ALABAMA

Linen manufacturer to open PPE plant in Alabama
HomTex, a linens manufacturer based in Cullman, Ala., announced in the fall it will locate a new plant to make personal protective equipment in Selma, Ala. The plant, when open, will have the capacity to produce nearly 300 million masks per year. The deal will create 300 jobs.

U.S. Steel starts up Alabama plant
U.S. Steel announced in October the successful startup of its new advanced electric arc furnace in Fairfield, Ala. The new furnace represents a $412 million investment in the long-time steel plant. The plant can produce up to 1.6 million tons of steel a year. Electric arc furnaces make steel from melted scrap metal instead of iron ore and can operate with fewer workers. They are also easier to stop and restart than traditional blast furnaces that must operate continuously to avoid damage.

Amazon Logistics to open facilities in Birmingham
Amazon is opening “last mile” delivery stations in the Birmingham, Ala., MSA. One station will create 80 jobs and the other will use about 200 contract drivers. The two projects represent an investment of $25 million.

Lowe’s bringing distribution hub to Birmingham area
Lowe’s Home Improvement will build a 1.2 million-square-foot facility in Bessemer, Ala. The $61 million project will create 150 jobs.

Danish company selects Alabama for first U.S. plant
Denmark-based Mountain Top Industries, which specializes in aluminum roll covers for pickup trucks, plans to open a 73,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Montgomery. The company will invest $13.3 million to open the facility, which will support 90 full-time jobs.

Atmore getting $87 million peanut-shelling facility
Coastal Alabama Growers is planning to build a peanutshelling facility in Atmore. The new $87 million facility will be built on 60 acres of land and will bring 100 or more jobs to the area.

Kimber Arms moving HQ from New York to Alabama
Kimber Manufacturing is moving its corporate headquarters to Troy, Ala. The firearms manufacturer, formerly based in Yonkers, N.Y., pledged two years ago to open a $38 million production facility in Troy, creating 366 jobs over the next five years.

 

ARKANSAS

Wet wipes manufacturer expands in Arkansas
Nice-Pak, which produces pre-moistened wipes, is expanding its operations in Jonesboro, Ark. The company will add 300 jobs.

Emerson selects Ash Flat, Ark., for manufacturing plant
Engineering and technology company Emerson will invest $35 million in a new manufacturing facility in Ash Flat, Ark. The project is expected to create 245 jobs. The Arkansas facility will operate within the company’s “tools and home products” segment and will manufacture products for the mechanical, electrical and plumbing industries.

Plastics manufacturer expands Little Rock operations
Revolution, which is a producer of sustainable commercial polyethylene products, plans a $20 million, 36,000-square-foot expansion at its 100,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Little Rock, Ark. The expansion is expected to create more than 60 jobs within the next two years.

 

FLORIDA

Sparton Corporation relocates HQ to De Leon Springs, Fla.
Sparton Corp., a manufacturer of anti-submarine detection devices for the U.S. Navy and other military customers, is making Volusia County its new home base. The company has moved its headquarters from its longtime location in Illinois to DeLeon Springs, where its sonobouy manufacturing plant already employs several hundred workers.

Amazon opens fulfillment center, adding 500 jobs in Polk County, Fla.
Amazon just opened its newest operation, a fulfillment center in Auburndale, Fla., where 500 jobs starting at $15 an hour are up for grabs.

City permits $58 million Amazon project in Jax
Jacksonville, Fla., recently issued a permit for tenant build-out for Amazon’s new Imeson Park fulfillment center shell building at a cost of almost $58.1 million. So far, the online retailer’s new fulfillment center is at least a $106.1 million project.

Gatorade plant expanding in Osceola County, Fla.
PepsiCo’s subsidiary, SVC Manufacturing, which produces Gatorade, will invest $30 million to expand and upgrade its production plant in Osceola County. The expansion will also mean adding 40 jobs.

 

GEORGIA

Food maker creating jobs in Georgia
Ken’s Foods is expanding its manufacturing and distribution facilities in McDonough, Ga. The company will invest $103 million and the plant will house 70 more workers.

Bang Energy plans manufacturing campus in Lithia Springs, Ga.
Energy and sports beverage company Bang Energy will invest $145 million to open its first Southeastern manufacturing and distribution facility in Lithia Springs. The project is expected to create 600 new jobs in Douglas County.

Boston Consulting Group adding jobs in Atlanta
The Boston Consulting Group is doubling its staff at its offices in Atlanta. The consulting firm is investing $18 million and adding 331 jobs.

Big deal in Georgia
St. Louis-based Nestlé Purina PetCare, a subsidiary of Swiss-based Nestlé, announced in December it will invest $550 million in its plant in Hartwell, Ga. The pet food manufacturing facility will house 130 more workers.

Papa John’s selects Georgia for new global HQ
Pizza delivery company Papa John’s plans to move its global headquarters to Atlanta from its hometown of Louisville, Ky., adding 200 jobs as it expands and rides a huge surge in business, thanks to the coronavirus. The company’s IT and logistics departments will remain in Louisville. Company president and CEO Rob Lynch said that the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in Papa John’s best year in its history.

Facebook to expand data center in Newton County, Ga., add 100 jobs
Facebook will expand its Newton County data center, hire more workers and boost its total investment at the facility by $250 million. The social media giant plans an additional 100 jobs at the facility, increasing the total workforce to 200. It will construct three new buildings, boosting the center’s size to 2.5 million square feet and increasing the company’s investment at the site from $750 million to $1 billion.

Over 600 jobs coming to Brunswick, Ga.
Radial is hiring over 600 customer care workers for its facility in Brunswick. Radial is an e-commerce company that provides order management and fulfillment for companies such as GameStop and Shoe Carnival. Fifty to 70 percent of the employees that are hired will work remotely.

 

KENTUCKY

Glove manufacturer to hire 192 in Kentucky
U.S. Medical Glove Co., a manufacturer of medical gloves, will invest over $32 million to retrofit an existing plant in Paris, Ky. The project will create 192 jobs.

Glove manufacturer to hire 192 in Kentucky
U.S. Medical Glove Co., a manufacturer of medical gloves, will invest over $32 million to retrofit an existing plant in Paris, Ky. The project will create 192 jobs.

Metals manufacturer to open new plant in Kentucky
Nova Steel USA will open a new steel tube mill in Bowling Green, Ky. The $70 million investment will generate 110 jobs.

Chapin International to locate production in Mount Vernon, Ky.
Chapin International, a manufacturer of metal compressed air sprayers, plans to locate a production operation in Mount Vernon in Rockcastle County with a $5.5 million investment creating up to 100 full-time jobs in the coming years.


Healthcare equipment supplier to expand facility in Kentucky
Healthcare Asset Network, a healthcare technology supplier, is expanding in Jefferson County, Ky. The nearly $8 million deal will create 80 jobs.

 

LOUISIANA

Gulf Island In Houma, La., adding 150 shipyard jobs
Gulf Island Works is looking to hire 150 workers, expanding its workforce at the Houma shipyard by more than 10 percent. The Houma yard is working with the Louisiana Department of Economic Development on a package of incentives as part of its plan to hire 135 welders, pipe and structural fitters, as well as 15 more in administrative support services.

Fluid control manufacturer announces $5 million Louisiana plant
A California manufacturer of aerospace and defense components will establish a new factory for its fluid control affiliate in Louisiana. Westfield Hydraulics plans to move its existing operations from its headquarters near Los Angeles to the new facility in Lafayette, La. The company will invest more than $5 million and create 67 new jobs.

SCI to add 115 jobs in Jefferson Parish
Houston-based Service Corporation International (SCI) announced it will be adding 115 new finance jobs to its Jefferson Parish offices by 2023. The company is a provider of funeral goods and services as well as cemetery property and services.

Manufacturer invests $41 million in world’s largest nitrogen fertilizer complex
CF Industries announced a $41.4 million investment in its site located on 1,400 acres in Donaldsonville, La. The investment will help the company retain 487 jobs while creating seven new direct jobs with an average salary of $100,000.

 

MISSISSIPPI

Mississippi’s historic Broadwater Hotel will become a $1.2 billion casino resort
The Biloxi City Council has approved a tourism tax incentive to redevelop a 266-acre property that was once the site of the Broadwater Beach Hotel (pictured here in the 1960s). The historic resort was built in 1939 and closed in 2005 shortly before Hurricane Katrina destroyed the property. A partnership between Universal Music Group and the Dakia U-Ventures investment group will invest $1.2 billion in the project that could create 2,500 jobs.

Mission Forest Products investing $160 million in Corinth, Miss.
Mission Forest Products, a subsidiary of Timberland Investment Resources, is building a sawmill in Corinth that will bring 130 jobs by 2022. The project is a $160 million corporate investment.

Kimberly-Clark spends millions on Mississippi plant
Kimberly-Clark is investing $140 million in its plant in Corinth, Miss. The plant produces Huggies, Kleenex, Cottonelle and Depend brands. The investment at the plant, which houses more than 300 workers, will increase capacity.

General Atomics adding jobs in Northeast Mississippi
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems is expanding its plant in Lee County, Miss. The supplier to the Department of Defense will invest $39 million to increase capacity at its facility. The deal will create 125 new jobs.

UPS bringing 161 high-paying jobs to Mississippi
United Parcel Service (UPS) plans to build a new $28.6 million package distribution facility in Ridgeland, Miss. The project will create 161 new jobs, with an average annual wage of $57,000.

Loss Prevention Services will relocate HQ to Natchez, Miss., hire 200 new jobs
Loss Prevention Services, an auto portfolio servicing company for financial lenders (think repossession and remarketing), will invest $2.97 million to locate its corporate headquarters in Natchez. The new 45,000-square-foot facility will be able to accommodate the 300 existing local employees, with plans to fill 200 additional new jobs by summer 2022.

Furniture maker bringing jobs to Union County, Miss.
Fusion Furniture will begin manufacturing sofas and chairs in Union County. The New Albany facility is expected to employ 150 to 180 people.

 

MISSOURI

Patriot Medical Devices opens Missouri manufacturing complex
Patriot Medical Devices, a personal protective equipment manufacturer, has opened its production facility in Cape Girardeau, Mo. The company, which was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, plans to hire more than 20 workers.

 

NORTH CAROLINA

Life science company hiring big at Research Triangle
BioAgilytix Labs is expanding its facilities in Durham, N.C. The company will launch its COVIDence platform that will provide employers a COVID-19 testing program. The $61 million deal will create 878 jobs.

Human resources firm bringing 1,000 jobs to North Carolina
Human resources firm Randstad North America is looking to hire more than 1,000 people in North Carolina. Of those, 900 jobs will be available in Durham and 120 in the Triad (Greensboro, Winston-Salem and High Point).

Awesome project in Greenville
Thermo Fisher is investing $500 million in its bioscience facility in Greenville, N.C. The company will add 500 jobs to its current workforce of 1,500. The Massachusetts-based company makes sterile injectables, tablets and capsules at the facility. It also stores and does testing of drugs in Greenville.

High Point lands $305 million data center
DC Blox, an IT infrastructure company, is bringing a new $305 million data center to Guilford County. The data center will be situated on a 14-acre vacant lot in the Piedmont Centre business park. Many details regarding the project are being kept close to the vest right now, however, High Point Economic Development Corp President Loren Hill called this a “major project.”

Big deal for Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney will build a new 1 million-square-foot facility in Asheville, N.C., that will produce turbine airfoils for the F-35 fighter jet. The $650 million project will create 800 jobs.

Rockingham County getting 300 new jobs
A new Nestlé Purina PetCare facility will bring more than 300 new jobs to Rockingham County at the old MillerCoors brewing facility, which closed in 2016, resulting in around 500 lost jobs. Purina plans to make a $450 million investment to produce dry dog and cat food there.

Life sciences manufacturer to locate in Research Triangle Park
KBI Biopharma, a pharmaceutical manufacturer, is locating a new $150 million facility in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park. The deal will create 200 jobs.

UPS expanding in North Carolina, creating 600 jobs
UPS will add more than 590 jobs in central North Carolina by expanding its Greensboro hub and building a new distribution center in Graham. The package car center in Graham will generate about 450 jobs, while another 140 positions will be created at the hub. The projects represent a $316 million investment.

MDI’s $120 million expansion largest in Hickory history
Hickory, N.C.-based Merchants Distributors (MDI) is planning to expand its facilities in Caldwell County — a project that will be the biggest economic development investment in Hickory’s history. The expansion of the wholesale grocery distributor’s operations will mean a $120 million investment and 111 new jobs.

Packaging company selects Hickory for hub
MaxPax, a contract packaging company, will invest $9.55 million to locate its production center in Hickory. The project is expected to create 300 new jobs over five years.

 

OKLAHOMA

Amazon to open new facility in Oklahoma
Amazon is at it again. It is opening a 1 million-square-foot fulfillment center in Oklahoma City. The facility will house 500 workers.

Tissue paper manufacturer opens new Oklahoma factory
Global tissue paper manufacturer Sofidel officially opened its seventh U.S. plant in Inola, Okla. The company invested $360 million in the 1.8 million-square-foot facility outside of Tulsa. The facility employs 300 workers, and a second construction phase could double its capacity and workforce.

 

SOUTH CAROLINA

Significant expansion in South Carolina
Techtronic Industries, a maker of tools, is investing $100 million and adding
1 million square feet in an expansion in Anderson County, S.C. The deal will create 525 jobs.

Boeing consolidates 787 assembly to North Charleston
Airliner manufacturer Boeing announced in the fall quarter it is consolidating its full assembly of the 787 Dreamliner from Washington State to North Charleston. The giant plane maker has been under financial pressure because of the coronavirus pandemic and the collapse of the commercial airline industry.

Company hiring 400 at new South Carolina COVID-19 test manufacturing facility
Vigilent Labs is locating a new state-of-the-art COVID-19 test manufacturing facility in Charleston County, S.C. The $104 million project will create 400 new jobs.

Bearings maker to invest $62 million in two North American facilities
Sweden-based SKF, one of the world’s largest producers of bearings, announced it is investing nearly $62 million between two North American facilities. The company is investing $39.2 million to expand and automate manufacturing processes at its factory in Sumter, S.C. Another $22.4 million will go to an unnamed existing production site in Mexico.

Chemical company expands with Sumter factory
Nova Molecular Technologies, a chemical manufacturing company, will invest more than $14.9 million within an Opportunity Zone to expand operations at the Pocotaligo East Industrial Site in Sumter, S.C.

 

TENNESSEE

Germ-X expanding in Smyrna, Tenn., and St. Louis, Mo.
Hand sanitizer manufacturer Vi-Jon will spend $70 million to expand plants in St. Louis and Smyrna, and create about 400 jobs (200 at each location). Vi-Jon makes “Germ-X” brand products.

Frito-Lay expands in Tennessee
Frito-Lay is investing $100 million to expand its facilities in Pulaski, Tenn. The expansion will include four new manufacturing lines and larger warehouses.

Smile Direct Club adding 600 jobs, staying put in Tennessee
Smile Direct Club is investing $34 million and bringing 600 new jobs to Middle Tennessee. The new facility will be located in Columbia, Tenn., and is part of a major expansion to make teeth straightening products. This news comes after the company decided to pull the plug on a Texas operations facility and keep all of their offices in Tennessee.

N95 mask manufacturer opens new operations In Middle Tennessee
An N95 mask manufacturer is opening up shop in Lebanon and creating 220 jobs. Moldex is expanding to meet the surge in demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company plans to retrofit an existing building in Lebanon, which will be its first manufacturing facility in Tennessee. Moldex also intends to build an additional distribution center on the 21-acre site. The project represents an investment of over $25 million and the creation of more than 200 new jobs in Wilson County.

Renew Biomedical Services expands Jackson, Tenn., operations
ReNew Biomedical Services, a biomedical equipment service provider, will invest $1 million to expand operations in Jackson. The company plans to create 43 jobs over the next five years. As part of the expansion, ReNew will build a training facility for technicians using defibrillators and ventilators, to name a few.

 

TEXAS

Ariat International bringing distribution center and jobs to Fort Worth
Ariat International will establish a 1 million-square-foot distribution hub and corporate office in Fort Worth that will serve as its western U.S. regional headquarters. The new facility will create 75 jobs and $40 million in capital investment. Ariat designs and manufactures equestrian footwear and apparel, including English and Western riding boots.

Charles Schwab names Westlake campus its official corporate headquarters
After purchasing TD Ameritrade for $22 billion, Charles Schwab officially named its campus in Westlake as the company’s new corporate headquarters. Schwab is relocating its headquarters from San Francisco to Westlake, where it currently has about 2,500 employees.

Central Texas Amazon facility will create 1,000 new jobs
The 700,000-square-foot robotic fulfillment center Amazon is building in Waco will create 1,000 new jobs that will pay a minimum of $15 an hour.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise relocating world HQ to Texas
Hewlett Packard Enterprise is relocating its global headquarters from San Jose, Calif., to Spring, Texas, in the Houston MSA. The company already has over 2,600 employees in the Houston area.

Georgia-Pacific building $285 million plant in Texas
Georgia-Pacific, the Atlanta-based company that owns consumer brands such as Angel Soft, Brawny and Dixie, announced that it will build a new $285 million gypsum wallboard plant adjacent to its existing factory near Sweetwater, Texas. The new plant is expected to house about 120 full-time employees.

Aerospace supply relocating HQ from Southern California to North Texas
Aviation supply chain company Incora is moving its global headquarters from southern California to Fort Worth. Incora (previously known as Wesco Aircraft Hardware Corp.) already has two offices in Fort Worth, and is planning a $6 million capital investment at the new facility that could have up to 239 workers.

TJX opens distribution center in El Paso
TJX, parent company of TJ Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods, plans to invest $150 million to build a distribution center in El Paso. The project is expected to create approximately 1,000 full-time jobs in the region.

Power generator Vistra to spend $850 million in Texas
Irving-based power generator Vistra plans to break ground on six solar projects and a battery energy storage facility in Texas with an $850 million investment. Vistra also said that it will close seven coal plants in Illinois and Ohio in its push to eliminate carbon emissions by 2050. The plants will close by 2027, eventually displacing 700 jobs.

 

VIRGINIA

New Huntington Ingalls Unmanned Systems Center means 250 jobs for Hampton
Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) will create more than 250 new jobs by establishing an Unmanned Systems Center of Excellence in Hampton. HII is the nation’s largest military shipbuilding company. The company’s new unmanned systems facility in Hampton will support national security.

PPE maker expands in Virginia Beach
Premium-PPE, the manufacturer of AmeriShield branded masks and personal protective equipment, will invest $5.3 million to expand its operation in the City of Virginia Beach, creating 180 new jobs.

Hitachi ABB Power Grids to invest $6.2 million in Bland County
Hitachi ABB Power Grids, a leader in power and energy technologies, will invest $6.2 million to upgrade equipment and increase manufacturing capacity at its Bland County operation. This project will create 40 new jobs.

 

WEST VIRGINIA

Energy tech company to create 1,000 jobs
U.K.-based DST Innovations announced it will locate a plant in Morgantown, W.Va., to produce energy storage cells. The deal will create 1,000 new jobs.

West Virginia Methanol investing $350 million in new plant
West Virginia Methanol has selected a site in Pleasants County to develop a plant for producing methanol, which is expected to create approximately 30 high-paying jobs once operational. The $350 million plant will produce 900 metric tons of high-purity methanol from natural gas each day.

Over 200 new jobs coming to West Virginia airport
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Aviation Group, which is the owner of an aircraft maintenance repair and overhaul facility at the North Central West Virginia Airport in Bridgeport, will be hiring 240 employees between now and March 2021. This will bring the total workforce up to about 750 employees.

Ranger Scientific eyes West Virginia for munitions factory
Ranger Scientific, a manufacturer of small arms ammunition, will be investing $7.5 million to locate its munitions factory at a former high school building in Montgomery, W.Va. The United States Department of Agriculture is loaning the funds to help start up the new manufacturing facility, which could hire up to 400 over the next five years.