Projects Announced in the Spring 2010 Quarter

ALABAMA

TVA Setting up Training Facility in Northeast Alabama

The Tennessee Valley Authority announced in the spring quarter it is setting up a training facility near Scottsboro, Ala. for its nuclear power plant workers. TVA officials said as many as 5,000 workers could be trained at the facility annually. 

Home Depot Adding 100 Jobs at Birmingham Center

Home Depot announced in the spring it is adding 100 jobs at its distribution center in McCalla, Ala., located outside Birmingham. The Atlanta-based retailer opened the 657,000-square-foot center last year.

Rural Alabama Town Gets 50 New Jobs

IKO Industries, a residential and commercial roofing business, is building a high-performance shingle plant in Sylacauga, Ala. The facility will house 50 workers.

ARKANSAS

Evergreen Celebrates $53M Expansion in Pine Bluff, Ark.

In May, Evergreen Packaging celebrated the completion of a $53 million expansion project at its Pine Bluff, Ark. mill. The company employs over 1,000 workers at the plant. 

New Plant Set for Rural Arkansas

Germany-based Beckmann Volmer announced in May it will locate a new $10 million steel manufacturing facility in Osceola, Ark. The company produces steel components for wind turbines. The deal is expected to result in 300 new jobs. 

Aviation Repair Hiring 300 in Blytheville

Aviation Repair Technologies, which repairs airframes and aircraft engines, is adding 300 workers at its facilities at the Arkansas Aeroplex in Blytheville. The company already employs 225 workers there. The Arkansas Aeroplex was formerly Eaker Air Force Base.

Awesome Adding Jobs in West Memphis

California-based Awesome Products is expanding its operations in West Memphis, Ark. The company, which produces cleaning products, is adding more than 700,000 square feet of space and about 200 jobs.

Welspun Expanding in Little Rock

Welspun Corp. announced in May it will add 230 jobs and invest $30 million in its Little Rock plant that produces pipes for the oil and gas industry. The company opened its facility in Little Rock last year.

Verizon on Hiring Binge in Little Rock

Verizon Wireless announced it will add 700 more workers than it planned by the end of 2011 at its Little Rock campus. Originally, the company announced it would employ 1,300 in Little Rock, but that figure will increase to over 2,000. About 1,400 currently work at the Little Rock call center.

FLORIDA

Aging Life Science Center to Create 220 Jobs in South Florida

Palm Health Partners announced in the spring it will collaborate with Scripps Florida scientists to open The Institute for Aging Life Science & Research at Abacoa, Fla. in Palm Beach County. The healthcare facility will create 220 jobs with a capital investment of $62 million.

University of Florida Health Science Center to Add 300 Faculty Positions

In May the University of Florida Health Science Center and Shands Healthcare announced they will add 300 faculty positions within the next five years. Investments in the project, which will include research, education and patient care, are expected to total $580 million. The goal of the program is to place the Health Science Center in the upper 10 percent of national academic health care facilities.

MRO Operation Selects Jacksonville

AvMax Group announced in the spring it is opening a heavy maintenance and modification facility for the regional jet and turboprop aviation industry at Jacksonville International Airport. AvMax, which is based in Calgary, Canada, will hire 100 to 120 licensed aircraft mechanics.

Old Cell Phone Co. Adding 863 Jobs in Florida

Old Cell Phone Company, a seller of used cell phones, parts and accessories on eBay, is adding over 450 jobs this year to its facility in Martin Co., Fla. The company operates on a 24-7 schedule and moved to Palm City, Fla. in 2008.

Financial Services Company Hiring 300 in Jacksonville

Maitland. Fla.-based Digital Risk announced in the spring quarter it has selected Jacksonville for a 300-employee operation. The company helps monitor and manage loan portfolios and detect loan fraud.

Florida Biotech Start-Up Plans 500 New Jobs

Lakewood-Amedex, a biopharmaceutical start-up company in Sarasota County, Fla. announced that it expects to hire 500 workers in the county within four years. The company is developing drugs that center on its core technologies of gene silencing systems and the treatment of bio-terrorism diseases such as anthrax.

Pemco to Lease another Hanger at Tampa Airport

Pemco World Air Services announced in the spring it is leasing the former Delta Air Lines hanger at Tampa International Airport and creating 200 more jobs. The company, which does maintenance work for a variety of airlines and the military, set up shop at TIA in March of 2008 when it moved into a vacated US Airways hanger. That deal created over 300 jobs.

World's Second-Largest Solar Plant Being Built in Florida

On 500 acres of swamplands near West Palm Beach, FPL Group is building what will amount to the second-largest solar energy plant in the world. Over 190,000 solar mirrors are being installed next to FPL's largest fossil-fuel power plant that is fired by natural gas. The hybrid project is being built next to FPL's existing power plant in an effort to reduce costs. Stand alone solar power plants are expensive and building the new facility next to a fossil fuel plant means the company can use its existing steam turbine and high-power transmission lines. FPL says the hybrid plan will cut costs by about 20 percent. The solar facility is expected to be completed at the end of the year.

Visa Creating 350 Jobs in South Florida

Visa announced in the spring it will open a new customer service center in Miami-Dade. The center will be co-located in the same building as Visa's Latin America and Caribbean headquarters. The project will create 350 new jobs.

GEORGIA

Button Maker Comes Back to Georgia from China

According to the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, Georgia has lost 60,400 jobs to China since 2001. Scovill Fasteners was a contributor to that figure when it cut its workforce in rural Clarkesville, Ga. and opened a button factory in Shenzhen in China's Guangdong Province. Recently though, Scovill closed its China plant and brought back jobs to its Clarkesville facility. Scovill's decision to close its China plant also saved 170 jobs at the north Georgia plant.

Wells Fargo Adding 200 Jobs in Atlanta

In a sign that the financial services industry is recovering, Wells Fargo & Co., which acquired Wachovia Corp. in 2009, announced in late May it is adding 200 employees in Atlanta and a total of 300 in Georgia. The San Francisco bank is increasing its number of tellers and bank managers in Georgia.

Sony Ericsson's New Atlanta Headquarters Workforce to Total 180

London-based Sony Ericsson announced in May it will employ 180 at its new North and Latin America headquarters in Atlanta. The company announced in the fall of 2009 that it would relocated the headquarters from North Carolina's Research Triangle to Buckhead.

Solar Energy Company Announces Big Project in Georgia

Germany-based MAGE Solar announced in May it will establish its North American headquarters and invest $30 million and employ up to 350 at a plant in Dublin, Ga. The company manufactures solar panels. MAGE cited Dublin's location, between the port of Savannah and Atlanta, as a factor in the location decision. 

GE's Smart Grid to Bring 400 Jobs to Atlanta

General Electric announced in the spring it will create 400 new jobs in Cobb County, Ga. at its new Smart Grid Center of Excellence. The $15 million project will include GE's new Digital Energy business and a smart grid engineering lab. The smart grid is a more efficient digital distribution system for electricity. GE Energy and GE Technology Infrastructure are also headquartered in Atlanta.

Chicken Plant Reopening in Georgia; 1,000 Workers to be Rehired

In May Pilgrim's Pride announced the reopening of its Coffee County, Ga. plant. The plant was closed in February 2009 eliminating the jobs of 900 workers and 400 chicken farmers, truckers and suppliers. Now the company is reopening the plant and expects to hire 1,000 workers within a year. Once reopened, the plant is expected to process 1.3 million chickens per week at full production. For more information on economic development in the rural South, go to www.SmallTownSouth.com.

Wind Energy Facility Will House 215 Georgia Workers

ZF Group, an automotive industry parts supplier, announced in the spring it will invest $90 million and create 215 jobs at a new wind turbine gearbox plant in Gainesville, Ga. The plant will be built near an existing ZF facility that manufactures axle drives and transmissions for passenger vehicles and heavy construction equipment.

Food Processor Hiring 242 Jobs in Georgia

Wafelbakkers, a manufacturer of frozen pancakes, waffles and French toast, will locate a food processing operation in McDonough, Ga. The project will result in the creation of 242 jobs and a $27.5 million investment.

LG Hausys Investing $50M in Rural Georgia

LG Hausys, a manufacturer of engineered stone countertops, is opening a new 95,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Adairsville, Ga. adjacent to the company's existing facility. The project represents an investment of $50 million and will generate 80 new jobs.

KANSAS

Denmark-Based Wind Energy Company Announces Kansas Plant

Denmark-based Jupiter Group announced in the spring quarter it will open a new wind turbine components manufacturing facility in Junction City, Kan. The $2.4 million project will create 120 new jobs.

GM Expanding Kansas Facility

GM announced it is investing $136 million in its Fairfax Assembly Plant in Kansas City, Kan., establishing the facility as the primary Malibu model assembly plant in North America. The expansion will not create new jobs at the auto works, which currently houses almost 4,000 workers and also produces the Buick LaCrosse sedan. For more information on the South’s automotive industry, go to www.SouthernAutoCorridor.com.

KENTUCKY

Pemco to Open New MRO Operation in Northern Kentucky

Pemco World Air Services announced in May it will open a regional aircraft maintenance and repair operation at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and add up to 300 new jobs. Pemco will occupy a hanger previously used by Mesaba Airlines.

Remington Arms Adding 100 Jobs in Hickory, Ky.

Remington Arms, one of the largest and oldest domestic producers of shotguns and rifles, is investing $5 million in its Hickory, Ky. facility. The expansion will help accommodate rifle production lines from a Connecticut facility. The deal will result in 100 new jobs.

Printer Adds 135 Jobs in Simpson County

Worldcolor, one of the world's largest printers of magazines, catalogs and direct mail products, is expanding its plant in rural Simpson County, Ky. The company is investing $9.7 million in the project and is adding 135 new jobs.

LOUISIANA

Company Adding 100 Jobs at Port of New Orleans

Atlantic Metrocast, a subsidiary of Savannah-based Atlantic Wood Industries, announced in the spring quarter it will create at least 100 new jobs at a new pre-stressed concrete production facility at the Port of New Orleans. Capital investment in the deal is expected to be $5 million.

Food Manufacturer Adding Jobs in Louisiana

Bruce Foods will expand one of its two Louisiana-based plants. The company, which makes Louisiana hot sauce, Bruce's Yams and other food products, is adding 43 jobs at its New Iberia facility.

Folgers Expanding in New Orleans

Coffee maker Folgers will expand two existing coffee production facilities in Orleans Parish and its distribution center in St. Tammany Parish. The company will retain 450 existing jobs and create 120 new jobs in the $69 million deal.

MARYLAND

Two Energy Companies Moving HQs to Maryland

Two foreign green energy companies are moving their headquarters to Maryland. Germany-based Smart Fuel Cell is moving its headquarters from Atlanta to Rockville, Md. and is expected to add 25 employees. Paris-based EDF Group announced it is moving its headquarters to Chevy Chase in the fall. That deal will create 16 new jobs.

Maryland Intermodal Terminal Investment Tops $100 Million

Norfolk-Southern recently announced that construction could begin as early as September on a new rail-truck intermodal terminal in Hagerstown, Md. that will cost at least $100 million. The terminal will create over 100 jobs and will be a key link in the railroad's Southeast to Northeast corridor.

Virginia Defense Contractor Hiring 300 in Maryland

ManTech, a Fairfax, Va. defense contractor, announced in the spring it is leasing 63,000 square feet of space near Aberdeen Proving Ground in Harford County, Md. The company is relocating its New Jersey-based Sensor Technologies Inc. subsidiary that contracts with the U.S. Army on communications. The deal is expected to create 300 to 600 new jobs.

MISSISSIPPI

Twin Creeks Breaks Ground on Solar Panel Facility in Rural Mississippi

On May 28 Gov. Haley Barbour, officials from California-based Twin Creeks Technologies and local officials attended the groundbreaking ceremony at the site of Twin Creeks' new solar panel manufacturing facility in Senatobia, Miss. The company will produce photovoltaic solar panels for use in the renewable energy industry at the $175 million facility. The project will create 512 new jobs in two phases.

McKesson Investing $115M in Mississippi

McKesson Corp. a leading healthcare services and information technology company, announced in May it will locate a $115 million distribution center in Olive Branch, Miss. The California-based company is building a new facility that will house 306 employees.

Furniture Manufacturer Creating 200 Jobs in Pontotoc

Southern Motion, a reclining furniture manufacturer, announced in May it is expanding its operations in Pontotoc, Miss. The company will build a new 180,000-square-foot facility adjacent to its existing 400,000-square-foot plant. The $7 million deal will add at least 200 jobs to the company's current payroll of 701 workers. For more information about rural development in the South, go to www.SmallTownSouth.com.

Company Consolidating Space, Adding Jobs in North Mississippi

Fiskars, a supplier of consumer products for the home and garden, announced in the spring it is combining warehouse and distribution operations in Southaven, Miss. into an existing 260,000-square-foot facility. The deal will result in 100 new jobs. 
 
Siemens Locating DC in Southaven

Siemens announced in the spring that it is locating one of its distribution centers in a 619,000-square-foot building at the Airways Distribution Center in Southaven, Miss., which is located three miles from the Memphis International Airport. Siemens will house electrical distribution products, controls and motors at the facility. One hundred and fifty jobs are being created. 

Lawnmower Manufacturer Expands in Tupelo

MTD, a lawnmower manufacturer, is investing $6.25 million in its Tupelo, Miss. operations. The company is expanding into a 525,000-square-foot building located adjacent to its current facility. The deal will create 107 new jobs. 

MISSOURI

IBM Creating 800 Jobs in Missouri

IBM recently announced it is opening a new technology service delivery center in Columbia, Mo. that will house up to 800 workers. The center will provide IT services and business process outsourcing services to IBM clients.

Convergys to Hire 200 in Hazelwood

Cincinnati-based Convergys recently announced it plans to hire 200 people at its sales center in Hazelwood, Mo. The new hires will provide outbound sales support for a client in the landscaping industry.

NORTH CAROLINA

Jobs Return to Distressed N.C. County

Advanced Textile Solutions announced in May it is creating 127 jobs as it takes over the former Protection Products facility in rural Caldwell Co., N.C. The company will produce bullet-proof vests for the military and upholstery for airline seats. Protection Products closed the facility in December.

Citco Fund Services Hiring 258 in Charlotte

Citco Fund Services announced in June it plans to create 258 jobs at a new office in uptown Charlotte. The firm plans to invest $3 million in the office, which will provide services to hedge fund operators. 

Online Retailer Adding 228 Jobs in North Carolina

Vitacost.com, an online retailer and direct marketer of health and wellness products, will expand in Davidson County. The company plans to invest $6.7 million and create 228 jobs over the next three years. The Florida-based company currently operates a call center and a manufacturing and distribution facility in Lexington, N.C.

Forty New Jobs Created in Rural N.C.

Metal Craft, Inc., a metals fabricator, is moving into an existing 35,000-square-foot facility in Rocky Mount, N.C. The project is expected to create 40 new jobs.

Cabinet Manufacturer to Bring 334 Jobs to Kinston

MasterBrand Cabinets, a manufacturer of kitchen and bath cabinets, will expand its plant in Kinston, N.C. The deal will create 334 jobs and represents an investment of $3.75 million.

AW North Carolina Investing $100 Million in Durham, N.C.

AW North Carolina, a Toyota supplier that builds transmissions in Durham, N.C., will invest more than $100 million and add 360 jobs at its North Carolina plant. The company will add a new production line that will assemble front-wheel drive transmissions for Toyota.

Company Expands in Monroe, N.C.

Colfax Corp. the parent company of IMO Industries, announced in May it will build a new test facility in Monroe, N.C. Colfax manufactures valves and pumps that are used in various industries including power generation and the defense industry. The company is investing $3.1 million.

Italian Company Moving HQ to Winston-Salem

Beverage-Air, a commercial refrigeration company and a subsidiary of Italian food service equipment conglomerate The Ali Group, will relocate its U.S. operations headquarters to Winston-Salem, N.C. The deal will result in 40 jobs created.
 
OKLAHOMA

Gun Manufacturer Creating 45 Jobs in Oklahoma

Loki Weapon Systems recently announced it will manufacture rifles in Coalgate, Okla. The high powered rifles will be machined and assembled by 45 workers at the new plant.

SOUTH CAROLINA

South Carolina Lands 1,000 Job, $1 Billion Plant

New York-based First Quality Tissue announced in May it is building a $1 billion facility in Anderson County, S.C. that will house approximately 1,000 workers. The company will build a 2-million-square-foot plant in the Greenville-Spartanburg metro area. First Quality will utilize a state-of-the-art Thru-Air-Dried (TAD) technology and a complete line of converting equipment in the production of tissues and towels. The plant is expected to become operational in 2011.

Mohawk Investing $60M in Rural South Carolina

Mohawk Industries, a manufacturer of flooring, is expanding its facility in Marlboro Co., S.C. with a $60 million investment. The deal is expected to add a significant number of jobs to the existing employment of 400 at the plant in Bennettsville.

Nutramax Labs to Relocate in S.C.

Nutramax Laboratories and Nutramax Manufacturing announced they are relocating operations to Lancaster Co., S.C. from Edgewood, Md. The nutraceutical developer for veterinary and consumer markets will invest approximately $12.5 million in the project. The deal will create 203 jobs.

Adidas Opens Huge Distribution Center

In May, The Adidas Group officially opened its 1.9-million-square-foot distribution center in Spartanburg, S.C. The center is expected to house up to 1,200 workers.

Alexium Announces New Operations in Greenville County

Alexium Inc., a subsidiary of Australia-based Alexium International Group, is establishing a new technical fabric manufacturing and research and development plant in Greenville County, S.C. The $8 million investment is expected to generate 200 new jobs.

Boeing Bringing another Plant to the Palmetto State

Chicago-based Boeing announced in May it will increase the size of its footprint in South Carolina with a plant that will assemble the interiors of its new 787 jetliner that will be built at the Charleston International Airport. The deal will result in 150 new jobs. A location for the plant won't be determined until mid-summer, however, it will be located within 20 minutes of the Dreamliner plant.

MCA Sign Locates in Aiken County, S.C.

MCA Sign Co. is moving its entire operations, including its headquarters to Graniteville, S.C. in Aiken County. The company purchased the former Avondale Horsecreek building. The $12 million deal will create 125 new jobs.

Caterpillar Adding 500 Jobs in Central South Carolina

Caterpillar announced in the spring quarter it plans to increase capacity for diesel and gas powered generator sets at its plant in Newberry, S.C. The deal, which will increase genset production in the 250-1250 kW range for North American customers, will add 500 new jobs at the plant that is located near Columbia.

TENNESSEE

Loews Hotels Locating Service Center in Nashville

Loews Hotels announced in May it will locate a worldwide Shared Service Center in Nashville that will house 200 workers. The project will be located in downtown Nashville and will provide billing, accounting and IT services for the hotelier.

Insurer Picks Franklin, Tenn. for Regional HQ

In the spring quarter, Michigan-based Jackson National Life Insurance selected the Nashville suburb of Franklin, Tenn. for a new regional headquarters operation that will employ 750 workers. The company will move into the One Greenway Building in the Cool Springs area of Franklin. The deal represents the 51st corporate or regional headquarters to locate in Tennessee since 2003. 

Technicolor Adding 150 Jobs in Memphis

Technicolor SA is adding 1.36 million square feet to its Memphis, Tenn. operations. The Paris-based third-party logistics provider will add 150 jobs in the deal.

TEXAS

Website Host Opening 200-Employee Office in Austin

HostGator.com, a website hosting company, announced in the spring it is opening a 200-person office in Austin. The company hosts more than 3 million domain names and provides services to clients in more than 170 countries. Austin won the project over Chicago and Orlando.

Allens Hiring 100 in Fort Worth

Allens Inc., a vegetable business, acquired ConAgra's Fort Worth plant in May and plans to expand the facility. Arkansas-based Allens is the largest privately held vegetable company in the nation. The company will add 100 jobs at the plant. 

LEGO Expands in Texas

Denmark-based LEGO Systems announced in May it has expanded its North American distribution center at the Alliance Global Logistics Hub in Fort Worth by 200,000 square feet. The company provides toys, experiences and teaching materials for children in more than 130 countries.

Manufacturer Opening Plant in Harlingen, Tex.

HHS Rotec, a manufacturer of panels for the housing market, is opening a plant in Harlingen, Tex. The $2 million deal could result in 200 new jobs.

LG Electronics Consolidating to AllianceTexas

LG Electronics has consolidated its cell phone repair business to its facility at AllianceTexas. To accommodate the consolidation, the company expanded its current facility by leasing an additional 66,433-square-foot building. The deal will add 65 fulltime workers and as many as 300 seasonal workers.

Whirlpool Building Big Center in Texas

Appliance manufacturer Whirlpool announced in May it is building a 1-million-square-foot regional distribution center in Wilmer, Tex., south of Dallas. The facility is part of a nationwide consolidation of regional distribution centers.

Texas Instruments Expanding Richardson, Tex. Facility

Texas Instruments is going ahead with the second phase of an expansion of its Richardson, Tex. chip plant. The first phase began in October 2009 when the plant was brought online. Phase two will put two-thirds of the 1.1 million-square-foot plant in use. TI is installing an additional 100 used tools in the plant that it acquired out of bankruptcy from Qimonda. The expansion will enable TI to generate more than $1 billion more in annual revenue from the plant.

Sprint Expanding in Temple, Tex.

Sprint is adding 100 workers at its call center in Temple, Tex. The Temple center opened in 2001 and is considered one of the top three performing centers Sprint operates.

Kohl's Opening Center in San Antonio

Retailer Kohl's is opening a customer operations center in San Antonio that will house 200 workers. The deal could potentially create 1,000 jobs over the next three years.

VIRGINIA

MeadWestvaco Relocating Jobs to Richmond

In late May, Richmond-based MeadWestvaco announced that it is relocating its Center for Packaging Innovation (CPI) from Raleigh to Richmond. The move will relocate 128 jobs to Richmond, some of which will be positioned at the company's headquarters and others at leased lab space yet to be determined. The project will see a $10 million investment by the company.

Martinsville, Va. Lands 250 New Jobs

Faneuil announced in May it will establish a customer service center for Dominion Virginia Power in Martinsville, Va. The company is an outsource provider of multi-channel customer contact services. The $2.4 million deal will create 250 new jobs.

Sabra Relocating HQ from NYC to Richmond

Sabra, a maker of hummus, announced in May it is moving its headquarters from Queens, N.Y. to Richmond, Va. where it operates a processing facility. The move will affect 154 employees. Sabra owns 40 percent of the hummus market, up from three percent just eight years ago.

Packaging Company Puts First U.S. Operation in Rural Virginia

Phoenix Packaging Group, a family-owned Latin American company, will invest more than $20 million to establish its first U.S. operation in Pulaski County, Va. The company will manufacture plastic packaging and the facility will also serve as its North American headquarters. The project will create 240 new jobs.

Former Richmond Semiconductor Plant to become Large Data Center

In the spring quarter the 1.3 million-square-foot Qimonda facility in Richmond, Va. was purchased by QTS (Quality Technology Services), one of the nation's largest privately held providers of data center facilities. QTS will invest $100 million over the next three years to retrofit the property into a data center. Once completed, the new data center will be one of the largest in the country. 

Chinese Company Moving HQ to Virginia

Mercury Paper, a subsidiary of Shanghai-based Sinar Mas Group, announced in the spring it is investing $21.2 million to expand its current facility in Shenandoah Co., Va. and relocate its North American headquarters to the site, creating 150 new jobs in the process. The company makes paper towels and tissue products.

WEST VIRGINIA

Power Plant to Generate 100 Jobs in W. Va.

The $2 billion Longview Power plant now under construction in Maidsville, W. Va. is expected to create 100 jobs by the end of the year. The plant, once operational, is expected to be the cleanest and most technology advanced coal-fired power plant in the U.S. 

Mineral Wool Plant Creating 45 Jobs in West Virginia

Armstrong World Industries announced in the spring it will invest $35 million to build a mineral wool plant in Jackson County, W.Va. Mineral wool is used in acoustical ceiling tiles. The deal will create 45 new jobs. 

Piping Firm Opens West Virginia Distribution Facility

Kentucky-based ISCO Industries, a pipe systems solutions company, recently announced it plans to open a distribution hub in Martinsburg, W. Va. The 55,000-square-foot facility will house 50 workers.

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