Summer 2011
For real-time news on economic development, business and politics in the American South, go to www.RandleReport.com. For more information on the South's automotive industry, go to www.SouthernAutoCorridor.com.
Raleigh named nation's No. 1 city
Businessweek.com named Raleigh "the best American city" in September. North Carolina's Capital City edged out Arlington, Va. and Scottsdale, Ariz. for the honor. Businessweek cited Raleigh's "wealth of culture, entertainment, good schools, low crime and plenty of green space." It also mentioned Research Triangle Park -- which isn't in Raleigh -- and three world-class universities; N.C. State, UNC Chapel Hill and Duke. Only N.C. State is located in Raleigh.
San Antonio tops Forbes metro job forecast
According to a study done by ManpowerGroup and published by Forbes, San Antonio is the metropolitan area in the U.S. with the most optimistic forecast for hiring in the fall quarter. Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Baltimore, Greensboro-High Point, St. Louis, Tulsa, Baton Rouge, Boise, El Paso, New Orleans and Austin-Round Rock were also near the top of the Forbes list of markets that will see more hiring than others this quarter.
Port of Savannah No. 2 for exports
Georgia's largest port is second only to the Port of Los Angeles in containerized exports in the U.S., according to Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Curtis Foltz. Foltz made the claim in his annual "State of the Ports" address in September. During fiscal year 2011, Port of Savannah handled more than 6.8 million tons of containerized exports.
GM to reopen Spring Hill, Tenn. plant
Since the bloodletting of the domestic automotive industry in 2009 and for years before it, the Southern Automotive Corridor has been shocked to its core with domestic automotive assembly plant closures. Just 10 years ago, the South was home to 20 U.S.-owned major assembly plants. That figure was reduced to 11 in 2010 with another closure pending; the GM plant in Shreveport, La., next year. But in September, GM announced it is reopening its Spring Hill, Tenn. plant that was formerly operated by Saturn. The facility boasts what is probably the largest stamping operation in the country. The reopening promises 600 new jobs next year and 1,110 more in 2014. GM closed the assembly line at Spring Hill in November 2009 and pink-slipped 2,000 workers at the plant in the wake of GM's bankruptcy. The plant is expected to be back online by summer of 2012 building one vehicle and another will follow. Plans are for GM to invest more than $400 million in the Tennessee facility. For more information on the South's automotive industry, go to www.SouthernAutoCorridor.com.
Kentucky leads states in corporate relocations
Kentucky now leads the nation's 50 states as a premier corporate relocation destination, according to a comprehensive annual national study conducted by Atlas Van Lines. With an "inbound" rate of 63 percent, Kentucky is second only to the District of Columbia in terms of companies transferring or relocating new employees to the state. Thousands of human resources executives participated in what is known as the "Atlas Van Lines Migration Patterns" study, which tracked nearly 75,000 moves in 2010.
Editorial
Arkansas quietly goes about doing its business very well
By Mike Randle
Which states in the South avoided disaster during The Great Recession? There were really only five: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia. Unemployment rates in those five states never came closed to rising above the national average in the recession and continue to do the same. Collectively, the five states sported an unemployment rate of 7.5 percent in August, more than a point-and-a-half below the nation's unemployment rate in the same month.
What do those five states have in common that could have possibly shielded them from the worst economy in our generation? All five earn massive amounts of revenue from oil and gas or other mineral extraction. The other things they have in common are conservative budget processes.
Arkansas particularly stands out in that regard and that isn't a coincidence. Arkansas was the only U.S. state that defaulted on its debt during The Great Depression. When the default process ended in the 1940s, the state enacted what is called the fiscal stabilization act. That budgeting process has worked quite well even in the worst of times and it is incredibly simple.
Every two years Arkansas lawmakers divide funding requests into three categories; A, B and C. "A" represents essential programs such as education, Medicaid, transportation and corrections. "B" represents essential and non-essential items such as expansions of the previously mentioned programs and cost-of-living increases for state agencies. Category "C" makes up the implementation of new programs and for the most part, items in this category are rarely funded in an economic downturn.
After establishing the categories, selected members of the legislative and executive branches meet behind closed doors to match up the categories with state revenue projections. Category A is completely funded initially, then they move on to B and if anything is left, certain items in category C may receive funding. The process enables Arkansas lawmakers to approve the budget without political battles. But it doesn't end there. Revenues are monitored daily to make sure they meet projections and if they don't cuts begin with category "C" and then move up.
Arkansas may not be the South's biggest economic development dynamo. Yet, when it comes to fiscal health, Arkansas has few peers.
mike@sb-d.com
Bridgestone Americas announces huge investment in Aiken, S.C.
In late September, Bridgestone Americas announced the construction of a new 1.5 million-square-foot off-road radial tire manufacturing facility that will be built on a greenfield site in Aiken County, S.C. Bridgestone also announced a 474,000-square-foot expansion of its existing passenger and light truck tire plant in Aiken. When fully completed, the $1.2 billion investment in the two projects will increase Bridgestone's workforce in Aiken County by more than 850 full-time workers. In the same week, Bridgestone announced expansions of plants in Clarksville and McMinnville, Tenn. For more information on the South's automotive industry, go to www.SouthernAutoCorridor.com.
Korea's Mando to open new parts plant in Georgia
South Korea-based and Kia parts supplier Mando Corp. announced in September it is investing $200 million to open a manufacturing operation in Meriwether County, Ga. The plant will supply electric steering gears and anti-lock brakes to OEMs such as Hyundai, Kia, GM and Chrysler. The deal will create 426 jobs.
Houston one of four U.S. metros to gain jobs in manufacturing sector
While the vast majority of U.S. metropolitan areas have seen manufacturing jobs dwindle in the past five years, Houston is among only four metro areas nationwide to see a gain in that job sector. According to an analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, Houston gained 227,500 manufacturing jobs between June 2006 and June 2011.
Florida gets good news for a change
No Southern state was hammered more so than The Sunshine State in The Great Recession. Good news has been hard to find down there, but in September, Standard & Poor's improved Florida's AAA credit rating from negative to stable. The state has added more than 60,000 private sector jobs so far in 2011.
La. Gov. Jindal announces Sasol might build $8 billion GTL complex
In September, La. Gov. Bobby Jindal announced that South Africa-based Sasol has selected Calcasieu Parish, La. as the location for a potential gas-to-liquids (GTL) complex that could entail a capital investment of $8 to $10 billion. The facility would consume about 305 billion standard cubic feet of natural gas per year. The complex would provide a new source of demand for the Haynesville Shale and other natural gas plays in Louisiana.
Southeast manufacturing perks up as nation slows down
The Southeast Purchasing Managers Index, which analyzes manufacturing activity in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee, rose 4.1 points in August to 58.3, according to Georgia's Kennesaw State University. A score above 50 means the manufacturing sector is growing. In August, the national rate was 50.6.
Manufacturing back on top
It's been a couple of decades since industrial companies' relative valuation topped that of technology companies. But a chart published in Mother Jones in the summer showed that for the first time in two decades (and possibly the first time ever), the PE ratio of tech companies is lower than the PE ratio of industrial companies. The article further stated, "In other words, given a choice between a tech company with earnings of $1 billion and an industrial company with earnings of $1 billion, investors today would pay a higher price for the industrial company. Generally speaking, this means that investors think the industrial company has better long-term growth prospects than the tech company."
Oklahoma Governor promoting unmanned aerial industry
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin was the only governor to attend the recently held Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International convention in Washington and she had a reason for going. Fallin believes Oklahoma is uniquely situated to recruit companies in the unmanned vehicle industry field. In an article published in the Tulsa World in September, Fallin said that Oklahoma has a "unique capacity other states don't have." Among Oklahoma's unique assets for unmanned vehicle design, testing and production include research already being done at Oklahoma State University, the 40,000-foot restricted air space for testing the vehicles at Fort Sill in Lawton and the 150,000 Oklahomans already working at aerospace facilities throughout the state. Fallin recently appointed Stephen McKeever of Oklahoma State to lead the state's Unmanned Aerial Systems Council.
Hyundai Heavy receives 14,000 applications for Montgomery, Ala. plant
South Korea-based Hyundai Heavy Industries is hiring 500 workers for its plant in Montgomery, Ala. that will produce giant, one million pound transformers. As of September, the company had received over 14,000 applications for those 500 jobs. Hyundai currently claims about 40 percent of the North American transformer market and expects the new plant will give it 50 percent. Hyundai Heavy is investing $120 million in the project.
Texas Film Commission to boost incentives for video game industry
In an effort to keep attracting video game jobs to Texas, the Texas Film Commission will boost incentives for the gaming industry to a level equivalent to those given to film and television projects. Under the new rules, video game companies can apply for grants that will reimburse them up to 15 percent "of eligible in-state spending paid to Texas residents" — up from 5 percent previously.
SandRidge Energy expects to employ 2,000 in downtown OKC
SandRidge Energy announced in September it expects to triple its workforce in downtown Oklahoma City within five years. The company, which operates from the 29-story SandRidge Building, is planning to build a similar-sized facility to accommodate up to 2,000 employees. SandRidge estimates it will cost about $150 million for the expansion.
Tampa to Havana flight first since 1962
In September, the first commercial airline flight from Tampa to Havana took place in almost 50 years. The 75-minute charter flight, linking the two cities with long historical ties, was the result of an effort by Tampa airport and political leaders in Florida to win federal approval for nonstop flights to Cuba.
Newport News Shipbuilding to hire thousands
Newport News Shipbuilding is moving ahead with plans to hire thousands of workers over the next few years. The shipyard, which turned 125 years old in January, is the only yard in the nation that makes aircraft carriers and the site is in the process of constructing the Gerald R. Ford, the first of a new class of carrier. It is also preparing to build a second carrier in the class, the John F. Kennedy and also, in September, it was announced that the yard would build another fast-attack sub. The shipyard, which currently employs about 20,000, could add as many as 15,000 workers over the next five years.
Austin CEOs search for talent in California
In September, 30 Austin-based high-tech CEOs visited California in search of technically talented labor. The CEOs visited San Francisco and Sunnyvale and met with engineers in an effort to relocate them to Austin. The CEOs maintained that Austin features plenty of technical talent but that future growth will require that more high-tech workers live in Texas' capital city.
Arkansas Gov. Beebe sets Nov. 8 special election for highway bond vote
In the late summer, Gov. Mike Beebe signed a proclamation that sets a Nov. 8 special election for voters to consider a $575 million bond program for interstate improvements. Arkansas Highway Commission Chairman Madison Murphy said approval would generate about $1 billion in highway construction and spur about 27,500 jobs.
New Orleans named "America's Best City for Singles"
New Orleans topped Travel+Leisure magazine's list of "America's Best City for Singles" for the second consecutive year. The magazine cited "fascinating people, neighborhood cafes, music" and "cocktails" in the ranking.
West Virginia ranks third in job creation according to Gallup
Gallup's Job Creation Index that came out in the summer shows that West Virginia ranks third in the nation in job creation during the first half of 2011. North Dakota topped the chart, followed by Washington, D.C. Gallup reported that energy producing states such as Oklahoma and West Virginia in the South have ranked in the 10-best job generating state markets for the past three years.
Louisiana FastStart named nation's best state workforce training program for second consecutive year
In the summer quarter, Louisiana FastStart was named the nation's best state workforce training program for the second straight year by Business Facilities magazine. Georgia (2), North Carolina (3), Florida (5), Alabama (7) and South Carolina (8) made the publication's top 10 training programs.
Wall Street Journal names Nashville as hot spot for startups
The Wall Street Journal picked Nashville as one of seven cities in the U.S. that attracts entrepreneurs by being a hub for a particular industry. Nashville serves as a hub for the health care industry with more than 250 health-related companies. The article says the city is set to benefit from health care reform, from increased employment in a variety of health-care fields, and from new technology and innovation. The state gets credit for fostering the industry with millions in public funds to keep it moving forward.
SunTrust's Ga. HQ moving to Midtown Atlanta
Just weeks after losing one prized lease deal, John Dewberry's Campanile building in Midtown signed another: SunTrust Banks Inc. Next April, the Georgia division of the Atlanta-based bank will relocate 350 employees to the former BellSouth headquarters building in Midtown from another location in downtown Atlanta.
Developers scrap plans for Louisville's $465 million Museum Plaza
They spent at least $20 million, lined up a major hotel and secured city, state and federal funding commitments, but the developers of Louisville's Museum Plaza have abandoned the futuristic skyscraper project because of trouble getting a construction loan. The city will retain ownership of the site near Seventh and Main streets, although there are no immediate plans for its use, Mayor Greg Fischer said.
N.C. could be home to 4,000 acre solar project
Two of the most controversial pieces of land in Guilford County, N.C. have emerged as possible candidates for an ambitious solar farm project. A team from National Solar Power recently toured the White Street Landfill and Guilford County Prison Farm. National Solar Power, a startup company from Melbourne, Fla., wants to build a 4,000-acre, $1.4 billion solar farm on one of the sites.
Parts in place to assemble first Boeing 787 in North Charleston, S.C.
Boeing's North Charleston, S.C. final assembly line has received its first locally fabricated Boeing 787 aft fuselage, completing the final shipments for the first aircraft to be built at the company's new final assembly line, the company confirmed in August.
Port Everglades gets OK on intermodal yard agreement
Broward County, Fla. commissioners unanimously approved an agreement with the Florida East Coast Railway to construct and operate a Port Everglades intermodal yard. The Intermodal Container Transfer Facility, on 42.5 acres of port land, will facilitate the transfer of cargo from Port Everglades to the FEC rail line via a connecting rail spur. The FEC is already working on an intermodal project involving the Port of Miami.
Everglades Inland Port back on front burner
In late July, the on-again, off-again endeavor that would bring a major intermodal center to the Glades region of Palm Beach County that would link to the Port of Palm Beach moved up to the front burner. The Port of Palm Beach and Florida Crystals Corp., the sugar company and a large land owner in the Glades, announced they have decided to collaborate on the project, which will be called the South Florida Intermodal Logistics Center. The project is slated to be built on 850 acres Florida Crystals owns off U.S. 27 in rural South Bay, Fla.
Ga. Gov. Nathan Deal: Obama will seek money for Savannah harbor deepening
In a speech to the Georgia Black Legislative Caucus in September, Ga. Gov. Nathan Deal predicted that President Obama will seek funds to deepen the Savannah harbor to accommodate huge cargo ships that will call on the East Coast once the Panama Canal's expansion is complete in 2014. In the speech, Deal said, "This (Savannah) is the only port in the United States where exports exceed imports." Port officials estimate that deepening the port will require $253 million from the state and $372 million from the federal government.
Birmingham lands a big Bass
BASS LLC announced in the summer it is relocating its corporate headquarters from Orlando to Birmingham, Ala. BASS was founded in Montgomery by Ray Scott in 1968 and was headquartered there for years until it moved to the Orlando area after ESPN purchased the company in 2001. The move back to Alabama will include BASS' publication division, its tournament tours, sales and management and corporate executive positions. The deal is expected to create about 50 jobs. The television production company affiliated with BASS will remain in Little Rock.
Mayors of Louisville and Lexington, Ky. creating "super region"
Economic development officials and politicos in Kentucky's two largest markets -- Louisville and Lexington -- are coordinating a regional economic development bond. Mayors' Jim Gray of Lexington and Greg Fischer of Louisville are working to develop a "super region" that will market itself initially as a cluster for the automotive industry. Ford operates large facilities in Louisville and Toyota's largest North American plant is located in Georgetown, Ky.
Virginia earns $311 million surplus
While the federal government wrestled with its debt, Virginia has quietly turned the corner with its finances, showing a surplus of $311 million for the 2010-2011 fiscal year. It is the second straight year that Virginia has experienced higher than expected revenues.
$200 million in upgrades planned for Charleston, S.C. airport
South Carolina's Charleston International Airport is getting $200 million in upgrades during the next four years. The improvements will include six new gates at expanded concourses with more shops, an expansion of the existing parking garage, and a larger baggage handling area. The tarmac around the terminal will also be expanded. In a separate project, the U.S. Air Force plans to rip up and then repave the airport's main 9,000-foot main landing strip that it shares with the international airport. Boeing's new 787 plant is also a user of the airport.
Private deep-water port complex in La. could have investors by fall
A privately funded deep-water transfer terminal planned for the mouth of the Mississippi River could have investors as soon as this fall quarter, according to Louisiana State Sen. A.G. Crowe. If built, the port, called the Louisiana International Gulf Transfer Terminal, could accommodate mega-vessels that will be able to navigate the Panama Canal by 2014. Ports on the Mississippi River such as the Port of New Orleans and Port of South Louisiana will be unable to accommodate such large vessels. The state of Louisiana is not expected to contribute financially to the proposed project.
La. exports see highest single-quarter result in history
Louisiana shipped $15 billion in goods in the first quarter of 2011, a 47.7 percent increase from the same quarter in 2010. The $15 billion was the highest value quarter on record in Louisiana.
La. Governor signs Digital Media and Technology Commercialization tax credit bills
In July, La. Gov. Bobby Jindal signed new legislation that enhances Louisiana's Digital Interactive Media and Software tax credit. Another signed bill enhances and extends the Technology Commercialization and Jobs Tax Credit. Senate Bill 123 enhances the Digital Media Incentive by offering a refundable, rather than transferable tax credit. Senate Bill 134 extends the Technology Commercialization tax credit for another six years through 2017.
Kennedy Space Center-based nonprofit to manage International Space Station Lab
NASA announced in the summer that a group of partners led by Space Florida will run a nonprofit that will manage the portion of the International Space Station designated as a U.S. national laboratory. Called the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, or CASIS, the organization will be based at the state-operated Space Life Sciences Lab on KSC property. With the station assembly complete, NASA says it is now focused on fully utilizing the space station and maximizing a return on investment in the $100 billion complex.
Annexed farmland in Huntsville has master plan
In 2007 and 2008, Volkswagen took a long hard look at a farm off of Interstate 65 in Limestone Co., Ala. before choosing the Enterprise South industrial park in Chattanooga for its first U.S. assembly plant since 1988. During that site search, the city of Huntsville annexed 9,233 acres of the Limestone County land in order to help lure VW. But the site had no master plan or infrastructure in place to serve an automotive assembly plant. Now that there are reports that at least three foreign automakers are looking to build new assembly plants in the Southern Automotive Corridor -- Audi, Volvo and Hyundai/Kia -- the city of Huntsville has developed a detailed master plan for roads, schools, parks, neighborhoods and businesses that could be built around a large industrial user of the property.
Houston fastest growing market of the decade
Based on analyses of the 2000 and 2010 censuses by the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University, the greater Houston metropolitan area was the fastest growing U.S. market in those 10 years. From 2000 to 2010, Houston added 1,231,393 residents.
Kentucky launches new economic development plan
The Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development has hired Boyette Strategic Advisors of Little Rock to develop a statewide economic development strategic plan. Called "Kentucky's Unbridled Future," the plan is expected to be released in October. It will identify Kentucky's emerging business sectors and make recommendations to position the Commonwealth for job generation based on assets for business that are available in the state.
Nine of the "Next Biggest Boom Towns in the U.S." are located in the South
Forbes recently came out with its ranking "The Next Biggest Boom Towns in the U.S." and nine of the top 10 were in the American South. Ranking first was Austin, followed by Raleigh, Nashville, San Antonio, Houston, D.C., Dallas, Charlotte, Phoenix and Orlando. If SB&D were to do the same ranking, our list would be different. This is how we would rank the next "boom towns." Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Baton Rouge, Dallas, Fort Worth, Raleigh, Charlotte, D.C. and New Orleans.
Lewisburg, W.Va. ranks as "Coolest Small Town in America"
Lewisburg, in Greenbrier Co., W.Va. took top honors in the 2011 list of the "Coolest Small Towns in America." The annual list published by Budget Travel, looks for towns with populations of less than 10,000 that have "everything -- great coffee, food with character and shop owners with purpose."
Virginia Senators introduce bill to drill off coast
In the summer, Virginia Sens. Jim Webb and Mark Warner, introduced a bill that would allow oil and natural gas drilling off the state's coast starting next year. The Virginia Outer Continental Shelf Energy Production Act of 2011 would increase the area open to exploration and production and direct half of any leasing revenues to be paid to Virginia to support a variety of projects, including land and water conservation efforts, development of clean energy resources, road infrastructure and other infrastructure improvements in the state.
Report shows Oklahoma's economy expanding at rapid pace
In an AP story published in the summer quarter, Oklahoma Treasurer Ken Miller announced that the state's economy continues to improve at an "accelerating pace," with gross tax receipts in June that were 15 percent higher than June of 2010. Tax receipts in June topped $1 billion and Miller said much of the increase can be attributed to Oklahoma's oil and gas industry.
Virginia wins CNBC's Best States for Business
Virginia again topped CNBC's annual "Best States for Business" ranking that was released this summer. Texas placed second, North Carolina third and Georgia fourth.
Virginia again named top state for business
Pollina Corporate Real Estate has named Virginia the top state for business in its annual rankings. It marks the third straight year that the Commonwealth has held the top spot in the Pollina rankings. Virginia won the 2011 rankings by the largest margin in the history of the study.
Tennessee announces Startup Tennessee
In the summer, Tennessee officials announced Startup Tennessee, a job-generating effort to help the state's entrepreneurs. Part of the initiative is to develop a Web site to connect entrepreneurs with investors, training programs and mentors. The program also uses business incubators to share best practices and assists startups with free resources that are available from large firms through their affiliation with the Startup America Partnership. The state also plans to develop a grant program of up to $10 million to fund business incubators in each of nine economic development zones in Tennessee. The program is the latest development in Gov. Bill Haslam's Jobs4TN economic development initiative.
Mississippi Port expansion to create "thousands of jobs"
The expansion of the Mississippi State Port of Gulfport will create thousands of jobs and Gov. Haley Barbour told reporters in the summer that "I honestly believe 25 years from now we'll look back -- I won't because I'll be dead and gone -- but you young people will look back and say this is the biggest economic development project in the history of Mississippi." The Port of Gulfport was heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina in August of 2005. The port is now undergoing an expansion that will elevate the facility.
Gov. Perry signs tax break for Texas aviation employers
In the summer, Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed legislation that reduces tax appraisals on aircraft production in Texas. The bill requires aircraft temporarily in the state for assembly to be appraised at 10 percent of their market value, reducing tax obligations for large aviation employers like Boeing. The governor signed the legislation during a ceremony at Boeing's San Antonio facility.
Oil industry is huge in Oklahoma
A recently released study by Oklahoma City University showed that the oil and gas industry is far and away Oklahoma's largest industry. Nearly 300,000 jobs are tied to the oil and gas industry in Oklahoma and the sector injected about $51 billion into the state's economy in 2009. According to the study, about one out of every seven jobs in Oklahoma is directly or indirectly tied to the oil and gas industry and according to Oklahoma's treasurer the oil industry paid more than $100 million in taxes to the state in August of this year.
Cheniere Energy announces one of the largest single investments ever in the South
One of the largest capital investments in the history of economic development in the South and the largest in Louisiana was announced in July. Cheniere Energy CEO Charif Souki announced that the company will construct a $6.5 billion natural gas liquefaction facility at Cheniere's Sabine Pass terminal in Cameron Parish, La. The new facility will handle the shipment of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, from the company's international LNG terminal.
South's manufacturing sector is on a big time roll
A new study released in July by On Numbers showed that durable-goods manufacturing was by far the fastest growing industry sector in the South in calendar year 2010. The study revealed that manufacturing added .59 percentage points to gross state products on average in each Southern state. Tennessee saw the largest increase in GSP of any Southern state with a gain of 3.52 percent. North Carolina and Kentucky followed Tennessee with gains of 3.42 and 3.24 points respectively. Retail trade was the second-fastest growing industry in the South, although it was a distant second adding on average .36 percentage points to each Southern state's GSP in 2010.
Deals at deadline
The Bridgestone Metalpha plant in Clarksville, Tenn. is expanding. The company will produce off-road radial steel cord tires in 2015. The project means an investment of $75 million. Time Warner announced in September it will create 500 new jobs over five years in Tampa, Fla. Tampa beat Atlanta for the project. Primerica, an insurance carrier, announced it is consolidating several facilities in Gwinnett Co., Ga. to a new, 350,000-square-foot headquarters in the county. Primerica is Gwinnett Co.'s fourth-largest employer. KP Components, a Denmark-based precision machining supplier, announced plans for a new facility in Pickens Co., S.C. The $10 million project will create 50 new jobs. TRG Customer Solutions is hiring 300 at a call center in Maury County, Tenn. The company has subleased a building that is on GM's Spring Hill, Tenn. campus. Akebono Brake unveiled a major expansion at its Barren County, Ky. facility. The $20.6 million project, which added 60,000 square feet to its existing facility, is expected to result in 224 new jobs in the Commonwealth. The company supplies brakes and brake components. GAF announced in September it plans to open a manufacturing facility in Statesboro, Ga. The deal will create 50 jobs. Otis Elevator is opening a manufacturing facility in Florence, S.C. The plant will build energy efficient elevators and is expected to house 360 workers. New York-based PetCareRx is expanding its facility in Americus, Ga. The project will add 100 new jobs in rural Georgia. A division of InterTech Group is expected to bring 350 jobs to North Charleston, S.C. The plant will be a supplier to aerospace manufacturers in the South. Humana will add 200 jobs at its national Medicare call center in Louisville, Ky. Pontotoc, Miss. landed its first Toyota parts supplier in September. KC Integrated Services is opening a logistics center in rural Mississippi. The deal will create 100 jobs. Beckmann Volmer broke ground on a $12 million plant in Osceola, Ark. in September. The German manufacturer of steel components is expected to employ 300. Global Components has selected Manatee Co., Fla. for a plant. The plastic injection molded component manufacturer will hire 50.
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