June 2018

For real-time news on business, politics and economic development in the South, go to www.RandleReport.com. For more information on the automotive industry in the South, go to www.SouthernAutoCorridor.com. 

 

South dominates Forbes' best cities for jobs ranking

Forbes came out with its best cities for jobs ranking in the spring quarter and Dallas-Fort Worth ranked No. 1. Following DFW was Austin, Nashville, Charlotte, Orlando and Raleigh in the South. San Jose, San Francisco, Seattle and Riverside-San Bernardino all made the top 10 from outside the South. 

 

Chemical industry in Louisiana is huge

According to economist Loren Scott, Louisiana's chemical industry accounts for $79.7 billion in annual sales in 2017 and $15.7 billion in wages. Two our of every seven jobs created in Louisiana were supported by the chemical industry. 

 

Texas' economy grew the fastest, but it's still not like 2014

After a few contractions in 2015 and 2016 as a result of the oil bust, Texas' economy grew the fastest among all states in the fourth quarter of 2017. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Lone Star State's economy grew at a 5.2 percent seasonally adjusted annual rate in the fourth quarter, mainly because of output gains from oil and gas mining. Yet, that rate, while it led all states, is about half the growth Texas saw in the third quarter of 2014 when the state grew at a 10 percent rate. 

 

Chief Executive ranks Texas best for business

In the spring quarter, Texas was named the No. 1 state for business by Chief Executive magazine. Following Texas were Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Indiana. From the South, Tennessee and Georgia made the top 10. The worst states for business were California, New York, Illinois, New Jersey and Connecticut. 

 

Southern Company selling Florida assets

Atlanta-based Southern Company, parent of Georgia Power, Alabama Power and Mississippi power, among other utility assets, is selling Gulf Power, Florida City Gas and its share of two natural gas power plants. The buy, NextEra Energy, will pay $6.48 billion for the assets. 

 

Korean manufacturer to invest $150 million, create 500 jobs in Georgia

Hanwha Q CELLS Korea, a leader in the global solar industry, will create more than 500 jobs and invest $150 million in a new solar module manufacturing facility in Dalton, Ga. PV Magazine reports that this facility will be America’s largest solar module factory.

 

Coca-Cola building 1 million-square-foot bottling plant north of Houston

Coca-Cola plans to build a 1 million-square-foot manufacturing and distribution facility north of Houston. Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages, a Dallas-based franchisee, announced plans to consolidate its two Houston-area manufacturing plants and four warehouse and distribution centers into one single facility at Pinto Business Park.

 

Big government contractor to place IT jobs in rural Virginia

Science Applications International Corp. plans to establish an IT service center in Dickenson County, Va., one of the state's poorest counties. SAIC is a major government contractor. The deal will create 40 jobs. 

 

GE opens $200 million Alabama plant

GE Aviation opened its $200 million components plants in Huntsville in the spring quarter. One plant will produce silicon carbide and the other ceramic fiber to be used to make ceramic matrix components for jet engines and gas turbines. 

 

Alabama industrial site earns certification

A 735-acre site in Lowndes and Montgomery counties has earned AdvantageSite designation by the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama. The site, located just south of Montgomery in Hope Hull, includes proper zoning, accessbility and is served by all utilities. 

 

Tampa casino plans $700 million expansion

The owners of Florida’s biggest casino are starting a $700 million expansion that will make it even larger. The Seminole Hard Rock Casino and Hotel in Tampa announced it will have 5,000 slot machines and nearly 200 tables when the expansion is concluded in 2019.

 

Florida company relocating to Gadsden, Ala.

Florida-based Calcean Minerals and Materials is relocating to Gadsden, bringing 70 jobs with it. The company, which is investing $2.6 million in the move, specializes in a type of refined sand harvested in the Bahamas used in glass, plastics and in agriculture. 

 

Southern Current to build solar facility in Aiken County, S.C.

Southern Current, a leading developer in the residential, commercial and utility-scale solar markets, will invest $20 million in a new solar farm facility in Aiken County.

 

Tyson breaks ground on $300 million Tennessee project

Tyson Foods broke ground on May 30 at the site of the company’s new chicken processing complex in Humboldt, Tenn. The $300 million project is expected to bring more than 1,500 jobs to the area once operations begin in late 2019.

 

Amazon fulfillment center coming to OKC

Amazon.com plans to open its first fulfillment center in the Sooner State, creating more than 1,500 full-time jobs by the end of 2019 in southern Oklahoma City. Employees at the 600,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art fulfillment center will pick, pack and ship small items to customers.

 

Homestead Building Systems expands Virginia complex

A custom manufacturer of wall panels and trusses, Homestead Building Systems will invest $2.4 million to expand its operation and create 60 new jobs in Orange County, Va. As part of this project, the company will increase its annual purchase of Virginia forestry products by more than 30 percent over the next three years.

 

Walmart hosts Alabama job fair

Walmart is looking to fill more than 250 positions at its new distribution center west of Mobile, Ala. 

 

IT company opening in Fairmont, W.Va.

Maryland-based information technology company Sparksoft Corporation is opening an office in Fairmont, immediately creating 30 jobs in the area.

 

Hundreds of millions being invested at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Mississippi

The east bank, which was the original site of Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp., founded in 1938, was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Recently Ingalls’ parent company, Huntington Ingalls Industries (also the state’s largest private employer) announced plans to rebuild the east bank. The project will include the addition of large, covered manufacturing areas for construction of ship assemblies and components as well as the restoration of an outfitting pier. 

 

Magna hiring 100 in Tennessee

Automotive supplier Magna Seating is recruiting 100 new full-time employees to join its production line in Spring Hill.

 

Amazon hiring blitz in Kentucky

Amazon is hiring up to 500 full- and part-time permanent employees at its warehouse in Hebron.

 

Huntsville lands $750 million data center

The city of Huntsville, Ala., has scored another major economic development project — a $750 million data center from Facebook. The facility will create 100 high-paying jobs. The city council voted unanimously at a recent meeting to approve a project development agreement between the city and Starbelt, a limited liability company formed last year by the company bringing the data center to Huntsville. 

 

Payment processor bringing 600 jobs to OKC

A seven-story office building proposed along Automobile Alley is set to become the new North American headquarters for Global Payments. Currently based in Atlanta, the payment processing provider will bring more than 600 jobs to downtown Oklahoma City.

 

Calstrip announces $15 million investment in Arkansas

California-based Calstrip Industries plans to build a new steel processing facility on the campus of Nucor Steel Arkansas, near Blytheville in Mississippi County. The initial phase alone (there are two more planned expansions) will involve capital investment of more than $15 million and the creation of 45 new jobs. 

 

US Foods expands Marrero, La., distribution hub

A distributor of food and food-related products, US Foods will make a significant, though undisclosed, investment to expand the company’s distribution facility in Marrero. The investment will triple the size of the facility, and add 45 jobs to the 140 currently employed there.

 

Italy-based Valagro launching South Carolina hub

Valagro, an Italy-based producer of fertilizers, is launching its new 65,000-square-foot production operations in Orangeburg, S.C. The company’s $14 million investment is projected to create 47 high-skilled jobs.

 

Esports Stadium Arlington in the works

A major $10 million esports stadium is taking shape in Arlington, Texas. Over 100,000 square feet of the existing Arlington Convention Center will be converted into the new venue, which is expected to be the largest esports facility in the United States.

 

South Carolina boat maker is expanding

A Lowcountry boat manufacturer is looking to double its workforce and ramp up production. Carolina Composites, which operates as Pioneer Boats, plans to add 92 jobs at its Walterboro plant over the next five years as part of a $3 million capital investment.

 

Citadel bringing hundreds of jobs to Chennault International Airport in Lake Charles, La.

Citadel Completions, a new aerospace company, will invest $17.6 million for an aircraft center at Chennault International Airport that will be used to modify jet interiors and maintain aircraft. Over 250 new hires, with an average salary of $80,000 per year, will perform “full-scale interior completions for luxury and commercial aircraft,” including Boeing and Airbus jets, according to a press release. 

 

Kleenex company to invest $30 million into North Carolina plant

Dallas-based Kimberly Clark Corp. will spend $30 million to expand its Berkeley Mill nonwovens plant in Hendersonville, N.C., adding 14 new jobs in the process.

 

Gene therapy company bringing 200 jobs to RTP

AveXis, an Illinois-based company developing gene therapies for neurological genetic diseases, is investing $55 million in a new manufacturing facility in Durham, N.C., that will create 200 jobs.

Officials said the employees at the new facility will earn an average salary of $104,000.

 

Software company adding hundreds of jobs in downtown Atlanta

CallRail is the latest economic spark for Atlanta. The company, which analyzes inbound calls and helps clients determine which marketing campaigns and keywords are driving customers to their business, plans to hire 300.

 

RoundPoint creating 1,100 jobs at new South Carolina HQ

RoundPoint Mortgage Servicing Corporation will locate its new corporate headquarters in York County, S.C., by the end of 2019. The company’s $34 million investment is projected to create 1,100 new jobs.

 

The College Board expanding in Virginia, creating 120 jobs

The College Board announced Tuesday that the nonprofit is expanding in Fairfax County and adding 120 new jobs. The region also will retain more than 600 existing jobs at The College Board, an organization focused on broadening access to higher education.

 

Pratt & Whitney investing $100 million in Florida

Jet engine developer Pratt and Whitney said it will add 215 engineering jobs by 2020 in a $100 million expansion at its campus in northwestern Palm Beach County. The company already employs more than 1,300 Floridians, and has invested over $88 million in its Jupiter campus since 2012.

 

Four hundred new jobs coming to Lafayette, La.

Software development company CGI is looking to hire 400 new employees in a significant expansion of its Lafayette IT Center of Excellence. Statewide, CGI’s employment will reach 900. In March, CGI announced the Lafayette IT Center of Excellence had surpassed the original full-employment target of 400 professionals. Now, the company will build on that baseline with a second phase of growth.

 

Temperpack expanding into Henrico, Va.

TemperPack, a manufacturer of insulation for the shipment of perishable goods, will invest $10.4 million to establish a manufacturing operation in Henrico County, Va. The facility will be the Richmond-based company’s second in Virginia. The project will create 141 new jobs.

 

New jobs for Prattville, Ala.

James Hardie Building Products, a world-wide manufacturer of fiber-cement building materials, will construct a $220 million plant on a 103-acre site in Prattville South Industrial Park. The project also means 200 new hires.

 

Job site Indeed to hire 3,000 more in Austin

Indeed, the website that helps people find jobs, plans on hiring 3,000 employees at its Austin office over the next several years. The company, which currently employs 1,600 people in Austin, is also developing two new offices in downtown Austin and The Domain. The expansion could position it to be among the largest tech employers in the Texas city.

 

Humana adding jobs in Tampa

Humana is hiring 100 full-time employees for its Tampa office. The Louisville, Ky.-based healthcare company is increasing its workforce to meet demands associated with the upcoming open enrollment period for Medicare. 

 

Jimmy Buffett hiring in Vicksburg, Miss.

Mississippi native Jimmy Buffett has a new hotel coming to the City of Vicksburg and there are more than 100 positions available. Recently, hundreds gathered inside the Vicksburg Convention Center for a chance to be hired at the new Margaritaville Hotel coming to the city.

 

Keurig Green Mountain creating new facility, 500 jobs in South Carolina

Keurig Green Mountain plans to construct a new, state-of-the-art roasting and packaging facility in Spartanburg County, S.C. The specialty coffee and single-serve brewing systems company is projected to invest $350 million and create 500 new jobs with the project.

 

Sunstrand locating new operations in Florence County, S.C.

Sunstrand announced it is locating new biomaterial manufacturing operations in Florence County. The company is projected to bring $8.4 million of capital investment, leading to the creation of 42 new jobs. Sunstrand produces natural fiber reinforcements and fillers for a variety of industries.

 

Braidy Industries breaks ground on East Kentucky project

An aluminum company that has drawn controversy and questions about its financing and investors has broken ground in Ashland, Ky. Braidy Industries, the developer of the aluminum rolling mill, is expected to spend about $1.3 billion and will provide aluminum for the automotive and aerospace industries. The project will create around 550 jobs and be constructed in phases.

 

German company breaks ground on $24 million plant in Mooresville, N.C.

Construction has begun on a $24 million automotive-parts plant in Mooresville that’s expected to bring more than 300 jobs to southern Iredell County. Tristone Flowtech USA celebrated its arrival in the Charlotte area with a groundbreaking ceremony. 

 

Canadian manufacturer bringing “jobs of the future” to Phipps Bend, Tenn.

Canada-based RMC Advanced Technologies is opening a new plant in Hawkins County that will also serve as the company’s U.S. headquarters and base for future expansion. The $7 million advanced manufacturing facility will initially employ 54 to manufacture large body parts for big rig trucks.

 

Black Rifle Coffee Company locates in Manchester, Tenn.

Black Rifle Coffee Company, a company that specializes in premium, roast-to-order coffee for its customers around the globe, will invest $6 million to locate new operations in Manchester. The company expects to create 52 new jobs in Coffee County over the next five years.

 

Forty IT jobs for Dickenson County, Va.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam says 40 new IT jobs are coming to southwest Virginia.

Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) plans to hire for a service center in Dickenson County, one of the poorest counties in the state. SAIC is a major government contractor.

 

Novelis breaks ground on Kentucky aluminum plant

Novelis recently broke ground on its $300 million automotive aluminum sheet manufacturing facility in Guthrie, Ky. The 400,000-square-foot plant will create 125 jobs. Novelis plans to begin producing automotive aluminum at the site in 2020.

 

Lane Enterprises plans Texas manufacturing facility

Lane Enterprises will make a $16.3 million capital investment for a new manufacturing facility in Temple, Texas. The facility will produce High Density Polyethylene Pipe and corrugated metal pipe for the growing Texas market and Lane’s customers in Mexico. The facility will be built on a rail-served 21-acre site in the Temple Industrial Park and will create 21 new jobs with a $1.2 million average annual payroll.

 

Dixie Color expanding in Northwest Georgia with $19 million investment

Dixie Color, a color resin pellets manufacturing company, will create 100 jobs and invest more than $19 million in a new specialty fibers facility in Chattooga County. The expansion will support the development of a new product line of microfiber for use in bath mats, area rugs and carpet.

 

California company chooses Dallas for HQ

JetSuite, a charter airline that announced its intention to move to North Texas a month ago after receiving an investment from Qatar Airways, is still deciding on where specifically to host its headquarters. The airline, moving from Irvine, Calif., has leased an entire floor at a complex just west of Dallas Love Field. 

 

Chemring Group expanding Tennessee Kilgore Flares facility

Defense contractor Chemring Group will invest $40 million to expand its Kilgore Flares operations in Toone, Tenn., and create approximately 100 jobs. Kilgore Flares Company is a producer of defense countermeasures for the U.S. military.

 

Texas grocery chain expanding

The Texas-based grocery chain, H-E-B, is hiring 900 positions in the Houston area, and plans to build a new facility that will be used for distribution, manufacturing and food processing in San Antonio.

 

Peloton opening major campus in Plano, Texas

Indoor cycling company Peloton has announced it will open a “key regional campus” in Plano, with plans to hire 400 workers over the next few years. The Plano office will supplement Peloton’s New York headquarters and will be the company’s first member support center outside New York City. 

 

Lonza investing $46 million in South Carolina expansion

Switzerland-based Lonza plans to invest $46 million to expand its operations in Greenwood County, S.C., by opening a new manufacturing facility there. The  pharmaceutical supplier expects to generate 30 new jobs as a result of the project. Currently, the Greenwood site produces empty capsules for the biopharma and nutrition markets.

 

Miami okays plans for nation’s largest mall

The American Dream Miami retail theme park has won final zoning approval from Miami-Dade County, clearing a significant hurdle toward building a $4 billion mega-mall with enough space for an indoor ski slope and a submarine lake on undeveloped land off the Florida Turnpike.

 

Ingevity expands Virginia carbon plant

A company that produces specialty chemicals and carbon materials, Ingevity Corporation, will expand capacity at its plant in Covington, Va. The expansion will meet growing demand for pelletized carbon products, which are primarily used in emission control systems in cars, trucks, motorcycles and boats. Representing an investment of $35-40 million, the project is expected to be operational by the fall of 2019.

 

Packaging firm expansion means 60 jobs for Franklin County, Va.

Local Stik-Pak Solutions will relocate in Rocky Mount. The company will invest $14.3 million on a 100,000-square-foot facility and create 50 to 60 new jobs within six years. Stik-Pak is a contract packaging company serving the food industry. 

 

“Project Dashboard” could mean 850 jobs for Cobb County, Ga.

An advanced manufacturing company could bring more than 850 jobs to Cobb County at a site near SunTrust Park. The unnamed company is eyeing a site owned by the Atlanta Braves near the team’s new stadium. The project would create 863 jobs, according to a Georgia Tech analysis.

 

Mosaic is moving to Hillsborough County, Fla.

The Mosaic Company will move its corporate headquarters from Minnesota to the Tampa Bay Metro Area. The Fortune 500 phosphate mining company has yet to release details of the move, but records indicate it already employs 3,000 Floridians and another 3,000 contractors.

 

XTO Energy releases details about move from Fort Worth to Houston 

XTO Energy, a subsidiary of Irving, Texas-based Exxon Mobil Corp., will begin moving its headquarters to the Houston area in June as expected. With that move, the company is closing its downtown Fort Worth office and moving 1,200 positions to Houston. 

 

Atlanta company buying 1 million acres of timberland for $1.39 billion

Atlanta-based CatchMark Timber Trust is buying 1.1 million acres of prime East Texas timberland for approximately $1.39 billion, the company stated in May. CatchMark said the deal is one of the largest U.S. timberland transactions since the sale of 1.88 million acres by Forest Capital Partners in 2012 for an undisclosed price. 

 

Coil Design Corporation locates in Dayton, Tenn.

Coil Design Corporation will invest $3.4 million to establish its corporate headquarters and a manufacturing plant in Dayton. The company plans to create nearly 70 jobs to design and manufacture cooling and heating coils for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the HVAC and refrigeration industries as well as the aftermarket.

 

North Carolina lands Amada, 201 jobs

Amada North America, a manufacturer of precision sheet metal fabricating equipment, will develop a new product line in High Point, N.C., creating 201 new jobs over the next five years. Amada will invest $87 million in a facility in Guilford County that will manufacture and assemble a line of high-precision press break bending equipment for the U.S. market.

 

Cadence Bank moving HQ from Birmingham to Atlanta

Birmingham-based Cadence Bank will move its headquarters following a merger with an Atlanta-based bank. Cadence and Atlanta-based State Bank Financial Corp. are set to merge by the fourth quarter this year in a $1.4 billion transaction.

 

Elastron to launch $10 million plant in Gainesville, Ga.

Elastron, a global producer of thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) has decided to open a North American headquarters in Gainesville, Ga. The Turkish company is expected to initially hire 25, and grow to 80 employees within three years.

 

Petoskey Plastics expands Tennessee plant

An environmentally-focused film, bag and resin manufacturer, Petoskey Plastics, will invest $29.6 million to expand its operations in Morristown, Tenn. The company plans to create approximately 70 jobs over the next five years in Hamblen County.

 

Nucor plans another huge expansion at Arkansas plant

Just recently celebrating the completion of its $230 million cold mill addition in Blytheville, Nucor  announced plans to build a galvanized steel sheet metal production line at the plant at a cost of $240 million. The company says the two projects are important parts of its plans to expand its share of the automotive steel market. 

 

Houma shipyard lands $63 million Navy contract

A Houma shipbuilder has landed a $63.6 million contract to build the first in a new class of Navy salvage, towing and rescue ships. Gulf Island Fabrication, one of the Houma-Thibodaux area’s biggest employers, has the option to build up to seven more of the ships, bringing the potential value of the contract to more than $522 million.

 

Nissei Plastics opens San Antonio campus

Japan-based Nissei Plastic Machinery America recently celebrated the opening of its new 115,000-square-foot production facility in San Antonio, Texas. The company invested $21 million in the facility and its injection molding machines. Nissei cited Texas’ tax structure, San Antonio’s geographic location, and the fact that the area has attracted a number of automakers and is in close proximity to automotive manufacturing clusters in the Midwest region. San Antonio also boasts ready access to Mexico, with its own rapidly growing auto industry.

 

Texas Health Resources spending $300 million to expand hospital

Texas Health Resources recently announced the largest construction project in its history. The Arlington-based health system will spend $300 million to expand Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth. Construction is set to begin in mid-2018.

 

Nashville social media firm to  hire 100

A Nashville-based social media marketing firm has completed a $5.4 million round of funding to spur growth, including plans to add 100 employees to its workforce. JumpCrew was founded in 2016, moved to Nashville from New York City at the end of that year with about 30 employees, and currently employs 120.

 

Airbus of Columbus, Miss., celebrates new contract

Airbus Helicopters celebrated recently as it learned the Army has contracted them to manufacture another 51 Lakota light utility helicopters. Airbus has delivered 423 Lakota aircraft under the Army contract, including helicopters for the U.S. Navy and the Royal Thai Army. The Columbus plant employs about 200 workers, nearly 40 percent of which are U.S. military veterans. 

 

Auto supply opening U.S. HQ in Panama City, Fla.

A company based in Mexico that supplies auto parts to manufacturers worldwide has chosen Bay County to open its first U.S. headquarters and manufacturing operation. Air Temp of Mexico, which is located in Merida, Yukatan, expects to initially hire 50 people to fill high-tech manufacturing jobs at an average annual salary of $42,000.

 

Gildan creating 80 jobs in Georgia

Gildan Yarns will expand capacity of its facilities in Columbus, Ga., to meet increasing demands for specialty yarns. The company expects to create 80 jobs in the coming months.

 

Meritor expands South Carolina manufacturing center

Meritor, a Michigan-based supplier for the commercial vehicle market, is expanding its existing operations in Manning, S.C. The $5.2 million investment is projected to create 31 new jobs in Clarendon County.

 

Catawba Biogas announces plant near Lilesville, N.C.

Catawba Biogas will locate a new poultry waste to natural gas conversion plant in Anson County, N.C. The company plans to invest at least $15 million in state-of-the-art biogas technology.

 

Uranium Processing Facility on track for completion in Oak Ridge, Tenn.

The Uranium Processing Facility (UPF) being built at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge by Consolidated Nuclear Security is on track for completion. At an estimated $6.5 billion, UPF is one of the Department of Energy’s largest investments in Tennessee since the Manhattan Project.

 

Eastman finishes one expansion, says another coming in Tennessee

“We are excited to announce the completion of our Tritan expansion and are pleased with the performance we’re seeing from this new investment,” Burt Capel, VP of Eastman’s Specialty Plastics business, said recently. (Tritan is used in making medical devices and housewares.) Eastman also announced an additional planned expansion of copolyester production to be added at the Kingsport site that should be complete in the third quarter of 2018.

 

Clean tech facility means $325 million investment in eastern Kentucky

A technology plant has announced a $325 million investment for the first of three facilities coming to Kentucky, with the potential to employ 500. RCL Chemical has partnered with Y2X Infrastructure to build a facility to operate clean conversion of natural gas-to-liquids technology. The eastern Kentucky county was chosen for its available infrastructure and ready access to natural gas.

 

Hiring 700 for new call center in Waco, Texas

Arizona-based Empereon Constar is staffing its call center in Lacy Lakeview, almost a year later than the July 2017 occupancy date it first announced. Empereon reportedly will put 700 to 900 people to work there.

 

Western Global Airlines locates hub at Shreveport airport

Western Global Airlines will establish an aircraft maintenance facility at Shreveport Regional Airport in Louisiana. The airline will make a capital investment of $3 million and ultimately expects to hire 170 associates. 

 

Logistics company to create 300 jobs in Georgia

Saddle Creek Logistics Services, a provider of supply chain solutions for retailers, manufacturers, and ecommerce companies, has leased a 1.2 million-square-foot industrial building in Newnan, Ga., and is expected to create 300 new jobs in Coweta County.

 

Blue Bell seeks expansion in Brenham, Texas

Blue Bell Creameries plans to invest $40 million on improvements to its facility, but the company needs approval first. Blue Bell is expected to present its case to the Brenham City Council to be taken on as a Texas Enterprise Project.

 

Virginia Beach to get 200 high-tech jobs

A third subsea cable is planned for Virginia Beach and could bring 200 high-tech jobs to the city.

South Atlantic Express International Ltd. wants to build the high-speed data cable to connect South Africa to the U.S.

 

Colonial Downs reopening in Virginia

Leaders in New Kent County, Va., hope the return of Colonial Downs will bring hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars in tax revenue to the county. The horse racing facility has been closed since 2014. Last week, Chicago-based Revolutionary Racing partnered with Peninsula Pacific to buy the facility for more than $20 million.

 

Charles Schwab chooses Austin, San Francisco for digital hubs

Charles Schwab is already building a large regional campus in North Austin that will have room for thousands of employees. The financial services company announced in May that it will locate one of two national tech hubs in the Texas capital, placing the other in San Francisco. The two teams will have hundreds of employees combined, including both existing employees and new hires. 

 

Cheniere ahead of schedule

Houston-based liquefied natural gas exporter Cheniere Energy is still well ahead of schedule on its first two Corpus Christi LNG trains and the fifth train at its flagship Sabine Pass terminal. The two trains — the term for a series of assets used to convert natural gas into a liquid for transport — under construction at Corpus Christi are part of a $13 billion project to establish an export terminal at the Texas port. 

 

Halton to add second facility in Allen County, Ky.

Halton Co., which manufactures commercial kitchen ventilation and air distribution systems, will build a $6.66 million second facility in Scottsville, Ky. The company moved to Allen County in 1997, where it currently employs 160 people.

 

Swedish company to expand Arkansas operations, create 100 jobs

Gränges of Sweden announced recently that it will invest $26 million to expand its Newport operations and create 100 full-time jobs. The Arkansas plant employs 21 people and manufactures aluminum for light gauge foil applications, such as food-grade packaging.

 

Florida medical center gets $229 million facelift

Gulf Coast Medical Center, a healthcare facility in Fort Myers, Fla., is being renovated to the tune of $229 million. Upon completion in 2021, the expansion project will consist of three new floors.

 

GATX Corporation expands railcar facility in Georgia

GATX Corporation, a global leader in railcar leasing, is expanding its existing railcar maintenance facility in Ware County, Ga. GATX anticipates total investment to be approximately $18 million over the next four years.

 

REG submits notice for $660 million expansion of Geismar refinery

Nearly a year after the firm bought land surrounding the facility for future expansion, Renewable Energy Group (REG) is considering major expansions at its Geismar biorefinery estimated at $660 million. The company has submitted notices to Louisiana outlining two potential projects that would increase production and hire 29 new permanent jobs.

 

Tape maker completes $20 million expansion in North Carolina

Charlotte, N.C.-based Tesa Tape has unveiled the $20 million expansion of its plant in Sparta, N.C. Production is scheduled to ramp up immediately.

 

Work begins on former World Trade Center redevelopment in NOLA

City officials, developers and investors broke ground recently on a $460 million project to turn the former World Trade Center tower at the foot of Canal Street into a Four Seasons Hotel and Residences. The redevelopment is estimated to create 1,600 construction jobs, 450 permanent full-time jobs from the hotel, and $10 million annually in hotel and property taxes.

 

Tech company expanding in Virginia

A tech company is expanding in Albemarle County with the help of state aid. CoConstruct plans to create 69 new jobs as part of a $485,000 expansion of its IT operations. The company makes project management software for home builders and remodelers.

 

TD Ameritrade brings 1,800 under one roof in Southlake, Texas

Financial firm TD Ameritrade has officially opened a new operating center in Southlake housing 1,800 employees. The 318,000-square-foot facility includes two buildings. It consolidates financial services, technology and operations staff who previously worked in two facilities in Fort Worth, where the company had no room for growth. 

 

Aerospace project clears hurdles in Mobile, Ala.

Construction could begin soon on a $60 million aerospace project in Mobile. The Continental Motors project at the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley was awaiting final lease agreements. The company and its 400 employees are currently spread out over 11 buildings on 44 acres at the aeroplex. The project would put the company, which produces piston and turbine engines for light aircraft, in one large new facility on site. 

 

Automation tech company moves HQ to Addison, Texas

Basis Technologies, a European-based automation technology company, has relocated its North American headquarters, formerly in Vancouver, to Addison. Basis has tacked on 10 jobs in the Dallas area in the past quarter, and plans to hire another 100 workers in the next few years.