Ten Serious Corporate Love Affairs with the South 2000-2009

In the decade that just ended, some of the world's largest corporations showed their love of the South with billions in investments and tens of thousands of jobs created. Some of the most active corporations based on jobs generated and project investments announced in the South from 2000-2009 included WorldCom and Washington Mutual, two former corporate giants that are no more.

Among the South’s most active companies that are still flourishing though, we've picked what believe are 10 of the most important companies in the South based on their own job generation and capital investments made in states throughout the region from 2000-2009. While every one of these companies has a reach that is worldwide, we have picked a state or states in the South that they are particularly active in.

Not included in this group are ThyssenKrupp, Volkswagen, Hemlock Semiconductor, Shaw/Westinghouse and others that have announced huge projects in the region recently, some of which are not completed as of yet. The reason we have omitted those companies is that while their individual investments are significant, they haven't built a track record of love of the South over the last decade compared to the following companies.

While these companies aren't necessarily the largest employers in the South, such as Walmart (48,000 - Arkansas), FedEx (30,000 - Memphis), UPS (20,500 - Louisville) or Delta Airlines (22,000 - Atlanta), they have been the busiest in announcing deals of 200 jobs or more and/or $30 million or more in investments over the last decade.

Lockheed Martin - Southern-wide

There might not be a company that has had a greater effect on the South's economy than Lockheed Martin over the last 10 years. Thirty-six major projects sourced to Lockheed Martin made our list of big deals between 2000 and 2009 and those projects came from 11 of the South’s 17 states. The Bethesda, Md.-based global security company has over 1,000 facilities in 46 states in the U.S., but Maryland, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Virginia and Alabama are states in the South that Lockheed Martin is especially fond of.

Nissan - Tennessee

Arguably, Nissan is one of the most important and active companies in the South over the last decade if you base your argument on job generation and capital investment. The company operates its largest North American assembly plant and power train plant in Tennessee. In 2007 it also relocated its 1,300-employee North American headquarters from Southern California to the suburbs of Nashville. And just this year, Nissan is investing another $1 billion or so into its plant in Smyrna, Tenn. to build the Nissan Leaf, an all-electric vehicle. The Japanese automaker also operates an assembly plant in Canton, Miss.

Northrop Grumman - Maryland and elsewhere 

Few companies in the South can claim as many large projects as Northrop Grumman over the last decade. The company, which has 11,000 employees in Maryland, announced major projects in Texas, Mississippi, Florida, Virginia and in several other states between 2000 and 2009. And at the beginning this year, Northrop Grumman announced they are relocating their headquarters from Los Angeles to the D.C. metropolitan region.

BMW - South Carolina

BMW is in love with the Upstate of South Carolina. The company made numerous investments in the 2000s in its facilities in Greer, S.C. In fact, four different times in the last 10 years the German automaker invested $300 million or more in its Palmetto State operations, the latest, a $750 million investment in 2008.

Michelin - South Carolina

While this recession hasn't been kind to some of this French company's subsidiaries, such as B.F. Goodrich, you wouldn't know it by Michelin's investments in its home turf in South Carolina. Time and again between 2000 and 2009 Michelin sank hundreds of millions in its four primary facilities in South Carolina, including its headquarters. For example, in the middle of the recession Michelin North America invested $350 million at its facilities in Anderson, Greenville, Lexington and Spartanburg counties.

Mercedes-Benz - Alabama

Like all automakers in this recession, the Mercedes-Benz plant in Alabama has seen a reduced work load. And while that was happening, Mercedes officials showed their love for Alabama by announcing a $300 million upgrade to the plant and the addition of the C-Class to the facility in three years. When the C-Class arrives it will be the first time that Mercedes has made anything other than an SUV in North America.

Boeing - Southern-wide

You name the Southern state and Boeing has a large operation in it. The Chicago-based company in the last 10 years has set up and expanded huge projects throughout the South, but particularly in Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Alabama, Georgia and Florida. In 2009, Boeing announced it is bringing final assembly of large aircraft to the South for the first time with a 787 Dreamliner line in Charleston, S.C.

Hyundai/Kia - Alabama and Georgia

This South Korean conglomerate seems to have it all figured out. In 2002, it entered the U.S. market when it picked Montgomery, Ala. for its first major North American operation. The deals didn't stop there. Following the assembly plant in Montgomery was an engine plant there and a Kia assembly plant and transmission plant less than 100 miles away in West Point, Ga. The two companies share more than just equipment they produce in Alabama and Georgia, as dozens of suppliers serve both plants. Why Hyundai and its sister Kia still have their headquarters in California remains a mystery. Don't be surprised if the two automakers relocate their North American headquarters to Atlanta at some point.

USAA - Texas

Few if any industry sectors collapsed more than the financial services industry did in this recession. That certainly hasn't stopped USAA from announcing one major expansion after another in San Antonio. The financial services firm employs almost 15,000 in San Antonio and during this recession USAA has accounted for more major projects than any other financial services firm in the South in 2008 and 2009. It should be noted that only eight financial services projects of 200 or more jobs were announced in 2008. The average in the South is about 40 a year. 

Toyota - Kentucky, Alabama, West Virginia, Texas and Mississippi

They may be struggling now, but from 2000 to 2009, Toyota was by far the most active automaker in the Southern Automotive Corridor. During that time, the company built four major facilities in multiple states and expanded its huge presence in Kentucky several times. The plant it built in Mississippi remains idle and several others in the South and elsewhere are facing reduced workloads as a result of a recall that may ultimately be the largest in U.S. history. Regardless, you can't discount Toyota's importance to the South over the last decade.