July 2017

FDI drives the South's economy

A report by Reuters in the summer quarter showed that out of 656,000 new manufacturing jobs created between 2010 and 2014 in the United States, two-thirds were created by foreign-owned companies. Using federal jobs data and estimates from SB&D, the South captured roughly half of those manufacturing jobs created from 2010 to 2014 and nearly 63 percent of the jobs created by foreign-owned firms. In calendar years 2015 and 2016, over $700 billion in foreign capital was invested in the U.S., with an estimated $360 billion spent in the 15-state Southern region. Of that $360 billion, nearly $30 billion was spent on acquisitions and greenfield deals by the Chinese.  

 

Louisville ranked No. 1 by Forbes in manufacturing resurgence

In the summer quarter, Forbes ranked Louisville the No. 1 city in the nation where manufacturing is thriving. Much of Louisville's manufacturing base is in the automotive sector with two Ford plants in the city and a Toyota plant nearby. The Louisville region's manufacturing jobs have increased by 30 percent since 2011. 

 

Nashville named top U.S. city for high-wage job growth

In the summer quarter, Forbes ranked Nashville as the top city in the nation for high-wage job growth since 2011. Since 2011, Nashville has created 160,300 high-wage jobs, according to Forbes, or a growth rate of 42.6 percent. Second place Kansas City saw a 28.4 percent increase in high-wage growth in fields such as research and development, law, accounting, architecture, engineering and computer system design. 

 

One Gulf Coast port is responsible for 30 percent of the nation's oil exports, and it's not Houston

Shipping oil overseas is a relatively new thing in the U.S. From the 1970s to December of 2015, it wasn't allowed. But with the U.S. pumping more oil than domestic refiners can handle, Congress lifted the oil export ban and one Gulf Coast port has a jump on the competition. The Port of Corpus Christi was the No. 1 port for U.S. crude exports last year, besting the congested Port of Houston. In fact, in the first quarter of this year, ships carrying 22 million barrels of oil left Corpus Christi docks bound for foreign countries, a total that was 30 percent of the country's total exports. 

 

Blue Origin to build rocket engine plant in Huntsville, Ala. 

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin will build its next-generation BE-4 rocket engines at a new, 400,000-square-foot facility in Huntsville, Ala. The $200 million capital investment will create 340 manufacturing jobs in Huntsville, dubbed the "Rocket City." 

 

BMW will expand its South Carolina plant once again

BMW announced another expansion of its massive manufacturing plant in Spartanburg County, S.C. The company already employs about 9,000 workers at the plant. This latest expansion calls for a $600 million investment and 1,000 more jobs. 

 

"Project Jerky" is a South African food processor

Stormberg Foods, a maker of meat protein snacks, is investing $2.5 million in its first U.S. plant in Goldsboro, N.C. The project will create 60 jobs. 

 

Grocer to establish regional HQ, distribution center in Georgia

German grocer Lidl announced in the spring it will place a $100 million regional headquarters and distribution center in Cartersville, Ga. The deal will create 250 jobs. 

 

Supplier of housewares investing in Sumter, S.C.

Sumter East Home, a supplier of housewares and other retail items, is investing $37 million to move into an existing facility in Sumter, S.C. The manufacturing facility will house 88 workers. 

 

Georgia-Pacific investing $400 million in Florida mill

Georgia-Pacific is investing $400 million in its tissue and towel mill in Palatka, Fla. A new paper machine will be installed and 80 jobs will be created.  

 

Brazilian company to launch $675 million project in Texas

Brazil-based Braskem will move forward on a $675 million petrochemical plant in La Porte, Texas. The factory will be built next to the company's existing facilities and will be the largest polypropylene line in the Americas. 

 

Samsung investing $300 million in South Carolina

Korean electronics giant Samsung has agreed with South Carolina officials to invest $300 million in the former Caterpillar plant in Newberry, S.C. The project, which will produce appliances, is expected to create about 1,000 jobs. 

 

The largest private employer in China wants to plant flag in U.S.

Foxconn, the largest private employer in China and the main source of iPhone assembly worldwide, is intent on building a footprint here in the U.S. Reports state that Terry Gou, the founder of Taiwan-based Foxconn, has set aside $10 billion or more to invest in a plant that could house as many as 50,000 workers. The company's largest plant in China employs nearly 400,000 workers in Zhengzhou, where most iPhones are made. 

 

Charles Schwab soon to break ground on 5,000-employee campus

Financial services giant Charles Schwab & Co. will get started on its new Dallas-Fort Worth regional campus this summer. The four-building, 555,000-square-foot facility is being built in Westlake, Texas. The campus will be able to house up to 5,000 employees. 

 

Mobile software firm to add 200 jobs in metro Atlanta

Mobile software firm Movius Interactive raised $15 million in the spring quarter that will enable it to add 200 workers in Johns Creek, Ga. The company designs software that allows users to switch between work and private communications on their smartphones. 

 

Mohawk to add second Middle Tennessee plant

Mohawk Industries is adding a second ceramic tile plant near its first newly-built facility in Dickson, Tenn. The deal will create 200 more jobs. 

 

Mohawk adding 150 jobs in Northeast Alabama

Georgia-based Mohawk Industries is making upgrades and adding jobs at its plant in Bridgeport, Ala. The company will add 150 jobs at its nylon fiber plant there. 

 

Auto supplier adding jobs in Cullman, Ala. 

Topre America, a manufacturer of metal components for automakers, is investing $36 million in its plant in Cullman, Ala. The project will create 65 jobs. 

 

Digital firm hiring 200 in Jacksonville, Fla.

Genpact, a company that delivers digital transformations to clients, has signed a lease for 37,000 square feet of space in Jacksonville. The deal will create 200 jobs. 

 

Huntsville named fastest growing tech city

According to ZipRecruiter and Payscale, Huntsville, Ala., ranks at the top nationally for year-over-year job growth in the technology industry. The two companies looked at over 8 million active tech jobs in the U.S. to come up with the ranking. Huntsville had a growth rate of 309 percent. Thousand Oaks, Calif., and Phoenix ranked second and third. Orlando, Nashville and Jacksonville, Fla., also ranked high in the study. 

 

Boston Consulting Group picks Atlanta for center

The Boston Consulting Group announced in the spring it will locate a new regional support center in Atlanta. The $9.2 million project will create 200 jobs in creative services, finance, legal and information technology. 

 

Centene division relocates HQ to Rocky Mount Mills

Envolve Vision, the vision benefits unit of Centene Corp., will relocate its headquarters from North Carolina’s Rocky Mount business park to Rocky Mount Mills, a mixed-use project on the Tar River. The deal will bring 120 employees to the former mill. 

 

Ford investing $900 million in Kentucky Truck Plant

In 2015, Ford Motor invested $1.3 billion and added 2,000 jobs at its Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville to build the Ford Super Duty truck. Now the company is investing another $900 million in the same plant to increase capacity in assembling Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators, many of which will be exported. The project will retain 1,000 hourly jobs. Ford operates another assembly plant in Louisville that builds small SUVs, mainly the Ford Escape. 

 

Continental to expand Seguin, Texas plant

Automotive tech supplier Continental AG is investing $113 million in its Seguin, Texas plant, which produces engine control units, sensors and blind spot detection safety systems. The expansion will create 100 new jobs. 

 

Tyson spending millions to expand Georgia distribution center

Arkansas-based Tyson Foods is investing $59 million in its distribution center in Bibb County, Ga. The company will almost double the size of the facility and add 102 jobs. 

 

Teletech to open call center in Arkansas

Teletech Holdings announced in the spring it will open a new customer service center in Morrilton, Ark. The deal will create 350 new jobs. 

 

Distribution center slated for North Mississippi

Cosmetics chain Sephora America will open a distribution center in Olive Branch, Miss. The 720,000-square-foot center will house 400 workers. 

 

PathGroup to expand Nashville area operations center

PathGroup, a pathology and lab test provider, is expanding its center in Davidson County, Tenn. The company, which will invest $18 million and add 200 jobs, operates three labs in the Nashville area. 

 

Louisiana stops jobs decline

In May, Louisiana reversed a long-standing job decline as a result of the downturn in the oil and gas industry. Louisiana added 6,300 jobs over a 12-month period that saw big gains in the construction sector. The state's unemployment rate dipped to 5.5 percent. 

 

Italian manufacturer to build West Virginia plant

TeMa North America plans to build a manufacturing plant in Kearneysville, W.Va. The new 42,000-square-foot facility will produce insulation and drainage systems for the residential, industrial and commercial real estate sectors. The new facility will house 30 workers. 

 

Ohio manufacturer sets up shop in Tennessee

Ohio-based Pennant Moldings, a manufacturer serving the automotive and appliance industries, will invest $8.6 million to build a facility in Lebanon, Tenn. The project will create 60 jobs. 

 

GM unveils new North Texas supplier park

General Motors will establish a new parts supplier park and create 850 jobs -- 600 that will be reshored from Mexico -- to support its full SUV assembly plant in Arlington, Texas. The park will feature 1.2 million square feet of space. The automaker has almost completed a $1.3 billion expansion of its assembly plant in North Texas that houses about 5,000 workers. The plant is the exclusive producer of the Tahoe, Yukon and Escalade GM models. 

 

Florida job generation surging

In May, the state of Florida created nearly 30,000 jobs, outpacing every other U.S. state. The unemployment rate dropped to 4.3 percent, the lowest mark since August 2007. 

 

Exxon Mobil relocating entire U.S. shale unit from Fort Worth to Houston

XTO Energy, the U.S. shale drilling unit of Exxon Mobil, announced in June it will relocate 1,600 workers to the Houston area from its Fort Worth headquarters. The company is relocating to Exxon Mobil's 385-acre campus near The Woodlands, Texas, and north of Houston. XTO will keep 350 people at its Fort Worth facility that will run the company's Barnett Shale operations. 

 

German company to build plant in Auburn, Ala. 

Winkelmann Group, a German company that manufactures metal parts for the aerospace, automotive and defense industries, will invest $12 million in a new plant in Auburn. The project will create 50 new jobs. 

 

Mattress manufacturer to bring tech jobs to New Orleans area

Select Comfort, makers of the Sleep Number mattress, will open a technical support center in Jefferson Parish, La. The new project will create 225 jobs.  

 

Five Southern markets make "Best Cities for College Grads" list

SmartAsset.com came out with its best cities for recent college graduates in the spring, and a pair of Ohio towns were ranked first and second. Following Cincinnati and Columbus in the South were Nashville; San Antonio; Lexington, Ky.; Austin and St. Louis. 

 

Ports in the South breaking records in part to expanded Panama Canal

With an expanded Panama Canal, large Asian cargo ships can reach ports in the South much easier and faster, resulting in increased trade in the last year. Ports in Georgia and Virginia each moved the most cargo ever in May, and the port in Charleston, S.C., had its best month ever in overall volume in July. As for ports in North Carolina, they have doubled container service the first half of 2017 compared to the same period last year. 

 

Renewable energy passes nuclear power

Renewable energy sources from the combined total of wind, solar, hydro, biomass and geothermal now provide more electricity than nuclear power, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In the second quarter of 2017, renewable sources provided 21.6 percent of U.S. net electrical generation, while nuclear provided 20.34 percent. Natural gas continues to lead power generation followed by coal, which is dropping considerably. 

 

Label printer doubles workforce in Collierville, Tenn. 

CCL-Korsini recently completed the expansion of its label printing facility in Collierville, Tenn. The $25 million project will add 150 jobs. 

 

CenturyLink adding jobs in Missouri

Louisiana-based CenturyLink will hire 100 new employees at its Jefferson City, Mo., call center. The company operates call centers in four other Missouri markets. 

 

Manufacturer expands in Monroe, N.C.

American Wick, a maker of drainage systems for buildings and highways, is expanding its facilities in Monroe, N.C. The company is investing $8.7 million to replace and add equipment at its 100,000-square-foot facility. 

 

Dynetics to invest in Alabama aerospace testing center

Huntsville-based Dynetics is moving forward on a $14 million aerospace testing center near Decatur, Ala. The company recently won a $221 million contract to design, manufacture and test the universal state adapter that will couple the Orion space capsule to its upper stage. Dynetics will invest $14.2 million in the project that will create 10 jobs. 

 

James Hardie reopening South Carolina plant

James Hardie Building Products is resuming operations at its idled plant in Dorchester County, S.C. The maker of fiber cement building products will invest $15 million in the plant and hire 100 in the deal. 

 

Chinese auto supplier to open Tennessee plant

Minth Group, a Chinese manufacturer of body, trim and decorative parts for the automotive industry, will renovate an existing building in Lewisburg, Tenn., for a new parts plant. The $13 million project will generate 200 jobs. 

 

Auto parts supplier to locate in Georgia

Carcoustics, a German auto parts supplier, will invest $6 million in a new facility in Buford, Ga. The company, which will make solution-oriented acoustic components, will create 200 jobs. 

 

Gap to add 500 jobs near Nashville

Retailer Gap is investing $42 million in its Tennessee distribution center in Sumner County, Tenn. The San Francisco company will hire 500 in the deal. 

 

Food processor adding 700 jobs in South Carolina

"Project Horseshoe" has been revealed. It is a $79 million expansion of the Ruiz Foods facility in Florence County, S.C. The deal will create 700 new jobs. 

 

Amazon Web Services to create 1,500 more jobs in Fairfax County, Va. 

Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced in June that Amazon Web Services, an Amazon.com company, will expand its presence in Fairfax County, Va., with a new East Coast corporate campus at One Dulles Tower in the Herndon area of the county. The expansion is expected to create up to 1,500 jobs. Virginia competed against Texas and Washington State for the deal. AWS is one of the world's most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platforms. 

 

Another bourbon distillery expansion in Kentucky

Bourbon's huge comeback over the last six or seven years is continuing in Kentucky unabated. Wilderness Trail Distillery will invest $9.91 million in its facility in Boyle County, Ky. The project will expand production by six, from 6,000 barrels a year to 36,000 barrels. 

 

Japanese auto parts supplier to build new Tennessee plant

Japan-based Miyake Forging will build a new $13.7 million bearings plant in Surgoinsville, Tenn. The plant, in Hawkins County in Northeast Tennessee, will house 60 workers. 

 

Stanley Black & Decker adding jobs in Jackson, Tenn. 

Stanley Black & Decker, a maker of tools and hardware, is relocating and reshoring new lines of production at its facility in Madison County, Tenn. The company will invest $29 million and add 255 jobs. 

 

Turkish textile company investing in Winston-Salem

A Turkish textile company wants to purchase the assets of defunct Microfibres Inc. and start a new company called HPFabrics in Winston-Salem, N.C. The company expects to invest over $1 million and add 260 jobs. 

 

Structures manufacturer adding jobs in North Louisiana

Sabre Industries, a manufacturer of structures for the utilities and telecommunications sector, is expanding its facility in Bossier City, La. The company will invest $1.6 million and add 50 jobs to its current workforce of 167. 

 

Another big Amazon facility in Florida

In the spring quarter, Amazon.com signed a lease for its largest facility in South Florida. The company is leasing an 885,000-square-foot fulfillment center that will cost $92 million. Terms of the lease require that Amazon hire at least 1,000 workers at the facility. 

 

Healthcare giant expanding in Louisiana

Ochsner Health System is investing $100 million in its Baton Rouge facilities. The project will create 450 jobs. 

 

Mercedes-Benz van plant begins hiring process

Mercedes-Benz Vans is completing its plant in North Charleston, S.C., and has begun the hiring process. The company expects to hire 1,000 workers within three years at the plant. 

 

Top states for small business growth; all but one are in the South

According to a study done by payroll provider Paychex, Tennessee is the nation's No. 1 state for small business job growth. Tennessee added 3.7 percent more small business jobs over the past year. The top five consisted of Florida, Georgia, Washington and Virginia. 

 

Williamson County, Tenn. remains the fastest growing job creator in the U.S.

The Nashville MSA county of Williamson is the fastest growing county in job creation in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Bureau released a report in June that showed job growth in Williamson County at 5.1 percent from December 2015 to December 2016. The second largest job growth in the U.S. during that time was York County, S.C., with 4.6 percent growth. 

 

Manufacturer breaks ground in West Virginia

Italy-based Pietro Fiorentini, a manufacturer of pressure regulators and valves for the natural gas industry, broke ground in June on a new plant in Weirton, W.Va. The deal will create 45 jobs. 

 

South Carolina captures another mammoth tire plant 

Chinese tire maker Wanli Tire is planning to invest up to $1 billion in a new plant in Orangeburg, S.C. The state is expected to provide $40 million to assist in developing the site in Orangeburg County. The project is expected to create up to 1,200 jobs. South Carolina produces more tires than any other state in the U.S. and is home to foreign-owned tire makers based in France, Japan, Germany, Singapore, Sweden and China. 

 

Demand for Ford Escape best in history

The automotive industry is preparing for a drop in overall sales this year, but depending on the model, some automakers are still at three shifts, 24/7. Demand for small SUVs like the Ford Escape has never been higher. Ford makes the Escape at is plant in Louisville. Ford will shorten its traditional two-week summer shutdown to one week in order to assemble 8,500 additional Escape models this year. 

 

U.S. doubling oil exports

It wasn't too long ago that the U.S. was barred from exporting oil. Now it has become the world's swing producer. So far in 2017, the U.S. has doubled oil exports to as much as 1 million barrels of oil a day. 

 

Amazon opening sorting center in Mobile, Ala. 

Amazon will invest $30 million in a new 362,000-square-foot sorting center in Mobile. The center is expected to house about 400 part-time workers and depending on the season, employment could rise to 1,000. 

 

German company breaks ground on North Carolina plant

Germany-based Norafin broke ground on its first North American plant in Mills River, N.C. The company makes spun-lace, non-woven materials used in heat and flame resistant barriers such as firefighters' suits. The deal will create up to 100 jobs. 

 

Chinese e-waste recycler hiring 45 at new North Carolina plant

USB Recycling, a recycler of old computers, mobile telephones and televisions, is opening a plant in Anson County, N.C., at a former shirt factory. The company recycles e-waste into usable parts. The deal will create 45 jobs. 

 

Company adding 434 jobs in Newport News, Va. 

Ferguson, a plumbing wholesaler, has announced a major expansion at its Newport News headquarters. The company is investing $82.8 million to add a new campus at City Center at Oyster Point. The project will create 434 jobs. 

 

Wacker expanding in Bradley County, Tenn. 

One year after opening its $2.5 billion polysilicon plant, Wacker is building a $150 million facility adjacent to its plant that will turn a byproduct of polysilicon production into pyrogenic silica. The German company will invest $150 million in the new plant. 

 

Chinese mattress manufacturer opens Tennessee plant

Sinomax, a China-based bedding and foam manufacturer, opened its first facility outside of China in the Nashville metro city of La Vergne in June. The 500,000-square-foot, $28 million facility will house 350 jobs.

 

Montgomery creates more jobs than any county in Alabama

Who won the job creation crown in Alabama in calendar year 2016? It was the capital county of Montgomery. The county created 1,704 jobs in 2016, followed by Madison County with 1,548 jobs. Montgomery's year, which earned it an honorable mention in this issue’s SB&D 100, was highlighted by a German auto parts maker's $37 million new plant. 

 

Canadian auto parts manufacturer setting up shop in rural Tennessee

Canada-based Tennessee Tool and Fixture, a maker of automotive mold and castings, is setting up shop in Manchester, Tenn. The $6.5 million plant will house 60 workers.

 

Mississippi’s jobless rate lowest since 1976

In May, Mississippi’s unemployment rate fell to a record low of 4.9 percent. The rate is the lowest since current unemployment surveys began in 1976. A year ago, Mississippi’s unemployment rate was at 6 percent. 

 

Amazon developing new distribution center northeast of Atlanta

Amazon.com will build a new distribution center in Jackson County, Ga., the company announced in June. The facility will be Amazon's second in Jackson County. The deal will create 1,000 jobs. 

 

Auto supplier opening plant in North Carolina

Borealis Compounds, a maker of plastic materials for use in fenders, dashboards and grills, will open a new plant in Alexander County, N.C. The company, which supplies GM, Ford, BMW, VW, Volvo and other automakers, is investing $15 million and will hire 37 in the deal. 

 

Amazon to employ more at Houston facility

Amazon.com announced in June it will increase the number of jobs it expects to create at its first Houston fulfillment center. The Seattle-based company now plans to hire 2,500 at the facility, up from 1,000. 

 

Swiss aerospace firm opening factory in North Alabama

RUAG Space will open a new Decatur, Ala., factory to support the United Launch Alliance. RUAG makes the enclosures and fairings used to cover satellites that are launched into space. The company will invest $40 million and hire 100. 

 

Northrop Grumman expands unmanned systems plant in Mississippi

Northrop Grumman is expanding production and adding new work to its Unmanned Systems facility in Moss Point, Miss. The expansion will also include sub-assembly work for the F-35 program. The $3.7 million investment will create 60 jobs in Jackson County. 

 

Big data center slated for Georgia

Las Vegas-based Switch, a global technology solutions provider, will invest $2.5 billion in a Switch PRIME data center in Douglas County, Ga. The new Atlanta area center will be the highest rated data center in the Southeast. The project will create 65 jobs. 

 

Technology company adding 415 jobs in Kansas City

DST, a global technology, advisory and operations outsourcing firm, is expanding in Kansas City, Mo. The company is adding 415 new jobs. 

 

Volkswagen adding 200 jobs at Chattanooga plant

VW is adding 200 more workers to the 1,000 who have already been hired since December. The German automaker began assembly of the Atlas SUV earlier this year. VW employs about 3,500 at the plant as of June. 

 

Japan-based Daiken Industries completes $417 million, 4,000-employee campus near Houston

Daikin Industries, one of the largest heating and air conditioning manufacturers in the world, has completed its $417 million campus on 500 acres outside Houston. The campus features a 4.2 million-square-foot building, the largest tilt-wall structure in the world and the second largest manufacturing facility in North America. The complex will serve as the company's design, engineering and assembly plant of systems for residential and commercial use. 

 

Plastipak plans $15 million expansion at Louisiana facility

Plastipak Packaging, which designs, manufactures and distributes rigid plastic packaging, will make a $15 million investment to expand its manufacturing facility in Pineville, La. They also plan to add 10 new jobs.

 

International Beams plans $20 million manufacturing center in Dothan, Ala.

International Beams, a maker of engineered wood products, plans to open a new facility in the Dothan area. The Sarasota, Fla.-based company will invest nearly $20 million in the project that will create 60 full-time jobs. 

 

Shelltech eyes plant in Pulaski County, Ky.

ShellTech LLC, a newly formed subsidiary of Shell Shock Technologies of Westport, Conn., plans to locate an ammunition shell casing factory in Pulaski County, Ky. The company will make a $3.2 million investment and create 50 full-time jobs.

 

Knapheide Truck Equipment plans North Charleston facility

Knapheide Truck Equipment Company Charleston Inc. will invest $1.3 million to open a 75,000-square-foot manufacturing, operations and installation facility in North Charleston, S.C. Designed to upfit the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and Metris vans, the company will be installing van interiors and more. The projected is expected to create 63 new jobs.

 

Auto supplier adding jobs in North Carolina

FCC North Carolina announced plans to create 28 jobs and invest nearly $1 million as part of an expansion in Scotland County. FCC, a division of a Japan-based automotive parts manufacturer, has two plants in Scotland County. One manufactures clutch and transmission parts, the other manufactures friction material. Primary customers include Honda, Ford and Fiat Chrysler.

 

Smyrna, Tenn., auto supplier announces $25 million expansion

The North American arm of France-based automotive supplier Valeo announced a $25 million expansion of its Smyrna facility, adding 80 new jobs. Valeo focuses on smart-driving technology and products that help reduce CO2 emissions. 

 

Thermo Fisher to invest $9.5 million; 57 new jobs

A medical device maker based in Massachusetts plans to expand its operations in Virginia and create 57 new jobs. Thermo Fisher Scientific will spend $9.5 million expanding its clinical diagnostic operation in Frederick County.

 

T-Mobile creating 400 new jobs in North Charleston facility

T-Mobile is investing about $17 million in a call center in South Carolina, creating 400 new jobs. T-Mobile plans to move its existing customer center in Charleston to a new and larger facility in North Charleston.

 

One Call Care Management expands Missouri op center

One Call Care Management, a Florida-based provider of worker’s compensation services, will expand its operations in Springfield, Mo. The company expects to create 100 new jobs by the end of the year. They were attracted to Springfield’s central location and established healthcare industry, and made the decision to move after finding a move-in ready facility, as well as the right talent, officials said.

 

KC insurance broker picks new HQ site, plans 1,000 new hires

Spring Venture Group, a distributor of Medicare supplement insurance, will move its headquarters in Kansas City, Mo. The company is expected to add 450 jobs during the next three and a half years and 1,000 during the next six years as the baby boom generation moves into its wheelhouse. Capital investment associated with the move is estimated at $8 million to $12 million.

 

Ipsecure to double space at Port San Antonio, hire 50 techies

San Antonio IT firm IPSecure is more than doubling square footage at Port San Antonio and expanding its staff of 120 by up to 50 employees. The defense contractor estimates the expansion will cost around $1.2 million.

 

Enterprise Products Partners expands Orla, Texas natural gas plant

Enterprise Products Partners is expanding with the addition of Orla II, a second processing train at its cryogenic natural gas processing facility under construction near Orla, Reeves County, Texas.

 

Three Notch’d Brewing expanding in Charlottesville, Va.

Charlottesville-based Three Notch’d Brewing is investing $2.9 million to expand its Charlottesville brewery. The project is expected to create eight jobs. The brewery, which opened in 2013, will purchase 69 percent of its agricultural ingredients from Virginia farmers.

 

Adkev to purchase Caterpillar plant, bring 70 jobs to Danville, Ky.

A plastic injection molding company from Indiana plans to invest $15.7 million and create 70 jobs in Danville. Adkev will purchase the Caterpillar plant in the Boyle County Industrial Park by the end of the year, complete a refurbishment and open by mid-2019. The new hires will offset the jobs lost with the closing of the Caterpillar plant.

 

Fitzgerald Collision & Repair’s $9 million expansion to create 220 jobs

An expansion at Fitzgerald Collision & Repair is expected to create 220 new jobs in the Upper Cumberland region of Tennessee. The company will invest $9 million to expand its existing facility in Rickman and establish new operations in Sparta. According to a press release, Fitzgerald Collision & Repair recently announced a new vocational program and partnership with the Tennessee College of Applied Technology at Livingston, which offers students training in commercial fleet truck maintenance and repair. With the Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect, Tennessee is the first state in the nation to offer all citizens -- both high school graduates and adults -- the chance to earn a postsecondary degree or certificate free of tuition and fees.

 

New drone factory bringing jobs to north Mississippi

Delta Southern UAS, a company that specializes in drone technology, is bringing a factory to Clarksdale, Miss., transforming the old Graber Gas building into a drone factory. Hiring plans include 25 to 50 new jobs.

 

Coca-Cola bottling company to add 100 jobs in Arkansas

A Mississippi-based Coca-Cola bottling company is set to bring 100 additional jobs as part of plans to expand operations to Arkansas. Corinth Coca-Cola Bottling Works said it would expand its operations subject to the parties reaching definitive agreements.

 

German auto supplier Ifa expanding Charleston ops with $69 million facility

A longtime Charleston area automotive supplier, IFA (a German-based company that produces parts for automakers including BMW and Volvo) is building a $69 million facility in Berkeley County and will add about 120 new jobs to its existing workforce. The company makes driveshafts for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. 

 

Clinton, S.C., chosen for GE test facility 

A new research and development facility for wind energy generation will be located in Clinton. GE Renewable Energy said the $29 million spec facility will test prototype bearings and evaluate next-generation bearing technology.

 

Protomet to invest $30 million in Loudon County, Tenn.

An Oak Ridge, Tenn.-based engineering and manufacturing supplier for the automotive, marine and energy industries will spend nearly $30 million to renovate the former Maremont factory in Loudon County and add 200 jobs over the next five years.

 

Eldor’s 350-job auto parts plant progressing in Botetourt County, Va.

Eldor Corp.’s high-tech automotive parts factory in Botetourt County is on track for test runs in January 2018 and occupancy by late April. About 350 people are slated to be working at the plant within five years, with another 300 to be added after that, marking the largest expansion of new manufacturing jobs in the Roanoke Valley in at least a decade.

 

Czech manufacturer coming to Peachtree City, Ga.

A leading producer of technical compounds and polyester staple fibers based in the Czech Republic will invest $20 million in a new facility in Peachtree City, creating more than 20 jobs. SILON’s polyester fibers and polyolefin compounds are used in the automotive, construction and medical sectors, among others.

 

Bluegrass Supply Chain Services investing $3.35 million in Kentucky, creating 51 jobs

Bluegrass Supply Chain Services, a logistics provider for the automotive and food and beverage industries, will invest more than $3.35 million and create 51 jobs at two locations -- a new operation in Edmonson County and upgrades at its Bullitt County facility. The new jobs will bring its total Kentucky employment to about 590.

 

Data company bringing 6,300 jobs to Plano, Texas

NTT DATA Services is officially moving into its new North American headquarters in Plano. NTT DATA Services is a division of Japan-based NTT DATA Corporation. A Texas Enterprise Fund grant offer of $7,500,000 has been extended to NTT DATA for the creation of 6,377 new jobs and a capital investment of more than $28 million, according to Governor Greg Abbott’s Office.

 

Forty-million-dollar Project Hollywood revealed in Charlotte

Staples, the Massachusetts-based office supplies retailer, has been confirmed as the future tenant of a 600,000-square-foot distribution facility in Charlotte. The estimated $40 million project will be their fourth distribution center in the Charlotte region. 

 

Mobile device company bringing 225 jobs to La Vergne, Tenn.

HYLA Mobile will open a new facility in La Vergne, bringing 225 jobs to Rutherford County. HYLA works with Fortune 100 companies and retailers to collect and refurbish previously owned mobile devices. The company will invest more than $1 million as part of opening the 10,000-square-foot facility.

 

McGregor call center to hire 1,200

A call center in McGregor, Texas will hire about 1,200 customer service agents in the coming months to field inquiries from medical providers. More than 500 people now work at the C3 call center, which is headquartered in Plantation, Fla., and new staffers will join the company over the next four to six months. The McGregor facility was opened in August 2011, and now is one of the largest employers in the area.

 

Unanet to create 60 new jobs in Loudoun County, Va.

Unanet, a provider of cloud and on-premise enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, will invest $1.67 million to expand its operation in Loudoun County and create 60 new jobs.

 

Maxim Crane Works growing in Kentucky

Maxim Crane Works, the largest provider of crane rental and lifting services in the U.S., will build a $4.71 million office in Wilder, Ky., creating 100 full-time jobs. Maxim has operated its regional headquarters in Wilder since 1937. It is also where the company bases about 400 cranes for quick deployment to customers across the Eastern U.S.

 

Dominion Energy to invest $1.8 billion in Virginia

Dominion Energy is planning to invest more than a billion dollars in the construction of a pumped hydroelectric storage station (best described as a big battery) for the coalfield region of southwest Virginia. The company is currently looking at a number of sites in the coalfield counties for the project, which would create hundreds of jobs during the multi-year construction phase, and approximately 50 permanent positions. 

 

Northrop Grumman, Craig Technologies to hire 200 in Central Florida 

Global defense firm Northrop Grumman Corp. and Cape Canaveral-based Craig Technologies Inc. have both landed big contracts with work in Florida’s Space Coast. Falls Church, Va.-based Northrop Grumman won two contracts totaling $19 million in June and will be hiring 131 workers in Melbourne, 26 in Orlando, and two in Apopka. Meanwhile, Craig Technologies was named a subcontractor on a project that involves NASA's Space Launch System. They are hiring more than 25.

 

Vacation rental company finds a bigger home in Austin

HomeAway.com Inc., the Austin-based vacation rental company, is adding hundreds of employees in its hometown and plans to move its global headquarters to a 16-story tower in North Austin within the next two years. HomeAway said the new building will have room for more than 2,000 employees. 

 

Aluminum company investing $26 million in Florida

ATIO USA, an aluminum recycling and manufacturing company, will open a new facility in Clewiston, Fla. The project will create 39 new jobs and a $26 million investment. ATIO USA will use scrap and waste aluminum and primary raw material to manufacture an alloy known as Green Billets for the global automobile industry and OEM suppliers.

 

Cardworks Servicing opens hub in Lake Mary, Fla.

CardWorks Servicing, a provider of operational support to credit card issuers and installment lenders, will invest $4.2 million to open an operations hub in Lake Mary near Orlando. The firm, which is headquartered in Woodbury, N.Y., expects to create approximately 240 jobs.

 

Logistyx Technologies chooses Tulsa for global HQ

Logistyx Technologies, a new logistics software company, will establish its global headquarters in Tulsa, Okla. Advanced Distribution Solutions, Agile Network and Pantechnik International merged to create Logistyx Technologies, which plans to bring an additional 30 to 50 high-paying jobs to Tulsa over the next 18 months.

 

Nationstar bringing offshore call center to Longview and Dallas

Nationstar’s move will mean some 500 jobs will be opened, mostly at its new hub in Longview, Texas. A spokesperson also said that some jobs will be created at call centers in Dallas, Lewisville, and Chandler, Ariz.

 

Sixty-one jobs coming to Robeson County, N.C.

Ventura Coach and Absolute Bus will create 61 jobs through an expansion of Ventura’s Lumberton facilities. The manufacturer of commercial buses plans to invest $2 million in the project.

 

Turkish textile company bringing jobs to North Carolina

HPFabrics, based in Istanbul, plans to spend $4 million to reopen an old textile plant in Winston-Salem, creating as many as 260 jobs over three years. 

 

Israeli plastics company opens plant in Gaston County, N.C.

Israeli-based Tosaf Group now has its first U.S. plastics compounds plant in Bessemer City, where employment is expected to grow to 75. 

 

German Logistics company expanding Atlanta HQ, 150 jobs

KNAPP will expand its North American headquarters in Kennesaw, Ga. The Germany-based warehouse logistics and automation company has purchased a new building adjacent to its current location and once renovated, will grow its workforce by 150.

 

Cybersecurity firm to move 500 employees in Texas 

NetScout Systems plans to relocate its regional research and development office and 500 employees from Plano to Allen, Texas. The cybersecurity and business intelligence provider has leased a three-story building  there.

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