July 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.

 

North Charleston call center closing. . .no workers

The tight labor market is costing the Charleston region more than 600 jobs. InterContinental Hotels Group notified workers that it is closing its North Charleston call center later this year because of “staffing challenges,” spokesman Neil Hirsch said.

 

Steel firm to invest $230 million in Columbus, Miss.

Steel Dynamics has announced plans to invest $230 million to upgrade its northeast Mississippi steel mill, creating 45 jobs. The company, based in Fort Wayne, Ind., is shifting production from selling to pipe and tube makers to more lucrative customers, including auto and appliance makers.

 

Japanese auto supplier expanding Alabama plant with $40 million investment

Unipres Alabama plans to invest $40 million in a new hot stamping process at its production facility in St. Clair County, Ala. The move will create 70 new jobs. The company supplies products for Nissan and Honda.

 

Coca-Cola to open huge facility in Northern Kentucky

Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Bottling Co. plans to create more than 430 jobs as part of a $30 million investment to build a sales and distribution center in Erlanger, Ky. The 300,000-square-foot facility is expected to open in late summer 2019.

 

GE Appliances investing $115 million in Alabama expansion

GE Appliances will invest $115 million to expand its Decatur Refrigerator Plant in Decatur, Ala. The investment will add 255 new jobs to the plant, bringing the total number of full-time employees to nearly 1,300.

 

ROCKWOOL building manufacturing facility in West Virginia

ROCKWOOL (North America) has broken ground on its second U.S. stone wool insulation manufacturing facility in Ranson, W.Va. The company will invest more than $150 million in the new 460,000-square-foot facility and will employ around 150 people in the Jefferson County community.

 

Schwan’s adds 50 manufacturing jobs at Kentucky plant

American food manufacturer Schwan’s Company announced plans to hire 50 new workers at its Florence, Ky., frozen pizza factory. The maker of brands like Freschetta and Red Baron kicked off a $34 million expansion project at the site in 2017 to add production and reduce waste.

 

Stryker Logistics to create new HQ in Bowling Green, Ky.

Stryker Logistics plans to open a new international headquarters in Bowling Green -- a $1.5 million project creating 50 full-time jobs.

 

North Carolina beats New York for 300-job expansion

Sensus plans to add 301 jobs in Durham County, where it has manufacturing, research and development and general office space. The producer of smart meters for utilities and municipalities will invest $4 million in its facility there by 2019.

 

Gaia Herbs to open new facility in Mills River, N.C.

Brevard-based herbal supplement manufacturer Gaia Herbs is looking to consolidate and expand operations at a new site in Mills River, hoping to bring 30 jobs and $12.2 million in investment.

 

Huntington Ingalls to hire 7,000 shipbuilders in Virginia

Huntington Ingalls’ Newport News Shipbuilding division has a lot of hiring to do. The sole designer, builder and refueler of U.S. Navy aircraft carriers and one of two providers of U.S. Navy submarines, anticipates hiring almost 7,000 people, including the creation of 2,000 new jobs over the next five years. Huntington Ingalls currently employs more than 22,000 employees, is the largest industrial employer in Virginia and the largest shipbuilding company in the United States.

 

DENSO Air Systems plans $3.5 million expansion in Hopkinsville, Ky.

DENSO Air Systems Michigan will expand its presence in Christian County with a $3.5 million investment creating 45 full-time jobs. The automotive components manufacturer is headquartered in Japan.

 

Beyond Meat triples manufacturing footprint in Missouri

Plant-based meat brand Beyond Meat has opened a second production facility in Columbia, Mo., that will create 250 new jobs in 2018. The Beyond Meat brand is now available in 20,000 retail locations and in10,000 restaurants, hotels, college campus dining halls, and hospitals.

 

LG Electronics plans Huntsville solar module assembly plant

LG Electronics plans to invest $28 million to open a world-class solar module assembly plant on its 48-acre campus in Huntsville, Ala. The company will create 160 jobs.

 

CKE Restaurants expands operations in Franklin, Tenn.

CKE, parent to the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s sister chains, will invest $3.6 million and create 145 jobs as it expands its headquarters operations in Williamson County.

 

British-based Synthomer expands plant in Roebuck, S.C.

British-based Synthomer is investing $16 million and is expected to create 10 new jobs to expand its existing manufacturing operations in Spartanburg County. Synthomer is one of the world’s top suppliers of acrylic and vinyl emulsion, latex and specialty polymers.

 

Container Maintenance Corp. bringing 54 new jobs to Dillon County, S.C.

Container Maintenance recently announced plans to open a new facility in Dillon County, bringing $11.5 million of capital investment and creating approximately 54 jobs. The company’s new facility, which supports the newly-opened Inland Port Dillon, also complements its existing Charleston County facility, which supports the Port of Charleston. The new operations are projected to come online in the third quarter of 2018.

 

New call center in Lake Mary, Fla.

Connecticut-based Medicare sales and marketing firm HealthPlan One will open a new call center in Lake Mary this summer, immediately creating 125 Central Florida jobs, and more than 260 over the next 12 month.

 

New medical campus in Mesquite, Texas could add 1,800 jobs

Construction is set to begin next year on a 60-acre wellness campus in Mesquite after the $250 million project got the go-ahead from the Mesquite City Council. The Verde Center at Peachtree, which will include a hospital, a research and fitness center, and medical office space, could bring 1,800 jobs to Mesquite.

 

Lockheed Martin to create hundreds of jobs in Greenville, S.C.

Aerospace and defense company Lockheed Martin announced it will be producing F-16 Block 70 aircraft in Greenville after receiving a $1.12 billion contract from the U.S. government to produce 16 of the fighter jets for the Kingdom of Bahrain’s Royal Air Force. The company expects the production will create 150 to 200 jobs in Greenville.

 

FSW, Cheney Brothers receive grant for 330 new employees

Florida-based foodservice distributor Cheney Brothers, in partnership with Florida SouthWestern State College, has been awarded a $524,000 grant, which they plan to use to hire and train up to 330 new employees.

 

ModSpace bringing 80 new jobs to Baxley, Ga.

Modular Space Corporation is expected to open a refurbishing facility in Baxley in October. Headquartered in Pennsylvania, the supplier of temporary modular space and permanent modular construction, projects that it will employee approximately 80 at full capacity.

 

Dominion Outsourcing expands in Henrico County, Va.

Dominion Outsourcing, a healthcare service provider, will invest $370,000 to expand its client engagement center in Henrico County. The project will create 190 new jobs.

 

Merchant Iron Works expands South Carolina plant

Merchant Iron Works, a steel fabricator and installer, plans an expansion in Sumter, S.C.

The company’s $2.5 million investment is projected to create 27 new jobs.

 

Margaritaville Biloxi is expanding

Margaritaville will build a new hotel and an amusement park adjacent to property it controls in Biloxi, Miss. Hotel developers expect the work to take two-and-half years. The expansion will create 600 new jobs.

 

Grapeland, Texas company to fill 60 jobs

Darling Ingredients, which produces natural ingredients from edible and inedible bio-nutrients for customers in the pharmaceutical, food, pet food, fuel, bio-energy and fertilizer industries plans to add 60 new jobs at its Grapeland facility.

 

BLG Logistics locates operations in Ladson, S.C.

Designed to support Mercedes-Benz Vans’ production operations, BLG Logistics is locating new operations in Charleston County, projected to create 28 new jobs.

 

New Amazon distribution center bringing 1,500 jobs to Charlotte, N.C.

In a unanimous vote, Charlotte city leaders approved plans for Amazon to build a new $200 million distribution center in west Charlotte. The project, code-named “Quattro” (a reference to Amazon’s fourth facility in the Charlotte area), will bring 1,500 new jobs to the area.

 

Amazon to create 1,500 jobs at first Alabama fulfillment center

Amazon will invest $325 million to locate its first Alabama fulfillment center in Bessemer, Ala., which will create 1,500 full-time jobs in Jefferson County. The company currently operates a sortation center in Mobile, Ala.

 

Sea Ray closing in Brevard, Fla.

As part of a massive restructuring by parent company Brunswick Corp., Sea Ray Boats is closing its two operations on Merritt Island, which will leave 380 people jobless.

 

Draken International expands in Lakeland, Fla.

Draken International will invest nearly $6.7 million in the Lakeland area with plans to create 55 jobs over the next three years. The company will expand its corporate headquarters and maintenance, repair and overhaul operations at the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport. With over 50 jets, Draken operates the largest fleet of privately owned tactical aircraft in the world.

 

Major appliance manufacturer invests in North Texas

As part of the company’s $150 million investment in its distribution network, Louisville-based GE Appliances opened its new 700,000-square-foot DFW facility recently. GE Appliances was part of General Electric until two years ago when Haier, a Chinese manufacturer of home appliances, bought the company for $5.4 billion.

 

Tenaris to restart part of Houston-area mill

Tenaris, a Luxembourg-based steel pipe company that has its North American headquarters in Houston, plans to restart parts of its welded tubes mill in Conroe, Texas after a three-year suspension of operations. In early 2015, about 230 jobs were cut. Now, Tenaris plans to employ more than 100 people at the plant, which is expected to restart by September.

 

ComSonics expands Virginia operations

Electronics and fiber optics company ComSonics will invest $615,000 to expand its manufacturing operation in Augusta County, Va. Thirty-four new jobs will be created over a three-year period.

 

Allegiant Travel plans Knoxville hub

Las Vegas-based Allegiant Travel Company is investing more than $50 million to establish its new base of operations, which will house two Airbus aircraft, at McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville, Tenn. The company plans to create up to 66 high-wage jobs in the area.

 

Air Products opens steam methane reformer in Baytown, Texas

Air Products, a hydrogen provider, officially opened its $350 million world-scale steam methane reformer at the Covestro Industrial Park in Baytown, Texas.

 

Midwest Automation Custom Fabrication plans HQ in Fort Smith, Ark.

Midwest Automation Custom Fabrication will locate its manufacturing headquarters in Fort Smith, Ark. The new company is creating 85 jobs and investing more than $1.6 million in the Fort Smith region.

 

GlobiTech planning expansion, 57 new jobs for Sherman, Texas

Silicon-epitaxy manufacturer GlobiTech is planning an expansion at its Sherman facility that could also lead to the addition of 57 new employees. GlobiTech recently got approval to double its current building size.

 

Manufacturer plans additional $101 million investment in Alabama

A Calhoun County manufacturer of wood-based panel products is planning an expansion that will create an additional 310 new jobs for the Oxford, Ala., area. Kronospan is investing $463 million in its Grow Bama project, which is an increase from its 2016 announcement of a $362 million expansion that promised to add 160 new jobs.

 

Chemical company launches $11 million expansion of Alabama location

South Korea-based Lotte Chemical Alabama is investing $11.4 million in its Auburn facility. The company manufactures compounded polypropylene resin for plastic automotive and home appliance uses at the site.

 

Southern Current launching new solar projects in South Carolina

Southern Current is expanding its solar farm portfolio with five new facilities throughout Anderson County, S.C. The company is investing $30 million.

 

Scotland-based Aggreko expands in New Iberia, La.

Aggreko is expanding its operations, retaining 265 existing jobs and creating 30 new direct jobs in New Iberia. The company provides temporary solutions worldwide for power, heating, cooling, and oil-free compressed air.

 

Steel company adding 1,000 new jobs Texas

JSW Steel USA is investing $1 billion in facilities in Mingo Junction, Ohio, and Baytown, Texas, and will be hiring over 1,000 people. The U.S. steel mill, headquartered outside Houston, produces hot-rolled plates and pipes.

 

Vicksburg Forest Products remodeling Mississippi mill

Vicksburg Forest Products is opening a lumber mill in Vicksburg, Miss. After significant upgrades and modifications are complete, the multi-million-dollar corporate investment will create 125 jobs. The company plans to purchase raw materials from a number of landowners in the surrounding area.

 

Tate Ornamental expands Tennessee manufacturing complex

Metal, millwork and stonework manufacturer, Tate Ornamental, will expand its operations in White House, Tenn. The company plans to create 50 new jobs and invest $6 million in Robertson County.

 

Nuclear supply company moves to Huntsville

BWX Technologies, a supplier of nuclear components and fuel to the U.S. government, is moving to the Rocket City. Depending on funding, it could bring up to 150 new jobs – mostly engineers -- to Huntsville.

 

Murfreesboro, Tenn., hospital to add jobs

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held recently to celebrate the grand opening of the new clinical decision unit at Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital --  Phase 1 of an $84 million expansion project. Phase 2 is adding 72 rooms and more jobs.

 

Clothing company moving HQ to San Antonio

Grunt Style, a $100 million military- and patriotic-themed clothing company, will move its corporate headquarters and its clothing factory to San Antonio, with the goal of eventually producing 100 percent of its products in the United States.

 

Accounting software firm opens HQ in Gwinnett County, Ga.

M3, a cloud-based accounting software firm for the hospitality industry, has recently opened its new headquarters at a $5.4 million location in Gwinnett County. M3 currently employs 150 at the Atlanta location, and hopes to expand to 200 employees shortly.

 

Brown-Forman opens Old Forester Distillery in Louisville, Ky.

Brown-Forman recently opened a $45 million, 29-job Old Forester bourbon production center and visitor attraction, re-establishing the brand’s historic home on Whiskey Row in Louisville. Brown-Forman’s investment covered extensive renovations and the purchase of new equipment.

 

Nidec Motor Company expands Lexington, Tenn., manufacturing plant

Nidec Motor Company will expand its current operations in Lexington. The electric motor manufacturer will create 301 new jobs and invest $18 million in Henderson County. Nidec is the number one comprehensive maker of electric motors -- large and small -- in the world.

 

Sumter County, S.C., gets a shot in the arm

BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a leading global medical technology company, announced a $150 million investment in its existing Sumter County manufacturing facility. The company is projected to create an additional 125 new jobs over the next several years.

 

Dutch firm picks Hall County, Ga., for $17 million factory

VDL Groep, a Dutch industrial giant, is putting a $17 million factory in Hall County that will employ 110 people. The company assembles cars on behalf of BMW in the Netherlands, and is one of the largest bus makers in Europe. The factory in Oakwood, Ga., will make components and machinery for food processing and other sectors. 

 

GE Appliances creating 100 jobs at new Georgia distribution center

Louisville-based GE Appliances, owned by Chinese conglomerate Haier, is bolstering its presence in Georgia with a $55 million investment in a new Southeast Region Appliance Distribution Center. The facility will create 100 jobs at the new warehouse.

 

Media company creating 240 jobs in Loudoun County, Va.

Discovery Inc., the media company behind the Discovery Channel and the Food Network, recently announced a $16 million expansion in Loudoun County that’s expected to create 240 jobs. Virginia competed against Maryland and New York for the project.

 

Bavarian company brings 50 jobs to Flat Rock, N.C.

Demmel recently celebrated its grand opening in what used to be the Western North Carolina Fairgrounds. The Bavarian company was originally asked by BMW and Tesla to supply products from a location in North America. It brings 50 jobs to the area.

 

Automotive supplier expands manufacturing in Mississippi

A German company that makes automotive parts is expanding in Tishomingo County -- hago Automotive Corp. will add 60 jobs and invest $4 million for new equipment in Iuka. By doubling the size of its existing facility, hago Automotive will be able meet the needs of BMW in the U.S., China and South Africa.

 

Cook Medical plans manufacturing facility in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Cook Medical recently signed a letter of intent to acquire a former R.J. Reynolds Plant facility at Whitaker Park in Winston-Salem. The company plans to transform a portion of the former R.J. Reynolds building, which stopped production in 2012, into a world-class medical device manufacturing facility. The project also means 650 new jobs in the area.

 

Russell Cellular expands in Missouri, creates 135 new jobs

A Battlefield company is expanding into an $8 million headquarters facility creating more than 100 jobs in the same region where it started 25 years ago. Now one of the one of the largest Verizon retailers in the country, Russell plans to create 135 jobs in the region.

 

Phillips 66 to launch $1.5 billion expansion of Texas hub

Houston-based Phillips 66 said recently that it will expand its Sweeny Hub near Old Ocean, Texas, as part of a $1.5 billion project to transport and process more natural gas liquids.

 

Home Depot plans $1.2 billion investment

Atlanta-based Home Depot is planning a major extension of its supply chain with new distribution facilities across the U.S. The company said it will spend $1.2 billion over the next five years to add more than 170 distribution facilities, with the hope of speeding up delivery of goods to homes and job sites.

 

Delta Dental expands in North Fulton, Ga.

Delta Dental, a dental insurance provider, is adding enough space at its north Fulton office project for another 200 to 300 positions.

 

Four hundred new jobs for Panama City, Fla.

A final contract has been approved allowing the first Triumph Gulf Coast grant of $10 million to be spent on a major expansion of the Port of Panama City. The project will support over 140 direct high-wage jobs at the port and more than 250 additional port-dependent jobs. The Triumph Gulf Coast board is doling out the first $300 million payment of $1.5 billion that is expected to flow into eight Panhandle counties through 2033.

 

Microporous breaks ground in Piney Flats, Tenn.

Microporous held a groundbreaking ceremony recently for its $20 million expansion that will create 35 jobs. The company manufactures separators for batteries that are used in automotive and nuclear products.

 

Accruent locates Tech Center Of Excellence in New Orleans

Accruent, a company that specializes in software and IT products, will establish a technology center of excellence in New Orleans, La. The company plans to create 350 jobs.

 

JW Aluminum investing $255 million in South Carolina

JW Aluminum, a manufacturer of flat-rolled aluminum products, will invest $255 million in an expansion of its existing Berkeley County operations. The facility’s growth is expected to lead to the creation of 50 new jobs.

 

Food service company creating jobs in Bourbon County, Ky.

Legacy Companies, a food service and consumer appliance company, will create 60 full-time jobs and invest nearly $6.7 million as it revitalizes a recently closed Bourbon County facility.

 

Blackbaud HQ cuts ribbon in Daniel Island, S.C.

One of the Lowcountry’s larger employers cut the ribbon on its new Daniel Island world headquarters recently. Blackbaud, a software company primarily serving the non-profit world, says its 360,000-square-foot, eco-friendly campus will not only accommodate some of its currents workforce, but also bring in 300 new jobs over the next five years.

 

Commercial laundry to create 50 jobs in South Carolina

Carolina Textile Care announced plans to construct a new commercial laundry plant in Hampton County, S.C. The company’s $7.3 million investment is projected to create 50 new jobs. The focus of the new operation will be to serve high-end hotels and resorts.

 

Bechtel’s HQ move to Virginia includes Houston jobs

Engineering giant Bechtel Corp. plans to move its corporate headquarters to Reston, Va., by the end of the year as part of a corporate consolidation after being based in San Francisco for more than a century. About 150 managers and employees will relocate from San Francisco and Houston. Bechtel’s work in California has waned as it has increased its oil and gas-related construction in and around Houston and its government contracting work in Greater Washington.

                               

Amazon announces Tulsa fulfillment center

Amazon has announced plans to open its second Oklahoma fulfillment center in Tulsa, which will create 1,500 full-time jobs. The company also recently announced an upcoming fulfillment center in South Oklahoma City. Amazon currently operates a sortation center in Oklahoma City, where it employs hundreds of associates.

 

Amazon to bring 600 new jobs to Lexington, Ky.

Amazon announced in June it is hiring 600 full-time employees for its fulfillment operations in Lexington.

 

Taylor Farms to build second plant in Smyrna, Tenn.

Taylor Farms purchased property in May to build a second factory in Smyrna, according to records from Rutherford County. The new facility will hire an additional 800 people to produce the brand’s deli items.

 

Hattiesburg Clinic to add two new facilities

Hattiesburg Clinic is expanding again with two new facilities in the works at its Tatum Park campus in Hattiesburg, Miss. The new construction represents a $30 million investment.

 

Ground breaks on $115 million hotel in Charlotte, N.C.

Ground has broken on Grand Bohemian Hotel Charlotte, a luxury property with a $115 million price tag.

 

VT Mobile Aerospace opens Pensacola hub

VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering has opened its new hangar at the Pensacola International Airport in Florida. As an incentive, the Florida Department of Transportation provided $23.8 million in grants to support this project that is expected to create 400 jobs in the region.

 

Wyndham Destinations selects Orlando for global HQ

Governor Rick Scott announced that Wyndham Destinations, a new publicly traded timeshare company, has selected Orlando as the location for its new global headquarters. The company will create 200 new jobs and make a $7.5 million capital investment in the city.

 

Bluestone announces 250 new coal-mining jobs in West Virginia

Bluestone Coal officials recently announced the hiring of 250 additional workers at mines across southern West Virginia. A variety of jobs are being offered along with a newly redesigned bonus program that “will help the entire family,” Bluestone Coal officials reported in a press release.

 

Lear Corp. to hire 500 in Alabama

Mercedes-Benz supplier Lear Corp. is hiring 500 people to manufacture seat assemblies for Mercedes-Benz’s Vance plant.

 

Charleston Harbor project receives $49 million in federal funding

In June, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced $49 million for the Charleston Harbor Deepening Project in the Fiscal Year 18 Work Plan, critical funds that will be coupled with financial support from the State of South Carolina to further the progress of deepening the Charleston Harbor to 52 feet.

 

Australia’s EOS selects Alabama for flagship facility with 100 jobs

Electro Optic Systems (EOS), an Australian defense contractor specializing in remotely controlled weapon systems, announced plans to locate its flagship U.S. manufacturing facility in Huntsville, creating as many as 100 jobs in the first year.

 

Dollar General opens distribution center in Georgia

Dollar General recently celebrated the official grand opening of the company’s 15th distribution center in Jackson, Ga. Dollar General said the company, as well as state and local agencies, have invested approximately $85 million in the construction of the new center. The Jackson facility is expected to create more than 500 jobs.

 

Manufacturers adding jobs and dollars in Lincoln County, N.C.

Two eastern Lincoln County manufacturers plan to expand, adding a total of $32.5 million in investment and more than 20 jobs. Blum Inc. will spend $22.5 million and add an unspecified number of jobs at its huge cabinet hardware plant near Denver. Husky Rack, which makes wire security enclosures, will invest $10 million in an expansion of its facility, adding 20 jobs.

 

Paycom relocating to Grapevine, Texas

Oklahoma City-based Paycom Software will relocate its Texas operations center to Grapevine, where the company plans to create 1,000 high-paying jobs.

 

HDT Global plans 113 jobs, $14.5 million in upgrades in Florence, Ky.

HDT Global, a provider of highly engineered products for extreme environments for the military, public and private sectors, will create 113 full-time jobs at its manufacturing facility in Boone County as part of a $14.5 million improvement project.

 

CORE West relocates HQ to Frisco, Texas

CORE West, a general contractor, will be relocating its headquarters from Phoenix, Ariz., to Frisco, Texas. The company will bring $4 million in capital investment and 97 new jobs to the Lone Star State.

 

Fastenal plans Mississippi distribution hub

Industrial supply company Fastenal is locating a distribution center in Madison County, Miss. The project is an $11.5 million investment and will create 60 jobs over the next three years.

 

Greenhouse to bring 150 jobs to North Carolina

A new greenhouse facility is set to bring as many as 150 jobs to Henderson County, N.C., with an investment that could total $69 million. Lakeside Produce plans to establish the largest greenhouse operation in North Carolina just outside Mills River.

 

Embraer to land in Macon, Ga., employing 100

Brazilian aircraft giant Embraer will invest $1.6 million to set up an operation to maintain and repair commercial jets at the Middle Georgia Regional Airport, a move that will bring 100 jobs to the city. 

 

Teijin Carbon Fibers begins construction in Greenwood, S.C.

Teijin Limited, whose main focus is high-performance fibers, broke ground on the new carbon-fiber production facility of its subsidiary Teijin Carbon Fibers in Greenwood. The facility is expected to create some 220 jobs with $600 million in investment around 2030.

 

SchaeferRolls plans $12 million plant in Covington, Va.

SchaeferRolls, a producer of polymer-based roll covers, will invest $12 million to establish a 40,000-square-foot manufacturing operation in Covington, hiring 31 new jobs. The company will be the local supplier to paper and packaging manufacturer WestRock Company’s plant.

 

Mimeo to move 116 printing jobs to Tennessee

Mimeo, an online content management, printing and distribution company, will close its Newark, N.J., production facility this summer, taking 116 jobs to Memphis, Tenn. Mimeo will also move 55 jobs from its headquarters in New York, add new sales positions, and retain 284 employees at its existing Memphis manufacturing and distribution facility.

 

Raytheon plans a $100 million expansion in Forest, Miss.

Defense contractor Raytheon plans a $100 million expansion of its Forest radar manufacturing plant. The new 50,000-square-foot facility will serve as a hub for production and testing of s-band radars. As a direct result of the site expansion, dozens of new jobs will be created. Raytheon also has reportedly been awarded a $90 million Air Force contract, with part of that work planned for the Forest plant.

 

Braidy breaks ground on $1.6 billion rolling mill near Ashland, Ky.

At the ceremonial start of construction on the $1.5 billion, 600-job Braidy Industries aluminum rolling mill near Ashland, Gov. Matt Bevin joined elected officials and business leaders in hailing the project as the economic comeback of Eastern Kentucky, and a direct result of the state’s right-to-work legislation. The Braidy mill will employ 600.

 

Corvac Composites plans $6.1 million investment in Morgantown, Ky.

Automotive supplier Corvac Composites will expand production in Morgantown, Ky., with a $6.1 million investment expected to create 30 full-time jobs. Corvac makes automotive underbody systems.

 

New $1.7 billion project at Texas’ Port Arthur Refinery breaks ground

The Total Refinery in Port Arthur recently hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for a $1.7 billion Ethane Steam Cracker. The project, designed to produce more ethane from natural gasses, is expected to produce about 1,500 jobs in the development stage, and 60 permanent jobs once the worker unit goes on line.

 

Berry plastics expanding Bowling Green plant

Berry Global, a plastics provider for various industries, will create 20 full-time jobs as it invests nearly $16.5 million in new production lines and at its facility in Bowling Green, Ky.

 

New manufacturer to Bowling Green creating 25 jobs

Crown Verity USA, a manufacturer of outdoor cooking equipment, will locate in Bowling Green with a $3.6 million investment that will create 25 full-time jobs.

 

Koops expands South Carolina operations

Koops, a manufacturer of automation systems, is growing its existing Greenville County production operations by moving into a larger building Mauldin, S.C. The company’s $2.2 million investment is projected to create 20 new jobs.

 

Rolls-Royce adding 100 jobs to Prince George, Va., facility

Rolls-Royce Crosspointe plans to celebrate a production milestone -- its 10,000th rotative disk -- by adding 100 new jobs to its facility in Prince George County. The Crosspointe facility manufactures engine components for planes around the world and will shortly begin making the components of a new engine family for business aviation, also known as Pearl. 

 

Online retailer promises 77 new jobs for Ocala, Fla.

RealTruck, an online retailer of pickup truck parts and accessories, is seeking $385,000 from the city, county and state to establish its national headquarters in Ocala. The company plans to create 77 new jobs.

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