Summer 2005

Relocations and Expansions  

ALABAMA  

EADS North America Selects Mobile as the Location for KC-330 Advanced Tanker U.S. Production Facility

EADS North America selected Mobile’s Brookley Industrial Complex as the site for the EADS KC-330 advanced tanker U.S. production facility. An Airbus Engineering Center will be co-located with the future production facility and is scheduled to begin operations in 2006. The decision to locate in Mobile followed a five-month nationwide search for the location that will become the center of activity for the KC-330, which is being offered to recapitalize the U.S. Air Force’s aerial refueling fleet. The original list of 70 sites was narrowed to four southern-state finalists—Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, and South Carolina. The $600 million engineering and assembly center will employ as many as 1,150 workers.

Largest Truckload Provider in U.S. Delivers 100 New Jobs in Northern Alabama

Schneider National Inc., a provider of transportation, logistics, and related services, will add 100 new professional truck-driving positions in greater Huntsville. The company is expanding its presence in Northern Alabama and Tennessee to support a range of Schneider clients in the region, including several Fortune 500 companies.

Wayne Farms Announces $10.5 Million Expansion and 112 New Jobs at Enterprise Facility

Wayne Farms LLC announced plans for a $10.5 million expansion, which includes a $6.8 million facility expansion at the processing plant located outside of Enterprise, Ala.

Russell Adding 150 Jobs in Alexander City

Russell Corporation is expanding its textile operations in Alexander City as it converts manufacturing supporting its Activewear business. The company is moving the plant to a continuous operation, which will add 150 new jobs.

Goodrich Expanding and Adding Jobs in Foley

Local Goodrich Corp. officials say that strong sales and new contracts with major airlines in North America and with the U.S. military will allow the aerospace manufacturer to expand its Baldwin County operations and hire 88 workers by the end of 2005. The expansion plans were announced at Goodrich’s 300,000 square-foot Foley facility, which is split between a department that builds new airplane equipment and another that furbishes old parts.

Texas Plastics Company Expands in Alabama

Garland, Texas-based Lone Star Plastics is expanding to Alabama. The company is purchasing the closed Bemis Corp. Inc. plant in Prattville for $1.67 million. The move represents a $16 million investment and will bring 100 jobs to the area within the first five years. Just north of Montgomery, Prattville is part of the capital city’s metropolitan statistical area. The plant has been vacant for about two years. The plant will start manufacturing the first week of October. The company chose the plant because there is room to expand its growing operations and the facility was fitted to meet its needs.

ARKANSAS

HYD-MECH Opens Facility in Conway

HYD-MECH Group Limited based in Ontario, Canada, opened a new manufacturing plant in Conway, Ark., which will employ up to 40 people within the next two years. HYD-MECH will occupy 21,000 square feet of the Covington Commercial Complex. The 400,000 square-foot complex is the former Carrier Refrigeration facility, which has been renovated and converted into multi-tenant space. HYD-MECH, a world leader in metal cut-off bandsaw technology, chose Conway as the location for its only U.S. plant.

Newport Company to Open in Jackson County

America’s Choice Products LLC of Newport is opening in Jackson County and expects to hire between 65 and 75 people. In Arkansas, the company will manufacture a variety of items including insoles for shoes in its 100,000 square-foot building.

Southern Refrigerated Transport, Inc. to Locate in Miller

Southern Refrigerated Transport, Inc. (SRT) broke ground today on a new facility in Texarkana that will eventually employ 1,500 people. The total investment by the company will be $13 million and construction of the new facility is projected to be completed by summer 2006. The new facility will be located on a 45-acre site on Interstate 30. It will consist of a 40,000 square-foot office building and a 38,000 square-foot maintenance facility.

New Lumber Company to Build $10 Million Facility in Sheridan

Anthony Hardwood Composites, Inc., a new manufacturing outfit that laminates dried hardwood lumber products into industrial components, will spend $10 million on a new Sheridan, Ark. facility that will eventually employ about 100 people. The new company produces platforms with predictable engineered strength and stress characteristics to support heavy equipment working in areas with difficult or unreliable soil conditions or terrain. The process, which is being patented, will use the abundant, low-value hardwood products developed by sawmills in the region.

Whisper Creek Log Homes Chooses Mountain Home

A Canadian log home manufacturer has chosen Mountain Home for a state-of-the-art production facility. The company manufactures complete, “factory-built” homes using real wood logs as facing. Whisper Creek purchased an existing building in the Midway Industrial Park and operation is now underway with a workforce of 50. The company plans to hire another 75 within the next two years.

JW Aluminum Expands in Russellville

JW Aluminum Company has opened a new melting and casting operation at the company’s aluminum rolling facility in Russellville. When the new operation is up and running in 2006, total capacity of the Russellville facility will increase to 120 million pounds of aluminum sheet and foil, up from current capacity of 12 million pounds a year. The company also expects to hire additional workers, bringing the total from 40 to 125. The expansion is part of the previously announced strategy to dramatically grow the Russellville plant, which JW Aluminum purchased in April 2004. JW Aluminum currently employs 800 at its three aluminum rolling operations--all located in the South—in South Carolina, Missouri, and Arkansas.

ConAgra Foods Expands Russellville Plant

ConAgra Foods, Inc., one of North America’s largest packaged foods companies, announced today the immediate expansion of its food processing facility in Russellville, Arkansas. By the anticipated October 2005 completion date, ConAgra Foods will have added approximately 50,000 square feet of processing space and increased employment by an additional 75 jobs. The expansion will allow the company to increase production of its line of Banquet Products.

Kimberly-Clark to Expand Production at Conway Facility

Kimberly-Clark is consolidating its six North American and European adult and feminine care operations into three strategic sites. Locally, production capacity at the Conway facility will be expanded. The company also will expand production at its Neenah Cold Spring, Wis., plant and will maintain its operation in Litovel in the Czech Republic.

FLORIDA  

HSBC-North America to Open Tampa Facility and Increase Employment

HSBC-North America is expanding its employment in the Tampa Bay region by as many as 250 by the end of 2005 and by 500 by the end of 2007. The top-10 financial services firm is expanding to accommodate growth in customer service and management functions supporting HSBC Mortgage Services, which currently employs more than 1,000 in the Tampa Bay region.

Call Center Operations Coming to Spring Hill

Gold Key Credit, Inc., a call center corporation with operations in Key West, Fla. and Chenai, India, opened a 3,600 square-foot office within the Hernando County Airport Industrial Park. Gold Key specializes in third-party agency collections of medical and consumer debt.

Tervis Tumbler Co. Moving Headquarters and Manufacturing Facility to Venice

Tervis Tumbler Co., which manufactures insulated drinkware featuring emblems or graphics that are ultrasonically sealed between clear walls, will relocate its headquarters and manufacturing operations this fall to a new 55,000 square-foot facility in Venice, Fla. The company will invest $7.5 million and will employ 120 after the expansion.

Citi Cards to Open New Facility in Jacksonville

Citi Cards is opening a $93 million, 580,000 square-foot center as part of its expansion that will add 400 jobs in Jacksonville. The new center will offer customer service, collections, and technology support for the company. Citi Cards, a division of Citigroup, began as a startup company in Jacksonville in 1990. It now employs more than 4,000 in the area.

Humana Announces New Call Center in West Tampa

Humana Inc. plans to add 200 jobs in West Tampa, opening a call center to support its rapidly growing Medicare business. By adding the new positions, Humana will boost its Tampa Bay area workforce to more than 525 employees by fall 2005. The new call center positions will be mostly in sales and marketing and will support Humana Direct Marketing Services for the company’s Medicare benefit plans. The company will lease about 40,000 square feet for the new center at NetP@ark.

Fort Lauderdale Wins Competition for 660 Kaplan Jobs

Kaplan University will bring its new 660-job hub to Fort Lauderdale. The city won the jobs after a competition with Atlanta and Chicago for the 100,000 square-foot support center, which is needed to help the university educate its rapidly growing base of 21,000 mostly online students. Kaplan University already operates smaller support centers in other locations nationwide including Florida markets Delray Beach and Boca Raton.

German Manufacturer Relocates to Palmetto

A German conveyor and finishing machinery manufacturer is relocating its corporate headquarters from Hanover Park, Ill. to a new 80,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in Palmetto next year. Gämmerler Corp’s new facility will include 70,000 square feet of production space and 10,000 square feet of office space. The facility will house automation equipment and is scheduled to open in April 2006.

GEORGIA

Castleberry Expands in Augusta

One of Augusta’s long-time manufacturing firms is expanding. Castleberry/Snow’s Brands will add as many as 200 new jobs before the end of 2005 and will invest more than $9 million adding two new food lines to its processing facility. Approximately 66 of the new jobs are being added thanks to a business deal with Kellogg’s to produce imitation meat products. The relocation of a Bumble Bee chicken processing plant from Alabama will create about 120 more jobs and bring new resealable pouch packaging to the Augusta facility. A 15,000 square-foot addition to the Castleberry plant is under construction to make room for the new production.

Perdue Farms Plans $155 Million Expansion in Georgia, Adds 1,000 Jobs

Perdue Farms is expanding its Georgia operations by growing its existing facilities in Houston and Monroe counties, bringing 1,000 new jobs and a total investment of $155 million to the state. According to the company, Perdue Farms plans to invest $146 million by 2009 to expand its Houston County operation.  The company is adding a cooking plant to the facility and plans to double the capacity of the existing processing plant.  Perdue also has plans to open a distribution center at the site. Together, these projects will open 925 new jobs to Georgians.  The company has said it will invest an additional $9 million to upgrade its feed mill and hatchery in Monroe County, creating approximately 75 jobs.

NBTY Incorporated Selects Augusta for Manufacturing Facility

A New York-based nutritional supplement company has chosen Augusta-Richmond County for its new southeastern manufacturing facility. The $40 million facility will create 250 new jobs in Augusta, representing one of the largest announcements in Georgia this year. NBTY will purchase a 400,000 square-foot building in South Augusta along with 27 additional acres for future expansion.

Wrigley Moving Jobs to Metro Atlanta

The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co’s Atlanta-area plant will soon get additional gum production work and likely more jobs as part of Wrigley’s $1.5 billion acquisition of some assets of Kraft Foods Global Inc. The acquisition has triggered realignment for Wrigley’s. The company is shutting down its oldest gum factory on Chicago’s South Side, which may result in some of those 600 jobs coming to the company’s Gainesville plant near Atlanta. The company is also planning to move its gum base manufacturing from New Jersey to Georgia.

KANSAS

Wausau Supply Selects Kansas City for Newest Operations

Wausau Supply Company announced its plans to begin construction on phase one of an eventual $8 million, 300,000 square-foot distribution center at New Century AirCenter in Gardner, Kan., part of the Greater Kansas City area. Based in Wisconsin, Wausau Supply is a leading distributor of wholesale building materials serving retail lumberyards across the Central United States. Wausau Supply has currently leased 20 acres at New Century with the option to lease an additional 15 acres. The company will initially build a 100,000 square-foot facility expanding to 300,000 square feet upon completion. The company also projects that it will create 75 new jobs.

Pharmacy Benefit Management Company Coming to Overland Park

A new 850-job mail order and customer service facility for a West Coast pharmacy benefit management company is coming to Overland Park International Trade Center. PacifiCare Health Systems, the parent company of Prescription Solutions of Costa Mesa, Calif., has selected Kansas for its third mail-order fulfillment center. After the expansion, Prescription Solutions will occupy 175,000 square feet. The company plans to invest as much as $35 million to furnish and equip the facility, which will have the capacity to fill 50,000 prescriptions in an eight-hour shift.

Composites Manufacturer Expands in Wichita

Composites manufacturer Fiber Dynamics announced a $3.8 million expansion project that will more than triple its employee base. The expansion will add 79 jobs and includes a new corporate headquarters and manufacturing facility in Wichita’s Mid-Continent Industrial Park. The company makes advanced composite parts for aviation, automotive, medical and military applications.

KENTUCKY

1,113 Job Expansion by Humana in Louisville and Northern Kentucky

Humana, Inc., Kentucky’s largest publicly traded company will expand its operations in Louisville and Northern Kentucky. The new jobs will have an annual payroll of more than $55 million. The combined $5.7 million investment will be spread out over 4 locations, including Humana’s headquarters in Downtown Louisville. Humana is considering property in other parts of Louisville for two other parts of its expansion. Newport in Northern Kentucky was chosen as its 4 th expansion location.

Fidelity Investments Grows Workforce at Northern Kentucky Operations

Fidelity Investments will consolidate its Midwest operations and expand entirely on the Covington campus. The company will invest $115 million and create 1,500 jobs. Fidelity will begin construction later this year on a new 350,000 square-foot facility on the 188-acre campus, which currently houses more than 2,900 employees. The building will be the fourth built on the Covington campus since 1994 and is expected to open as early as the end of 2007.

Sonopress and Coral Graphics to Open Production Facility in Louisville

Sonopress LLC, a leader in media services, and Coral Graphics Services, both part of the arvato/Bertelsmann family of companies, have formed a joint venture to open a new facility in Louisville. The 260,000 square-foot production facility, slated to open in July 2005, will initially create 100 full time jobs. The Louisville facility will initially house printing, auto assembly, and display build capabilities and focus on the entertainment and software industries.

ARAMARK Uniforms to Add 100 New Jobs in Lexington

Lexington-based ARAMARK Uniform and Career Apparel will renovate an existing building and centralize part of its business operations, creating 100 new jobs. ARAMARK is a leader in uniforms and workwear, as well as career and image apparel, equipment, work clothes, and accessories for customers throughout the U.S. Headquartered in Philadelphia, ARAMARK has 242,500 employees serving clients in 20 countries.

Mercer Selects Louisville for New Division

Mercer Human Resource Consulting LLC, based in New York City, has selected Louisville as the home for its new division that will be launched in October 2005. The company’s new Retirement Service Center will bring 170 new jobs to the area and the company will expand its downtown offices. The company already has a strong presence in Louisville with more than 500 full-time employees.

Airport officials are razing a 50-year-old warehouse complex to make room for United Parcel Service’s expansion at Louisville International Airport. UPS plans to build an $82 million, 700,000 square-foot heavy-freight air hub. The first phase of the new facility will open in May 2006, with the second opening two months later. The project is expected to create 120 full-time and 600 part-time jobs and generate an additional annual payroll of about $12 million. The project could create another 280 full-time jobs during the next decade.

Mining Machinery Company to Locate in Lebanon

Joy Mining Machinery, a developer, manufacturer, distributor and service provider of underground mining equipment is locating its new manufacturing and service operation in Lebanon. The $7.1 million investment will create more than 200 new jobs in the commonwealth. The company has purchased a 90,000 square-foot building on 13 acres in Marion County, which is expected to be operational by Fall 2005.

Loan Operations Center to Locate in Owensboro

BayRock Mortgage Corporation, a privately held subprime mortgage lender, will locate a new 25,000 square-foot loan operations center in Owensboro. The project represents a $1.7 million investment and will create approximately 100 new jobs in the commonwealth. Headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, BayRock’s Owensboro location will allow the company to expand its business operations and gain a more national presence. With a focus on the western U.S., the new operations center will facilitate business-to-business transactions.

Boat Company Invests $6.2 Million in McDowell County

Cobia Boat Company LLC, a manufacturer specializing in offshore, saltwater fishing boats, will create 292 new jobs and an investment of $6.2 million in McDowell County during the next five years. Since the company changed ownership in March 2005, Florida-based Cobia Boats has been unable to keep up with demand for its boats, creating a large backlog and the need for a second production facility. That facility will be located in the McDowell County Industrial Park in Marion. The company plans to start construction on the 106,500-square-foot building in September, with operations expected to begin in February 2006.

MARYLAND

General Dynamics to Add 100 to Maryland Workforce

General Dynamics will expand its workforce in Anne Arundel County, Md., creating 100 new jobs and boosting the company’s number of workers in the location to 450. Also part of the expansion, the defense contractor will occupy 62,000 square feet of office space in the newly developed Arundel Mills Corporate Park in Hanover.

Baltimore County Locks in 200 New Lockheed Jobs

A Lockheed Martin subsidiary will add 100 new jobs in Maryland to support major information technology contracts with the Social Security Administration and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Also, Lockheed Martin Information Technology (LMIT) said it has already hired approximately 100 new graduates from Baltimore-area colleges and universities to meet these contracts’ requirements. LMIT has moved into a 39,000 square-foot facility in Baltimore County.

Hanover Lands 300 New Verizon Wireless Jobs

A new customer service call center for Verizon Wireless will bring 300 new jobs to Hanover by year’s end. The new 139,000 square-foot facility is about 12 miles from Verizon’s existing facility in Laurel. According to the company, as many as 1,100 people could eventually work at the Hanover facility.

MISSISSIPPI

A New Industry and New Jobs Coming to Greater Starkville

AEA Technology, based in the United Kingdom, has entered a partnership with Mississippi State University to establish a research and development (R&D) facility to produce portable power systems in support of space, defense and homeland security missions. The partnership will mean 20 R&D jobs for the area immediately with up to 100 additional jobs if a production facility follows.

Casket Plant Set to Expand

Hillenbrand Industries is expanding its Batesville Casket plant in Panola in efforts to reduce overall manufacturing costs. Hillenbrand will close its Nashua, N.H. plant and consolidate production with the Mississippi plant in a $4.4 million project. The consolidation is expected to be complete by July 2006. Batesville Casket is a manufacturer of bronze, copper, stainless steel, steel and hardwood caskets. The company currently has five plants in five states and employs more than 3,500 people.

MISSOURI

Wine and Liquor Distributor Pours $10 Million into St. Charles Facility

Dallas-based wine and liquor distributor Glazer’s Wholesale Distributors plans to build a new facility on 13 acres in St. Charles in 2007. The company also plans to close its St. Lois facility. The $10 million facility will have between 200,000 and 225,000 square feet in its first phase and will employ 200. Construction is slated to begin by the end of the year and be completed in 2006.

NORTH CAROLINA

Illinois-based Company Expands in Huntersville

Manufacturer of disposable plastic cups, bowls and straws Prairie Packaging, Inc. is creating 242 jobs and investing $48 million near Charlotte. The Illinois-based company will build its East Coast manufacturing and distribution center that could ultimately encompass 700,000 square feet in the North Mecklenberg Industrial Park, which is a joint venture of the towns of Cornelius, Davidson, and Huntersville. Prairie will begin construction of a 250,000 square-foot facility in August and will start production within a year.

British Firm Selects Raleigh for North American Headquarters

British data management company Datatrial has opened its new North American headquarters in Raleigh and is looking to hire 150 people over the next four years. Datatrial makes products for the clinical research community using electronic data capture technology. The new center will serve biotech and pharma companies.

150 New Jobs Going to Lincolnton

RSI Home Products Inc. is investing $9.25 million in Lincoln County and will create 150 jobs. RSI will add 225,000 square feet to its manufacturing building in Lincoln County Industrial Park. The company is a supplier to home-improvement retailers Lowe’s Cos. Inc. and The Home Depot Inc.

Lowe’s to Expand Distribution Center in Statesville

Lowe’s Cos. Inc. will invest $12 million in an expansion of its regional distribution center in Statesville, creating 50 new jobs. The company will add 324,000 square feet to the center and will be able to handle additional inventory such as major appliances.

Packaging Company to Open in Reidsville

Alcan Inc. will create 170 jobs and invest $42.6 million over the next three years in Reidsville when it opens a tobacco packaging facility. Alcan is a world leader in packaging for food, pharmaceutical, and beauty products.

Textile Company Expands in Alamance County

Apparel manufacturer Kayser-Roth Corp. will expand its Alamance County operations by $7 million, creating 180 new jobs over the next three years. Some of the new manufacturing jobs would be located in a new 100,000 square-foot plant adjacent to the company’s knitting and finishing facility in Burlington.

Another Dell Supplier Headed to Winston-Salem

Austin Foam Plastics Inc., a packaging supplier that serves Dell and other North Carolina clients, will lease a 55,190 square-foot facility in Winston-Salem for use as its Triad manufacturing hub. Austin Foam will hire about 30 permanent and temporary workers.

Credit Suisse First Boston Hires 70 at Research Triangle Park

Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) now has 70 new employees working at its Global Business Center located in Research Triangle Park. The company plans to add an additional 190 jobs at the center by the end of 2005, and eventually could bring employment there to 400. The Global Business Center makes CSFB the first financial services firm to locate a major office in RTP.

National Gypsum Selects Mount Holly for $125M Plant

National Gypsum Co. will create 100 new jobs in Gaston County when it opens a $125 million wallboard plant in Mount Holly. The plant will have an annual capacity of 1 billion square feet of wallboard produced at speeds of more than 500 feet per minute. The plant will also recycle waste material that would otherwise go to landfills. Construction will begin in 2006 and production will begin in 2007.

Dole Food Selects Gaston County

An indirect subsidiary of Dole Food Co. Inc. will spend $54 million to build and equip a processing plant for vegetables in Gaston County. The company, Bud Antle Inc., will create 525 jobs within three years and a total of 900 jobs by 2016.

American Express Expands in High Point

American Express is expanding its travel-related services division in Triad with a new call center that will eventually employ 300 workers. The center is scheduled to go live in mid-September.

Tobacco Packer Invests $42.6 Million in Rockingham County

Alcan Inc. will open a tobacco packaging facility in Reidsville Industrial Park, creating 170 jobs and investing $42.6 million in the state over the next three years. The announcement was made possible in part by a $500,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund. In addition to being a world leader in packaging for food, pharmaceutical, and beauty products, Alcan owns tobacco packaging facilities in Canada, Germany, Malaysia, Turkey, the Netherlands, Kazakhstan, the Philippines, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Apparel Manufacturer Expands in Alamance County

Kayser-Roth Corp., a manufacturer of socks and other apparel, will invest $7 million to expand its operations in Alamance County, creating 180 new jobs during the next three years. The 180 new positions will include manufacturing jobs, some of which will be located in a new 100,000 square foot plant adjacent to the company’s knitting and finishing facility in Burlington.

Textile Company Announces $30 Million Expansion in Gaston County

Pharr Yarns LLC, a manufacturer of high performance carpet and specialty yarns, will invest $30 million to expand its operations in Gaston County, creating 75 new jobs over the next three years. The company’s yarns are used to make such diverse products as protective garments for fire fighters, safety gloves, commercial and residential carpeting, and automotive upholstery.

OKLAHOMA

Hardwood Flooring Firm Selects MidAmerica Industrial Park for Regional Distribution Center

Acadian Hardwoods & Cypress, Inc., a provider of specialty hardwoods, will establish a new regional distribution center at MidAmerica Industrial Park in Pryor Creek. The new distribution center will be located in an existing 30,000 square-foot building at the park. The MidAmerica plant will offer over 75 “species” of lumber from both domestic and imported sources. The company said it chose MidAmerica, in large part, because it is in the middle of its new service area, which includes eastern Oklahoma, northwest Arkansas, southwest Missouri, southeast Kansas, and northern Texas. The facility will employ 20 within the next year.

Dell Expands Customer Service Center in Oklahoma City

Dell Inc., based in Round Rock, Tex., is planning to expand its customer contact center in Oklahoma City, adding a 120,000 square-foot building and increasing its area workforce. In July 2004, Dell announced plans to hire up to 500 employees later and the company increased projections to 700 four months later. The expansion brings projected employment for the Oklahoma center to 1,000 by 2006.

SemGroup is expanding its headquarters and adding nearly 100 new positions to the company’s Tulsa staff. The company will move the headquarters of recently acquired Koch Materials Company from Wichita, Kan. to Tulsa following completion of its acquisition of Koch Pavement Solutions’ asphalt operations and assets located in the United States and Mexico.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Aviation Engineering Regional Headquarters to Locate in Greenville

D3 Technologies Inc. has selected Greenville, S.C. for its new regional headquarters. The company will locate in existing space at the Global Trade Center located off I-85 in Greenville. The company will initially hire 25 engineers and then anticipates employing 100 engineers within five years. D3 Technologies is headquartered in San Diego with satellite offices in Colorado, California, Maryland and Washington State. The Greenville location will serve as the directorate and major engineering design center for D3 Technologies in the southeastern United States. According to company officials, the Greenville location was selected for its close proximity to GSP International Airport and the Global Trade Center site’s proximity to Interstate 85.

Grant Forest Products to Invest $200 Million in Two New S.C. Manufacturing Facilities

Grant Forest Products Inc., a leading provider of engineered wood panel products, will invest more than $400 million in South Carolina, building two manufacturing plants and creating about 240 jobs in Allendale and Clarendon County. The company also plans to buy locally grown timber for broth facilities, which will be the first U.S. manufacturing locations for the Canada-based firm. Construction of the Allendale plant is slated to begin in the fall with expected completion scheduled for late 2006.

HSBC Mortgage Services to Relocate Headquarters to South Carolina

HSBC Mortgage Services, a unit of the top-10 financial services firm HSBC-North America, is relocating its corporate headquarters to Lancaster County in 2006 and will as much as double its workforce within five years, growing to as many as 900 by 2011. The new 182,000 square-foot facility is just south of South Carolina’s border with North Carolina. Located in the EdgeWater Corporate Center, a 90-acre, 1 million square-foot office park, the new location will offer HSBC Mortgage Services nearly 60 percent more space to accommodate its growth.

Trenton Plastics Goes to Edgefield County

Start-up Trenton Plastic Products has invested $5 million to purchase the former Carlisle plant in the Edgefield County community of Trenton. Illinois-based Speedy Tool has launched the new venture to serve its growing customer base in the Southeast. The company plans to hire approximately 200 workers over the next two to three years.

ISO Poly Films, Inc. Breaks Ground on $25 Million Expansion

ISO Poly Films, a manufacturer of custom-engineered films for food and consumer products and medical and industrial markets, broke ground today on a $25 million expansion at its headquarters site in Gray Court, S.C. The company is expanding its facility in three phases to add more production capacity, warehouse and office space, and state-of-the-art extrusion equipment. The expansion is expected to add 50 jobs over the next few years, more than doubling ISO’s workforce.

TENNESSEE

Caremark RX, Inc. to Open Customer Care Center in Nashville

Caremark RX, a leading pharmacy benefits manager, will open a customer care center in Nashville to serve the growing demands of its business. The Nashville facility, the second in the state, will begin operations this summer and will be capable of handling 350,000 calls per month by year-end and will employ approximately 600 people when it reaches full capacity in two to three years. Caremark RX is headquartered in Nashville and has another call center in Knoxville.

Trane Breaks Ground on $20.5 Million Expansion in Clarksville

Trane American Standard will invest $20.5 million to expand its Clarksville facility. The company recently broke ground on a 20,000 square-foot addition in preparation for a new Large Commercial Rooftop product platform. The company will hire 45 to 50 employees this year and expects to hire has many as 100 by 2006.

Twin Solutions Adding 165 Jobs

Twin Solutions, a CD and DVD replication and packaging company, will open a new facility in Nashville. The company will create up to 120 jobs over the next five years. Twin Solutions will lease 26,000 square feet that was formerly housed by a CD software kit supplier, giving the company an opportunity to start up quickly.

Jabil Circuit Creating 500 New Jobs in Memphis

Jabil Circuit Inc. will add 500 employees to its Memphis staff by the end of 2005. The company’s Memphis operation will begin to manufacture and assemble electronic cash registers and self-serve kiosks. The expansion will also include adding about 315,000 square feet to Jabil’s facility. The company, based in St. Petersburg, Fla., tripled its size in Memphis last year when it signed a lease on its building known as Memphis Trade Center II in April 2004. When the expansion is completed, Jabil will occupy a total of 1,250,000 square feet in Memphis. Jabil is an electronic solutions company that provides electronics design, manufacturing, and product management.

Bun Maker to Add 100 New Jobs in Nashville

Tennessee Bun Co. is expanding its Nashville production facility and adding 100 new jobs. The company is expanding to fulfill a new $20 million contract with McDonald’s Corp. Tennessee Bun will be adding more than 12,000 square feet of production space and renovating 10,000 square feet of office space.

Duni Corp. Relocating U.S. Distribution Center to La Vergne

A provider of plastic and paperware to the food services industry has selected the Nashville area as the location for its North American distribution. Sweden-based Duni Corp. will consolidate its four sites into an Ozburn-Hessey Logistics facility in La Vergne, where it expects to occupy as much as 200,000 square feet of space.

Perdue Farms, one of the nation’s leading poultry companies, plans to upgrade its existing facility to support the addition of a new processing line to increase its capacity to produce sliced, deli-style meats, primarily for foodservice operators. Expansion of the Monterey facility will result in the retention and creation of over 400 jobs there by mid-November. Company vice president of Prepared Foods Operations George Rawlston credits the company’s partnership with the state of Tennessee as one of the main reasons why Perdue chose to expand in Monterey.

Comprehensive Computer Services (CCS) plans to purchase a 231,000 square-foot warehouse and employ more than 100 people in Bartlett. The company is relocating its corporate headquarters from Foothill Ranch, Calif. and plans to hire the bulk of its employees in the local area. CCS services and repairs computers for industry giants like HP, Compaq and Gateway.

Helicopter Company Announces 100 New Jobs in Sullivan County

Edwards & Associates plans to construct a new 140,000 square-foot facility on 37 acres in the Tri-County Industrial Park. The new facility will include five buildings with construction of its main building to take place over a 14-month period and the construction of a Bell 210 Helicopter production facility to take place over six months. Currently, the company occupies three buildings in the Tri-County Industrial Park and occupies 200,000 square feet. The expansion will represent an $8 million investment by the company, and will add 100 new employees.

Paper Company Selects Memphis for Global Headquarters

International Paper plans relocate its global headquarters to Memphis, Tennessee. The move is part of a transformation plan announced by International Paper on July 19, designed to focus the company on global leadership in the paper and packaging industries. International Paper is the world’s largest paper and forest products company and one of the largest private landowners in the world. Company officials expect that between 90 and 100 executive positions will relocate to Memphis.

TEXAS

ATC Logistics and Electronics Opens New 500-Job Facility in Fort Worth

ATC Logistics and Electronics (ATCLE), a subsidiary of Aftermarket Technology Corp. (ATC), is expanding its Fort Worth/Alliance Texas wireless handset returns, testing, and repair operations into a 375,000 square-foot facility directly adjacent to the company’s existing 224,000 square-foot operation. The expansion will accommodate contracts recently awarded to ATCLE by Cingular, Nokia, and T-Mobile. ATCLE’s new operation is expected to add approximately 500 new jobs for Tarrant County by year-end 2005.

Fluor Corporation to Relocate Corporate Headquarters to DFW

Fluor Corporation has chosen the Las Colinas business community within the city of Irving, Tex. as the location for its new corporate headquarters. The decision followed an extensive analysis of several existing facilities and build-to-suit office locations in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex. Fluor will develop a 26-acre site located on Las Colinas Boulevard just north of the Citigroup complex. As many as 100 current employees have been asked to relocate to Fluor’s headquarters and an additional 100 will be hired there.

Caterpillar Opens New Work Tools Facility in Waco

Caterpillar will begin production of work tools at a Waco, Tex. facility it had vacated in early 2003. It will initially employ 30, ramping up to 80 within the first year.

370 New Telecom Jobs Coming to Plano

Swedish telecommunications equipment maker Ericsson will open a new research center at its North American headquarters in Plano. The center will bring about 370 new jobs over the next 18 months. Ericsson will partner with Cingular Wireless to create new features for wireless handsets at the facility and will research hardware and software for traditional telecommunication services.

Washington Mutual Selects San Antonio for New Regional Operations Center

Seattle-based financial services company Washington Mutual has officially named San Antonio as the site of its new regional operations center. The company has purchased MCI’s San Antonio campus, a three-building complex that can accommodate up to 2,200 employees and is expandable to hold 4,200 employees. With a $15 million grant from the Texas Enterprise Fund, Washington Mutual has agreed to bring 4,200 jobs to Texas over the next seven years. The new operations center will support select business lines such as consumer banking and home loans.

Elcoteq Opens Facility in Richardson

A telecommunications equipment manufacturer has opened its new engineering service center in Richardson, Tex. Elcoteq Network Corp. will employ 100 people at the new facility and will provide project management, prototyping, low volume manufacturing, and test services. The facility will also offer mobile network products, home communications, broadband access products, and systems for cellular base stations, in addition to other products. Finland-based Elcoteq has its American headquarters in Irving, Tex.

Celanase to Bring Global HQ to Texas

German industrial chemicals company Celanese Corp. is relocating its global headquarters from Frankfurt, Germany to its office in Farmers Branch. The relocation makes Celanese one of Dallas-Fort Worth’s top 20 grossing companies. The $5 billion company signed a 12-year lease for an additional 30,000 feet of office space. In addition to bringing its global headquarters to Texas, Celanese will also move its corporate headquarters for its acetate division, adding as many as 100 positions.

VIRGINIA  

Mod-U-Kraft to Create 50 Jobs in Roanoke Valley

One of the region’s leaders in the manufacture of systems-built, single-family homes has chosen Franklin County and the Town of Rocky Mount for its latest expansion. Mod-U-Kraft will expand its existing manufacturing facility with a $2.8 million investment.

Trex Moves its Corporate Headquarters to Loudoun County

Trex, which makes decking materials from recycled wood and plastic products, is relocating its corporate headquarters from Winchester to Loudoun County. The company is leasing 81,000 square feet at The Corporate Office Park at Dulles Town Center. Trex will relocate 75 to 85 corporate jobs to the Loudoun County location including sales, marketing, administration, and information technology positions. The company, which will keep its manufacturing facility in Winchester, chose Loudoun County because of its skilled labor pool and proximity to its manufacturing site.

Gatorade Expands in Virginia

PepsiCo officials have chosen Virginia as the future home of the $150 million manufacturing plant that will produce its sports drink Gatorade. PepsiCo company officials said they chose Virginia because it offers cheaper transportation and distribution costs, and easier access to supermarkets in the mid-Atlantic. The Gatorade plant will create between 200 and 500 jobs.

WEST VIRGINIA

Residential Building Component Manufacturer Commits to Capon Bridge

Mill Branch Industries plans to open a 30,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in Capon Bridge, W.V. The facility will initially employ as many as 100 people. The new company will manufacture and distribute residential building components including windows, doors, hardware, and roof and floor trusses from its $1.8 million facility. Future expansion plans include the addition of 200-300 employees.