September 2016

2015: Record year for foreign direct investment

After a poor 2014 with only $171.6 billion invested directly by foreign companies in the U.S., 2015 was a record year. In 2015 the U.S. saw more than $421 billion in FDI, by far the largest ever. Most of the investment came from Europe; however there is a growing trend with fast-growing Chinese investment. Just 10 years ago Chinese investment in the U.S. was a mere $200 million. Last year it was $15 billion and some are predicting it will top $30 billion this year. The Chinese are on track to do it. In the first two quarters of this year, the Chinese invested more than $18 billion in the U.S. in real estate, corporate acquisitions and greenfield projects, according to the Rhodium Group. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, nearly 70 percent of foreign investment in the U.S. in 2015 flowed to the manufacturing sector. 

 

Corporate inversions account for 20 percent of record foreign direct investment in the U.S. 

Corporate inversions, where a U.S. company takes a foreign address, typically by merging or being acquired by a small foreign company to lower its taxes, made up about 20 percent of the record $421 billion in foreign direct investment in the U.S. in calendar year 2015. In addition to the inversions, a record number of acquisitions were recorded in 2015 as foreign firms snapped up American companies in a sign that the U.S. economy is currently the world's safest haven for foreign money. The $421 billion was a 68 percent jump from the prior year. Ireland, with $176.5 billion in investments in the U.S., was the No. 1 source of foreign direct investment last year. 

 

Bloomberg: "Go South, Young Folk: High-Tech Graduate Jobs Await You in Dixie" 

That was Bloomberg's title of an article in the summer quarter that suggests job growth for graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is rising much faster in the Deep South than in Seattle, San Francisco or any other place outside the South. The article based its findings on a recent Brookings Institution report that "Dixie is where it's at" for tech job growth. The article published a chart that showed job growth in advanced industries and Nashville led the list, followed by San Francisco, Jackson, Miss., Fort Myers-Cape Coral, Fla., Kansas City, Raleigh, Charlotte and rounding out the top 8 was Memphis. The high concentration of high tech automotive jobs is partly responsible for the rise in high tech jobs in the South, the Brookings study showed. According to the study, Tennessee ranked No. 1 in job growth in advanced industry jobs and Georgia was No. 2.  

 

CNBC names Austin No. 1 to launch a startup

In the summer, Austin was named the best place in the U.S. to launch a startup by CNBC. Provo was No. 2, followed by Washington, D.C., Denver, Charlotte and Houston. Both San Francisco and New York City didn't make the top 20. 

 

Austin industrial properties "full up" 

According to Jerry Heare, SVP of REOC Austin, the Austin industrial real estate market is "full up." Heare was quoted in an Austin Business Journal article, saying, "The market is the tightest it’s been in our 30-year history of tracking local industrial lease space. Overall in Austin, vacancy for warehouse and flex space stands at 4.8 percent as of July 2016.  

 

North Texas real estate has never been hotter

There are so many companies relocating their headquarters to Dallas-Fort Worth that the residential real estate sector has never been more active. The largest such relocation is happening now with Toyota's headquarter relocation to West Plano, Texas from Southern California. Toyota employees are finding the move delightful. For one, they say a person can buy two very nice houses in the Dallas-Fort Worth region for the price of a not-so-nice house in the Los Angeles area. That's essentially Toyota giving their employees a raise without having to pay a dime. Also, there is an 8 percent state tax in California but no state tax in Texas, giving relocating companies another way to give a raise to an employee by relocating to Texas. 

 

Huge surge of Chinese coming to U.S. to work for companies they've acquired

We have written about the large increase in Chinese acquisitions of U.S. companies as well as the rise in new Chinese greenfield projects going up in the South. In 2010, the Chinese spent just $4.6 billion in the U.S. on new and expanded projects as well as acquisitions. That figure has risen to over $18 billion in the first two quarters of this year. This dramatically higher interest in the U.S. by the Chinese is creating another sector that is spiking. The number of Chinese expat executives working in the U.S. has risen dramatically. It is a direct result of the incredible rise in Chinese companies acquiring U.S. companies. In 2015, the U.S. granted 10,258 L-series visas to Chinese executives and their family members. That is four times the number of Chinese executives that were approved for the visas in 2014. The L-1 allows companies with U.S. and foreign operations to move staff and their families to America. 

 

Longest ever economic recovery not that far-fetched

The recovery from the Great Recession is now 86 months old. The record was in the 1990s when the nation's economic expansion lasted 120 months. To beat that record, the economy must expand until June 2019, which, the way things are looking, is not that far-fetched. Manufacturing set off this expansion in mid-2009 and now services or consumerism, is taking hold in the U.S. economy. Historically, it is rare when services and manufacturing are expanding at the same time and that is exactly what we are seeing today in America. Business and professional services are thriving as is the tech sector. With low cost and abundant energy, manufacturing will continue to thrive as the "make where you sell it" trend truly sets in. Combined with low interest rates and wages just beginning to rise across all sectors, this recovery look as if it is in its early stages. 

 

U.S. close to energy independence

In 2005, the U.S. imported 65 percent of its daily oil demand, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Shortly after 2005, widespread fracking began in this country and by 2010, the U.S. imported 55 percent of its daily oil demand. That dropped to 28 percent last year and a new Raymond James report believes the total imported oil to meet our needs by 2020 will only be 11 percent. The report also stated that by 2020, America would need no oil imports from Russia or the Middle East. It will be able to import 11 percent of its daily needs from Mexico and Canada.

 

First LNG ship sails through expanded Panama Canal

The first liquefied natural gas tanker ship went through the newly expanded Panama Canal in the summer quarter. The ship was carrying LNG loaded at Cheniere Energy's new, multi-billion Southwest Louisiana liquefaction terminal. Cheniere is the first company to export LNG in the lower 48 states. Several other terminals are being built now in Texas and Louisiana. After those are built, the U.S. will be one of the world's top LNG exporters. 

 

Arkansas' economy ranked No. 1 in nation

In the first quarter of 2016, Arkansas' economy grew 3.9 percent -- more than any other state -- compared to the last quarter of 2015, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. State officials cited a growing forestry industry in Arkansas as one of the factors behind the growth in Arkansas' economy in the first quarter. 

 

Billion dollar Chinese paper mill delayed

A $1.3 billion super paper mill project in Clark County, Ark. has been delayed for at least six months. Sun Paper Industry of China planned on starting construction in early 2017. Holding up the project are some pre-engineering and feasibility studies still to be done regarding the large project. 

 

Virginia's unemployment rate lowest in the South; region matches U.S rate

Inching a two-tenths of a percent lower than Arkansas' 3.9 percent unemployment rate in July, at 3.7 percent Virginia's unemployment rate was the lowest in the South. For the first time since the end of the recession, the South's unemployment rate matched the U.S. rate of 4.9 percent in July. 

 

Tennessee below full employment

Tennessee saw its unemployment rate to fall to 4.3 percent in July. Economists set Tennessee's full employment rate at 5.0 percent. 

 

South Carolina unemployment rate at 15-year low

South Carolina's unemployment rate dropped to 5.2 percent in July from 5.6 percent in May. The July rate marks the lowest unemployment rate in the Palmetto State since July 2001. 

 

Aerospace industry growing quickly in South Carolina

A study done by the University of South Carolina shows that aerospace-related employment growth in the Palmetto State is growing by an average of 11.8 percent annually, seven times faster than the state's 1.6 percent annual growth. Anchored by Boeing's 787 campus in North Charleston, counting both military and private, about 100,000 jobs are in aerospace in South Carolina. The industry had a $19 billion annual economic impact on the state last year. 

 

PwC ranks top aerospace manufacturing states

PricewaterhouseCoopers released its top states for aerospace manufacturing and like everything else, including GDP, population. . .you name it, the South landed 40 percent of the ranking's top 10. Arizona topped the ranking, but Florida (2), Georgia (4), Missouri (5) and Texas (7) made the top 10. Utah, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Washington also made the top 10. 

 

South's largest manufacturing state loses manufacturing jobs

With more than $250 billion in exports in 2015, Texas is far-and-away the South's and the nation's largest state exporter. Yet, as a result of the oil and gas industry meltdown, Texas lost 7,379 manufacturing jobs from May 2015 to May 2016. It was the first time since the recession that Texas lost manufacturing from any year-to-year period.  

 

Atlanta population surging

The 10-county Atlanta metro area added 69,200 new residents from April of 2015 to April of 2016. The population increase is being driven by strong job growth. The 29-county Atlanta MSA added almost 77,000 jobs between May 2015 and May 2016. The Atlanta region now has 4,401,800 people. 

 

Memphis industrial leasing setting records

New and renewed industrial space leases filled 8.7 million square feet of space in the Memphis area in the first half of 2016. That's a 31 percent increase in leasing activity from the first half of 2015. Class A space accounted for 6.2 million square feet. The record for Class A space leases in Memphis -- a huge distribution market with FedEx's world hub located there -- was set last year at 6.8 million square feet. That total will be surpassed in Memphis by the time this is read. 

 

Tennessee No. 1 in foreign direct investment jobs last year

According to the 2016 IBM Global Location Trends report that came out this summer, Tennessee was No. 1 for job creation from foreign direct investment in calendar year 2015. It was the second time in three years Tennessee has earned the honor. In 2015 Tennessee captured 43 job generating projects that announced totals of 7,880 jobs and $2.2 billion in capital investment. 

 

Meal kit delivery company adding 1,200 jobs in Georgia

Home Chef, a meal kit delivery company, is investing over $3 million on a new distribution center in the Atlanta area. The deal will create 1,200 jobs. 

 

Container manufacturer expands in Mississippi

Plum Creek Environmental, a maker of waste and recycling containers and equipment, is expanding in the Columbus, Miss. area. The expansion will move the company into a new facility in West Point. The deal will create 50 jobs. 

 

FedEx building facility in Middle Tennessee

Memphis-based FedEx, Tennessee's largest company, announced it will build an $189 million distribution facility in Murfreesboro. The project will generate 190 jobs. 

 

Roofing company picks Tampa for headquarters

After getting snubbed by Sarasota officials who feared that a new headquarters would poach existing jobs in a full employment situation in that city, North Carolina-based North American Roofing has picked Tampa for its project. The new headquarters will house 180 workers. 

 

US Methanol announces plans to move plant to West Virginia

A California-based company is planning to move a methanol plant to Kanawha Valley, W.Va. US Methanol will move a production facility to the city of Institute creating more than 60 permanent positions when the plant begins operations 2017. This type of facility, commonly known as a gas-to-liquid plant, converts natural gas into methanol used as a chemical feedstock to manufacture items such as gasoline and antifreeze. Governor Earl Ray Tomblin announced that the production facility will also bring more than 300 construction jobs to the area beginning this November.

 

Bank of Texas to bring jobs to Irving

Bank of Texas and its parent company BOK Financial are planning to open a new center in Irving for handling home loans, which could mean as many as 75 new jobs for the area. The bank has outsourced its mortgage servicing duties, but is planning to bring the operation in-house.

 

Canadian lumber giant moving U.S. headquarters to Mobile, Ala.

Canfor Southern Pine, a subsidiary of Canada-based Canfor Corp., is relocating its United States headquarters from Myrtle Beach, S.C., to Mobile in the coming months. The relocation will cost at least $5 million, and will result in 20 new hires.

 

MillerCoors investing $60 million In Virginia

MillerCoors, a joint venture between SABMiller and Molson Coors Brewing Company, will invest $60 million to expand its Shenandoah brewery in Rockingham County, Va. The project will create 27 new jobs.

 

Mettler Toledo scale company building $30 million plant in Pasco, Fla., bringing 500 jobs

Switzerland-based Mettler Toledo, an international supplier of precision scales and instruments for laboratory, food-retailing and other industrial uses, is relocating its operations from Hillsborough County to a new $30 million manufacturing plant in Pasco County, Fla. The firm will also be closing its facility in Dryden, N.Y., as it consolidates its operations in the Sunshine State. The new plant will employ over 500 people.

 

Local healthcare technology company creating 100 jobs in Bay County, Fla.

Jellyfish Health, a Florida company that's created new technology aimed at reducing wait times for patients, will be hiring 100 people over the next three years. "We have built an application that allows you to stay at work, stay at home, lets you be in constant communication with your actual physician's practice so that you arrive when they're ready to see you and then you're able to actually go back receive your service and then leave," said Dave Dyell, President and CEO of Jellyfish Health.

 

SpaceX to build new facility at Port Canaveral 

SpaceX is set to transfer its operations on refurbished Falcon rockets to a new facility in Port Canaveral, Fla. The California-based aerospace company intends to lease a building on the north side of the port, and also plans to construct a second facility nearby, which will serve as a hub for the processing of refurbished rockets and other functions for SpaceX.

 

Solvay doubles capacity in South Carolina

Belgian chemical company Solvay is inaugurating a new carbon fiber production line at its U.S. Piedmont Facility in South Carolina. The expansion will double production of a key raw material used in lightweight composite materials in the aerospace industry. The new line has won qualification by The Boeing Company to manufacture secondary structures such as wing flaps and engine nacelles, as well as interior applications.

 

UPS breaks ground on Louisville Centennial hub expansion

Construction is in full swing on UPS’s $300 million investment, which will triple the size of the package facility and nearly double sorting capacity. The project will create a mix of 300 new full and part-time jobs.

 

Tyson breaks ground on $136 million expansion

Tyson — one of the largest employers in northern Arkansas — recently broke ground on a $136 million plant expansion in Green Forest, Ark., which is expected to add 85 jobs in the near future.

 

Manufacturer to move HQ to Central Florida

Machine-part manufacturer Prime Global Group is moving its headquarters and operations to Ormond Beach. The company, formerly headquartered in New Jersey, will set up shop in an existing warehouse creating 38 new positions over the next three years.

 

MGM Products expands in eastern North Carolina

Georgia manufacturer MGM Products has decided on eastern North Carolina for its second U.S. manufacturing facility. MGM Products is a sheet metal fabricator for products intended to stabilize HVAC equipment that is fastened to roof tops. The company will initially employ 10, but plans to double that headcount within its first year.

 

Anyone Home announces 500 jobs for Greenville County, S.C.

Anyone Home, a contact and management company for the rental housing market headquartered in Lake Forest, Calif., is investing $1.1 million in a new location in Greenville County, which is expected to create more than 570 jobs.

 

Voxpro creating 500 new jobs In Georgia

Voxpro, a multilingual customer service and tech support provider based in Cork, Ireland, will create more than 500 jobs and invest $4 million in a new Center of Excellence in Athens-Clarke County, Ga.  The company will be one of the largest private, non-medical employers in the county, behind Pilgrim's and Caterpillar.

 

HAECO Americas breaks ground on $60 million hangar in North Carolina

One of the Triad's largest aviation MROs has announced a major expansion and the addition of 500 new jobs. Gov. Pat McCrory recently joined executives with HAECO Americas and other dignitaries to break ground on hangar number five.

 

Ateb completes expansion of Raleigh HQ

Ateb, a provider of pharmacy-based patient care solutions, has completed the $3 million expansion of its headquarters in Raleigh, N.C., almost doubling its existing footprint.

 

Appalachian Mountain Spirits expands in Smyth County, Va.

While committing to source 100 percent of its corn, barley, and rye from Virginia farmers, Appalachian Mountain Spirits invested in a major expansion of its distillery in Smyth County, Va. The company will invest $1.95 million, create 13 new jobs, and purchase more than 3 million pounds of Virginia-grown corn, barley, and rye.

 

ThousandEyes announces expansion in Austin

San Francisco-based ThousandEyes, a provider of network intelligence software, has announced a new location in Austin, Texas. The company plans to hire around 30 in Austin by the end of the year to align with the company's fast-paced growth.

 

uShip to build new HQ in South Austin

uShip is building a new headquarters in South Austin, which will house the company’s 200-person workforce while accommodating aggressive hiring plans. The 13-year-old tech company is an online marketplace for shipping services.

 

Sasol increases Louisiana project cost to $11 billion

Sasol has raised its cost estimate for the Lake Charles chemical project by almost 25 percent to $11 billion, the Johannesburg-based company recently said in a statement. It expects most units at the project to start producing in early 2019, with the remainder completed by the end of that year.

 

JR Automation Technologies expands South Carolina manufacturing complex

JR Automation Technologies, a leader in custom automation solutions, will invest $3.4 million to expand its existing operations in Pickens County, S.C. The $3.4 million investment will mean 56 new jobs.

 

Southern Power moving to Virginia’s Berry Hill Industrial Park

Southern Power has announced it will be moving into Berry Hill Industrial Park in Pittsylvania County, Va. In June, the subsidiary of Southern Company signed a $250 million purchase agreement and is in the first stages of developing the land for a natural gas facility. "The mega park has certainly been years in the making. . .we just got our permits from the state and with those permits we can start developing it a little," said John Gilstrap, Mayor of Danville. "We just need to be patient, but things are falling into place." The development will generate jobs and stimulate the economy in Virginia and surrounding areas.

 

Advanced manufacturing equipment company growing In Tennessee

ATC Automation will invest $10.4 million to expand the company’s operations in Cookeville, Tenn., and create 110 new jobs during the next five years. The expansion will help ATC meet growing national and global demand for its advanced manufacturing equipment. 

 

Expansion of Choctaw Resort in Oklahoma to create 80 new jobs

Choctaw tribal leaders officially broke ground on several expansion projects at the nation’s Grant Casino Resort in August. The expansion will create 80 new jobs, but no word on the price tag for the expansion. 

 

Manufacturer breaks ground on expansion in LaGrange, Ga.

Nesper International, a German manufacturing company, broke ground recently at its facility in LaGrange, Ga. The $1.5 million expansion will facilitate manufacturing of plastic and hybrid parts made of plastic and metal, and create 12 jobs.

 

Pinnacle Foods expands plant in Fayetteville, Ark.

Pinnacle Foods, a producer, marketer and distributor of food products, plans to expand its manufacturing in Fayetteville. The company is adding a new brand line, EVOL, to the Fayetteville location that will result in the addition of 25 new jobs. EVOL is a line that contains no antibiotics, no artificial ingredients, no GMOs and cage-free eggs.

 

Skyline Steel adding 15 Mississippi jobs

Skyline Steel is investing $15 million and adding 15 employers in an expansion of its facility in Iuka, Miss. Skyline, whose parent company is Nucor, now employs 45 workers at the facility.

 

Lohmann Corp. expands manufacturing complex In Orange County, Va.

Lohmann Corp., manufacturer of high-tech adhesive tapes, has begun construction of an addition to its manufacturing facility in Orange County. The company anticipates the project will create an additional 56 jobs.

 

Chattanooga Seating Systems expands

Chattanooga Seating Systems will invest $5.4 to expand its facility, creating 190 jobs in Hamilton County, Tenn. The joint venture of Magna Seating and Hollingsworth Logistics manufactures and supplies seats for vehicles assembled at Volkswagen Chattanooga.

 

Gaming developer locates in Orlando

Particle City, a video game development company, is locating in downtown Orlando, Fla. The company plans to make a multi-million dollar capital investment over the next three years. Particle City headquarters is based in Los Angeles, but chose Orlando as the home of its new East Coast games studio.

 

Power Truss plans $1.6 million expansion in Graves County, Ky.

A producer of wood trusses is expanding its operation in Mayfield with a $1.6 million dollar investment. Power Truss plans to double the size of its operation in Graves County, which is expected to create eight new jobs.

 

Company to invest $36.4 million in move to Northern Kentucky, expects to create 500 jobs in state

CTI Clinical Trial and Consulting Services, a global company providing therapeutic expertise to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, will relocate its headquarters to Covington with a $36.4 million investment projected to create up to 500 jobs.

 

Manufacturing plant to open in Paragould, Ark.

Corbitt Manufacturing, a component manufacturing operation within American Railcar Industries, will open a new facility in Paragould. The company plans to invest nearly $3.5 million and create up to 60 new jobs with the new facility.

 

Health and beauty manufacturer moves to Cocoa Beach

A new health and beauty company is setting up shop in Brevard County, Fla. Cross Brands Manufacturing announced it will move into an existing 75,000-square-foot distribution center in Cocoa. The new facility will generate up to 70 new jobs.

 

Ulta is beautiful in Dallas

Ulta Beauty celebrated the official opening of its newest distribution center in Dallas after completing construction this summer. The new 700,000-square-foot facility is the company’s largest distribution center and is expected to bring in more than 500 new jobs to North Texas by 2018. The company has already hired 125 associates and plans to hire 155 more employees by the end of September.

 

San Francisco-based tech company bringing jobs to San Antonio

Dialpad, a San Francisco-based information technology company, got City Council approval for incentives that will help create 50 new jobs in San Antonio’s tech district.

 

California manufacturer expands to North Texas

California-based VPET USA, a food-grade plastic bottle manufacturer, has expanded its operations to Texas with a facility in Garland. The company will bring 50 full-time jobs to the area and plans to invest at least $16 million in the expansion.

 

CS Carolina gets green light from Burlington, N.C., council

The Burlington City Council approved nearly $200,000 in economic incentives to bring in more than 40 jobs and $10 million in new investment. CS Carolina, which produces synthetic nylon and polyester yarn, will expand by adding an extrusion mill to bring the latest technology to their facility.

 

Incentives clear the way for Best Buy operations center in San Marcos, Texas

Best Buy will be bringing as many as 50 high-tech jobs to San Marcos following approval of an economic development agreement in August. The Minnesota-based electronics retailer plans to establish an e-commerce operations center in Hays County.

 

KO Distilling to expand in Manassas, Va.

KO Distilling recently announced plans to expand its operations in Manassas, and purchase all of its corn, wheat and rye products from Virginia agricultural producers. The company, founded in 2013, will create six new jobs and triple its production capacity.

 

Startup to hire 50 after opening downtown West Palm office

Halo Technologies, a 3-D printing and 3-D scanning startup, plans to create dozens of jobs in its recently opened office in downtown West Palm Beach. The company will hire 50 new employees by 2018 and make a $300,000 capital investment.

 

Bondex expands plant in Trenton, S.C.

Bondex, a manufacturer of thermally-bonded nonwoven substrates, is expanding its manufacturing operations in Trenton, S.C. The project is expected to bring $11.5 million in new investment and lead to the creation of 17 new jobs in Edgefield County.

 

Aldi to build distribution center and establish HQ in Virginia

German grocery retailer Aldi is planning to establish a divisional headquarters and build a 500,000-square-foot distribution center in Dinwiddie County near one of Amazon's fulfillment centers. Virginia successfully competed against North Carolina for the $57 million project, which will create 145 new jobs.

 

Voestalpine Automotive Body Parts adding 150 jobs in Georgia

Germany-based Voestalpine Automotive Body Parts will spend $50 million to expand its operations in Bartow County, creating 150 jobs. The company currently operates a 100-employee plant about six miles north of Cartersville that makes metal parts for car bodies.

 

New Gulf Coast plant will make a splash

Earlier this summer, ExxonMobil announced its joint plan with Saudi chemical giant SABIC to build a new plant in America’s Gulf region. Exxon and SABIC are currently considering four sites in Texas and Louisiana for the plant. The new facility, "a world-scale steam cracker and derivative units," is expected to create about 600 permanent jobs, another 3,500 indirect jobs during operations, as well as 11,000 construction jobs during the five-year build out phase. 

 

Global Payments to add 200 jobs in Atlanta expansion

Financial technology company Global Payments plans to add more than 200 jobs as it increases its Atlanta area footprint. The payments processor will expand its research and development operations at its current main office in Sandy Springs, while shifting top executives and headquarters functions to Buckhead next year.

 

One hundred new jobs for Fort Smith, Ark.

Shared Services Center-Fort Smith, a provider of office support functions for hospitals and health care facilities, will expand its presence in Fort Smith, adding 100 new jobs.

 

Chiquita returns to Gulfport 

For the first time in almost two years, Chiquita Brands International is returning its shipping operations to the State Port of Gulfport, Miss., restoring about 40 full-time jobs at the facility. The fruit company departed in late 2014 for the Port of New Orleans after 40 years in Gulfport. 

 

Cargo Transporters opens $6 million terminal In North Carolina

Cargo Transporters will begin operations in Rocky Mount, N.C. The company will initially base 50 trucks and drivers at this facility, and plans to grow to 100 drivers in the next 12 months with an additional investment of $6.9 million.

 

Direct Pack to open in Rockingham, N.C.

Direct Pack, a California-based maker of food-product packaging, will establish an East Coast facility in Rockingham, N.C. The company plans to invest over $12.7 million and employ 94 workers. 

 

Telecommunications company expands in the Sunshine State

Granite Telecommunications will open a new office in Orlando and expand its operations in West Palm Beach. The expansion will create more than 100 jobs for the company, which provides voice, data and other communications services to businesses and government agencies throughout the U.S. and Canada.

 

Colorado company investing $18.8 million in North Carolina

Prescient, an integrated manufacturing and design technology company, has chosen the North Carolina Commerce Park near Mebane, N.C. for its East Coast center. The company will hire 205 in the deal. 

 

Retailer to establish distribution center in Georgia

Variety Wholesalers, a retail store chain, will establish its second distribution center in Coweta County, Ga. The $10.5 million project will create 320 jobs. 

 

Tyson breaks ground on Arkansas poultry plant

Tyson Foods broke ground on a $136 million, 200,000-square-foot poultry processing plant in Green Forest, Ark. in the summer quarter. The new plant is located adjacent to an older Tyson facility that has 1,250 workers. 

 

Japanese tire maker brings R&D to N.C.

Yokohama Tire is consolidating its research and development to International Business Park in Concord, N.C. The $2.7 million project will create 56 jobs. 

 

New call center to create 600 Texas jobs

Nationstar Mortgage will create about 600 jobs by opening a new call center in Longview, Texas. 

 

Bourbon barrel manufacturer to build new Kentucky facility

East Bernstadt Cooperage, a maker of bourbon barrels, will invest over $20 million to build a new plant in Laurel County, Ky. The deal will create 75 jobs. 

 

Volvo job seekers crash website

In the late summer, Volvo posted its first slate of job openings on a website for its new $500 million plant being built in Berkeley County, S.C. In two days, the site received 24,000 visits, most of whom applied for the jobs openings. The activity swamped the website until it crashed on the third day. 

 

Honda expanding South Carolina ATV plant

Honda announced it is expanding its ATV and SxS vehicle plant in Florence County, S.C. The $45 million project will create 250 new jobs. 

 

Parts supplier expanding in Kentucky

American Howa Kentucky is investing over $7 million in its plant in Bowling Green. The project will create 44 new jobs paying an average of $18 per hour.

 

Auto parts supplier locating new plant in Tennessee

Telos Global will invest $32 million in a new plant in Caryville, Tenn. The deal will create 63 new jobs. 

 

Supplier to open plant near GM plant in Tennessee

Tenneco, a manufacturer of clean air and ride performance products, is locating a new plant in Spring Hill, Tenn. The plant will serve the local GM plant. The project is expected to create 175 jobs in three years. 

 

More jobs coming to NOVA

A maker of software that helps analyze large amounts of data is expanding its headquarters in Northern Virginia. The company, Applied Predictive Technologies, is adding 368 jobs in Arlington County, Va. 

 

The South lands 12 cities on CNBC's "Top 20 Metro Areas to Start a Business in America" 

Atlanta, (17), El Paso (16), Sarasota (15), Raleigh (14), McAllen, Texas (12), Richmond (11), San Antonio (10), Dallas (8), Houston (6), Charlotte (5), Washington, D.C. (3), and Austin (1), all made CNBC's "Top 20 Metro Areas to Start a Business in America." The ranking came out in the summer quarter. 

 

Another big project in D-FW

California-based financial service giant Charles Schwab Corporation announced in the summer it will build a new $100 million regional campus in Westlake, Texas, just North of Fort Worth. The project will create 1,200 new jobs. 

 

South dominates fastest growing cities for financial services job growth

Tampa Bay (15), Raleigh (13), Miami (10), Richmond (9), Louisville (8), San Antonio (7), Charlotte (5), Austin (4), Dallas (2) and Nashville (2) all made Forbes magazine's ranking of the cities in the U.S. creating the most financial services jobs. 

 

$930 million Corpus Christi bridge project breaks ground

Officials broke ground in the summer on the $930 million Harbor Bridge replacement project in Corpus Christi, Texas. When complete, it will be the largest precast concrete cable-stayed bridge in the U.S. The new bridge will have enough clearance to accommodate larger ships into the Port of Corpus Christi. 

 

Mississippi furniture maker adding 600 jobs

Upholstered furniture manufacturer Southern Motion announced plans for a major expansion at the end of the summer. The Pontotoc, Miss.-based company that employs 1,200 there, is adding 600 employees at its newest plant in Baldwyn. The company is investing $20 million in the deal.    

 

Peco Foods on hiring spree in Arkansas

Alabama-based Peco Foods has hired more than 500 workers at its new poultry plant in Pocahontas, Ark. The $165 million plant is expected to hire 1,000 more workers over the next two years. 

 

Mississippi county adds third TVA-certified megasite

Lowndes County, Miss., is now home to a third Tennessee Valley Authority certified megasite. The Infinity Megasite is located west of the Golden Triangle Regional Airport near Columbus, Miss., and the Lowndes County and Crossroads Megasites. The 1,144-acre site features 100 megawatts of electricity, and major water capacity. The community owns the site. 

 

Niagara Bottling investing $95 million in Virginia

Niagara Bottling will invest $95 million in a new bottled beverage plant in Chesterfield County, Va. Niagara is the largest private label bottled water supplier in the U.S. The project will create 76 new jobs. 

 

Flooring manufacturer expands in Northeast Tennessee

Mullican Flooring, a solid hardwood flooring manufacturer, is expanding for the fourth time in Johnson City, Tenn. since it moved its operations there in 2000. The company is adding 200 new jobs. 

 

Rehau Construction adding jobs in Alabama

Rehau Construction, a manufacturer of polyethylene pipes, is investing $5 million to expand its plant in Cullman, Ala. The deal will create 50 jobs. 

 

Texas call center hiring 500

C3 Customer Contact is hiring hundreds at its call center in McGregor, Texas. The center has several insurance clients that call for 500 more jobs. 

 

Nashville-based Asurion hiring in Orlando

Asurion is hiring 350 for its Orlando call center. The company provides call center support for AT&T and Verizon, among other major clients. 

 

Japanese company expanding in Virginia

Toray Plastics is investing $45 million to expand its Front Royal, Va. plant. The company makes a variety of films, fibers and plastics. The project will generate 30 new jobs. 

 

Fehrer Automotive expanding in Alabama

Fehrer Automotive is investing $12 million in its plant in Gadsden and adding more than 150 jobs. The company is adding a new hot cure foaming line that will help it produce more foam products for automakers like Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen and Ford. 

 

Adidas opening first U.S. plant in metro Atlanta

Adidas, the Germany-based footwear maker, will open its first U.S. plant in Cherokee County, Ga. The $20 million factory will house 160 workers. 

 

Louisville Plate Glass opens plant 

Louisville Plate Glass, a maker of building-panel glass, opened its new plant in Louisville over the summer. The $5 million project will create 90 jobs. 

 

Textile manufacturer adding 150 jobs in Tennessee

Polartec is adding 150 jobs to the factory it moved from Massachusetts to Cleveland, Tenn. The company is best known for inventing fleece used by companies like Patagonia, North Face and LL Bean. 

 

Software firm expands in North Little Rock
Elyxor, a software engineering firm, is expanding its facility in North Little Rock, Ark. The company is adding 45 workers. 

 

Pharma manufacturer building East N.C. facility

Australia-based Mayne Pharma Group is building a new $65 million oral dose manufacturing operation in Pitt County, N.C. The project will generate 100 jobs. 

 

Logistics company hiring hundreds in Tampa Bay

BlueGrace Logistics, a company based in Riverview, Fla. that ships products for more than 10,000 companies, is adding 500 to 700 jobs and could move its headquarters to downtown Tampa. The company just received a $255 million investment from New York-based equity firm Warburg Pincus. 

 

Auto parts supplier announces in S.C. 

German auto parts supplier Brose will open a new facility in Duncan, S.C. The deal will manufacture door systems and controls for air conditioning systems. It will be the company's fourth U.S. facility. The $6 million project will create 60 jobs. 

 

Japanese auto parts maker building Kentucky facility

Japan-based Kobelco Aluminum Products & Extrusions began construction on a new facility in Bowling Green over the summer. The company, a subsidiary of Kobe Steel, will make aluminum bumper beams and frames for the automotive industry. 

 

Georgia's manufacturing jobs rise for sixth straight year

According to the Georgia Manufacturers Register, manufacturers in Georgia added 2,188 new jobs between May 2015 and May 2016. It was the sixth consecutive year Georgia added manufacturing jobs after more than a two decades of manufacturing job losses. Since May 2010, Georgia has added 23,399 jobs in manufacturing.