June 2019

Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama celebrates grand opening of new cylinder head machining plant in Montgomery

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey and other elected officials joined Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA), in a celebration of the grand opening of HMMA’s cylinder head machining plant. The new plant is the third facility at HMMA to support production of more than 650,000 engines per year.  The plant represents a $388 million total investment to manufacturing engine cylinder heads and also to enhance existing operations to support the production of new Sonata and Elantra sedan models. This investment also created 50 new jobs.

 

Lotte Chemical opens for business in Lake Charles, La. metro

South Korean officials attended the grand opening of the $3.1 billion Lotte Chemical manufacturing complex, which is made up of an ethane cracker and an ethylene glycol manufacturing plant, in Westlake, La. The complex, which broke ground in 2016, is a joint partnership with Lotte and Westlake Chemical. It will bring in 250 direct jobs to the Lake Charles area.

 

Austin is a magnet for U.S. based migrants

Austin is the fastest growing metro in the U.S. based on percentage of population gain. So, where are these people coming from at a clip of about 150 a day? California is by far the largest state source of migration to Austin, sending thousands of tech savvy talented people to the Lone Star State. But Florida is not far behind. Other states contributing to Austin's incredible increase in workforce are New York and Colorado.

 

Motor and fan manufacturer announces plant in Washington County, Tenn.

An electric motor and fan manufacturer will invest $37 million and create 200 new jobs in the Northeast Tennessee region. Connecticut-based Ebm-papst’s new facility in Washington County, Tenn. — its second in the U.S. — will produce fans for refrigeration, air conditioning and ventilation systems. The project represents the largest capital investment in the Washington County since 2011.

 

Tech company expands in the Delta region of Mississippi

Social enterprise technology company PeopleShores is adding 175 new jobs at its facility in Clarksdale. The company, which located to Clarksdale in January, initially created 25 jobs in Mississippi's Delta Region. “PeopleShores’ mission to provide gainful employment to individuals in the Mississippi Delta will have a significant impact on those who fill the jobs and their families, while also fostering more vibrant communities throughout the region for generations to come. I commend PeopleShores for its initiative to transform rural communities through job creation,” Gov. Phil Bryant said.

 

Dajcor Aluminum to create 265 full-time jobs in Eastern Kentucky

Gov. Matt Bevin announced in the spring quarter that Dajcor Aluminum, a Canadian manufacturer of aluminum products, plans to create up to 265 full-time jobs as it invests nearly $19.6 million to locate its first U.S. operation near Hazard, Ky.

 

Amazon breaks ground on $1.4 billion air freight hub in Northern Kentucky

Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos was in attendance in Kentucky to break ground on a new $1.4 billion Prime Air hub at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG). The new 3-million-square-foot hub will allow Amazon to get packages to customers faster. The new cargo hub is expected to open in 2021 and will house 2,000 workers.

 

Tennessee whiskey exports fall 30 percent in tariff battle

Tennessee whiskey exports fell more than 30 percent in the fourth quarter as the sector faces headwinds from tariffs. Tennessee exports declined overall by 5 percent in the last quarter of 2018 as Tennessee-built automotive exports fell. Tennessee whiskey exports fell from $197 million in 2017 to $135 million in 2018 according to Middle Tennessee State University.

 

Japan-Based DaikyoNishikawa plans Huntsville, Ala., assembly plant

Japan-based DaikyoNishikawa U.S. plans to invest $110 million to open an auto parts manufacturing facility in Huntsville, Ala. The project will serve the Mazda Toyota Manufacturing U.S.A. assembly plant now under construction. The project will create 380 jobs to produce plastic automotive parts.

 

Mississippi’s GDP hit 10-year high in 2018

Real GDP growth in 2018 in Mississippi was at a little more than 1 percent in 2018, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The figure represents the highest GDP growth in the Magnolia State in over 10 years.

 

Mercedes may move sedan production back to Germany to focus on more SUVs at Alabama plant

For over 20 years, Germany-based Mercedes-Benz has made SUVs exclusively at its sprawling assembly plant in Vance, Ala. In 2014, the automaker experimented with adding the C-Class sedan model to its Alabama plant, even closing a plant in Germany to do so. Now Mercedes is considering shifting sedan production back to Germany or to another plant so it can focus on producing more SUVs and light trucks, which have become ever-more popular in the U.S. than sedans. In fact, 60 percent of Mercedes' U.S. sales -- built in the U.S. or abroad -- are SUVs and crossovers. Sources have maintained that Mercedes will move C-Class sedan production back to Germany by fall 2020. The 6-million-square-foot plant in Vance, Ala., is working at 93 percent capacity and Mercedes expects that to improve once all vehicles made at the facility are SUVs and crossovers. In addition to Alabama, the C-Class model is made in Germany, South Africa and China.

 

Louisville is the fastest growing market for hotel rooms in the nation

A recent report from CBRE Research showed in the spring quarter that Louisville, Ky., had the biggest year-over-year increase in demand for hotel rooms in the first quarter of 2019 at 11.4 percent. The national growth in demand for hotel rooms is 2.4 percent. Nashville placed second with a 10.2 percent increase in demand.

 

Merck plans to invest $1 billion in its manufacturing operations in Rockingham County, Va.

New Jersey-based Merck announced in the spring it will expand is vaccines plant in Rockingham County, Va., to the tune of $1 billion. The company will add 120,000 square feet to its existing 1.1 million-square-foot operation in Elkton, Va., to increase production of its Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines. As part of the expansion, Blue Ridge Community College (BRCC) and James Madison University (JMU) will collaborate to address Merck’s short- and long-term workforce needs through the development of a custom workforce solution. BRCC and JMU will establish a pipeline of biotechnology engineering and computer science talent that will allow the Shenandoah Valley to accommodate the future growth of Merck and other life science industries and manufacturers in the region. The Merck project will create 100 jobs.

 

U.S. birthrate falls again in 2018

For four straight years now, the birthrate in the U.S. has dropped to 3.78 million births. The drop represents a 2 percent decrease from 2017. The numbers represent a record low in the U.S. fertility rate. Birthrates fell for nearly all racial and age groups, with only slight gains for women in their late 30s and early 40s, the CDC says. This comes at a time when millions of baby boomers are aging out of the workforce and many cannot be replaced.

 

Credit card firm to hire 80 in Virginia

Petal, a credit card company, will establish a new service and operations center in Chesterfield County, Va. The deal will create 80 jobs.

 

Aerospace parts and coatings manufacturer opens Florida plant

Sintavia, a manufacturer of metal additives for the aerospace and defense industry, officially opened its new plant and headquarters in Hollywood, Fla., in the spring quarter. The company has installed over $25 million in equipment at the plant including 3D printers and several furnaces. The new facility is capable of producing thousands of aerospace parts and coatings. The project will create 130 jobs.

 

Cree investing up to $1 billion in North Carolina

Cree will increase its capacity at its silicon carbine fabrication facility in Durham, N.C. When the new addition to its facility is up and running in 2024, Cree will substantially increase its silicon carbide materials and wafer capacity used in the automotive, communications and industrial markets.

 

Call center to hire over 1,000 in Texas

More than 1,100 new positions will soon be added to the El Paso job market. Teleperformance USA, a customer experience management company, is opening a new operations center in El Paso. El Paso is experiencing near record unemployment.

 

E-cigarette maker JUUL to create 500 new jobs at Lexington County, S.C., plant

E-cigarette maker JUUL is establishing a new plant in Lexington that the company says will create 500 new jobs.

 

Engineering firm expanding in Tupelo, Miss. 

Hyperion Technology Group, an engineering firm, is investing and relocating its operations to another facility in Tupelo, Miss. The deal will create 25 jobs.

 

Manchester Tank and Equipment creating jobs in Kentucky

Manchester Tank and Equipment plans to move into an existing facility in Campbellsville, Ky., to establish a $10-million-plus propane tank manufacturing facility. The project is expected to create 175 full-time jobs.

 

Birmingham-based Milo's Tea to expand into Oklahoma

Milo’s Tea Company has begun work on a new production and distribution center in Tulsa County, Okla. The company will invest $60 million in the construction of a 108,000-square-foot facility and equipment. Milo's will hire 110 full-time jobs in the project. 

 

Pella to open North Carolina plant

Iowa-based Pella Windows and Doors will open a new plant in Rockingham County, N.C. The vinyl window maker plans to launch its first manufacturing plant in North Carolina after receiving an incentive package from the state. The $20 million project is expected to house 124 workers.

 

At full employment and fertility rates at historic lows, the U.S. needs more legal immigrants; the opposite is happening

In President's Trump's State of the Union address in February, he said, “Legal immigrants enrich our nation and strengthen our society in countless ways. I want people to come into our country in the largest numbers ever, but they have to come in legally.” It's a good strategy -- one of the only ways the U.S. can replace its baby boomer workforce that is aging out of the workforce by millions each year. At the same time, the U.S. fertility rate is at all-time lows, meaning it is impossible internally to replace those baby boomer workers. While Trump's statement is the answer to a workforce that is not growing, the numbers show a different scenario. The U.S. Census Bureau recently released figures on legal immigration into the U.S. from July 1, 2017 to July 1, 2018. Overall, the U.S. added 978,826 legal immigrants during that year. From July 1, 2016 to July 1, 2017, the total net international migration totaled 1,111,283. So, the U.S. lost over 132,000 net legal immigrants from 2017 to 2018.

 

South Carolina captures Carolina Panthers' new training facility

South Carolina has approved $160 million in incentives to capture the Carolina Panthers new training facility in York County, S.C., across the state line from Charlotte. The Panthers have promised hundreds of jobs including players and coaches, and an annual payroll estimated at $190 million.

 

Merchant Iron Works expanding in Sumter, S.C.

Merchant Iron Works, a leader in steel and metal fabrication, is expanding its facilities in Sumter, S.C. The $2.5 million project will create 27 new jobs.

 

Hershey plans big expansion of its rural Virginia facility

The Hershey Company, the famous chocolate producer and snacks company, will invest $104 million to expand its major manufacturing operation in Augusta County, Va. The expansion will add space and product in that the company will introduce penuche and peanut cream. The deal will create 65 new jobs.

 

Loba-Wakol adding jobs in North Carolina

Loba-Wakol, a Germany-based supplier to the flooring industry, will expand its operations in North Carolina, establishing a new distribution and warehouse facility in Anson County and creating 24 jobs. The company plans to invest $6.6 million in Wadesboro.

 

South lands five states in top 10 for defense spending per capita

In the spring quarter, the Department of Defense released a report that was analyzed by the Pew Charitable Trust that showed which states receive the most defense dollars per capita. In the South, Virginia was No. 1 followed by Hawaii, Alabama, Alaska, Maryland, Connecticut, Mississippi, Maine, D.C., and Kentucky.

 

Canadian auto supplier sets up shop in Tennessee

Hematite will invest $11.5 million to locate a production facility in Fayetteville, Tenn. The company manufactures precision parts from recycled materials that primarily deal with acoustics in vehicles. The project will create 70 jobs.

 

Book distributor adds jobs in Northeast Georgia

Baker & Taylor, a provider of books and services to public libraries nationwide, will expand operations in Jackson County, Ga. The deal will create 115 jobs.

 

Auto supplier lands in Augusta, Ga.

Spain-based Acoustics and Insulation Techniques, a manufacturer of audio insulation for the automotive and construction industries, will create 45 jobs and invest $12 million in its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Augusta, Ga. The company supplies its products to BMW, Mercedes and Volvo, among other automakers.

 

Company relocating HQ to Fort Lauderdale

Techtronic Industries, a manufacturer of industrial, and consumer products, is moving its U.S. headquarters to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The project will create 75 jobs.

 

Volvo expects to hire 2,500 more workers in South Carolina within a few years

Volvo Cars expects to hire 2,500 more employees to build the next generation XC90 SUV in 2022. Hiring will begin in 2020. The plant, which assembles the S60 sedan, is only making about 50,000 vehicles in its first year. That figure has dropped dramatically considering about half of the S60s made in the first and second years were to be exported to China. The trade tariffs have snuffed that plan out for now. By 2022, the plant is expected to house about 4,000 workers and an annual unit output of about 150,000 vehicles.

 

Two companies pick Ozark, Ala.

Anvil Industrial Group and Motobilt Inc. will establish plants in Ozark, Ala. Together, the two facilities will create 75 new jobs.

 

New plant to be built in Missouri

Empire Comfort Systems will break ground on a new 130,000-square-foot facility in Poplar Bluff, Mo. The project will create 100 new jobs.

 

German auto parts supplier relocating plant from California to Texas

Germany-based Wagner Tuning will locate a parts plant in Kilgore, Texas, from California. The company is investing over $6 million in the facility that will house 30 workers.

 

Manufacturer to expand in Northeast Arkansas

Prysmian Group will invest $2.8 million to expand its production and manufacturing facility in Paragould, Ark. The company manufactures products from copper, aluminum and fiber optic wire and cable products. 

 

Southern cities outrank all in website ranking

Personal finance website GOBankingRates analyzed 347 American cities with populations of 500,000 or under, looking for places experiencing a combination of economic prosperity, population growth and rising incomes. To rank the top “boomtowns,” or cities that meet these criteria, the site looked at five-year data on population, housing, GDP and per capita income from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2017 American Community and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The top nine cities in the ranking were all located in the South, beginning with Richmond (9); Port St. Lucie (8); Durham (7); Charlottesville (6). The top five included Miami; Raleigh; Fayetteville, Ark.; Sebastian, Fla.; and the No. 1 market was Naples, Fla.

 

Chewy.com bringing 300 jobs to Louisville

Florida-based Chewy.com, an online pet supplies retailer, is expanding in Louisville. The Chewy.com Pharmacy Customer Service Center represents a $7.2 million investment in Louisville. It will create 300 jobs for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, with a wage of $35 an hour.

 

Carmichael Farms adding 50 Jobs in Scotland County, N.C.

Carmichael Farms plans to invest $26.5 million and create 50 jobs in Scotland County by expanding its farming operations to include manufacturing and packing of agriculture products. The company is the first to locate in the Scotland County's incubator park.

 

Ernst & Young plans New Orleans center

Ernst & Young plans to open an executive support center within its expanded and remodeled downtown operations complex in New Orleans, La. The new center will create 200 jobs.

 

NRG Energy to bring an inactive natural gas power plant in Corpus Christi back online

The 385-megawatt Gregory natural gas plant in Corpus Christi, Texas, will be restarted by Houston-based NRG Energy. The plant will be able to meet the needs of about 77,000 homes on the hottest day of the year. The plant ceased operations in late 2016 because its cogeneration partner, Sherwin Alumina, filed for bankruptcy.

 

Emory University plans a $1 billion “health innovation district” in Atlanta metro

Emory is rezoning land in the city of Brookhaven to develop a health innovation district that will include office space, medical services, a new hospital, commercial space, a hotel and multifamily units. The cost of the project is $1 billion.

 

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems is increasing its manufacturing capacity in Shannon, Miss.

General Atomics is expanding its defense products plant in Lee County, Miss. The project is a $50 million corporate investment and will create 75 jobs over five years.

 

Exxon to move forward with $2 billion project in Baytown, Texas

Irving, Texas-based Exxon Mobil Corp. will expand its Baytown chemical plant, creating about 2,000 jobs during construction. The expansion is expected to start up in 2022, and once online will create at least 25 permanent positions.

 

DOE approves another LNG plant near Lake Charles, La.

Houston-based energy company Tellurian in the spring quarter reported that the U.S. Department of Energy granted its $30 billion liquefied natural gas project a long-term export license. The company two weeks ago crossed a major regulatory threshold, winning approval for Driftwood LNG, as the project is known, from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Driftwood will include a gas liquefaction and export facility on the west bank of the Calcasieu River, south of Lake Charles.

 

Georgia-Pacific to expand Alabama mill

Georgia-Pacific’s Naheola, Ala., mill has been selected as the location for a new tissue machine and roll storage building to support the company’s consumer bath tissue business. The investment will total more than $120 million.

 

Electric cooperative consulting firm sets up HQ in Kansas City, Mo.

Conexon, a professional consulting company that works exclusively with electric cooperatives to bring fiber to rural communities, has set up its headquarters in Kansas City, Mo. The company currently has 53 employees and will add 22 with its new headquarters.

 

Retailer to open Louisiana distribution center

Houston-based specialty retailer of furniture, mattresses, home appliances and consumer electronics will open a 250,000-square-foot distribution center in West Baton Rouge Parish. Conn’s HomePlus will invest nearly $6 million in the deal that will create 70 new jobs.

 

Auto supplier to expand Alabama facility

In the spring, Sejin America announced plans to spend $15 million on new machines and add 36 jobs to the payroll at its Dadeville facility. The company makes small automobile components for manufacturers such as Hyundai, Kia and Mercedes.

 

Canadian spring water company to open Virginia facility

Flow Hydration, an Ontario-based company that sells alkaline spring water, is set to open a facility in Augusta County, Va. The company will invest $15.5 million in the county by opening its first U.S. manufacturing operation and bring 51 new jobs to the area.

 

Nephron Pharmaceuticals hires 650 local teachers in Lexington County, S.C.

Nephron Pharmaceuticals is introducing the formation of its educator program. Local teachers and administrators are paid $21 an hour for much needed auxiliary support of company operations. The mission is to provide secondary income to these individuals teaching future leaders while helping Nephron fill and complete orders. Over 650 teachers are currently registered to assist the 1,000-plus Nephron employees in Lexington County.

 

Trucking company to invest $88 million and create 225 Nashville jobs

Trucking company Western Express will invest $88 million to expand its Nashville headquarters. The expansion will create 225 headquarter jobs during the next five years. In addition, the company plans to hire more than 350 drivers each year during that same period.

 

Southern Coffee Services adding 55 jobs in Mississippi

Mississippi-based coffee roaster Southern Coffee Services is expanding its operations in Lexington. The project is a $2 million corporate investment and will create 55 jobs.

 

Ford establishing new call center in Houston

Michigan-based automaker Ford is opening a new call center in Houston, and it’s looking to fill more than 500 positions. The center will mainly focus on helping people who own Ford trucks.

 

GM to hire 400 workers to build C8 Corvette in Kentucky

General Motors says it will add more than 400 hourly jobs to fill a second shift at its Bowling Green Assembly plant in Kentucky to build the long-awaited mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette C8, which will launch as a 2020 model. The hiring plans mean total employment at the plant will rise to more than 1,300. Since 2011, GM said it has invested more than $900 million in the plant, which has built the Corvette since it opened in 1981.

 

Aerojet Rocketdyne breaks ground on solid rocket facility in Arkansas

Aerojet Rocketdyne officials joined Arkansas state and local leaders to break ground on the latest facility in a continuing expansion of the company’s Camden, Ark., solid rocket motor center of excellence. The 17,000-square-foot Engineering, Manufacturing and Development (EMD) facility, set to open in spring 2020, will expand the decades-long capability of solid rocket motor production in Camden.

 

Dragon Woodland reopens Arkansas sawmill

Dragon Woodland Sawmill held a grand opening in May at its 120-acre sawmill in Helena-West Helena, Ark., purchased in April 2018. At peak production, the former mill employed more than 1,500 workers during World War II to build crates to ship munitions overseas. Dragon Woodland Sawmill Corporation has expanded the facility and updated equipment, creating approximately 75 new jobs in the Arkansas Delta.

 

IT company hiring in Oklahoma 

Information technology company Rural Sourcing is hiring 90 technology workers for its new office space in the Bricktown part of Oklahoma City.

 

The start of HQ2; Amazon to hire 400 people in Arlington, Va., by the end of year

Amazon announced that it was ahead of schedule in the hiring process for its second headquarters in Arlington, Va. In a blog post, the company announced that it will have 400 Arlington-based employees hired by the end of 2019, and 25,000 over the next decade.

 

Firearms manufacturer CZ-USA chooses Little Rock for headquarters and manufacturing plant

CZ-USA, the U.S.-based affiliate of a Czech firearms manufacturer, announced in the spring its plans to locate its North American Headquarters and build a new manufacturing facility on approximately 73 acres at the Port of Little Rock. The company will invest up to $90 million and create some 565 jobs. CZ products are considered some of the highest-quality firearms in defense, competition and sport shooting around the world.

 

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

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

 

Alabama breaks annual investment record with $8.7 billion in investments for 2018

It was a banner year for Alabama in 2018 with new records in capital investments and job creation numbers. The Alabama Department of Commerce’s 2018 New & Expanding Industry Report outlines $8.7 billion in 357 economic development projects by companies locating new facilities or expanding existing operations in Alabama. Those investments will result in about 17,000 new jobs across the state. Almost half of those jobs came from companies in 16 different countries, investing $4.2 billion in Alabama.

 

Invesco’s new Atlanta HQ means 500 jobs

Atlanta-based investment giant Invesco will expand its global headquarters in a new Midtown office tower and add 500 jobs over the next few years. The company will invest $70 million in the move.

 

Amazon confirms North Carolina fulfillment Center and 1,000 jobs

Amazon will begin operating a 1 million-square-foot fulfillment center in Kernersville, N.C., in 2020 with about 1,000 employees. Landscaping and construction has been going on since last August at an industrial site in Guilford County, although Amazon has not commented publicly on the facility until recently.

 

Four hundred new jobs for Charlotte, N.C., region

Greenheck Fan Corp. has announced an expansion project that will bring 403 new jobs and $59 million in capital investment to Cleveland County. The Wisconsin-based company, which currently has three facilities in Cleveland County, is a manufacturer of ventilation equipment for commercial and industrial uses.

 

Clinical research company moving part of its HQ to Durham, N.C.

Parexel, a clinical research organization, is moving part of its headquarters operation to Durham. The company, currently headquartered in Boston, is creating a “dual headquarters” at its current Durham office and will relocate some of its Massachusetts-based business and employees to Durham. An incentive package worth $4.2 million also requires the addition of 264 jobs over the next four years.

 

Facebook makes investment in Texas solar project

On a huge piece of land in West Texas, a massive new solar farm – one of the largest in the U.S. – is now under construction. The Prospero Solar project in Andrews County, Texas, boasts a total financing package of approximately $416 million. For Facebook, which is investing hundreds of millions in the project, it’s the next step toward a goal of powering its global operations with 100 percent renewable electricity by the end of next year.

 

Fresenius Medical Care builds distribution complex in Knoxville, Tenn.

Fresenius Medical Care, the world's largest provider of dialysis products and services, broke ground on its distribution center in Knoxville. The facility will support more than 120 new jobs and allow for future growth of the company's nearby manufacturing plant that opened in 2016.

 

Pfizer Chooses Chesterfield, Mo., for R&D complex

Pfizer will open a $236 million, 295,000-square-foot research and development facility in Chesterfield. The facility brings together around 450 existing Pfizer colleagues and provides more than 80 new positions.

 

Centric Brands selects Greensboro, N.C., for 213 jobs

New York City-based apparel firm, Centric Brands, will bring 213 jobs to downtown Greensboro. The company has signed a lease for 50,000 square feet in the Gateway Building.

 

Home furnishings company creating 161 jobs in Johnston County, N.C.

Broad River Retail, an Ashley HomeStore licensee headquartered in Fort Mill, S.C., will invest $2 million to locate a distribution center in Four Oaks, N.C. The project is expected to create 161 jobs in Johnston County.

 

“On-demand manufacturing company” expanding West Coast operations to Georgia

A California-based manufacturer of prototypes and end-production parts expects to bring 250 jobs to Cobb County next month, with the opening of its new 57,000-square-foot facility. Plethora announced it will open its $17 million production facility — the first in Georgia -- in Marietta.

 

Seminole Hard Rock needs 1,200 new workers for expansion

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla., is seeking more than 1,200 new workers for its expanded resort and 450-foot guitar-shaped hotel.

 

Westrock Coffee expanding North Little Rock plant

Westrock Coffee Company is expanding its North Little Rock, Ark.-based roasting and packaging plant. The expansion is part of a $50 million financing deal, which includes product manufacturing for Arkansas-based Walmart’s coffee items sold under Walmart’s Great Value brand, and Sam’s Club Member’s Mark brand.

 

Amazon bringing planes to Lakeland, Fla.

Lakeland’s Linder Airport in central Florida will be landing large cargo jets and 1,000 new jobs as Amazon invests over $100 million in constructing a 285,000-square-foot air cargo complex on a 47-acre site.

 

U.S. Waffle plans facility in Pickens County, S.C.

U.S. Waffle plans to launch a new frozen food processing facility in Pickens County. The company’s $22.1 million investment is projected to create approximately 114 new jobs.

 

Spectrum Quartz plans complex in Latta, S.C.

Spectrum Quartz, a manufacturer and distributor of quartz and other glass products, plans to open a new production operation in Dillon County. The company is investing $22.5 million and creating more than 150 new jobs.

 

SupplyPike chooses Fayetteville, Ark.

SupplyPike, a start-up software company that offers a digital supply chain management system, plans to locate in Fayetteville. The project is expected to create nearly 180 new jobs.

 

Shipbuilder expands in Pascagoula, Miss.

To accommodate a new $745 million contract with the U.S. Coast Guard, VT Halter Marine will invest $37.5 million to expand operations in Pascagoula. The project is expected to create 900 jobs over the next five years.

 

Perfect Steel hiring 60 for new location in old Mississippi plant

Sixty new jobs are coming to Lumberton, Miss., now that a Florida steel manufacturer has moved into the old Cooper Power Systems plant in the city’s industrial park. Perfect Steel plans to hire 60 workers for the facility.

 

Swiss electronics company locating in Georgia

A Swiss electronics company, Elma Electronic, is relocating a manufacturing facility to Gwinnett County and adding 93 new jobs. The manufacturing site, planned for Lawrenceville, is expected to open in July.

 

Solar facility to be built near Montgomery, Ala.

Alabama Municipal Electric Authority (AMEA) and California-based Lightsource BP announced a $125 million energy generation project. Lightsource BP will finance, develop, build, own and operate a solar facility and will deliver energy to AMEA under a 20-year power purchase agreement. More than 350,000 solar panels on 800 acres just outside Montgomery makes this one of the largest solar power arrays in Alabama.

 

Ameriqual Aseptic plans $23.8 million expansion in Troy, N.C.

AmeriQual Aseptic, a food processing company, will invest $23.8 million to expand operations in Troy, N.C. The project is expected to create 76 jobs in Montgomery County. The company will manufacture protein beverages using practices that prevent contamination.

 

Swiss-Based Medacta eyes Franklin, Tenn., for U.S. HQ

Medacta USA will invest $2.5 million to relocate its U.S. headquarters to Middle Tennessee from Chicago. The orthopedic and medical device maker will create more than 50 jobs in Franklin. The company, which specializes in orthopedic products and accompanying surgical techniques, will establish its U.S. headquarters and a research and development lab.

 

Georgia-Pacific announces $100 million investment in Bowling Green, Ky.

Koch Industries-owned Georgia-Pacific announced the expansion of its facility in Bowling Green. The project will involve a $100 million investment, which will create 50 new jobs, and add an additional 80,000 square-feet to the facility to make its Dixie line of plates and bowls.

 

Dental Manufacturer moves HQ to the Charlotte region

Dentsply Sirona, a manufacturer of professional dental products and technologies, is the latest company to move its headquarters to Charlotte. The Pennsylvania-based company will expand its existing facility there, which announced last September a $3.3 million investment and 300 jobs for the Ballantyne area of Charlotte, N.C.

 

Delek to invest $150 million in Louisiana refinery

Delek recently reported that it plans more enhancements to its refinery in Krotz Springs, La., and expects to create 30 new jobs and retain 200 as a result. The refinery, built in 1980, produces gasoline, diesel fuel, petrochemicals and other products, and features a capacity of 74,000 barrels per day.

 

Eastover Solar invests $80 million in Richland County, S.C.

Eastover Solar will invest $80 million to construct a new solar farm in Richland County. Designed to generate the equivalent electricity required to power approximately 18,000 homes, the solar project will be located on a 740-acre site outside of Eastover, S.C.

 

Startup announces apparel factory in St. Louis, Mo.

Evolution St. Louis will open a high-tech knit manufacturing facility using cutting-edge 3D technology in downtown St. Louis. The new company, which expects to create 50 to 60 jobs within its first three years, intends to help startups, boutique designers and established brands launch or relocate their sourcing and manufacturing to the U.S.

 

Hubner Manufacturing building new facility in Tennessee

Hubner Manufacturing announced recently that it will invest $9.6 million to establish a facility in Sequatchie County, creating 60 new jobs. Hubner will be producing rubber parts for the transportation, oil and gas, and aerospace industries.

 

Advanced Design Solutions creating 180 jobs in Tennessee

Advanced Design Solutions will invest $10 million and create nearly 180 jobs in Lawrenceburg, Tenn. The auto supplier will locate its operations in part of the former Murray Ohio Manufacturing Company facility.

 

Starbucks celebrates Augusta, Ga., plant expansion

Starbucks, the maker of Augusta’s most ubiquitous consumer export, recently celebrated the opening of its newly completed roasted-bean addition. Announced in 2017, the $130 million expansion promised the addition of 100 new jobs.

 

Milliken breaks ground on expansion in Blacksburg, S.C.

Spartanburg-based Milliken & Co. announced it will expand its Allen Plant in Blacksburg and hire “dozens” of new workers to boost production of a product used in food storage containers. The Allen Plant in Cherokee County is Milliken’s largest specialty chemical plant.

 

Company expands in Tallapoosa County, Ala.

Hellas Construction of Dadeville, Ala., announced plans to expand. Hellas makes the fabric material for artificial turf used by professional teams such as the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins. The company spent more than $2.5 million on the expansion that created 20 new positions.

 

Texas anxiously awaits Toyota’s June 30 decision

Toyota will decide by June 30 whether it will plow $392 million into upgrades at its San Antonio truck plant or at one of its other manufacturing facilities in North America. Local officials, who have put together incentive packages to try to win over Toyota, are watching anxiously.

 

Lowe’s considering Dallas and Charlotte for 2,000-employee tech hub

Lowe’s is considering Charlotte and Dallas as the home for its new global technology hub, where the home improvement retailer will employ thousands of software engineers and other IT professionals. The establishment of a tech hub is part of Lowe’s plan, announced in December, to hire about 2,000 new IT professionals as the Mooresville company works to modernize its digital capabilities.

 

One thousand Texas jobs created with TJ Maxx distribution center

The new TJ Maxx Distribution Center on San Antonio’s South Side opened its doors recently, adding more than 1,000 jobs and making a promise to improve land on the city’s South Side. In addition to creating jobs, TJX Companies has committed to donating 15 to 20 acres of land to the Southside Independent School District for construction of a school; to creating a 4-mile Espada Bike and Hike Trail; and to conveying 300 acres of wetlands for various purposes including preservation, research and community recreation.

 

New Mazda Toyota supplier brings 650 jobs to Huntsville, Ala.

Gov. Kay Ivey announced recently the largest supplier yet to complement the Mazda Toyota Manufacturing USA (MTMUS) plant in Huntsville. YKTA will invest $220 million on a facility to be built on the giant automotive plant’s campus in Limestone County. The supplier plant will create 650 new jobs.

 

Litehouse bringing 160 new jobs to Danville, Va.

Litehouse, which produces refrigerated salad dressings, dips, cheese and other packaged goods, will invest $46 million to acquire and expand Sky Valley Foods and establish its first East Coast production facility in the City of Danville. The company will retain the Sky Valley Foods employees and create an additional 160 new jobs over the next five years.

 

DFW Airport, American Airlines to build a sixth terminal

DFW Airport and American Airlines have reached a tentative deal to build a sixth passenger terminal as part of a capital improvements package that could reach $3.5 billion.

 

Financial firm to create facility in Manatee County, Fla.

A company under the code name “Project Pearl” is planning to invest $1.5 million and create 70 high-paying jobs in Manatee County. Still under negotiation, the company is seeking incentives from the county.

 

Ozmo expands operations in Montgomery County, Va.

Ozmo, a technology company that builds software products for mobile operations and device manufacturers, will invest over $200,000 to expand its existing operation in Blacksburg. The project means the addition of 40 new jobs.

 

Shell Chemicals plans $1.2 billion plant in Geismar, La.

Shell Chemicals will advance feasibility plans for a potential $1.2 billion manufacturing expansion at its 841-acre complex in Ascension Parish. Pending final decision from Royal Dutch Shell, the plan calls for a world-scale monoethylene glycol plant.

 

Molekule locates manufacturing in Polk County, Fla.

An innovator in clean air purification, Molekule, is launching a groundbreaking materials manufacturing facility in metro Tampa. Molekule’s first U.S. factory, PECO Zero, will create “hundreds of job opportunities.”

 

Honda Aircraft investing $15.5 million in North Carolina expansion

Honda Aircraft Company will invest $15.5 million to expand its global headquarters in Greensboro, N.C. The company will build an 82,000-square-foot facility to house a new wing assembly process for the HondaJet Elite on its 133-acre campus there, bringing total capital investment in its North Carolina facilities to more than $245 million.

 

Advanced Design Solutions creating 180 jobs in Tennessee

Advanced Design Solutions will invest $10 million and create nearly 180 jobs in Lawrenceburg, Tenn. The auto supplier will renovate and locate its operations in part of the former Murray Ohio Manufacturing Company facility.

 

Auto supplier expanding in Lincoln County, N.C.

Tenowo, a nonwoven textiles company that makes products for automakers, is expanding again in the Charlotte region. The company will make a $4.5 million investment in new equipment and perhaps expand its huge facility there.

 

Two local companies expanding in St. Joseph, Mo

LifeLine Foods and Boehringer Ingelheim will each make significant investments at their existing St. Joseph facilities, totaling more than $34 million. LifeLine Foods will expand its masa flour production by adding a second mill with an investment of $12 million, and will create 13 new jobs. Meanwhile, Boehringer Ingelheim, a research-driven pharmaceutical company, will invest about $22.4 million to increase its capacity to manufacture vaccines for livestock.

 

Nucor upgrading steel plant in South Carolina

Charlotte, N.C.-based Nucor Corp. is expanding the product capacity of its bar mill in Darlington, S.C., to allow production of higher-grade steel for the automotive market and other specialty uses. Nucor is not disclosing the costs of the project, and the project will not mean any additional employment at the site, which now provides about 450 jobs.

 

Atlanta creative studio expanding operations

Ideas United will add 30 new jobs to its 50-person Atlanta team after receiving a commitment of $15 million in growth and equity funding from Kayne Partners. The expansion allows the 18-year-old company to “focus on producing authentic, high-quality content and events for premier brands, universities, nonprofits and networks,” according to a news release.

 

Opportunity Zone tax breaks spark investor stampede in Louisiana

The much-hyped Opportunity Zone tax break program, offering shelter from capital gains taxes for people who invest in designated struggling areas, saw little activity for more than a year after it was signed into law as part of President Donald Trump’s $1.5 trillion tax-cut package in 2017. But that is changing fast, as new tax rules have spurred a virtual stampede — in Louisiana and across the country — of investors scrambling to get in ahead of looming deadlines.

 

Hitachi Automotive makes $100 million expansion in Monroe, Ga.

Hitachi Automotive Systems Americas, a global supplier of automotive parts, has announced a massive, multi-year expansion of its manufacturing plant in Monroe, approximately 45 miles east of Atlanta. Hitachi will invest anywhere from $100 million to $330 million in expanding its existing facility. The project is expected to bring an additional 100 jobs to Walton County.

 

E-N-G Mobile Systems chooses Fayetteville, N.C.

E-N-G Mobile Systems, a California-based company, will invest $2.3 million to build a manufacturing facility and create 60 jobs in Cumberland County. E-N-G builds specialized vehicles, including those for electronic news gathering and mobile labs.

 

Fort Worth wins Black & Decker plant

It was recently announced that Stanley Black & Decker will be building a new, 425,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Fort Worth, Texas. Construction is slated to begin later this year for a plant that will create 500 jobs. The new facility is expected to open in 2020.

 

Mental-health firm to add 200 Arkansas jobs

Burrell Behavioral Health plans to double the 200-person staff of Youth Bridge, a Fayetteville-based behavioral health group, within the next five years. “The behavioral health industry is being flooded with interest in receiving care,” Chief Executive C.J. Davis said.

 

Lucideon M+P expands Greenville, S.C., presence

Lucideon M+P is expanding its local presence with a $7.5 million investment in a new Greenville facility. It will become home to Lucideon’s Center of Excellence for Additive Manufacturing, supporting aerospace and medical device manufacturing.

 

UPS completes $310 million Louisville expansion

UPS has completed its $310 million, multi-year expansion at its Centennial Ground hub in Louisville, Ky. The company will add 300 full- and part-time positions as part of the expansion that more than triples the size of the facility to over 1 million square feet.

 

Auto parts manufacturer opens in Dorchester County, S.C.

A new auto parts manufacturer recently opened its doors in Dorchester County. India-based Sundaram-Clayton’s first plant in the U.S., will make aluminum die-cast parts for several different global auto brands. The facility is expected to generate 230 new jobs.

 

Dallas could land an Uber expansion

Dallas is a leading contender for a major expansion by ride-hailing giant Uber that would transform the city into one of the tech company’s largest hubs outside San Francisco. Uber has zeroed in on a site in Deep Ellum for an office that would employ several thousand workers, from engineers and finance executives to salespeople. Jobs would span Uber’s businesses, from delivering food to developing a new urban air taxi service.

 

Aeromax Industries relocating to Fort Worth, Texas

Aeromax Industries, a manufacturer of parts and assemblies for military aircraft, is relocating its headquarters from Canoga Park, Calif., to Aledo Industrial Park in metro Fort Worth, Texas. No word yet on jobs or investment.

 

Pharmacy for job training opens in Smyrna, Tenn.

The Tennessee Department of Human Services has joined with CVS Health for a program to help individuals with disabilities find jobs in Tennessee’s growing healthcare industry. The partnership recently constructed a mock CVS Pharmacy inside the Vocational Rehabilitation program’s Tennessee Rehabilitation Center in Smyrna where students are now receiving job training in two areas that lead to consideration for a career with CVS Health.