is among the world’s largest manufacturers of spunbond/spunmelt nonwovens used in the personal care industry to produce diapers, feminine hygiene and incontinence care products.

 

Brightfarms eyes Abilene, Texas for hydroponic greenhouse

BrightFarms, the No. 1 brand of locally grown salads, reported the site of its first hydroponic greenhouse farm will be Access Business Park in Abilene, Texas. The state-of-the-art hydroponic greenhouse will be constructed at an estimated cost of up to $17 million and create as many as 30 “green-collar” jobs for local residents.

 

METYX plans manufacturing/HQ in Ranlo, N.C.

METYX, a manufacturer of high performance composites and technical textiles headquartered in Istanbul, plans to establish its advanced manufacturing operation and North American corporate headquarters 20 miles west of Charlotte in Ranlo. The company will invest $12.598 million during the next five years and intends to create at least 200 new jobs.

 

Tessy Plastics chooses Virginia over New York for plant expansion

Custom injection molded plastic components Tessy Plastics will expand its facility in Lynchburg, Va. The company, which is headquartered in Skaneateles, N.Y., will invest $9.2 million in the project and create 34 new jobs.

 

Customs and border protection moving 3,700 jobs to Loudoun County, Va.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency’s Office of Information Technology headquarters will consolidate its operations and bring 3,700 jobs to Loudoun County. The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors facilitated the relocation through an agreement with Quantum Park owner American Real Estate Partners, which will make $179 million in improvements to the facility.

 

A Fort Worth quarry will be transformed

A project known as Quarry Falls is planned on an 80-acre site in north Fort Worth, Texas that was home to a limestone-mining operation that closed in the 1970s.The developer plans to build condominiums, apartments, two hotels, a conference center and 3,500-seat music venue surrounding a lake with a beach, splash park and Ferris wheel. All together, the construction could cost up to $280 million.

 

Entergy inks deal with Chinese firm to power $1.8 billion Louisiana methanol complex

Entergy Louisiana has struck a deal with Yuhuang Chemical Inc. to supply power to the China-based company’s $1.85 billion methanol complex in St. James Parish for 10 years. The plant will create 100 permanent jobs while construction of the facilities will result in 1,000 construction jobs.

 

Sherwin-Williams’ new distribution center brings 90 jobs to Waco

Sherwin-Williams celebrated the opening of its new distribution service center in Waco recently. Replacing a smaller facility there, the new state-of-the-art facility is equal in size to 10 football fields. The workforce includes Galbot and Pailbot, robots who assist their human counterparts with “heavy and repetitive lifting,” Sherwin-Williams spokesman Mike Conway said.

 

Ironman pumping 70 jobs into Tampa

The endurance sport event business will be expanding its headquarters in Tampa, Fla. As part of this expansion, Ironman will be creating 70 new jobs.

 

Food production-distribution company wants to add 95 jobs in Melbourne, Fla.

North Carolina-based MG Foods is considering expanding into Melbourne, creating 95 jobs over the next three years. The food production, packaging and distribution company also proposes spending a total of $2.3 million. MG Foods has applied for property tax breaks from Brevard County as part of its proposed expansion.

 

OKC could get 550 new jobs

Oklahoma City took a first step toward approving a $1.25 million economic incentive to bring a federal contractor and 550 quality jobs to town. CACI provides information solutions and services in support of national security missions and government transformation for Intelligence, Defense, and Federal Civilian customers.

 

Volvo Cars gears up for mass hiring in South Carolina

Volvo Cars has begun producing prototypes of its new S60 sedan to prepare for full production by the end of the year in Berkeley County. The test cars (not to be sold) help new hires learn how to make the vehicles before producing them in real time.

 

FedEx plans major investment in Memphis hub

FedEx Corp is making a capital investment of more than $1 billion to modernize its hub in Memphis, Tenn. Construction is expected to begin in 2019 and be completed by 2025. In the meantime, FedEx Express immediately hopes to fill 1,700 part-time positions.

 

Volkswagen announces $340 million Chattanooga investment

Volkswagen announced plans to build a third model at its Chattanooga plant, representing a $340 million investment in addition to the $900 million already invested to expand the plant for Atlas production. Beginning in the last quarter of 2019, the plant will make a five-seat SUV based on its Atlas, a seven-seat vehicle that’s already built in Chattanooga. Volkswagen currently employs 3,500 people at the plant, and that number could grow based on sales of the new SUV.

 

Flying Colours expands St. Louis hub

Flying Colours Corp., a Canadian aircraft interiors supplier, expanded its production facility near St. Louis, Mo. The company plans to add about 70 new jobs to the region. The Chesterfield facility near Spirit of St. Louis Airport makes cabinetry and other interior components for business jets.

 

Reynolds Consumer Products expands Temple, Texas plant

Reynolds Consumer Products will make a $3.2 million capital investment to expand its manufacturing center in Temple, Texas, creating 10 new positions. The Temple facility opened in 1970, manufacturing the Hefty brand. Reynolds Consumer Products was established in 2010 when two brands, Reynolds and Hefty, joined together.

 

Charles Ingram Lumber to invest $33 million in South Carolina sawmill expansion

Charles Ingram Lumber Co., a family-owned sawmill located in Effingham, S.C., since 1931, is expanding its existing operations. With $33 million of capital investment, the company is expected to create 22 new jobs.

 

Nearly 100 new jobs, $40 million coming to Knox County, Tenn.

More than 85 new Knox County jobs and roughly $40 million of investments will bolster global adhesive-products company Scapa Tapes North America’s Knoxville operations.

 

Plastics manufacturer to expand in Tennessee, create 110 jobs

JDS Technologies, a plastics and rubber manufacturer based in Tennessee, is investing $2.2 million to open a second manufacturing facility in the state, planning to create 110 new jobs. The new operation in Scott County, Tenn., will occupy the former American Bag Co. building in Winfield, which has been vacant for at least a decade.

 

Greensboro, N.C., bids for Publix distribution center

City council members unanimously approved an incentives package recently in hopes of pursuading Publix to open a distribution center in East Greensboro. If selected, the company would invest $400 million, creating 1,000 jobs. In return, the city would offer Publix $17.7 million in incentives, plus $3 million to run water and sewer lines to the facility.

 

Mexico-based La Moderna makes its way to Texas

Mexican pasta maker La Moderna has opened a $50 million production and manufacturing facility in Johnson County. The 150,000-square-foot factory took three years to build and is being touted as one of the most technologically advanced factories in the Western Hemisphere. It’s the first American property for the pasta maker. The new factory will create 100 direct and 300 indirect jobs in the Cleburne and Johnson County area.

 

Chinese firm to open recycling facility in South Carolina

Eclomedia is expected to bring 200 news jobs to Orangeburg County with a $52 million investment in its first North American operations. A U.S. subsidiary of Zhangzhou Sanlida Environmental Technology Corporation, the plant imports and recycles waste paper and plastic to be used in foam and cast plastic parts.

 

Greenville-Spartanburg okays $30 million for cargo jet upgrades

The Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport Commission recently approved four projects totaling $30 million to boost the airport’s capacity to handle cargo flights. It’s part of a $50 million infrastructure improvement project to meet the needs of continued business growth in the Upstate.

 

Denver firm to build $1 billion data campus in Richardson, Texas

EdgeCore Internet Real Estate plans to build a $1 billion data center in Richardson. EdgeCore wants to build a facility on 33 acres to include two office and data center buildings, each spanning 358,000 square feet.

 

Caterpillar closing facilities in Texas

Heavy equipment maker Caterpillar is closing a major factory in Texas and a smaller one in Panama, and maybe another in its home state of Illinois, according to a report from Reuters. A Caterpillar spokeswoman confirmed the company will close its work tools facility in Waco, and its demonstration center in Panama, resulting in a potential loss of up to 880 jobs. Caterpillar is also considering closing its engine manufacturing facility in LaGrange, Ill., which would move production to Winston-Salem, N.C., and outside suppliers. If the LaGrange closure happens, it would impact approximately 600 full-time jobs.

 

EGGER Wood Products breaks ground on $700 million North Carolina Triad Project

EGGER Wood Products, an Austria-based wood materials supplier for the furniture, construction and flooring industry, has begun construction on its North American corporate offices, part of a $700 million project that will add 770 manufacturing jobs in Davidson County

 

Florida Blue hiring 500

Florida Blue (Florida’s Blue Cross/Blue Shield) is on another hiring spree, and this time it’s for 500 workers statewide. More than half of the open positions are for member care specialists and will offer year-round benefits while working for nine months, then three months off with pay. Some of the other year-round roles include registered nurses, and people with Medicare and sales experience.

 

Hyundai Electric to invest $30 million to expand Alabama plant

Hyundai Electric & Energy Systems Co., which manufactures and distributes electrical components and equipment, will invest $30 million to expand its power transformer plant in the United States in a move to offset heavy anti-dumping duties. The expansion of the Alabama plant will be completed by the end of the year.

 

FinTech Paymerang plans hiring 100 in Virginia

Backed by a new $26 million investment, Chesterfield County-based financial services technology company Paymerang is planning an expansion that will create 100 jobs over the next five years. The company offers a platform that enables its clients to pay all their vendors electronically.

 

Grace Hill bringing HQ to Greenville County, S.C.

Grace Hill will be locating its corporate headquarters in Greenville, S.C., creating 53 new jobs. Grace Hill is a market leader in online training for the property management industry.

 

Huge distribution hub coming to Southwest Dallas

First Industrial Realty Trust plans to develop a 1 million-square-foot industrial project on 82 acres. The $52 million speculative warehouse project is just south of the Mountain Creek business park, which is home to distribution centers for companies including Kimberly Clark, Ulta Beauty, Niagara Bottling and Nestle.

 

Lockheed Martin scores $1.5 billion deal for F-35 production in Fort Worth and Atlanta

Lockheed Martin’s aeronautics division, which is in Fort Worth, received a $1.46 billion deal for support of its F-35 program, the Department of Defense announced. “This contract will enable F-35 suppliers to order parts and build subsystems on time to maximize efficiencies, reduce costs and deliver aircraft to meet warfighter demand,” the company said in a prepared statement.

 

Lufkin, Texas’ Lockheed Martin plant announces $3.5 million expansion Plan

The Lufkin Lockheed Martin Plant has announced an expansion plan that includes adding more jobs and improving its facilities. The company says it plans to invest a minimum of $3.5 million for upgrades to a building and for the purchase of additional equipment, and add 125 jobs.

 

Steelmakers restarting closed mills in the South

Steelmakers are reviving shuttered steel mills and even looking to build a new one as 25 percent across-the-board tariffs strengthen the domestic steel industry. Republic Steel and U.S. Steel both announced they would restart mills and bring steelworkers back to work. London-based Liberty House is reviving a steel mill that ArcelorMittal closed in South Carolina. And Nucor, the largest steelmaker headquartered in the United States, announced plans to buy a micro mill in Florida.

 

Samsung launches second line at South Carolina appliance plant

South Korean-based appliance manufacturer Samsung announced the expansion of its production footprint in South Carolina, making progress on a plan to create nearly 1,000 jobs in the state by 2020. The company officially launched a new line of top-loading washing machines at its facility in Newberry. That’s in addition to a line of front-loading washing machines that the electronics company began making at the plant earlier this year. The expansion comes less than a year after Samsung’s June announcement that it would invest $380 million in South Carolina to manufacture home appliances, creating an estimated 950 jobs by 2020. So far, company officials say that they’ve hired about 650 employees who are now working on the two washing machine lines at a 450,000-square-foot plant northwest of Columbia.

 

Berry Plastics to create 79 jobs at Kentucky facility

Berry Global, known locally as Berry Plastics, will expand its Madisonville production facility, adding 79 jobs, with a potential for more in the future. The expansion is the direct result of a new product line that will produce plastic packaging. As part of the project, Berry will invest over $40 million in new equipment and upgrades to the facility.

 

Claremont, N.C., company plans expansion, addition of 100 jobs

Prysmian Cables and Systems plans to expand local operations in Claremont by investing $73.48 million and ushering in 100 new jobs to the company.

 

Mortgage firm Cenlar opens first Missouri office, adding 500 jobs

Cenlar FSB, a mortgage servicing operation headquartered in New Jersey, plans on adding 500 jobs in O’Fallon, Mo., as it takes over the mortgage servicing operations of Citigroup. The CitiMortgage unit based in O’Fallon last year began to focus more on making mortgage loans rather than servicing them.

 

Italian paper manufacturer announces $360 million plant in Oklahoma

An Italian tissue paper manufacturer is investing $360 million to build a new plant in northeastern Oklahoma that will support 300 area jobs. Sofidel Group announced the plan as it broke ground on the project in Inola, located about 30 miles east of Tulsa.

 

Gartner expands in Irving, Texas, adds 800 jobs

Gartner, an American research and advisory firm headquartered in Connecticut providing IT-related services, will be expanding its presence in Irving, bringing 800 new jobs and over $12 million in investment to the area over the next several years.

 

Mercedes-Benz to add innovation lab in Atlanta

Mercedes-Benz will open an innovation lab, named Lab1886, in metro Atlanta, a surprise announcement that came as the German automaker opened its new North American headquarters in Sandy Springs. Lab1886, a reference to the year the founders of Mercedes’ parent company, Daimler Group, built the first automobile powered by an internal combustion engine, will help fast-track projects and services from design to market.

 

DowDuPont’s $50 million investment in Kevlar production to include Spruance Plant in Chesterfield, Va.

DowDuPont is investing $50 million in its global operations that make Kevlar, a high-strength material manufactured at the company’s Spruance plant in Chesterfield County. The investment will not mean additional hiring there, although the Spruance plant, which employs about 1,800 people, has hired about 150 people over the last year.

 

BioInformatics expanding its operations in Arlington, Va.

BioInformatics, a provider of market intelligence to suppliers serving the life science, analytical instrument and clinical diagnostic markets, will invest $175,000 to expand in Arlington County. The project will create 27 new jobs.

 

SpecialtyCare to consolidate and expand HQ in Tennessee, add 100 jobs

SpecialtyCare, a clinical services provider for hospitals and health systems, is moving its headquarters to a new, expanded location in Brentwood. The 40,000-square-foot space in Maryland Farms will allow the company to invest in more state-of-the-art clinical training facilities and lead to the creation of 124 new jobs.

 

German auto supplier opens $46.3 million plant in Alabama

MöllerTech, a German auto supplier, has opened a $46.3 million plant in Bibb County. Company officials say 222 employees will be hired at the new supply plant by the end of 2019.

 

Truck & Wheel Group opens $30 million Alabama wheel assembly plant

Spain-based auto supplier Truck & Wheel Group opened a new 127,000-square-foot manufacturing facility that will supply wheel assemblies for automakers in the Southeast. The $30 million project will create more than 70 jobs.

 

MicroStrategy adding 300 jobs, investing $6 million at Virginia headquarters

MicroStrategy Incorporated has renewed its headquarters lease in Tysons, Va., and plans to invest $6 million in capital improvements. The analytics and mobility software company also considered Washington, DC for the project, which will retain more than 800 existing jobs in Fairfax County and add 300.

 

Atlanta-based UPS breaks ground on flight simulator facility in Louisville

Work is underway on a new flight training facility for pilots at United Parcel Service. The facility, which is located near UPS Airline’s Global Operations Center at Louisville International Airport, will give the company more space to train new pilots as well as the 2,745 it has on staff now.

 

Details emerge on Jabil’s HQ project in St. Pete

Jabil Inc. expects to spend $67.3 million on its new world headquarters in St. Petersburg, Fla. The improvements will be used to accommodate 300 new full-time jobs, and the introduction of an innovation center.

 

Green Applications locates plant in Mountain City, Tenn.

Green Applications, an LED lighting manufacturer, distributor and wholesaler doing business as Star LED, plans to establish operations in Mountain City. The company plans to invest $1 million and create 50 jobs in Johnson County over the next five years.

 

Louisiana lands $115 million sawmill in timber country

Hunt Forest Products of Ruston, La., and its Canadian partner Tolko Industries will build a $115 million sawmill in LaSalle Parish in the heart of Louisiana timber country. The project will eventually create more than 100 direct permanent jobs.

 

Nucor bringing $240 million steel plant to Florida

Charlotte-based Nucor Corp recently announced it will invest $240 million to build a rebar micro mill in Frostproof, Fla. The Polk County facility will be the second rebar micro mill Nucor is constructing. (In November 2017, the company announced a rebar micro mill project in Sedalia, Mo.) The Florida mill could create up to 250 jobs that pay an average annual salary of $66,000.

 

New $70 million plant to bring 39 jobs to Jefferson Parish, La.

Georgia-based Fuji Vegetable Oil plans to launch a $70 million processing facility next to the former Avondale Shipyard in Jefferson Parish with 39 jobs. Louisiana Economic Development said the facility will primarily import and refine palm oil from sources in the Pacific, and LED said access to international waters will be vital to the operation.

 

Fastener company planning $45 million plant upgrade in Waco

Arconic Fastening Systems & Rings, a maker of heavy-duty fasteners used on trucks and rail cars, plans a $44.8 million upgrade of its plant. The Waco City Council has endorsed Arconic’s request to participate in the Texas Enterprise Zone program that could allow the plant to receive a $2,500 rebate for each of its 403 employees. The Governor’s Office for Economic Development and Tourism must approve the request before Arconic qualifies to receive sales tax rebates on $41.3 million in equipment and machinery upgrades, as well as $3.5 million in facility improvements.

 

DeZurik expanding plant, adding facility in Texas

A valve manufacturer in Sartell, Texas is expanding its local facility. DeZurik announced plans to expand production in Sartell, as well as open a new rapid fulfillment facility near Houston, Texas. As part of this restructuring, DeZurik will gradually phase out of the company’s location in Schaumburg, Ill., and hire about 30 new employees at the Sartell location.

 

Exxon planning multibillion-dollar Gulf Coast expansion

Exxon Mobil is considering a multibillion-dollar expansion plan that would double U.S. oil refining capacity along the Gulf Coast, a move that could boost refining capacity at the Baton Rouge refinery. The plan would make the oil giant’s Beaumont, Texas refinery the nation’s largest by capacity when the work is complete in the next decade. The plan comes amid increasing domestic shale oil production, particularly in Texas.

 

United Tool and Mold expands South Carolina manufacturing center

United Tool and Mold, a provider of new tooling projects, engineering changes and repair services for the plastics industry, will invest $11.1 million to expand its manufacturing operations in Pickens County, S.C. The addition of a new 60,000-square-foot facility is expected to create 17 jobs.

 

General Atomics’ $20 million expansion will add 60 jobs in Mississippi

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems will invest $20 million to expand for the tenth time in 13 years in Shannon, Miss. The project is expected to create 48 jobs to manufacture laser systems. General Atomics, a defense contractor headquartered in San Diego, Calif., specializes in nuclear physics.

 

Chewy distribution center expected to bring 600 jobs to Florida

Chewy has opened its new distribution center in Ocala and will begin adding up to a 600-person workforce. The online pet supply retailer struck a deal with the county officials to build their $31 million distribution plant in the heart of the Ocala-Marion County Commerce Park.

 

Internap packing up Atlanta HQ for move to Virginia

Atlanta is losing the headquarters of one of the country’s largest data center operators. Internap is moving its executive offices to Virginia. “Going forward, Atlanta will continue to serve as local operations and staff headquarters, while our new official corporate headquarters [will] be located in INAP’s western Virginia office,” CEO Pete Aquino said.

 

Rice plant keeps expanding in Memphis

The Riviana Foods rice plant in South Memphis keeps expanding, and now the growth involves Riviana’s sister company Ebrofrost North America. Riviana plans $3.1 million worth of site work in the complex it shares with Ebrofrost, part of the second phase of a $26.5 million project to build facilities in which Ebrofrost will process, package and distribute frozen rice and pasta.

 

MAN Diesel & Turbo locates HQ-production center in Houston

Germany-based MAN Diesel & Turbo, a manufacturer of marine propulsion systems and turbomachinery, will locate its headquarters and production center in west Houston, Texas. The new plant is expected to employ 142 workers.

 

Magnitude 7 Metals reopens Missouri aluminum smelter

Magnitude 7 Metals will reopen an aluminum smelter closed in 2016 in Marston, Mo. The company plans to create more than 450 jobs to produce aluminum cans.

 

Grove Collaborative plans Missouri distribution hub

Grove Collaborative, a natural home care products company that ships natural cleaning brands like Method and Mrs. Meyer's, plans to open a new $3.7 million fulfillment center in St. Peters, Mo. The new facility is expected to create 210 jobs in the region.

 

Denso invests millions, adds 320 jobs in Tennessee

Automotive supplier Denso announced a $190 million investment in its Athens, Tenn., facility that will add four new production lines and 320 jobs focused on electrification and safety systems.

 

Waymo picks Atlanta for self-driving truck pilot

Self-driving big rigs are rumbling into Atlanta as Waymo, the self-driving unit of Google-parent Alphabet, will launch a pilot in Atlanta where its electric blue self-driving trucks will carry cargo bound for Google’s data centers, including a 2 million-square-foot server farm in Lithia Springs, Ga. The company believes self-driving technology will cut down on driver fatigue and keep trucks on the road longer.

 

Omni opens $300 million hotel in Kentucky

More than two years after it broke ground in January 2016, the Omni Louisville Hotel has officially opened. The $300 million property was a joint venture of Omni Hotels & Resorts and Metro Louisville.

 

IKO opens Texas manufacturing facility

IKO, a manufacturer of roofing products, has opened its newest production facility in Hillsboro, Texas. The company expects its facility, announced in 2015, will employ 65 people.

 

England Furniture plans Virginia manufacturing center

England Furniture, a manufacturer of upholstered furniture, will establish an operation in Lee County, Va. The project will create 79 new jobs.

 

Amazon creating 1,500 jobs in Missouri

Amazon.com will locate its first Missouri fulfillment center in St. Peters, Mo., creating more than 1,500 full-time jobs. Workers there will also have “opportunities to engage with Amazon Robotics in a highly technological workplace.”

 

Medical marijuana bringing 100 jobs to Jefferson County, Ark.

More than 100 jobs are coming to the Pine Bluff area as part of the medical marijuana industry. Five cultivation facilities will open across the state, with two belonging to Natural State Wellness Enterprises in Jefferson County.

 

P&G hiring escalates to 900 in West Virginia

The $500 million Procter & Gamble project at Tabler Station in Berkeley County is having an impact on the entire region. P&G originally estimated the hiring of 700 employees and as many as 1,000 construction workers there.

 

Capital Development to build $125 million logistics center near Port of Savannah

Capital Development Partners plans to develop the Savannah Port Logistics Center, a 2.3 million-square-foot industrial project situated on 197 acres in Pooler, less than 10 miles from the Port of Savannah. The $125 million development will be built in two phases -- Phase I will break ground in April and Phase II is expected to begin later this year.

 

Facebook to build $750 million data center in Georgia

Facebook is investing $750 million in a new data center in Newton County, Ga., located just outside of Atlanta. It is the social media giant’s ninth data center in the U.S

 

Swiss company opening first overseas plant in Buford, Ga.

Gezolan, which makes granules used in synthetic flooring, running tracks and playground surfaces, is opening a new $12 million, 60,000-square-foot facility in Buford. New hires have yet to be announced.

 

New jobs, millions of dollars for Leesville, La.

Fifty new jobs and an estimated $2.91 million a year is expected for the city of Leesville following an Intergovernmental Support Agreement with Fort Polk for vegetation control services. “You now have soldiers focusing on the mission of what they’re in the army to do, accomplish and train and win our nation’s wars instead of mowing grass,” explained Mike Reese, Chairman of Fort Polk Progress.

 

Woodgrain Distribution plans Jackson, Miss., distribution hub

Building products company Woodgrain Distribution will invest $5 million to open a distribution hub in Jackson.

 

New Orleans VA hospital needs nurses

The New Orleans VA hospital is looking to hire 107 registered nurses. “We are hiring registered nurses to work in medical, surgical, operating room, ICU, community living center and mental health,” said Brinda Williams-Morgan, the VA’s associate director for patient care services.

 

Panaceutics to add 70 jobs in Pittsylvania County, Va.

North Carolina-based Panaceutics, a manufacturer of personalized medicine and nutrition solutions, will invest $5.8 million to establish a research and development and high-tech manufacturing facility in in Pittsylvania County. Virginia successfully competed against North Carolina for the project, which will create 70 new jobs.

 

Food service company to add jobs at new Arkansas distribution center

Fort Worth-based Ben E. Keith Co. is opening a new distribution center with warehouse and office space in Arkansas. The facility in North Little Rock will employ 350.

 

Petoskey Plastics to invest $20 Million in Tennessee expansion

Petoskey Plastics will invest $20 million and provide 50 new jobs at its facility in Morristown. Petoskey Plastics has operated in the facility since 1999, which originally opened in 1984 as Lin Pac and then changed hands to Newcastle Packaging from 1997 to 1999.

 

Grady-White Boats announces North Carolina expansion

Grady-White Boats announces the expansion of its manufacturing facility located northeast of Greenville, N.C. This project will add over 70,000 square feet to create additional production capacity, and at least 65 new jobs during ramp-up.

 

Tobacco company plans 53 new jobs in North Carolina

Wind River Tobacco Co. recently purchased the former McMullan plant and plans to hire 53 employees in Wilson County. Wind River will be investing $18.5 million in equipment for the facility being renovated.

 

Metal company adding location in Danville, Va., creating 55 new jobs

Unison, a metal working company based in the United Kingdom, is moving to its first location in the United States. Danville City Manager Ken Larking said Unison chose Danville because of the city's precison machining pipeline and metal work training.

 

Smyrna’s Topre America announces 50 new jobs

Topre America Corp. has announced plans to expand its existing facility in Smyrna, Ga., representing a $37.8 million capital investment and the creation of 50 jobs. Topre America provides automotive stamping and body structure assemblies for Nissan, Honda and Toyota.

 

GE Aviation will invest $105 million in North Carolina

Ohio-based aircraft engine supplier GE Aviation plans to invest $105 million into its operations in Asheville and West Jefferson, N.C., creating 146 jobs to support its new technology, machinery and additional equipment.

 

Alora Pharmaceuticals relocates two headquarters to Alpharetta, Ga.

Alora Pharmaceuticals, parent company of Avion Pharmaceuticals and Acella Pharmaceuticals, relocated the corporate headquarters of its two companies to a new 58,000-square-foot facility in Alpharetta. According to company leadership, the new headquarters will help accommodate the projected growth planned for both companies in the coming years.

 

Edible International opens second headquarters in Atlanta

Edible International, a franchisor of shops offering creatively designed fresh cut fruit arrangements, plans to open a second headquarters in Atlanta.

The brand’s Connecticut headquarters will continue to serve as its home base, while the Atlanta office will provide Edible with expanded franchise and retail resources. Edible is currently reviewing real estate options in Atlanta with plans to add 50 jobs in the coming year and another 150 positions over time.

 

Tampa International Airport to invest another $304 million in construction

Construction on $971 million in upgrades at Tampa International Airport is almost complete, so the airport moved recently to set the stage for a major piece of the next phase of its ambitious expansion program. The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority voted to negotiate a contract for a $184 million expansion of curbside operations at the main terminal, plus a $120 million project to move the airport’s central energy plant to accommodate the curbside expansion.

 

P&G ramps up in West Virginia

Procter & Gamble began manufacturing Bounce dryer sheets at its new $500 million plant in West Virginia recently and hundreds of jobs will be added as the company ramps up production of other brands.