Relocations and Expansions - Fall 2022

ALABAMA

United Launch Alliance to expand rocket factory in Alabama
United Launch Alliance (ULA) and the companies Beyond Gravity and M&J Industries are expanding facilities in Decatur, Ala. ULA will build new Vulcan rockets in Decatur to lift commercial communications satellites. The project will bring 250 jobs to the North Alabama market.

Huntsville-based HudsonAlpha to team with the city of Dothan, Ala., for biotech innovation center
The city of Dothan and Huntsville’s HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology will team to develop an education and innovation center in Southeast Alabama. The center will also focus on agricultural research.

Cabinet maker adding over 400 jobs in Alabama
Wellborn Cabinet, whose cabinets are distributed nationwide, will build a manufacturing facility in Oxford, Ala., that will produce new kitchen and bath cabinetry. The $17 million project will create 415 jobs.

Defense contractor adding jobs in Birmingham, Ala.
San Diego-based Kratos Defense & Security Solutions announced recently it will expand its operations in Birmingham. Kratos acquired the engineering division of Birmingham-based Southern Research in an $80 million asset transaction in May. The $8 million deal will create 76 jobs for the company that supports rocket development.

ARKANSAS

Company repatriates idled plant in Arkansas
Hostess Brands, a maker of all kinds of foods including snacks, will convert an empty plant in Arkadelphia, Ark. The deal will add 150 jobs to the community. Among others, Hostess makes Twinkies and Ding Dongs. The plan is to invest $120 million in the deal to develop the 330,000-square-foot facility in Arkadelphia into a next-generation bakery.

Textbook distributor to expand Arkansas facilities
GoTextbooks is establishing a second distribution center in the Little Rock metro. The project calls for more than 200 new workers.

Tractor Supply to build new distribution center in Maumelle, Ark.
Tractor Supply Company, the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the United States, is investing more than $120 million on a new distribution center in Maumelle. The 1.2-million-square-foot facility will house almost 500 employees.

FLORIDA

British firm hiring in Tampa
A British hiring company with more than a dozen offices around the world has planted its flag in Tampa. Phaidon International has announced it plans to hire 200 consultants to work from its newest U.S. office at the WeWork building in downtown Tampa. The office is designed to spearhead the company’s growth plans in Florida and across the Southeast.

GEORGIA

Consulting firm nearly doubling staff in Atlanta
McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting company, recently announced plans to nearly double its Atlanta workforce, hiring more than 700 people by 2025. The company plans to create a hub specializing in technology and innovation, and will put the center in Atlanta largely to maximize the amount of diversity in the expanded workforce, company officials said.

Roofing manufacturer investing $146 million in rural Georgia
GAF Materials, a Standard Industries company and one of the largest roofing and waterproofing manufacturers in North America, will create 135 new jobs and invest $146 million over the next six years in a new manufacturing facility in Lowndes County.

Manufacturer invests in Georgia
Troy Acoustics Corporation will invest almost $40 million in a new manufacturing facility in Thomas County. The company makes sound-wall systems used in highway noise barriers, broadcasting and film production facilities, animal shelters, shooting ranges, as well as general industry purposes.

KENTUCKY

Kentucky distiller to invest $400 million in the Blue Grass State
Spirits maker Beam Suntory is investing $400 million to expand a bourbon distillery in Nelson County, Ky. The deal will create 50 jobs.

Kentucky Gov. Beshear cuts the ribbon on another Louisville HQ
Gov. Andy Beshear and Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer joined leaders from Inxeption, an industrial commerce and supply chain digitization company, to cut the ribbon on the company’s new Louisville headquarters, which will create 200 full-time jobs with a $125 million investment over the next five years.

Another big deal in Bowling Green
O-I Glass will build a new glass bottle manufacturing facility in Bowling Green, Ky. The company will invest $239 million, pay $43 an hour and create 140 jobs at the plant that will produce glass bottles for the Kentucky premium spirits market.

Distribution center adding jobs in rural Kentucky
DAS Companies has secured a brand new 200,000-square-foot distribution center in Franklin, Ky. The deal will create 100 new jobs.

LOUISIANA

Shell to convert old Louisiana refinery to sustainable fuel plant
London-based Shell plans to build a sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel production facility at its shuttered refinery in Convent, La., according to documents filed with Louisiana Economic Development. The alternative fuels complex will represent an investment of about $1.4 billion.

Amazon plans two Louisiana solar farms
Amazon is planning a pair of solar farms in Louisiana as part of the online giant’s efforts to be entirely dependent on renewable energy by 2025. The company has announced it will open a solar farm in St. Landry Parish by 2024, capable of generating 100 megawatts of power, enough energy to power 20,000 homes and businesses. A 200 megawatt solar farm in Morehouse Parish is set to open by 2023.

Unique manufacturer to expand in Louisiana
ASH Industries, a custom molding manufacturer that produces specialized products ranging from surgical devices to laser light show components, will invest $5 million to expand its Lafayette Parish facility. The project will create 85 new jobs.

New sawmill to invest $110 million
Teal Jones Group, an international forestry products company based in Canada, has broken ground on a new southern yellow pine lumber plant in Plain Dealing, La. The 235-acre greenfield facility will create 500 jobs in Bossier Parish. The Teal-Jones Group, a company based in British Columbia, Canada, is building the southern yellow pine lumber plant. Teal Jones also has U.S. operations in Mississippi and Virginia.

MISSISSIPPI


Rocket Lab prepares to blast off in Mississippi
U.S.-based Rocket Lab is locating an engine test facility for its new large rocket Neutron at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, making a significant capital investment and creating dozens of new jobs. Rocket Lab is the launcher of Electron, the second most frequently flown U.S. rocket, and is developing Neutron, its much larger, reusable rocket, to carry out national security missions and deliver multiple satellites to space. Rocket Lab has selected Stennis Space Center as the site of the test and development complex for Archimedes, its Neutron rocket engines.

Big deal in rural Mississippi
Southeastern Timber Products announced a $150 million capital investment in the STP lumber mill in Ackerman, Miss. The partnership is a joint venture between Tolko Industries (U.S.) and STP Holdings.

Tractor plant to bring jobs to Lowndes County
Terberg Taylor Americas Group will manufacture terminal tractors near Columbus, Miss., in Lowndes County. The $16 million deal will create 90 jobs.

Starkville lands new manufacturing operation
Columbia Industries is investing over $9 million to relocate from Oregon to Starkville, Miss., to create 62 new jobs they hope to fill by 2023. The oilfield and solid waste equipment manufacturer purchased the old Gulf State manufacturing facility to start up its operations in the Southeast.

ArbaBlox locating manufacturing operations in Winona, Miss.
ArbaBlox, an engineered wood products company, is locating a state-of-the-art pallet blocks manufacturing plant in Winona. The project is a $51.34 million corporate investment and will create 41 jobs.

MISSOURI

Pet food manufacturer invests millions in Missou
Leading pet food and products manufacturer Mars Petcare announced it will invest more than $82 million to enhance its manufacturing facility in Kansas City, creating 95 new jobs. The expansion will increase the location’s production to meet rising demand for dog and cat treats. “We applaud Mars Petcare for its commitment to Missouri and its continued investment in Kansas City,” said Governor Mike Parson. “Since the facility opened in 2006, Mars Petcare has embraced local talent to create jobs and boost the regional economy. We look forward to seeing the additional positive impact this expansion will have for our state.”

NORTH CAROLINA

Wolfspeed announces $5 billion semiconductor plant in North Carolina
Wolfspeed, a global leader in silicon carbide semiconductor manufacturing, announced that it has chosen Siler City, N.C., as the location for its newest semiconductor manufacturing plant. The company plans to invest more than $5 billion in this project and will create 1,800 jobs, becoming the largest capital investment for an economic development project in North Carolina’s history. The state will see a $17.5 billion economic impact over the next 20 years.

Biotech manufacturer picks Eastern North Carolina for facility
ABEC, Inc., a global leader providing engineered process solutions and services for biotech manufacturing, is establishing another ISO-7 clean room to increase manufacturing capacity at its facility in Wilson County, N.C. The project will create over 250 jobs.

Hickory, N.C. captures long-standing employer’s expansion
Merchants Distributors, a wholesale grocery distributor founded in Hickory in 1931, will invest $35 million in a new expansion of its services and operations, creating 125 jobs. The company anticipates adding approximately 250,000 square feet to its perishable capacity at its Caldwell County facilities.

OKLAHOMA

Provalus opens new technology innovation center in Tahlequah
Provalus has announced the opening of its fourth technology innovation center in Tahlequah, Okla. As the solutions and managed services brand of Optomi Professional Services, Provalus will bring new jobs to the area in the form of technology and support positions. The project is projected to have a multi-million-dollar economic impact on the local community over the next five years. 

SOUTH CAROLINA

Nucor announces big deal in South Carolina
Charlotte-based Nucor, one of the largest manufacturers of steel and steel products in North America, announced plans to expand operations in Berkeley County, S.C. The company is investing $200 million over the next five years. With roots dating back to 1905, Nucor manufactures a variety of products including carbon and alloy steel.

Pet retailer to build new center in South Carolina
Pet Supplies Plus, a leading, full-service pet retail company, is investing $53 million in a new distribution center in Orangeburg County, S.C. The company will hire 272 with the project.

Drug delivery device manufacturer chooses Charleston County
Switzerland-based SHL Medical announced recently it is establishing a new manufacturing site in Charleston County. SHL Medical designs and manufactures drug delivery devices for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies worldwide. The company announced the investment of $90 million, creating 165 jobs.

TENNESSEE

Georgia Pacific to build $425 million paper plant in Jackson
Koch Industries-owned paper products manufacturer Georgia-Pacific is preparing to invest $425 million to build a new production plant for Dixie paper plates in Jackson, Tenn. The plant is slated to become operational by summer 2024. The 900,000-square-foot location will help the company meet increased demand for paper plate products.

Thermo Fisher opens its newest manufacturing facility near Nashville
Thermo Fisher Scientific has opened its largest single-use technology manufacturing site in Lebanon, Tenn. The Massachusetts-based manufacturer of vaccines and therapies for cancer and other diseases is investing $105 million to meet growing demand for bioprocessing materials.

Germany-based WACKER to expand its facilities in Southeast Tennessee
WACKER will expand its silicone production plant in Charleston, Tenn. The phased investment of more than $200 million over several years will add 200 new jobs to the workforce of 700 that is currently housed there.

TEXAS

Micron Technology chooses New York over Austin for chip factory
Idaho-based Micron Technology considered a site in Lockhart, Texas (near Austin) for a $20 billion semiconductor facility, but ultimately chose Clay, N.Y., for the complex. Micron is one of hte world’s largest microchip manufacturers. The company is projecting a long-term investment of up to $100 billion and a plant that could bring 50,000 jobs to the Syracuse area. New York won the deal with up to $5.5 billion in state tax credits over 20 years.

Korean chip maker considering colossal Austin area expansion
Samsung, which already operates a computer chip plant in Austin and is currently building another nearby in Taylor, Texas, is considering 11 new fabrication plants in Central Texas. The projects could top out at $200 billion. The potential plans are described in 11 applications Samsung has filed with the Taylor and Manor school districts seeking tax breaks for building the facilities.

Tyson to invest $200 million to upgrade beef processing plant in Texas
Arkansas-based Tyson Foods is spending $200 million to upgrade its beef processing plant in Amarillo, Texas. The Amarillo plant is one of the largest of the company’s six beef facilities. 

VIRGINIA

Drone developer to hire over 500 in Virginia
DroneUp, a Virginia Beach company, is expanding its headquarters and R&D facilities. The company announced it will establish a center for testing, training, research and development. DroneUp is slated to begin Walmart deliveries to millions of households by drone. The company will invest $27 million and create over 600 jobs in the deal.

Pangiam adding 200-plus jobs at new HQ in Tysons, Va.
Pangiam, a travel and security technology company, will invest $3.1 million to establish its global headquarters in Fairfax County’s Tysons area, creating 201 jobs over the next three years, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced. Pangiam provides facial recognition technology, cloud-based applications and data-driven identity solutions to customers including the Department of Homeland Security, the Air Force, Delta Airlines, United Airlines and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Innovation in farming adding jobs in Virginia
New Jersey-based leafy greens producer AeroFarms plans to invest $42 million at its vertical farm production facility in Pittsylvania County, Va. The investment will earn the company the world’s largest indoor vertical farm. The deal will create 66 jobs in addition to the 92 that were announced last year.

Advanced titanium recycling center lands in Virginia
IperionX, a U.S. critical minerals company, plans to make a capital investment totaling $82.1 million to establish Virginia’s first titanium demonstration facility in Halifax County.

Advanced coal mining operation expands in rural Virginia
Coronado Global Resources, an Australian producer of metallurgical coal, will invest $169 million to expand coal mining operations at its Buchanan Mine Complex, located about 10 miles southeast of Grundy in Buchanan County, Va. Metallurgical coal is used in steel production. The expansion will generate 181 new jobs.

WEST VIRGINIA

Three-billion-dollar economic development project on tap for West Virginia
Another major energy project is coming to West Virginia. At a news conference led by U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, it was announced that Competitive Power Ventures will be making a $3 billion investment in the Mountain State. It will build an 1,800-megawatt natural-gas-fueled power plant. While officials have not revealed the exact location, numerous sources have indicated it will be in Doddridge County.

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