December 2018

Study estimates Amazon's Virginia HQ2 deal will have an economic impact of over $14 billion

In the fall quarter, Seattle-based Amazon picked Arlington County, Va., for one of its two HQ2s, creating 25,000 jobs in Northern Virginia. Richmond-based Chmura Economics & Analytics published a report that estimates that the project will create $14.2 billion in economic activity and 59,308 jobs in the state, more than doubling the direct jobs in the deal. 

 

Korean battery maker to locate plant in Georgia that will house 2,000

SK Innovation, a lithium-ion batteries manufacturer is investing $1.67 billion in a new project in Jackson County, Ga. The batteries are used in hybrid electric vehicles. The project will create 2,000 jobs. 

 

Amazon picks Nashville for Tennessee's largest jobs announcement in history

Amazon's announcement in November that it would bring a new operations hub to Nashville wasn't the HQ2 that landed in Virginia and New York. But at 5,000 jobs, it's the largest single deal ever announced in Tennessee. The $230 million project will be located in Nashville Yards, a new commercial site under construction between Church Street and Broadway near Interstate 40. Amazon will receive an incentive package that will total $102 million. 

 

Portobello picks Tennessee for first U.S. facility

Brazil-based Portobello, a ceramic tile manufacturer, is investing $150 million to establish its U.S. headquarters and manufacturing plant in Baxter, Tenn. Portobello is Brazil's largest manufacturer and will create 220 jobs in the deal. 

 

McKesson to relocate HQ to Las Colinas, Texas

McKesson, a provider of healthcare supply chain management solutions, is relocating its global headquarters from San Francisco to Las Colinas. McKesson, a Fortune 500 company, joins several companies that have relocated their headquarters from California, including Toyota, Kubota Tractor and Charles Schwab Corp.

 

Tech company to hire 600 in downtown Raleigh

Homegrown tech firm Pendo, which currently employs 171 people in downtown Raleigh, N.C., will hire 590 more. The company will invest $34 million in the deal. 

 

New saw mill for Alabama

Great Southern Wood is spending $40 million to convert an existing facility into a saw mill in Abbeville, Ala. The project will create 100 jobs. 

 

Canada tissue maker to expand and upgrade North Carolina plant

Cascades Holdings will invest $58 million in its Wagram plant in Scotland County, N.C. The company will modernize the tissue plant and add 66 jobs. 

 

PGA of America is relocating its headquarters to Frisco, Texas

The PGA of America is relocating its headquarters from Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., to Frisco, Texas. The $500 million deal includes a 100,000-square-foot headquarters and two 18-hole championship courses, along with a new resort. Also, multiple PGA of America-hosted championships will be played at the new courses including two PGA Championships. 

 

BMW starts production of X7 at South Carolina plant

German automaker BMW is now building the X7 Sports Activity Vehicle. It is being assembled on the same line as the X5 and X6 models. The groundwork for the new model came when BMW announced in 2014 it would invest $1 billion at its plant in Spartanburg County. The company built a new 1.2 million-square-foot body shop that houses over 2,000 new robots. BMW produces about 1,400 vehicles a day at the plant with 70 percent of them exported to over 140 global markets. 

 

Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth and Washington, D.C., are top three markets for relocation

In a report done by Updater, an app for people who are moving, the top three markets for relocating Americans are Washington, D.C., Dallas-Fort Worth and Atlanta. New York City came in fourth and Los Angeles came in fifth as the top destinations. 

 

Honeywell relocates HQ to Charlotte from New Jersey

Honeywell is relocating its headquarters from Morris Plains, N.J., to Charlotte, N.C. The announcement means about 500 jobs will be created in Charlotte. The company is also relocating its Safety and Productivity Solutions division from South Carolina to Charlotte. About 100 positions will relocate in that move. 

 

Volvo is reducing it employment count at new South Carolina plant because of tariffs

Volvo global CEO Hakan Samuelsson told USA Today in late November that the company is reducing its hiring at its new $1.1 billion assembly plant in Berkeley County, S.C., due to President Trump's trade war with China. Volvo picked South Carolina in 2015 for its first U.S. plant, and the facility opened for full production of the S60 sedan in the summer. In retaliation for tariffs from Trump, China hiked U.S. vehicle import tariffs from 25 to 40 percent. Volvo planned to export a large number of South Carolina-made Volvos to China. The company also planned to hire 1,500 by the end of this year and up to 4,000 when the Chinese-owned Swedish brand started another line for a SUV. The CEO did not say how many jobs will be reduced at the plant. 

 

Mazda Toyota Manufacturing breaks ground on North Alabama plant

On November 16, 2018, Mazda Toyota Manufacturing USA broke ground on its $1.6 billion, 4,000-employee plant in Huntsville, Ala., and Limestone County. Fittingly, an automotive assembly line robot turned the first shovel of dirt. The plant will feature two lines, with one assembling the Toyota Corolla model and another building a new Mazda crossover SUV. 

 

BMW ponders a new engine plant in North America

BMW is considering building a second plant in the U.S. The German automaker is studying whether to build an engine plant to support its largest plant worldwide, which is located in Spartanburg County, S.C. The company is also about to open a plant in Mexico. Currently, BMW imports its engines from Europe to its U.S. plant. BMW officials have been discussing the new plant for several years. 

 

Aerospace industry continues to grow in Kentucky

Aerospace is Kentucky’s largest export product by value, and that value is increasing. In 2015, the value of all aerospace exports in Kentucky stood at $8.7 billion. In 2016 that rose to $10.8 billion and the next year it hit $11.7 billion, nearly triple the total of the next largest export sector, which is automotive. This year aerospace exports in Kentucky have grown by 5.9 percent, meaning they are on pace to top $12 billion. 

 

Houston led nation in job creation in the last year

The nine-county Houston MSA created 117,800 jobs from October 2017 to October 2018. That's up 3.9 percent and the largest job growth of any market in the U.S.

 

Hyundai considers significant upgrade of its plant in Montgomery, Ala.

Hyundai CEO Wonhee Lee told Automotive News in the fall quarter that the Korean automaker may soon make a significant investment in its plant in Montgomery, Ala. The company is considering adding two more lines to the plant, one for an SUV and one for a new pickup truck. Hyundai assembles two sedans and one SUV at the facility. 

 

Wayfair to hire 1,000 in Savannah

Online retailer Wayfair is opening a 1.1 million-square-foot warehouse in Chatham County, Ga. The $45 million project will create 1,000 jobs. 

 

FBI relocating 1,350 jobs to Huntsville, Ala. 

In the fall quarter, the FBI announced a major expansion of its operations at the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville. The agency, which has a significant presence in Huntsville, is moving 1,350 jobs from the Washington, D.C., area. Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said that the FBI expansion in Huntsville could mean as many as 5,000 jobs. 

 

Ford eliminates shift in Louisville; those 500 workers will move to truck plant

Ford Motor Co. is eliminating the "C shift" (nights and weekends) at its Louisville Assembly Plant where it assembles the Escape model. The company will move 500 workers from the Louisville Assembly Plant to the Kentucky Truck Plant, which is also located in Louisville. The truck plant makes the Expedition and Lincoln Navigator models, as well as the F-Series Super Duty pickups. 

 

Port of Gulfport restoration and expansion completed

Hurricane Katrina just about wiped out the Port of Gulfport in Gulfport, Miss. But in late November, Mississippi officials cut the ribbon on the completion of the $570 million expansion and restoration of the port.  

 

Manufacturer expands in Mississippi 

Emilia Resources, a manufacturer of cosmetic and personal-care products, is expanding its facilities in De Kalb, Miss. The $1 million project will create 27 jobs. 

 

Westervelt to build new lumber mill in Alabama

Tuscaloosa-based Westervelt announced it will build a new lumber mill in Thomasville, Ala. The new mill, which will house 125 workers, will be capable of producing 250 million board feet of lumber each year. 

 

Cheniere opens LNG plant in Corpus Christi

In November Houston-based Cheniere Energy opened its multi-billion dollar liquefied natural gas facility near Corpus Christi, Texas. It is the second LNG plant opening for Cheniere. It operates the other on the Sabine Pass in Southwest Louisiana. 

 

Airbus begins construction of another assembly line at Mobile, Ala., complex

Airbus has begun construction on expanding its Mobile, Ala., operations to accommodate A320 aircraft and A220 production. Construction for a new A220 assembly line building will begin next year. The new A220 aircraft assembly building will be located adjacent to Airbus' A320 family production lines. The A220 program was formed by a partnership between France-based Airbus and Canada-based Bombardier. The expansion will create hundreds of jobs. 

 

Bosch to spend $45 million on South Carolina operations

Auto parts supplier Bosch is investing $45 million in its Anderson County, S.C., operations. No new jobs will be created at the plant where 1,200 are currently housed. 

 

Toyo Tire expands Georgia plant

Japan-based Toyo Tire is investing $138 million in its tire plant in Bartow County, Ga. The company will also add 150 jobs to increase workers housed at the plant to 2,100. The expansion will add capacity to produce over 13 million passenger car tires per year. 

 

Manufacturer picks North Carolina for new plant

JBB Packaging, a plastic packaging manufacturer, will open a new plastic film plant in Halifax County, N.C. The $11 million project will create 50 new jobs. 

 

India-based auto supplier expanding in South Carolina

Sundaram-Clayton Limited, a manufacturer of aluminum casting products for Mercedes-Benz Vans near Charleston, S.C., is expanding it campus in Ridgeville, S.C. The company will invest $40 million and hire 100 in the deal. 

 

Advance Auto Parts relocating HQ to Raleigh

Advance Auto Parts announced in November it is relocating its headquarters from Roanoke, Va., to Raleigh, N.C. The company, which cited Raleigh's tech-savvy workforce, is expected to hire 600 in the move. 

 

Optima Health to add jobs in Virginia

Virginia's expansion of Medicaid has created jobs in the Commonwealth. Optima Health will add 197 jobs as open enrollment began on November 1. 

 

Company hiring 120 in rural Louisiana

Catamaran Solutions will open an industrial fabrication center in Minden, La. The project will create 120 jobs. The company plans to provide construction and maintenance services to industrial clients across North and South America

 

Electronics manufacturer setting up shop in Rock Hill, S.C.

Quality Electronic Manufacturing Services is locating in Rock Hill, S.C. The company is investing $7.6 million and hiring 110 workers. 

 

Boat manufacturer sets up shop in Middle Tennessee

New boat manufacturer Caymas Boats will establish operations in Ashland City, Tenn. The company, which will invest $30.3 million, will house 280 workers at the facility where it will build premium fiberglass saltwater and freshwater fishing boats. 

 

New Norfolk Southern headquarters to be located in Midtown Atlanta

Norfolk Southern is relocating its headquarters from Virginia to a new 1.4 million-square-foot development by Cousins Properties located in Midtown Atlanta's Technology Square. 

 

Heaven Hill investing $65 million in Bardstown, Ky.

Heaven Hill Distilleries is investing $65 million to renovate and expand its Bourbon Heritage Center, a visitors facility in Bardstown. The company will also expand its bourbon capacity in Bardstown.

 

New harness racing track to open in Kentucky

A partnership between Churchill Downs and Keeneland Association will build a $150 million harness racing track in Oak Grove, Ky., near the Tennessee border. The project is expected to create 400 jobs.  

 

Mimeo relocating headquarters from New Jersey to Memphis

Mimeo, a leading on-demand digital printer that can deliver documents overnight, is relocating its headquarters to Memphis. The company already has a distribution center there that houses about 400 workers. The new headquarters will create about 300 new jobs. 

 

Texas unemployment falls to historic low

In October, the unemployment rate in Texas fell to 3.7 percent, a record low for the state, or since data began to be measured by governments in 1976. In October, 32,300 jobs were created in Texas. 

 

Exports of South Carolina-made BMWs keeps dropping

Exports of BMWs made in Spartanburg County, S.C., continue to drop as tariffs put a bite into the German automaker. As a result, BMW officials plan to move more production of the company’s SUVs to its plant in China. It already makes the X3 there and might move production of the X5 model to its China plant. In October, BMW sent 13,702 vehicles to foreign markets through the Port of Charleston. That's a 16 percent drop from the same month a year ago and the fourth consecutive monthly decline of exported vehicles. BMW officials have publicly stated that the U.S.-China trade war will cost the company $344 million this year. 

 

Flu vaccine maker to expand North Carolina plant

Seqirus, a maker of cell-based flu vaccines, is adding dose capacity at its plant in Holly Springs, N.C. The company is investing $140 million into the facility and adding 120 jobs. 

 

Georgia-Pacific breaking ground on new Georgia plant

Georgia-Pacific, the world's largest manufacturer of paper tissue and paper towels, is investing $135 million in a pulp and paper factory in Warrenton, Ga. The project will create 150 jobs. 

 

Louisiana lands big chemical plant

Wanhua Chemical will invest $1.25 billion in a chemical manufacturing facility in St. James Parish, La. The plant will produce methylene diphenyl doisocyanate that is used to produce elastomers and foams that are then used in a variety of applications, including automotive parts and appliances. The deal will create 170 new jobs. 

 

Space technology manufacturer to open facility, relocate HQ to Midland, Texas

AST&Science will open a "new space" manufacturing facility and relocate its headquarters to the Midland International Air and Space Port. The company will produce space modules at the $30 million facility. The deal will create 160 jobs. 

 

Virginia officials executed the Amazon MOU on Monday, Nov. 13; they got the call an hour later

According to the Washington Business Journal, Virginia Economic Development Partnership CEO Stephen Moret was still negotiating with Amazon officials on the morning of November 13. VEDP executed the memorandum of understanding at 1:00 PM on Monday the 13th and then Commerce and Trade answered the call from Holly Sullivan, the chief site searcher for Amazon, and was told that one of the two sites for HQ2 would be Crystal City, Va. The $2.5 billion deal will create 25,000 jobs in Northern Virginia.   

 

IT contractor 1901 Group to create over 800 jobs in Virginia

The 1901 Group is expanding its Enterprise IT Operations Center in Montgomery County, Va., by 580 jobs. It is also expanding its corporate offices in Fairfax County with a 225-job expansion. 

 

Texas battery manufacturer expands in Temple

East Penn Manufacturing is expanding its lead battery plant in Temple, Texas. The company will build a new $106 million facility that will house 266 workers. 

 

Samsung expands its Austin operations again

Samsung Austin Semiconductor will expand again in the Texas city. The company is investing $291 million and retaining 500 jobs. 

 

Swedish auto supplier picks South Carolina for first U.S. plant

Gnotec Group is investing $5.9 million to locate a plant in Orangeburg County, S.C. The deal will create 78 jobs specializing in the engineering and manufacturing of metal components for automotive and commercial vehicles’ body-in-white and chassis structures.

 

Deloitte says millions of manufacturing jobs will go unfilled

A study published in the fall quarter from Deloitte showed that millions of manufacturing jobs in the U.S. will go unfilled over the next 10 years. Deloitte projects that a total of 4.6 million jobs will be available in the manufacturing sector by 2028, however, 2.4 million jobs will go unfilled. 

 

Lockheed Martin to add 750 jobs in Orlando

In November, Lockheed Martin's Orlando unit won two major defense contracts — one for 50 long-range anti-ship missiles and another for the next generation F-35 fighter jet. The project will create 750 jobs. 

 

Lumber mill expanding in Mississippi

Biewer Lumber is expanding its state-of-the-art sawmill in Newton, Miss. The company will increase capacity by more than 100 million board feet per year. The $40 million investment will create 45 jobs. 

 

New Flyer opens $25 million plant expansion in Anniston, Ala.

New Flyer of America, North America’s largest transit bus manufacturer, has cut the ribbon on a $25 million renovation and expansion of its Anniston factory. It was the culmination of $50 million in improvements to the facility over the past two years, which now employs 750. New Flyer manufactures battery-electric transit buses.

 

Baptist Health Lexington expanding

Baptist Health Lexington is planning two major expansions in Lexington, Ky. A new building for primary care and endocrinology in the Beaumont area and the addition of 43 cardiac beds at its hospital will total a $14.4 million investment.

 

Orgill expanding, hiring begun in Kilgore, Texas

Orgill has secured the final piece of its incentive package, but building expansion and new jobs have already begun at its Kilgore distribution center. The expansion is part of $29 million in new investment and 83 additional jobs the Tennessee-based company is making in Gregg County. Founded in 1847, Orgill is the world’s largest independently owned hardlines distributor.

 

Smithfield Foods and Dominion partnering on $250 million project

Two Virginia-based companies, Dominion Energy and Smithfield Foods, recently announced a multi-million dollar partnership to convert methane into natural gas. The $250 million initiative is called Align Renewable Natural Gas. “This endeavor is bringing us together to build a more sustainable future,” said Dominion Energy President & CEO Thomas Farrell.

 

Smyrna’s Nissan plant approved for $158 million in upgrades

Nissan’s Smyrna factory will continue to hire for a workforce of 8,400 and to make improvements to the plant. The automaker obtained authorization in November from the Rutherford County Industrial Development Board for two bonds totaling $158.1 million. The money will be used for upgrades including new machinery and equipment.

 

Defense contractor plans Charleston-area manufacturing site

A Michigan company that’s aiming to build parts for a new class of U.S. Navy submarines wants to open a $35.2 million manufacturing site that will employ at least 600 people in Charleston, S.C. Defense contractor W International, which welds and fabricates large structures for submarines and aircraft carriers, hopes to become a supplier for the Columbia class of ballistic missile submarines scheduled to debut in the 2030s. The military’s $90 billion project will include a dozen nuclear submarines that will replace the Cold War-era Ohio class submarines.

 

Domino’s delivers jobs in West Columbia, S.C.

Domino’s, the pizza restaurant chain, plans to open a new facility in Lexington County, creating 75 jobs there. The company plans to construct a new, 67,000-square-foot processing facility to supply dough, as well as other ingredients, to its regional franchise stores. 

 

TVA to build largest solar farms in Tennessee and Alabama

The Tennessee Valley Authority has contracted with two of the nation’s biggest solar power developers to construct the largest solar installations ever built in Tennessee and Alabama to power Facebook’s new $750 million data center in Huntsville, Ala., with 100 percent renewable energy. First Solar will erect a 227-megawatt solar farm in Colbert County, Ala., and NextEra Energy Resources will build a 150-megawatt solar farm in Lincoln County, Tenn. As a condition of locating in Alabama, Facebook wanted all of its electricity generated from renewable sources. 

 

New jobs coming to Horry County, S.C.

B&B Crane Service, a North Carolina-based industrial company, plans to establish operations in Horry County. The company will hire about 48 new employees, retain 52 existing employees, and make a capital investment of $10 million over the next five years.

 

Florida company wants to invest $75 million in new Alabama solar farm

Juno Beach, Fla.-based NextEra Energy Resources is looking to invest $75 million in a large solar farm project in Houston County, Ala. The Houston County Commission approved a 10-year property tax abatement for 1,000 acres. If the project goes through, it would be completed in 2021.

 

Racetrack plans $100 million expansion in Hot Springs, Ark.

Less than two weeks after voters approved casino gambling in Arkansas, Oaklawn Racing and Gaming announced a $100 million expansion that will include a 200-room hotel, a 14,000-square-foot event center and 28,000 square feet of new gaming space. The project did not receive any state or local incentives. 

 

Ajinomoto Foods expands Mississippi operations

Ajinomoto Foods North America is expanding its existing operations in Oakland, Miss. The company plans to invest $22 million and add 76 to its existing workforce of 400 to manufacture specialty frozen foods.

 

Infosys will open hub and hire 500 in Texas 

The Bengaluru-headquartered IT services company has said it will create 500 jobs in Richardson, Texas. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said Infosys’ expansion would also bring a $12.3 million capital investment in the region.

 

Hanesbrands to hire 200 in High Point, N.C.

Hanesbrands has signed a lease for a 340,000-square-foot distribution center in High Point to enhance product support for its Champion brand. Hanesbrands plans to begin operations in the new facility in January with about 200 new hires. 

 

A $500 million industrial park planned for South Effingham, Ga.

A $500 million industrial park will be constructed on 1,150 acres in southern Effingham County aimed at light industrial and manufacturing warehouse customers. The land and first two spec buildings will be worth about $50 million, but when the entire park is built in five to 10 years, estimated investment stands at $400 million to $500 million, according to Stephen Ezelle, a partner with Cushman & Wakefield/Gilbert & Ezelle in Savannah.

 

Egger begins construction on $700 million North Carolina Triad facility

Austria-based EGGER, a wood-based materials supplier for the furniture, construction and flooring industry, has broken ground on its $700 million Davidson County facility where it will potentially create 770 jobs over 15 years. 

 

Bridgestone announces $40 million Tennessee expansion

On November 16, tire manufacturer Bridgestone announced a $40 million expansion of its Tennessee truck and bus tire facility. Bridgestone plans to add 32,000 square feet of manufacturing space and invest in new equipment at the plant in Morrison, Tenn., which would increase production capacity to 9,400 tires per day by the end of 2020.

 

Georgia-Pacific opens lumber plant in Talladega, Ala.

Georgia-Pacific started production at its newest lumber facility in Talladega. The $100 million, 300,000-square-foot plant, which currently employs more than 130 full-time employees, took nine months to complete.

 

Louisiana medical center expanding after $30 million USDA loan

Concordia Parish’s Riverland Medical Center is expanding after the USDA gave them a $30 million grant to build a new hospital. USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas.

 

NomNomNow creating 181 jobs in Tennessee

A San Francisco-based company that makes and delivers custom-made meals for dogs and cats, NomNomNow, will locate its new production facility in Nashville. The fresh pet food producer and distributor will create 181 new jobs and invest approximately $1.7 million in Davidson County.

 

Amazon is producing thousands of new jobs In Ohio and Kentucky

In November, the online giant said it would open a package-sorting “air gateway” at Wilmington Air Park, an airport southeast of Dayton that was decimated in the past decade when cargo carrier DHL announced it was leaving town. The new Wilmington air gateway will retrofit existing space at the Air Park. . .1.2 million square feet and about 35 acres. The company would not say how many jobs will be coming with the new sortation center.

 

S.S. White Technologies relocates HQ to Seminole, Fla.

S.S. White Technologies, a leader in flexible shaft technology, has relocated its international headquarters from Piscataway, N.J., to Seminole, Fla. The company plans to bring 125 jobs to Pinellas County.

 

Lockheed Martin will add jobs in Fort Worth

A new $22.7 billion contract for 255 more F-35s means Fort Worth’s Lockheed Martin operation will expand. It isn’t clear yet how many jobs will be added, but the company has been hiring steadily for more than a year. Lockheed Martin planned to hire between 400 and 1,000 at a job fair in September, and at least 1,800 by 2020.

 

Suffolk, Va., firm announces expansion

The Wanchese Fish Co. in Suffolk is planning to grow rapidly over the next three years by adding staff and production capacity. The company plans to hire about 70 new employees over the next three years. These include jobs in a new corporate office and on new retail seafood production lines. The expansions include more than $2.8 million in investment.

 

Joplin, Mo., plant expansion underway

A ball bearing manufacturer that has been in Joplin nearly 50 years will invest $56 million in a plant expansion. Schaeffler Group USA has already started to bring in some of the new equipment it plans to install at its plant.

 

Defense contractor to add 130 jobs in OKC

Booz Allen Hamilton, an international technology consulting company, is set to add 130 new jobs at its downtown Oklahoma City operation and at Tinker Air Force Base. The company already employs 90 people there.

 

Schneider Electric expanding Texas plant

Schneider Electric recently inaugurated a new plant in El Paso, Texas, which will accommodate growth in the data center market. The 112,000-square-foot expansion of Schneider Electric’s current operations will create 100 hourly and 20 salaried jobs to support production of new energy management and automation products.

 

Record-setting year for TVA

In the birthplace of the Tennessee Valley Authority where President Roosevelt declared the New Deal agency “a remarkable success” 85 years ago, TVA leaders recently heralded the agency’s continued economic development during a record-setting year for new projects in 2018. TVA’s economic development department worked on business additions or expansions valued at more than $11 billion in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, up by more than a third from the previous investment peak reached in 2014.

 

One thousand new jobs coming to Lancaster County, S.C.?

Lancaster County Council will soon decide on an economic incentive for “Project Mustang.” The to-be-named company is looking to bring its corporate headquarters to the county with an expected $24 million investment.

 

Smith County, Texas, approves package for Jasper Ventures

Jasper Ventures, an engineering company that makes processing plants for the oil and gas industry, is headquartered in Whitehouse, and has manufacturing facilities in Troup and White Oak. The company has about 270 employees. Under a new tax abatement deal, Jasper Ventures will need to hire about 90 more employees over the five-year term and make $11 million investment in its plants. 

 

Truform Manufacturing expands Dickson, Tenn., operations

Truform Manufacturing, an automotive and appliance supplier, will invest approximately $14 million to expand its operations in Dickson. The company plans to create nearly 90 jobs over the next five years.

 

South Carolina plastics manufacturer to create 75 jobs

Carolina Poly plans to invest $25 million to expand its operations and add 75 new jobs to boost production of plastic trash bags, plastic sheeting and shrink films at its plant near Chester, S.C., about an hour’s drive from Charlotte.

 

Ernst & Young to invest $22 million, create 600 jobs in Nashville

Global professional services firm Ernst & Young is investing $22.7 million in Nashville with the creation of a new technology hub. The investment is expected to create more than 600 jobs over the next five years, including 200 technology and 400 tax delivery professionals.

 

Hwashin Investing $26 million in Alabama expansion

Auto supplier Hwashin America Corp. will expand its Greenville, Ala., manufacturing operation with a $26 million investment in new equipment and 50 new jobs. The company, which produces body components for Hyundai’s Alabama auto assembly plant, has been in expansion mode since arriving in Butler County in 2003. 

 

Raytheon readies radar production center in Forest, Miss.

Defense contractor Raytheon Company broke ground on its new radar production facility in Forest, Miss. The project, announced in May, is a $100 million corporate investment, which will create dozens of jobs at Raytheon’s Forest campus over the next five years. “Our new facility will serve as a hub for test, integration and production of s-band radars, including the U.S. Navy’s next-generation SPY-6 Air and Missile Defense Radar program,” said Wes Kremer, President, Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems.

 

Japanese logistics company plans plant in Reidsville, N.C.

An international and domestic logistics company, Sanritsu Logistics, will invest $9 million to open a new warehouse and manufacturing plant in Reidsville. Sanritsu, which supports multiple modes of logistics, from air cargo to ocean shipping to inland transportation, plans to operate a kitting service for manufacturers from the Reidsville location, a service that streamlines the combination of items into packages of finished goods that are then delivered to customers.

 

Carry-On Trailer to expand in Westmoreland County, Va.

Carry-On Trailer, a manufacturer of steel and utility trailers, will invest $1.6 million to expand its facility in Westmoreland County. The Georgia-based company will create 42 new jobs there.

 

GE expanding wind energy at Michoud site in New Orleans

Denmark-based LM Wind Power, a subsidiary of GE, is bringing a wind turbine testing center to the NASA Michoud complex in New Orleans. The expansion includes hiring 100 people and converting an existing building on the campus that was most recently used as a movie sound stage. 

 

Miller Industries expansion creates 175 jobs in Tennessee

Miller Industries has made a significant investment to expand its operations in Ooltewah, Tenn., resulting in the creation of approximately 175 jobs for the towing and recovery equipment manufacturer.

 

Atlanta’s “Project Fusion” revealed

Norfolk Southern Corp. will create 850 jobs and retain well over 2,000 already working in the city as part of a $575 million North American headquarters in Atlanta. The details about the new headquarters, which Norfolk Southern is relocating from Virginia, emerged in documents released by Invest Atlanta, the city’s economic development arm. Norfolk Southern is proposing a new headquarters building in Midtown with up to 750,000 square feet of office space, according to the documents.

 

Salesforce.com’s 600-job expansion in Atlanta

Salesforce.com’s expansion is projected to double its current Atlanta workforce. According to documents from Invest Atlanta (the city’s economic development arm), the expansion will create 600 jobs with an average annual wage of $90,000, and involve a private investment of $283.5 million. The San Francisco-based software provider evaluated other states before deciding to expand at the 34-story Buckhead office tower formerly known as Atlanta Plaza. 

 

Cold Chain Integrity to build $20 million facility in Erlanger, Ky.

Cold Chain Integrity (CCI), a United Dairy Farmers company, will construct a $20 million cold storage facility in Erlanger creating 50 full-time jobs. Gov. Matt Bevin said the announcement by United Dairy Farmers and Cold Chain Integrity will provide employment opportunities in the region, and the additional public storage will benefit local small businesses.

 

Billion-dollar joint venture expands diesel facility in Norco, La.

Darling Ingredients will invest $1.1 billion to expand the Diamond Green Diesel facility in Norco. The expansion will increase the facility’s production capacity of renewable diesel by an additional 400 million gallons to a total nameplate annual capacity of 675 million gallons.

 

Nasuni begins operations in Durham, N.C.

Nasuni, a leading provider of cloud file services, opened its newest facility in downtown Durham. The expansion significantly increases the footprint of the company’s engineering and customer support teams, marks Nasuni’s entry into the Research Triangle and reflects the growing demand for its multi-cloud platform that enables companies to store, protect, synchronize and collaborate on fast-growing unstructured data.

 

Barge manufacturer to add 300 jobs in Tennessee

A manufacturer of transport barges announced plans to more than double its workforce at a factory outside Nashville. Arcosa Marine produces multiple lines of barges for inland waterways, along with barge covers, deck fittings and hardware. The company plans to invest $10 million to expand the factory and add about 300 jobs to the 240 people currently working at its facility on the banks of the Cumberland River in Ashland City, Tenn.

 

South Korean auto supplier planning $5 million expansion in Alabama

A South Korean auto supplier operating in Tallapoosa County, Ala., is planning a $5 million expansion project at its manufacturing facility in Alexander City. C&J will expand a former Russell Corp. garment facility by 75,000 square feet. The company supplies automakers such as Hyundai, Nissan, Kia, Toyota and Honda with plastic molding. The investment is expected to add another 100 jobs to the facility’s staff of 300. 

 

Visual Bi Solutions expands Plano HQ

Visual BI Solutions, a global business intelligence and analytics firm, plans to invest $4.5 million to expand its corporate headquarters in Plano, Texas. The company will create up to 100 new jobs by 2022.

 

Japan-based Fuji Vegetable Oil to open Jefferson Parish complex

Fuji Vegetable Oil will develop a food processing, storage and distribution complex just west of New Orleans in Jefferson Parish, La. Fuji will process palm oil, sunflower oil and coconut oil, with an increased demand for palm oil in the U.S. being the primary driver for the investment. Palm oil is a key component for a variety of products such as cooking oil, soaps and shampoos and industrial lubricants.

 

Tech company coming to San Marcos, Texas

A new technology company will bring 542 full-time jobs to San Marcos as part of a $110 million incentive agreement with the City Council. Katerra, an advanced technology-driven company providing services including architecture, engineering, construction management and materials supply, will establish an automated building component manufacturing and distribution facility in San Marcos.

 

Ritedose opens new facility at Midlands Technical College

The Ritedose Corp. has opened a 150,000-square-foot facility on the campus of Midlands Technical College in West Columbia, S.C. The facility is the anchor tenant on MTC’s Enterprise Campus, a 130-acre industrial park that offers office and industrial space ranging from five to 40 acres. Companies will be able to train and hire MTC students who have developed technical skills tailored to their organizations. The new operations mark the first expansion for Ritedose, a blow-fill-seal manufacturer headquartered in Columbia that specializes in the production of inhalation products, eye drops, eardrops and oral liquids.

 

British company chooses Danville, Va., for first U.S. plant

Harlow Group Ltd., an England-based manufacturer, plans to invest $8 million to locate its first U.S. plant in the Cyber Park in Danville. The investment is expected to create 49 jobs. Harlow also will establish a training center focused on additive manufacturing. The company will initially locate inside the park’s Institute for Advanced Learning and Research. It then plans to build its own sheet metal fabrication facility to be named Harlow Fastech.

 

Fox Factory Holding bringing 800 jobs to Georgia

Fox Factory Holding Corp., which designs and manufactures ride dynamics products for bikes (traditional and motor versions) will move its headquarters from California to Hall County, Ga., and expects to create 800 jobs and invest $50 million in new facilities.

 

Plant to expand in Winchester, Va., create 61 jobs

A Virginia factory that makes film and artificial leather products is planning an expansion that will create 61 jobs. Gov. Ralph Northam said that Continental plans to spend $10.3 million to expand its production facility in Winchester. The governor said Virginia beat out Mexico for the project.

 

Houston Midstream Co. plans $825 million NGL investment near Corpus Christi

A subsidiary of Houston-based Permico Energia is considering an $825 million investment near Corpus Christi, Texas. The subsidiary, Permico Midstream Partners, is looking to nab Chapter 313 tax incentives on three natural gas liquids fractionation trains in Nueces County, according to documents filed by the Texas comptroller. The three trains would cumulatively employ 30 people.

 

Tote maker to move hundreds of jobs to Flower Mound, Texas

Thirty-One Gifts, a direct seller known for its bags, backpacks and accessories, plans to move its national distribution center from Ohio to Flower Mound. The company is also bringing 650 jobs, which will make it Flower Mound's second largest private employer. Founded in 2003 and marketed through consultants, Thirty-One Gifts is looking to expand in the Southwest and Mexico, and sees Flower Mound and its proximity to DFW International Airport as a good fit, said a spokesman for the company. The company, based in Columbus, will move into a 651,000-square-foot facility formerly used by home-hardware maker Kohler.

 

Fuel Total Systems chooses Mount Pleasant, Tenn., for manufacturing plant

Fuel Total Systems (FTS), a manufacturer of automotive plastic fuel tank systems, will locate its new manufacturing facility in Mount Pleasant. The manufacturer will create 150 new jobs and invest approximately $60.9 million in Maury County. FTS is based in Japan and also has operations in Kentucky.

 

Mary Kay bringing 700 jobs to Lewisville, Texas

May Kay’s new $125 million manufacturing and research and development facility in Lewisville will put all of the company’s North Texas operations under one roof, and allow the beauty industry leader to add jobs. About 500 employees will move from the company’s longtime facility on Regal Row in Dallas. More will be shifted from company headquarters in Addison.

 

GE Appliances creates 150 new jobs for Louisville students

The appliance giant is creating 150 new, part-time manufacturing jobs at its facility in Louisville as part of the company’s new “GEA2DAY” job initiative, which will create a two-day-a-week manufacturing workforce. Instead of going to classes on Mondays and Fridays, high school students will work at GE Appliances’ headquarters, earning $14 per hour.

latest magazine issue
randle report
auto corridor
footer

Southern Business & Development
8086 Westchester Place
Montgomery AL 36117


205.871.1220