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Relocations and Expansions
Editor's Note: All automotive-related relocations and expansions
have been moved to the Southern Auto Corridor section, a new
regular feature, found in this edition. If you have news regarding
relocations and expansions in the American South, send your
press release or news clipping to Beverly Randle - fax: 205-733-1974;
e-mail: beverly@sb-d.com
QUIZ
Which state in the South spent more per student in the 2001-2002
school year? (a) Florida (b) Virginia (c) West Virginia (d)
Georgia (e) Maryland (f) North Carolina
(Scroll down for answer)
ALABAMA
Call Center Operation Expanding in Opelika
Afni Inc. will add 150 new jobs to its call center operation
in Opelika. The expansion will bring the company's employment
to more than 650 people. Afni, a privately held company headquartered
in Bloomington Ill., provides customer-care services to companies
in the communications and insurance industries.
Sanmina-SCI Investing $12 Million
Sanmina-SCI Corp. is expanding its office space in order
to accommodate more administrative personnel at its 684,000-square-foot
electronics plant in Huntsville. The expansion will also house
new workers from a recently closed Sanmina-SCI plant in Lynchburg,
Va. One-hundred new jobs are being created in the expansion.
Packaging Company Expands in Cullman, Ala.
Rusken Packaging is adding 102,000 square feet of new space
to its 180,000-square-foot corrugated shipping container plant
in Cullman. The company employs 275 people and operates warehouses
in five Southeastern markets including Cullman, Birmingham,
Jacksonville and Atlanta.
Call Center to Open in Brewton
An Internet customer service center is going up in rural
Brewton, Ala. Econec, which is headquartered in Brewton, is
adding 175 jobs at the center. The company considered Tampa
and Tuscon before deciding to open the center near its headquarter
operations.
Gum Plant Opening in Selma
American Gum Co. has chosen Selma for a gum distribution
and manufacturing facility that could house 350 workers. The
Michigan-based company's deal is the largest turned by Selma
officials in years. The company purchased a 36,000-square-foot
building on 22 acres in the South Dallas Industrial Park.
ARKANSAS
Tyson Foods Opens Lab
Springdale, Ark. is the new home of Tyson Foods' $5.2 million
safety lab that will train up to 3,000 workers each year.
Tyson has equipped the center with devices that study and
analyze pathogens with the use of DNA technology.
Gerber Announces Expansion
Gerber Foods is expanding its Fort Smith, Ark. facility to
the tune of $65 million. The investment will help convert
the plant to plastic packaging for infant and toddler foods.
Interstate Group Relocating Headquarters from Phoenix
to Conway
This past spring officials with Interstate Group announced
they would open a plant to make cargo trailers in Conway,
Ark. In the summer quarter, the company announced it is moving
its corporate headquarters to the town, located just north
of Little Rock. The two operations are expected to house 115
new employees when completed.
FLORIDA
Jetblue Locating Maintenance Facility at OIA
Officials with New York-based JetBlue Airways have decided
to build a $160 million maintenance and training facility
at the Orlando International Airport. The low-cost airline
will locate a hanger at OIA that will house 150 workers with
salaries averaging about $50,000 annually. Jetblue will receive
a minimum of $3.5 million in city, county and state tax breaks.
Office Equipment Company Building New Plant
National Partitions, a producer of modular office equipment,
is building a new plant in Pembroke Pines. The new 130,000-square-foot
facility will house up to 250 workers.
Argentine Tile Company Lands in Yulee
Ceramica Alberdi S.A., an Argentine manufacturer of ceramic
and porcelain tile, is renovating an existing structure in
Yulee, Fla., located just north of Jacksonville. The company
bought the 330,000-square-foot manufacturing facility and
is expected to hire 170 new workers.
World's Fourth-Largest Plane Maker Chooses Jax
Embraer, the fourth-largest manufacturer of commercial airplanes,
has chosen Cecil Field near Jacksonville for a new facility.
The Brazilian aerospace concern hopes the new plant will lead
to U.S. government defense contracts.
GEORGIA
Bard Building 400,000-s.f. Distribution Center
New Jersey-based C.R. Bard, a developer, manufacturer and
supplier of health care products, is building a 411,164-square-foot
distribution center in Covington, Ga. near Atlanta. The project
is located about one mile from Bard's 80,000-square-foot medical
division headquarters and its medical equipment sterilizing
facility. The company expects to service over 80 percent of
the country from the new distribution center.
Food Processor Opening Plant in Thomasville
A. Duda & Sons is building a new 40,000-square-foot processing
plant and 45,000-square-foot cold storage and distribution
center in southwest Georgia in the city of Thomasville. Up
to 150 jobs will be created. The facility will replace one
the company is closing in Lake Jem, Fla.
Universal Alloy Expands
One-hundred and fifty new jobs are being created by an expansion
at the Universal Alloy plant in Canton, Ga. The expansion
will double the size of the existing facility and will enable
Universal to build wing parts for airplanes.
New Assembly Plant for Macon
Ardent Outdoors, an outdoors sporting equipment manufacturer
and assembler, is hiring 300 workers at a new plant in Macon.
The company expects the facility to open in March of 2004.
KANSAS
Garmin Undergoes $65M Expansion in Olathe
Garmin International, which already operates from a large
campus in Olathe, Kan., is expanding its facilities by 575,000
square feet and adding 600 new jobs in the next few years.
The company is investing $65 million by adding two new buildings.
Garmin makes and distributes electronic navigation devices.
Topeka Lands Target
Target Corp. announced this summer that it had chosen Topeka
over Olathe and Wichita as the site for a new distribution
center that will employ 650 people. The nation's No. 2 retailer
has begun construction on the 1.3 million-square-foot center
set on 143 acres. Target officials estimate 1,000 workers
will be housed at the center within five years.
International Company Invests $11 Million in New Plant
Ireland-based CRH Inc. announced this summer it is building
an $11 million plant in Bonner Springs, near Kansas City,
that will create 40 new jobs. CRH produces building materials.
Specialty Pallet Manufacturer Chooses KC, Kan.
Arkansas-based Propak Logistics, a producer of specialty
pallets, has leased a 50,000-square-foot facility in Kansas
City and will hire 60 new employees. The company is making
an investment of nearly $2 million.
KENTUCKY
Shoe Distribution Center to Open
Columbia Sportswear is constructing a $40 million, 428,000-square-foot
distribution center in Henderson, Ky. The Oregon-based footwear
company will hire 90 people.
Consolidation a Win for Florence
A Germany-based plastics manufacturer is investing $34 million
in an expansion due to the closure of its plant in New Jersey.
Ticona, a subsidiary of Germany-based Celanese AG, is adding
100,000 square feet to its existing Florence, Ky. facility.
The plastic polymer producer will add about 100 jobs.
Packaging Company to Locate in Hopkinsville
Paris Packaging, the largest independent carton manufacturer
in the Southwest is locating in Hopkinsville. The company
currently operates a facility in Paris, Tex. Paris Packaging
will purchase an existing 119,000 square foot manufacturing
facility, new manufacturing equipment and hire 175 employees.
The deal represents an investment of $6.4 million.
LOUISIANA
West Monroe Lands Food Processor
Pine Valley Foods is consolidating facilities into a new
$4 million facility in West Monroe. The maker of gourmet foods
is expected to hire 120 workers in the deal.
Conrad Aluminum Building Fabrication Plant in Amelia
Conrad Aluminum, a subsidiary of Conrad Shipyard LLC, is
investing nearly $6 million to build a new aluminum fabrication
facility in Amelia, La. The deal is expected to result in
the creation of 220 jobs. The 37,000-square-foot facility
will be used to support the construction of aluminum vessels
for both the commercial and government markets.
MARYLAND
FedEx Ground Building Hub in Maryland
A part of Memphis-based FedEx's nearly $2 billion expansion
strategy, Hagerstown, Md. has been chosen for a 335,000-square-foot
ground distribution center. FedEx officials announced that
the Maryland ground distribution hub is the first of 10 it
plans to build in the U.S. over the next six years. The rest
of FedEx's Ground division growth strategy consists of the
expansion or relocation of more than 300 pickup and delivery
terminals and the expansion of 23 existing ground hubs.
La-Z-Boy Expanding
Michigan-based La-Z-Boy, the famous recliner maker, is moving
its distribution hub from Landover, Md. to Odenton. The move
is an expansion by the furniture maker of more than 70,000
square feet. The move is expected to create 50 new jobs in
addition to the 150 that would relocate with the move.
Defense Contractor Adding 50 Jobs
SFA Inc., is moving into the Black & Decker plant in
Talbot County, Md. Black & Decker is in the process of
closing the facility. Officials with SFA are working with
the toolmaker to hire as many workers as possible being displaced
by the closure. SFA will manufacture mobile field kitchens
and medical facilities for the military at the plant.
MISSISSIPPI
American Eurocopter Breaks Ground In Columbus
One hundred and eighty jobs will be created by American Eurocopter
in Columbus when its 100,000-square-foot, single-engine turbine
helicopter plant is completed. The company broke ground on
the facility in August. The company is a subsidiary of France's
European Aeronautics. The company is investing $11 million
in the facility.
Furniture Manufacturer Announces Big Deal in Itawamba
County
Max Home LLC is moving into a 234,000-square-foot facility
in Fulton, Miss. The furniture manufacturer, which will employ
275 workers, is a division of Bauhaus USA.
California-Based Nanotech Company Relocates to Hattiesburg
Officials with Hybrid Plastics announced this summer the
relocation of their research facilities to Hattiesburg. The
company works a revolutionary new nanotechnology that improves
the thermal and mechanical properties of traditional polymers.
It will be moving into a new 26,000-square-foot building in
the Hattiesburg/Forrest County Industrial Park. About 25 jobs
will be created.
MISSOURI
Pork Processing Plant Will Create 1,000 New Jobs
Premium Pork Allied Producers have announced a $130 million,
1,000-job hog-processing plant in St. Joseph, Mo. The plant
is being built on 60 acres. Incentives of nearly $15 million
were secured by Premium to build the facility.
Manufacturer Building in Northeast Missouri
True Manufacturing is building a 100,000-square-foot facility
that will create 80 new jobs in Bowling Green, Mo. True produces
and sells commercial refrigeration equipment. The company
is investing $3.1 million in the deal.
MasterCard Selects Kansas City for Data Center
MasterCard International selected Kansas City over 18 other
locations across the country for a new back-up data center.
The deal creates 30 new jobs and represents an investment
of $50 million. The new 87,000-square-foot redundant data
center will replace the company's current facility in a New
York City suburb and is expected to be up and running by the
end of the year.
New Distribution Center Slated for Kansas City
DDTraders, a manufacturer of figurines, gifts, home decor
and tabletop items, has chosen North Kansas City for the location
of its newest fulfillment and distribution center. The company
will hire 43 employees and has leased 150,000 square feet
of warehouse space.
NORTH CAROLINA
Donnelley Moving HQ to Triangle
R.H. Donnelley Corp. is relocating its corporate headquarters
from New York to the Raleigh-Durham area. The publisher of
yellow pages and other publications announced it would create
275 new jobs over the next three years. Donnelley has a 240-employee
publishing plant in Morrisville, N.C. The company is traded
on the New York Stock Exchange and is one of several high-profile
companies that has recently announced headquarter relocations
from New York to states in the South.
Start Up Hiring 180 in Robbins
Dynamic Homes, a new modular homes manufacturer, has chosen
Robbins, N.C. as its headquarters and site of a housing manufacturing
facility that will employ 180. The company chose North Carolina
over Georgia and Virginia.
Company Expands Facility in Lincolnton
RSI Home Products is building a $10 million, 200,000-square-foot
addition to its 420,000-square-foot distribution center in
Lincoln County, N.C. The company makes and distributes cabinet
parts. Fifty jobs will be added.
Charlotte Gains with HQ and Light Manufacturing Facility
General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products (GDATP)
is relocating their headquarters from Burlington, Vt. to the
Charlotte/Mecklenburg area. The company will also open a light
manufacturing operation. The total investment for both the
HQ and the manufacturing plant will be $30 million. GDATP,
which designs, develops and manufactures aerospace and defense
products, will create 405 new jobs in North Carolina.
B of A Adding 350 Jobs in High Point
The Bank of America is hiring an additional 350 workers at
its loan-processing and servicing facility in High Point,
N.C. The center, built in 1993, will receive a cash infusion
of nearly $3 million for the expansion.
Packaging Company Leasing Former Apparel Building
Quality Associates, an Ohio-based packager, has landed a
new promotional display contract with Cincinnati based Procter
& Gamble that will end up creating 200 new jobs in Reidsville,
N.C. Quality is leasing the former VF Corp. building in Reidsville
and will make a $1 million investment in the facility. The
company will eventually move to the Reidsville Technology
Park where it is constructing a new facility.
Software Maker Bases HQ in Charlotte
Enovia Corp. is adding 90,000 square feet to its facilities
in Charlotte. The software company is investing $12 million
and adding 50 new workers in the expansion.
RF Micro Expanding Again
Greensboro-based RF Micro Devices is expanding its operations
in the Triad once again. The chipmaker is investing $40 million
to build six-inch diameter wafers that contain thousands of
microchips.
OKLAHOMA
Pharma Relocating from California to Norman
Yamanouchi Pharma Technologies is relocating its headquarters,
R&D and manufacturing operations from Palo Alto, Calif.
to Norman, Okla. The $40 million deal will bring 200 new jobs
to the Norman area.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Paper Manufacturer Relocating to Charleston
ArjoWiggins Medical Inc. is moving its headquarters, manufacturing
and distribution operations from Atlanta to Charleston, S.C.
Officials with the specialty paper manufacturer cited access
to Charleston's port and the area's quality of life for the
$3 million relocation. The company is moving into a 50,000-square-foot
building at the Charleston Regional Business Center.
DAK Adds Jobs
DAK Americas is adding 25,000 square feet to its existing
facility in Berkley County, S.C. The deal is expected to add
50 new jobs.
Fifty Jobs Created in Manning
Yanagawa of South Carolina, a supplier of parts for Honda
ATVs, is expanding its aluminum die casting facility in Clarendon
County, S.C. The Japanese company is investing $4 million
in the expansion and creating 50 jobs.
TENNESSEE
Hewlett-Packard Leases 700,000 Square Feet in Memphis
California-based Hewlett-Packard has closed a deal on a 708,532-square-foot
building in Memphis. The computer manufacturer will use the
facility for distribution and assembly work. About 600 jobs
will be created when the facility becomes operational in November.
Falcon Plastics Expands in Lexington
Falcon Plastics is adding 20,000 square feet to its manufacturing
facility in Henderson County, Tenn. The company is adding
about 45 new jobs to the plant. The company chose to expand
its Tennessee plant rather than expand its other facility
in South Dakota.
Asurion Relocates from California to Nashville
Another relocation from California to the South has landed
in Nashville. Asurion, North America's largest provider of
enhanced services for the wireless communications industry,
has relocated its headquarters from San Mateo to Nashville.
The deal will result in 600 new jobs in Tennessee's capital
city over the next three years. The privately held company,
with revenues of $250 million, serves 10 million subscribers
with roadside assistance programs, handset and data device
insurance programs and warranty management plans.
Nationwide Credit Opens Call Center
Nationwide Credit, an accounts receivable firm, is opening
a new call center in Nashville. The Georgia-based company
is hiring 100 new people at the call center.
Quanta Chooses La Vergne
Taiwan-based Quanta Computer is opening a distribution and
manufacturing center in an existing 160,000-square-foot building
in La Vergne, near Nashville. The company expects to employ
up to 500 within three years.
TEXAS
Food Company Building New Headquarters
Texas-Whole Foods Market is building a new corporate headquarters
in downtown Austin. The 200,000-square-foot facility is expected
to house 700 workers. The company is combining its national
office and several regional offices at the facility.
Fulfillment Center Opens in Round Rock
Texas-Modus Media has opened a 128,000-square-foot reverse
logistics and fulfillment solutions facility in Round Rock.
The company is hiring 100 workers for the new project. The
new facility is the new reverse logistics and fulfillment
hub for Texas-Modus in North America.
Steel Company Moving to KellyUSA
Triple-S Steel Supply is consolidating two facilities with
the construction of a 200,000-square-foot distribution center
in San Antonio's KellyUSA industrial park. The company is
expected to hire 65 workers at the new center.
Aerospace Supplier Expands in Waco
Marathon Power Technologies is investing $55 million and
adding 43 jobs in the expansion of its aerospace battery and
inverter plant in Waco.
Pharma Expands in Waco
Allergan, a specialty pharmaceuticals company, has completed
its expansion in Waco. The expansion included the relocation
of a California-based plastics division, the addition of a
compounding area and a microbiology lab. Allergen opened its
Waco plant in 1989. The latest expansion brings employment
at the facility to nearly 500.
VIRGINIA
General Dynamics Expands in Marion
The armament division of General Dynamics is expanding its
Smyth County, Va. facility and adding 120 new jobs. The company
is relocating its resin transfer molding operation. General
Dynamics is investing $7 million in the deal.
Amerigroup Adding 850 Jobs in Virginia Beach
Health care concern Amerigroup Corp. selected Virginia Beach
over Tampa and Houston recently for its new corporate campus.
The company is building two 106,000-square-foot buildings
that will house its administrative and info tech divisions.
The company is investing $56 million and adding 858 positions.
Virginia Beach is home to Amerigroup's headquarters.
Target Opens Distribution Center
Retail giant Target has opened its newest big box distribution
center in Suffolk, Va. The 1.5 million-square-foot, $65 million
import center will serve Target's 14 regional distribution
centers in the eastern U.S.
Largest Deal Made in Petersburg History
Boehringer Ingelheim, a leading producer of active pharmaceutical
ingredients, is spending $260 million at its plant in Petersburg,
Va. It's the single-largest investment in Petersburg history.
The company, based in Germany, will add 165 jobs at the plant.
WEST VIRGINIA
Aerospace Company Expanding in Harrison County
A subcontractor for Northrop Grumman is adding 120 new employees
at its plant in Bridgeport, W.V. Aurora Flight Sciences, a
maker of unmanned flying vehicle parts for the U.S. military,
is adding 40,000 square feet to its facility and investing
nearly $3 million.
AES Going to Wheeling
AES Industries has announced it is leasing 30,000 square
feet in the Wheeling Machine Roll Shop. AES manufactures architectural
products such as diffusers, dampers and curbs used in air
movement and control systems for large commercial buildings.
The company is expected to hire 30 workers.
German Manufacturer Lands in Clarksburg
Stockmeier Kunststoffe GmbH & Co announced this summer
it is moving into a shell building provided by Harrison County,
W.V. The German manufacturer produces polyurethane products
such as coatings, adhesives, sealants, elastomers, castings
and binders for such industries as electrical, filter and
sports flooring. The company expects to hire 25 workers initially.
QUIZ ANSWER
West Virginia (c), with $8,426 spent on each of its students
in 2001-2002, is the top Southern state in per student spending.
Following West Virginia in the South were Georgia and Maryland.
Those three states were the only Southern states that spent
above the national average per student. It's interesting to
note that states currently leading the nation in new job generation
per million residents, such as Florida, Alabama and Virginia,
are at the bottom 20 percent in expenditures per student in
the U.S.
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