May 2019

E-cigarette maker lights up Lexington County, S.C.

San Francisco-based e-cigarette company Juul will invest $125 million and create 500 jobs in the Midlands. The company plans to open an assembly and packaging plant near the Columbia Metropolitan Airport as early as this summer.

 

Canadian manufacturer expanding Birmingham facility in $16 million project

A Canadian paper manufacturer is installing new equipment at its manufacturing facility in Birmingham, Ala., as part of a $16 million investment. Cascades Sonoco is adding a line to support production of recyclable takeout containers. The project will create 20 jobs.

 

Bendix gains approval for possible expansion in Kentucky

Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake could be expanding its plant in Bowling Green’s South Industrial Park again. Bendix is considering a total investment of $65 million in its facility, which produces parts used in air brake systems for commercial vehicles.

 

Firearms manufacturer chooses Little Rock, Ark., for HQ

CZ-USA, the U.S.-based affiliate of a Czech firearms manufacturer, announced plans to locate its North American headquarters and build a new manufacturing facility at the Port of Little Rock. CZ-USA plans to invest up to $90 million and create 600 jobs over a six-year period.

 

Arkansas Delta sawmill reopens

Dragon Woodland Sawmill Corporation purchased the former “Chicago” mill in Helena, Ark., and has invested $10 million in rebuilding the facility and purchasing new equipment. At peak production, the former mill employed more than 1,500 workers during World War II to build crates to ship munitions overseas. The reopening has created approximately 75 new jobs at the facility.

 

Valero, Diamond Green Diesel announce $1.5 billion in new Louisiana investments

Gov. John Bel Edwards recently highlighted the announcement of $1.5 billion in new capital investment at two facilities in Norco, La. Valero Energy subsidiary Diamond Alternative Energy and partner Darling Ingredients will make a combined $1.1 billion investment to expand their joint venture Diamond Green Diesel refinery. The project will retain 49 jobs while creating 50 new jobs with an average salary of $130,000. In a separate Norco project, Valero will invest $400 million in the alkylation unit at the Valero St. Charles Refinery. This project will retain 547 jobs while creating four new jobs with an average annual salary of $130,000, plus benefits.

 

Conn’s HomePlus announces 70-job distribution center in Louisiana

The Houston-based specialty retailer of furniture, mattresses, home appliances and consumer electronics will open a 250,000-square-foot distribution center in West Baton Rouge Parish, becoming the major tenant in a new distribution complex there. Conn’s HomePlus will make a $5.7 million capital investment to build-out its space and will create 70 new jobs.

 

Michelin opens enormous distribution center in South Carolina

Michelin North America has opened its largest distribution center in the world in Greenville, S.C. At a cost of $270 million, it spans 45 football fields with the capacity to move four million tires a year and employ 350. The company began building the center in November 2016, and as of April 2019, it is fully operational.

 

Kelvion plant to hire 60 in Knoxville, Tenn.

The former Rocore Group plant in Knoxvillle is once again making industrial heat exchangers and cooling systems. Oklahoma-based Kelvion bought Rocore last year, and has invested $7 million in the building that has been empty since 2015. Twenty-seven of the current employees are rehired Rocore workers.

 

Virginia signs agreement for Hampton Roads Project

Virginia recently finalized an agreement for the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel Expansion Project. The $3.8 billion project is the largest in the Virginia Department of Transportation’s history and will add two, two-lane tunnels.

 

Waitr expected to bring 100 jobs to Lynchburg, Va.

Lynchburg will be the first city in Virginia to have Waitr. The food delivery app is expected to bring 100 jobs to the area.

 

Quality Iron & Steel investing in Tennessee

Quality Iron & Steel will invest $2.8 million to establish operations in Selmer, Tenn. The new steel fabrication company will create 32 jobs in McNairy County.

 

GM Bowling Green Corvette plant to add 400 jobs

General Motors Chairman and CEO Mary Barra announced the company’s plans to add a second shift and more than 400 new employees at the Bowling Green Assembly Plant in preparation to build the next-generation Chevrolet Corvette later this year.

 

Cheney Brothers expansion opens in North Carolina

Cheney Brothers, now in its new $24 million, 170,000-square-foot addition at its cold storage distribution center in Statesville, N.C., is ramping up to add 100 jobs at the facility. Cheney Brothers, a Florida-based food-service distributor, is in its fourth generation of family-owned operation.

 

Clayton Supply opening plant in East Tennessee

A Maryville-based company announced it will invest $14 million in a new location that will establish more than 100 jobs in Sumner County. The Clayton Homes Supply facility should be up and running in early 2020 and pave the way for nearly 110 new jobs. Clayton plans to manufacture wall panels and trusses for single and multifamily residential site-built homes.

 

Booz Allen Hamilton to expand in San Antonio, Texas

Virginia-based Booz Allen Hamilton plans to expand its San Antonio workforce and hire another 250 workers downtown over the next five years. The IT consulting firm already has two offices in San Antonio and more than 550 local employees, which is its largest footprint in Texas.

 

New $2.5 billion Louisiana oil export terminal gets initial “OK”

A proposed $2.5 billion, 20-million-barrel crude oil export terminal to be built in Plaquemines Parish adjacent to the state’s planned $1.4 billion Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion “is not inconsistent” with the coastal Master Plan, state coastal officials have decided. The decision is a key step toward the terminal gaining a final determination from the state.

 

Amazon building fulfillment center in Daytona Beach

Amazon is building a $13.8 million distribution center in Daytona Beach, Fla. The location near Interstate 95 was purchased from Consolidated Tomoka. No word yet on the number of workers the facility will employ.

 

Camden, Ark., rocket motor plant expansion

Aerojet Rocketdyne recently broke ground on the latest facility in a continuing expansion of the company’s Camden solid rocket motor center of excellence. The defense contractor’s new facility is designed to help Aerojet compete for a spot in the Pentagon’s overhaul of America’s ground-based nuclear missile defenses.

 

McNeilus Steel locates in Morristown, Tenn.

McNeilus Steel will establish a new manufacturing facility in Morristown, creating 72 jobs over the next five years. The company will invest $18.8 million to build a 100,000-square-foot facility to fabricate metal parts for OEMs in the Southeast.

 

Manufacturer investing $19.2 million in Pickens County, S.C.

Ipsum Technologies is investing $19.2 million in a new production operation in Pickens County that is expected to create 55 new jobs. The advanced manufacturing company is moving into an existing facility in the Pickens County Commerce Park. Ipsum’s clients include high-technology sectors in aerospace, defense, pharmaceuticals and composites.

 

Cambro celebrates $10 million North Carolina expansion

Cambro, a manufacturing plant with a facility in Mebane’s North Carolina Commerce Park, recently cut the ribbon on a $10 million expansion announced in 2017. Cambro makes products -- including its first, a metal hospital meal tray -- for the food service industry. 

 

Allstate plans major expansion in Texas

Allstate Insurance plans to hire 1,300 new employees and invest $11 million over the next five years in a major ramp-up of its Irving operations. The nationwide insurer first planted roots in the North Texas suburb in the 1970s. Since then, it’s built a new campus on the northwest side of DFW International Airport and grown to about 1,770 employees. Allstate also aims to add more than 2,000 sales positions across some 150 new insurance agency locations in Texas to keep pace with demand.

 

Texas Instruments to build $3 billion plant in DFW

Texas Instruments has chosen Richardson, Texas, for a big, new manufacturing site. The Dallas-based chipmaker will invest $3.1 billion in the project and create more than 480 jobs.

 

California plastics company creating 166 jobs near Savannah, Ga.

A California plastics company will expand manufacturing operations near Savannah, creating 166 high-wage jobs. Plastic Express will build-out its new operations in a planned 2.3 million-square-foot development in Pooler, Ga., just west of the Port of Savannah. Atlanta-based Capital Development Partners broke ground last summer on Savannah Port Logistics Center, which could include two buildings — each over 1 million square feet. Plastic Express and Capital Development will invest a combined $172 million in the new manufacturing facilities.

 

CSX “Carolina Connector” bringing thousands of jobs to Rocky Mount, N.C.

Between Corning, Triangle Tire, and now CSX, more than 3,000 jobs are heading to one of the most depressed regions in North Carolina. When the tobacco and textile industries left Rocky Mount more than a decade ago it derailed the entire community. “We were struggling,” said Norris Tolson. “These are two of the highest unemployment counties in the state, in Edgecombe and Nash.” Now local leaders believe the twin counties are back on track thanks to a $158 million investment by the NCDOT and CSX in what they’re calling the Carolina Connector. “What CSX has done for the twin counties, Edgecombe and Nash County, is put us on the radar of companies all over the country that didn’t know who we were or where we were,” said Tolson.

 

Speyside Bourbon Stave Mill expands in Virginia

Speyside Bourbon Stave Mill in Virginia, a manufacturer of white oak staves and headers for bourbon barrels, will invest $114,000 to expand its manufacturing facility in Bath County. The company will add new equipment and a second shift to the operation, creating 45 new jobs.

 

Lockheed Martin unveils new F-16 Line in South Carolina

Lockheed Martin has unveiled its F-16 production line in a newly refurbished hangar in Greenville, S.C., which will bring 400 new jobs to the facility. The production line is outfitted with F-16 tooling and equipment previously housed in Fort Worth, Texas.

 

Horton Holding creating 125 jobs in South Carolina

Horton Holding, a manufacturer of engine-cooling solutions for trucks and buses, will locate new operations in Oconee County, creating 125 new jobs. The company’s new, 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility is expected to come online in early 2020.

 

Florida wireless communications business expanding

A West Melbourne-based maker of wireless communications products, such as two-way radios, is looking to expand its local operations, creating 35 jobs in the process. BK Technologies will also invest $3 million for new manufacturing equipment in the project.

 

California firm moving HQ and plant to North Texas

A California company that produces folding patio doors is relocating to North Texas. Panoramic Doors is moving its headquarters and a manufacturing plant from Oceanside, Calif., to a building in Fort Worth. The new operation will employ more than 100 people.

 

Mississippi shipyard gets $746 million contract for icebreaker

A Mississippi shipyard has won a $746 million contract to design and build the first of what could be three heavy polar icebreakers for the U.S. Coast Guard. The U.S. Navy’s Naval Sea Systems Command award to VT Halter Marine of Pascagoula means the shipyard will hire up to 450 more employees, on top of the 400 it’s already adding to build four barracks barges for the U.S. Navy. The hiring would push Halter’s total employment above 1,300.

 

Air Products to build second gas plant in Arkansas

Air Products, an industrial gases company, reports it will build, own and operate a second air separation unit (ASU) to support Big River Steel’s expansion at its mill in Osceola. The new unit adds to Air Products’ existing ASU at the same location and will provide oxygen, nitrogen and argon to both Big River Steel and the merchant market.

 

British company bringing 50 jobs to Robeson County, N.C.

Active Energy Group has made a $50 million investment in Robeson County that will create 50 new jobs. The company, based in the United Kingdom, has purchased the abandoned American Knits plant in Lumberton that will be the U.S. base of its biomass processing operations. It will house production of its CoalSwitch brand fuel products.

 

Poultry supplier opens $170 million facility in Chatham County, N.C.

Mountaire Farms has opened its fourth poultry processing plant (its second in North Carolina). The $170 million plant, located in Siler City, will employ 1,250 people once fully staffed.

 

Continental Tire plant expanding again in South Carolina

Continental Tire recently broke ground on a new expansion at its growing Sumter facility. The expansion, which will provide capabilities to produce the company’s ContiSeal puncture-sealing and ContiSilent noise-absorbing passenger tire lines, comes during the ramp-up of the second of two major growth phases at the Sumter facility. The new business unit, which isn't directly related to either phase, will add about another 50 jobs by 2020. Investment figures weren't disclosed.

 

Winston-Salem lands major aircraft MRO

MRO Holdings — a leader in the aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul industry — is setting up shop in Winston-Salem’s Smith Reynolds Airport. The facility is large enough to handle 737s and 757s.

 

Distribution center opens in Davie County, N.C.

South Dakota-based Larson Manufacturing has opened a 130,000-square-foot distribution center to serve an affiliated manufacturing plant (Comfort Bilt) in Mocksville’s SouthPoint Business Park. Larson, based in Brookings, S.D., is the largest U.S. manufacturer of storm doors and storm windows. The distribution center is projected to add up to 50 jobs over the next two years.

 

Chewy plans fulfillment center in Salisbury, N.C.

Online pet supply retailer Chewy has selected Salisbury for its new fulfillment center, creating 1,200 new jobs and investing $55 million in Rowan County.

 

Supply chain company making $30 million move to Atlanta

Dematic, a world leader in supply chain technology and innovation, will create more than 230 jobs and invest $30 million in a new global headquarters in the CODA complex in Midtown Atlanta’s Tech Square. Dematic has maintained its primary operations in Grand Rapids, Mich. However, it’s been quietly ramping up in Atlanta in recent months as it searched for a permanent location for its new headquarters.

 

Russia-based aluminum producer partners in Kentucky mill

RUSAL, a Russia-based global aluminum producer, and Braidy Industries, a U.S.-based holding company, plans to establish a joint project in Ashland, Ky. The $200 million facility will produce flat rolled aluminum products for the U.S. automotive industry. The deal requires approval from the boards of both companies.

 

Chick-fil-A opens distribution hub in Cartersville, Ga.

Chick-fil-A will begin construction on the chain’s first company-owned distribution center in Cartersville. The project will create up to 300 jobs.

 

Aurora Organic Dairy opens Missouri complex

Colorado-based Aurora Organic Dairy has opened its 127,000-square-foot milk production and storage facility in Columbia, Mo. The plant, originally announced in 2017, is the company’s second milk bottling facility and is expected to create more than 100 new jobs by year’s end, and ultimately more than 160 jobs.

 

Animal health tech startup will move HQ from Silicon Valley to Kansas City

Scollar, an animal health tech company that created a smart pet collar, will move its headquarters from Silicon Valley to the Animal Health Corridor in Kansas City, potentially creating 200 jobs.

 

Ag equipment maker expands in Alabama

Georgia-based agricultural equipment manufacturer AGCO Corp. announced plans to invest $5.7 million to relocate production of its Farmer Automatic Aviary Systems from Germany to its plant in Cullman County as part of a project that will create 50 jobs. The move is significant for rural Alabama as officials seek to boost economic activity in less densely populated areas of the state under the Alabama Jobs Act, which provides enhanced incentives to companies locating projects in specific areas.

 

EarthFresh chooses College Park, Ga., for plant and distribution hub

EarthFresh, a Canadian produce company, will create 100 jobs and invest $22 million in an advanced technology packing plant and distribution center near the Atlanta airport in College Park. EarthFresh specializes in premium potatoes, carrots and onions.

 

Italian electronics firm expands in Gwinnett County, Ga.

Elemaster U.S. has opened an expanded electronic equipment design center and manufacturing plant in Duluth, a $3 million investment that could spur a doubling of the company’s local workforce. The Milan, Italy-based maker of printed circuit boards for rail, automotive, avionics, medical and other applications now employs 40 at the new site, with the goal of hiring 20 more workers by the end of this year and perhaps 50 more by the close of 2020.

 

Jaguars moving forward with $500 million plan for Lot J

The Jacksonville Jaguars announced in April that the franchise and its Baltimore-based partners are moving forward with $500 million in development projects in Lot J, the parking lot on the southwest side of TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Fla. The new plans for the Lot J site include an arena outdoor live entertainment venue, a 200-room boutique hotel, a 300-unit residential tower and an office building.

 

Alta Resources bringing hundreds of jobs to Southwest Florida

Alta Resources has unveiled plans for a multimillion-dollar building at Skyplex around the busy Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers. The Wisconsin-based company has invested $21 million into the area and is building a huge new campus that will house an additional 800 jobs. Alta Resources provides customer care, sales fulfillment, e-commerce and back-office services to its clients, including Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Reebok.

 

Plastics manufacturer expands in Richmond County, N.C.

Impact Plastics will expand its manufacturing operations in Hamlet and create 13 jobs. The company will invest $5.3 million in the project.

 

USAA opens additional North Texas building

USAA has expanded its North Texas hub by adding a new building to its Plano campus that will accommodate at least 800 additional employees. The San Antonio-based insurer and financial services firm added the 150,000-square-foot office adjacent to its existing location at Legacy Corporate Center in order to keep up with growth

 

California software maker moving HQ to Austin

Zoho, a software company based in Pleasanton, Calif., is moving its headquarters to Austin, Texas, and opening an office on a 375-acre campus southeast of the city that will eventually house up to 500 employees.

 

Nucor Tubular expanding in Lawrence County, Ala.

A steel-manufacturing company is investing more than $27 million into its Trinity, Ala., facility. Nucor Tubular Products is expanding to a newly acquired site and will add 35 jobs that are expected to pay $50,000 to $60,000 per year.

 

Medical manufacturer investing $4 million in North Carolina expansion

EG-GILERO, a firm specializing in the design, development and contract manufacturing of medical devices, recently announced plans to invest more than $4 million and create 60 jobs with a new manufacturing facility in downtown Pittsboro, N.C.

 

Advance Financial bringing jobs to rural Tennessee

Fintech company Advance Financial is opening two rural resource centers in Lenoir City and Sparta, Tenn. There are plans to have a total of eight centers throughout the state by mid-2019, creating up to 40 new jobs overall.

 

Four Roses blooming again in Kentucky

The 131-year-old Kentucky bourbon that reintroduced itself to American whiskey drinkers only last decade is ready to ramp up production. Four Roses Distillery recently celebrated the completion of a $55 million expansion that will double production capacity at its plant at Lawrenceburg, Ky.

 

South Carolina knows the Muffin Mam

The Muffin Mam, a baked goods manufacturer headquartered in Simpsonville, S.C., is investing $18.8 million to launch a new 100,000-square-foot facility in nearby Laurens County. The project will create 114 new jobs.

 

ChemTreat builds tech lab in Ashland, Va.

Water treatment company ChemTreat will begin construction on a new 25,000-square-foot, $10 million applied technology lab across the street from an existing ChemTreat manufacturing plant in Ashland, Va. The company has water treatment expertise in a variety of industries, from automotive, power and paper to mining, fuel processing, and commercial and institutional facilities such as data centers and government buildings. The new facility will help create up to 20 new jobs.

 

SPower plans solar project in Spotsylvania, Va.

SPower (Sustainable Power Group) has proposed one of the largest solar projects in the U.S. The complex will be built in phases over the next two years and will ultimately generate over $20 million in new tax revenue for Spotsylvania County. The project will create 35 full-time jobs.

 

Pharma bringing 200 jobs to Oak Ridge, Tenn.

In a news release, Coquí Pharmaceuticals Corp. reported the U.S. Department of Energy has transferred land for a dedicated Medical Isotope Production Facility in Oakridge, Tenn., the first of its kind in the U.S. Coquí’s facility will produce medical isotopes that diagnose and treat diseases, and will provide 200 high-paying jobs.

 

Royal Caribbean unveils new $300 million office for Port Miami

Royal Caribbean Cruises will build a new office and parking garage adjacent to its current office. The new campus will expand the company’s workforce capacity from 2,200 to 4,200.

 

Two sweet deals for Memphis, Tenn.

J.M. Smucker, the parent company of JIF peanut butter and its namesake jelly brands, is planning an expansion of its existing Memphis facility. The expansion would bring $8.9 million in capital investment and the addition of 25 jobs. Cleveland Track Materials, a maker of railroad tracks, is also planning an expansion of its existing local facility. The firm would invest just over $6 million and hire 51 new employees.

 

Pharma manufacturer plans $100 million expansion in North Carolina

Germany-based Fresenius Kabi recently began construction on a $100 million expansion of its pharmaceutical manufacturing campus in Wilson County, N.C. The project will bring at least 445 new jobs to the location, which will allow the company to increase the production of generic medicines typically used in clinics and hospitals.

 

New auto supplier in Athens, Ala., will hire 400

Toyota Boshoku America will invest over $50 million to open a manufacturing facility in Limestone County, Ala. The facility will produce seat systems for vehicles built at Mazda Toyota Manufacturing plant in Huntsville. The new Athens plant is expected to create around 400 jobs.

 

BASF to launch second phase of Louisiana expansion

BASF says it will move forward with the second phase of expansion at its plant in Geismar, La., its largest site in North America. The company expects to double its production of MDI used to produce polyurethanes, which contribute to improved insulation for appliances, lighter materials for cars and energy efficiency in buildings. BASF’s $87 million investment means the retention of 1,238 existing jobs and will create 170 construction jobs.

 

More jobs coming to a North Mississippi city

When the Batesville Casket company closed its doors in March of 2017, more than 200 people lost their jobs. Now, Blauer Furniture Manufacturing Company has purchased the old building in Batesville, Miss., and will bring in 75 more jobs than they initially planned for the move.

 

Title and escrow provider investing $15 million in Georgia HQ

OS National, a provider of residential and commercial title and escrow services, has plans to expand its Gwinnett County headquarters and create more than 1,000 new jobs. The company’s Duluth operation will become its national headquarters.

 

Canadian manufacturer bringing jobs to Southwest Virginia

Canada-based manufacturer Polycap is investing $7.7 million to establish its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Russell County, creating 48 jobs. Polycap plans to occupy a 76,000-square-foot shell building in Lebanon to make specialty caps and closures for plastic packaging used in various industries.

 

Workforce housing coming to Birmingham, Ala.

One of the most prominent vacant buildings – the Stonewall/American Life building – in downtown Birmingham is about to get a $24 million transformation into 140 workforce housing apartments thanks to opportunity zone funding.

 

Coca-Cola bottler expands facilities in West Memphis, Ark.

Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, a producer, bottler and distributor of Coca-Cola products to 14 states in the Mid-South, will expand its production facility in West Memphis, Ark. The company will transfer some 60 jobs, nearly doubling its current workforce with a $33 million investment. The firm’s separate transportation and logistics facility will remain in Memphis, where it currently employs about 300.

 

Bay Medical in Panama City, Fla., plans to hire 300

Bay Medical Sacred Heart wants to hire 300 employees starting this year, replacing about half of the workers the hospital laid off in February. The plan is to hire 300 people as the Panama City hospital expands services and adds beds in the coming months. The announcement comes after the hospital laid off around 630 workers in February due to the extensive damage the facility sustained from Hurricane Michael.

 

New $62 million flour mill at Port Tampa Bay

Ardent Mills plans to spend about $62 million building its new flour mill and grain storage terminal at Port Tampa Bay to replace the old ConAgra mill near downtown Tampa. The project is expected to take 18 to 24 months and require a construction workforce of about 200.

 

Fisheries industrial park coming to Ballard County, Ky.

Two Rivers Fishery will be joined by 12 other companies at a new international fisheries industrial park in Ballard County. The companies will produce Asian carp products such as foods and fertilizer, as well as products related to the industry such as nets to catch them. The new partnership will bring more than 100 jobs to the region right away.

 

One hundred new jobs at electronics plant in Winnsboro, S.C.

Element Electronics has added 100 new jobs at its Winnsboro facility, about eight months after the company cut 126 jobs at the facility. The layoffs, according to the company, were “a result of the new tariffs that were recently and unexpectedly imposed on many good imported from China, including key television components used in our assembly operations in Winnsboro.”

 

Spain-based manufacturing plant building North American HQ in Durant, Okla.

Construction is underway for Tubacex, a plant that will manufacture tubing products for the oil, aerospace and nuclear industries. Once the $40-50 million project is completed, it will bring in 140 jobs to the area.

 

Arcosa reopens idle Louisiana shipyard

Arcosa Marine will spend $7.5 million and hire 149 new employees as it reopens the shuttered Trinity Marine barge-manufacturing plant in Madisonville, La. In addition, the company will also retain 26 existing positions at the plant.

 

New jobs for Greenville, Ala.

A power transformer manufacturing facility plans to offer 50 new apprenticeship jobs in Greenville. In April 2018, Hyundai Power Transformers USA announced a $33 million expansion of its Montgomery facility and the addition of at least 80 new jobs.

 

French energy giant invests additional $700 million in Louisiana LNG

Paris-based energy giant Total S.A. has agreed to invest another $700 million into Houston-based Tellurian and its liquefied natural gas project near Lake Charles, La. The project includes natural gas production, gathering, processing and transportation facilities plus Driftwood LNG, a proposed liquefaction export facility near Lake Charles.

 

California cybersecurity firm expanding in Northern Virginia

Cybersecurity firm FireEye plans to bolster its presence in Northern Virginia with the expansion of its security operations center in Reston. The company also has an office in Alexandria, and it plans to move into new space there. In Reston, its expanded facility will house 300 employees and has room for future growth as the epicenter of operations for FireEye Managed Defense.

 

Groundbreaking for new research facility in Shreveport, La.

The Center for Molecular Imaging and Therapy facility in Shreveport has existed since 1995, but the next-generation facility will consolidate the center’s activities under one roof with new technology. The $14.2 million expansion will focus on diagnosis and therapy for chronic diseases. The project will create 25 new direct jobs while retaining 18 existing jobs.

 

One hundred new Zapponians coming to Louisville

Zappos.com, which sells shoes, clothing and more online, is opening a 325,000-square-foot fulfillment center and retail outlet in Louisville, Ky., which will grow the company by more than 100 new employees (Zapponians) over the next two years.

 

Perdue Farms completes expansion in Dillon County, S.C.

Perdue Farms has completed a $25 million expansion at its harvest operation in Dillon County. The project is expected to create 100 additional jobs.

 

GD Copper expands Alabama plant

GD Copper USA (operated by China’s Golden Dragon Precise Copper Tube Group) plans to invest $3.5 million in its Pine Hill copper products manufacturing facility and create between 30 and 40 new jobs in Wilcox County, Ala., pushing total employment at the $100 million facility to nearly 400.

 

New jobs for Clarke County, Ala.

A $400,000 grant awarded by Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey will help bring new jobs to Clarke County while giving a boost to the forest industry in southwest Alabama. The Community Development Block Grant will provide the infrastructure necessary for Westervelt Co. to construct a sawmill near Thomasville. The mill will employ 125 people.

 

St. James Parish getting $2.2 billion methanol complex

South Louisiana Methanol CEO Paul Moore announced the company plans to pursue a $2.2 billion capital investment in a new methanol complex in St. James Parish. . .one of the world’s largest methanol production sites. Preliminary work on the project began last year at a 1,500-acre Mississippi River site. South Louisiana Methanol could begin formal construction later this year subject to successful negotiations with a new joint venture partner, a Houston-based subsidiary of Saudi Arabia-based SABIC.

 

Hemp processing plant for Granville County, N.C.

Isolera Extracts will bring an industrial hemp processing service to the former Burlington Mills facility in Granville County. Company owner Jack Tatum said that the impending passage of the 2018 Farm Bill last year encouraged him to make preliminary steps to “get ahead of the curve” as he began work to up-fit the 187,000-square-foot industrial facility.

 

New horse-racing facility breaks ground in Oak Grove, Ky

Kentucky recently celebrated the groundbreaking of the $150 million Oak Grove Racing & Gaming facility. The state-of-the-art facility, being constructed by Churchill Downs in partnership with Keeneland, the world’s largest thoroughbred auction company, will feature live horse racing and horse racing machines as part of a massive new development. The venue will include a harness race course, horse stables, horse-racing gaming machines, a 128-room hotel, a grandstand, an outdoor amphitheater and an equestrian center.

 

Call center opening in San Antonio, creating 400 jobs

GreatCall, a subsidiary of Best Buy, is opening a 53,000-square-foot call center in San Antonio’s West Side. Renovation of the building is estimated at $3.2 million, and will hire 400 when operational. GreatCall provides health and personal emergency response services to seniors through mobile devices.

 

Virgin Trains’ Orlando-to-Miami route gets $950 million

Virgin Trains USA, formerly known as Brightline, just received a big boost for its $2.3 billion Orlando-to-Miami route, and can begin construction. The Florida Development Finance Corp. voted unanimously to approve $950 million in new bonds.

 

CN investing $95 million to expand Louisiana’s rail infrastructure

CN plans to invest more than $95 million in Louisiana in 2019 to strengthen the company’s rail network across the state. The Louisiana investments are part of CN’s 2019 record $2.9 billion capital investment focused on enabling growth from all commodity segments.

 

Preferred Freezer Services plans warehouse in Portsmouth, Va.

Preferred Freezer Services, one of the largest public refrigerated warehousing companies in the world, will invest $60 million to construct a 200,000-square-foot cold storage warehouse in Portsmouth. The company plans to hire 60 associates.

 

Piston Automotive expands Kentucky operations

Auto components supplier Piston Automotive will invest $1.5 million for an expansion of its operation in Louisville. The company plans to create 50 full-time jobs.

 

New Jersey company bringing 300 jobs to North Brunswick, N.C.

New Jersey-based Pacon Manufacturing is bringing nearly 300 jobs to North Brunswick. The company will invest $37 million to renovate the old U.S. Marine Facility, turning it into a manufacturing hub for wipes and other sterile products for the medical, health and beauty industries.

 

DHL to construct $100 million distribution park in Dorchester County, S.C.

A new $100 million distribution park is coming to Dorchester County and bringing more than 400 jobs to the area. DHL, a Germany-based logistics company, announced plans to construct a distribution and warehouse center that’s planned to open in phases and create 450 new jobs.

 

New hemp facility to create jobs in Union City, Tenn.

A new hemp facility that would create hundreds of jobs is expected to go to Union City. In April, the city council approved the sale of 375 acres of land in the Northwest Tennessee Industrial Park for $3.75 million. The facility will feature a 1-million-square-foot processing facility, two greenhouses that take up 60 acres, two rail spurs and the company’s corporate headquarters. The facility will house 120 to 150 full-time employees, and will hire about 800 workers every May and June to work the fields. “This one is going to be growing the hemp and actually using the fiber,” said Art Sparks, chair of the Joint Economic Development Cooperation, although the company “has been very protective of exactly what their end products are going to be,” one possibility for the fiber could be clothing. The still-to-be disclosed company will be putting about $150 million in infrastructure in Obion County. Sparks said the company is also planning on creating a 70- to 80-acre retention lake that would be open to the public for fishing and boating.

 

Niagara Bottling expands production in Seguin, Texas

Niagara Bottling plans to add a fourth production line at its manufacturing facility in Seguin, Texas. The company has committed to creating 30 new jobs and investing $21 million in new equipment.

 

World Energy plans new plant in Estill, S.C.

World Energy, one of America’s largest suppliers of biodiesel, plans to locate its new production facility in Estill. The company’s $5.4 million investment is projected to create 30 jobs over the next five years in Hampton County.

 

New jobs for Chesterfield County, Va.

An Italian-owned company that makes high-tech machinery for producing and packaging tobacco products is expanding its operations in Virginia. G.D. USA is planning to spend nearly $4 million to expand and upgrade operations in Chesterfield County. The project will create up to 26 new jobs.

 

Central Florida’s Lockheed divisions get $182 million in defense contracts

Maryland-based Lockheed Martin just got a lot more work for its branches in Orlando and on Florida’s Space Coast. The defense contractor landed three contracts from the U.S. Navy totaling $182.6 million.

 

Virginia’s Incentive Technology Group promises 1,000 new jobs

Arlington, Va.-based IT consulting company Incentive Technology Group (iTG) will relocate its Crystal City headquarters to a larger location and create hundreds of new jobs. iTG will invest $5.1 million to move its headquarters from Crystal Drive to Presidential Tower, where it will occupy 50,000 square feet of space. The company will create 128 new jobs this year, and create more than 1,000 new high-paying jobs at its Arlington headquarters over the next three years.

 

Allegiant announces aircraft base in Savannah, Ga.

Las Vegas-based Allegiant Travel Company recently announced plans to establish a two-aircraft base at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport. Allegiant plans to create at least 66 high-wage jobs, and invest $50 million to establish its new base of operations, which will house two Airbus aircraft.

 

Milo’s expands operation to Oklahoma

Central Alabama-based Milo’s Tea Company has announced an expansion and the purchase of approximately 20 acres in Tulsa, Okla., for a new production facility. The company has not released details of its expansion or the number of jobs. Milo’s flagship plant is located in Bessemer. Tulsa will be the company's second tea-making location.

 

Northrop Grumman bringing 500 more jobs to West Virginia

An expansion of the Northrop Grumman plant in Rocket Center, W.Va., will retain 1,100 jobs and create up to 500 more jobs in West Virginia over a five-year period. Multiple expansion projects are expected to enlarge the capabilities of the Allegany Ballistics Laboratory previously operated by aerospace and defense company Orbital ATK in Rocket Center. Northrop Grumman recently acquired Orbital ATK for $9.2 billion.

 

Geveko Markings creating 75 jobs in Georgia

Geveko Markings, a world leader in materials for road and pavement markings, will create 75 jobs in Gainesville, Ga. The company is building a new 80,000-square-foot manufacturing center and headquarters on a 20-acre site in the Gainesville Business Park.

 

Greenwood Fabricating and Plating plans South Carolina plant

Greenwood Fabricating and Plating plans to expand its existing manufacturing operations in Hodges, S.C. The company’s $17.1 million investment is projected to create an additional 31 new jobs. Greenwood Fabricating and Plating is a fabrication, machining, assembly and electroplating job shop, providing finished components to a wide variety of manufacturers.

 

HQ move and new distribution center for Louisiana’s Rouses

Rouses Markets, a grocery chain with stores across the Gulf Coast, is moving its headquarters from Thibodaux, La., to nearby Schriever, taking 150 jobs with it. In addition, Rouses will open its first distribution center, adding 200 to 300 new employees over the next year. The move to Terrebonne Parish marks one of the largest, non-oilfield investments in recent parish history.

 

WeWork coming to Bentonville, Ark.

New York-based WeWork has announced its plan to build a 200,000-square-foot building in downtown Bentonville. Founded in 2010, the real estate and tech company provides shared office space. The Bentonville project is expected to provide a workplace for more than 3,200 people.

 

Boat maker expanding in Louisiana

Jeanerette, La.-based Metal Shark Boats will make a $1.52 million investment to expand its Jeanerette shipyard in support of military, law enforcement and commercial boat contractors, with plans to create 134 new jobs.

 

Transplace relocating to Rogers, Ark.

Logistics provider Transplace is building a new operations center in Rogers. The $46 million building will eventually house over 1,000 employees. Transplace currently employs 600 at its current location in nearby Lowell.

 

FPL building world’s largest battery

Florida Power & Light Company is going to build the world’s largest energy storage system to replace two natural gas power plants. At 409MW, the Manatee Energy Storage Center will be four times larger than the existing record-holding battery system, the Hornsdale Power Reserve in Australia. The battery will be charged from an existing solar plant.

 

Indevco investing $9.5 million in Texas

Lebanon-based flexible packaging producer Indevco Plastics will invest $9.5 million and add 18 jobs at its extrusion plant in Longview over the next three years. Indevco makes plastic film used to ship resin, as well as PE roll stock, stretch hood film, and shrink collation for agricultural, beverage, food, personal care and other markets.

 

West Columbia, S.C., manufacturer to fill 500 positions

A West Columbia manufacturing plant is looking to hire 500 workers. Flex, an international design, engineering and manufacturing company, is seeking workers to fill jobs in a variety of positions, from maintenance to quality engineers and automation.

 

Four Alabama firms to work on new Airbus assembly line

Birmingham-based HPM, which is overseeing the construction of a second assembly line at Airbus’ manufacturing facility in Mobile, Ala., has announced that four other Alabama firms will play major roles in the project. The new assembly line will allow Airbus to accelerate production of a second aircraft in Alabama, the A220 passenger jet. The expansion will increase Airbus’ workforce in Mobile by more than 430 employees.

 

Coreslab expansion bringing more jobs to Leesburg, Fla.

Orlando-based concrete manufacturer Coreslab Structures has been given the green light by the Leesburg planning board to more than double its 75-acre site, which will boost the number of jobs at the plant from 53 to 200.

 

Lubbock, Texas, announces 300 new jobs and $1.1 million investment

The Lubbock Economic Development Alliance announced the creation of 324 new jobs and $1.1 million in capital investment. VXI Global Solutions (designs and supports customer engagement platforms) will add 300 new jobs, and FAST (Fund Accounting Solution Technologies, which creates cloud-based solutions for local governments) will add 24 new jobs in the IT sector as well as $1.1 million in capital investment.

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