How Did They Finish? CAN ONE MEGASITE HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED?

The Best of Aerospace in the American South WWW.RAND LER E P O R T . C OM WWW. SB- D . COM WWW. S O UTHE R N A UTO C O RRI D O R . COM

Economic Development in the World’s Third Largest Economy SPRING 2018

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Permit No. 21 No. Permit &

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PAID

ge Posta .S. U D PRSRT ST PRSRT How did they finish? CAN ONE MEGASITE HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED?

In the Golden Triangle, we’ve got it all—and we give it all. Yes is what we always say here—for whatever you need to succeed. Abundant electricity and water? Yes! Highways, rail, waterway, airport? Yes, yes, yes, and yes! Quality workforce and training? Hell, yes! Our 1,144-acre Infinity Megasite is just one of our feature-filled, ready-to-roll locations. But what’ll really blow you away is our can-do, will-do, do-it-up attitude. Talk to us. Tell us what you need. And expect the answer that makes this region—and your future—golden: YES.

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Bluffton, SC | Charleston, SC | Charlotte, NC | Columbia, SC | Greenville, SC SPRING 2018 TABLE OF CONTENTS

V 8 FEATURES DEPARTMENTS V The 2018 SB&D 100 Southbound 38 -GPVWEM[NQPIMPQYPHQTKVUJQTUGUDQWTDQP 6 The editor’s column CPFDNWGITCUUECPCFFDKIFGCNUVQVJGNKUV 5GGJQYVJGQVJGT5QWVJGTPUVCVGUCPFEKVKGU Around the South ƂPKUJGFKPVJG5$& 8 Top stories from the last quarter relative to business and economic SB&D Job 100 development 56 The top 100 job-producing projects announced in 2017 Snapshots from the Road 24 Photos of the people and places SB&D Investment 100 SB&D visited in the last quarter 58 The top 100 income-producing projects announced in 2017 Relocations & Expansions 26 #NNQHVJGUKIPKƂECPVPGYUVCTVU Top Deals & Hot Markets expansions and relocations announced 60 Highlighting the most impressive projects in the South in the last quarter and the states and markets that captured them in 2017 SouthernAutoCorridor.com 34 0GYUHTQOVJG5QWVJoUCWVQKPFWUVT[ SB&D 100 State Report EQWTVGU[QH5QWVJGTP#WVQ%QTTKFQTEQO 70 Brief comments on the performance of each Southern state in the 2018 SB&D 100 88 Top Deals Best of Aerospace in the South 6JGVGPNCTIGUVGORNQ[OGPV deals announced in 72 6JGDGUVNQECVKQPUKP.QWKUKCPC the last quarter /KUUKUUKRRK/KUUQWTK0QTVJ%CTQNKPCCPF Oklahoma for the fastest ITQYKPIKPFWUVT[KPVJG5QWVJ

The Way-Too-Early Guide to Toyota-Mazda 82 Parts Supplier Locations The 25 best counties in the South for suppliers 26 VQVJG6Q[QVC/C\FCRNCPVVJCVKUDGKPIDWKNVKP *WPVUXKNNG#NC

4 SB&D SPRING 2018 AIRBUS HELICOPTERS – COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI

www.mississippi.org/aerospace

Every day, Mississippi’s highly skilled workforce assembles aerospace products used all over the world, including AirBus helicopters supporting the nation’s largest public safety organizations. Locate to Mississippi, and see your company’s potential take off.

MISS SIPPI AEROSPACE SOUTHBOUND $[/KEJCGN4CPFNG'&+614 Why mess with a good thing? Owner, Editor & THE SOUTH’S ECONOMY, the third largest economy in the Publisher world, has been humming along nicely since 2010 when 594 projects were announced meeting or exceeding SB&D 100 1930 to $1.8 billion in 1933, and the U.S. thresholds (the 2018 SB&D 100 can be found on page 38). It fell into an extended depression. Michael C. Randle was an awesome comeback year after the recession of 2009 cra- But, the current protectionist policies tered the “100” with just 367 projects, the lowest on record. In [email protected] could cause even more harm than in fact, the last four years are the best years in SB&D 100 history, 1930. The reason is that our economy is averaging 693 projects announced every year in the South with Managing Editor so much more global than it was in 1930. at least 200 jobs and/or $30 million in investment. Here is an example: The 787 Dreamliner Stacy C. Randle Yes, we are in the second longest economic expansion in this is built in North Charleston, S.C. Its for- nation’s history, and the longest consecutive monthly job gain ward fuselage is made in Kansas and in [email protected] period ever. But, as of the spring 2018 quarter, those economic Japan. Its center fuselage and stabilizers streaks are now in jeopardy. Without Congressional approval, are made in Italy. Its wings are made in Project Managers our president slapped tariffs on allies in Europe, Mexico and Japan. Its wingtips are made in South Ko- Canada. According to reports, he did it for “national security” rea. Its rear fuselage is made at its main Matthew E. Randle reasons. What does that mean? plants in Washington and at the North Charleston site. Its engines are made So why is this administration dismantling the global economic [email protected] order that we — Republicans and Democrats — crafted over in the U.K., and in the U.S. Its fairings the last 75 years? Your guess is as good as mine because the are made in Canada. Its landing gears Shelly Jo Jacobs president is really messing with a good thing. We are at full em- are made in France, as are its passenger ployment and there is nothing wrong with a trade deficit. We doors. And its cargo doors are made in [email protected] might not feel the initial effects of tariffs in the current econom- Sweden. If there is a better example of ic expansion, but we will surely feel them when this expansion globalization than how the 787 is made, slows to a stop, aided by what are essentially taxes on goods show it to me. Art Director made by our allies and others. Now that the tariff threat is a reality, no Stacy C. Randle What we need are more free trade deals, not less. For instance, country will be a winner, and neither will you. Buckle up because your trip on over the last decade, the Southern Automotive Corridor has [email protected] lost out on about 10 auto assembly plants to Mexico. The main the 787 Dreamliner assembled in North reason being that Mexico has free trade agreements (FTAs) Charleston, S.C., is going to cost more as Writers with 46 countries. We had FTAs with 20, but that is now down a result of these tariffs. to about 12, maybe less. And those who we slap tariffs on will After setting the tariffs on June 1, Pres- Michael C. Randle retaliate,retaliate, and then less is sold, and what is sold ESS & ident Trump said, “Time to get smart!” SIN D U EV becomesbeco more expensive. B E There is nothing smart about protection- N L Beth Braswell R O E P TheTh last time we set protectionist policies ist policies, Mr. President. In fact, it is H H M T E was with the passing of the Tariff Act of dangerous foreign policy. Over the years, U N Lee Burlett

O T 1930, better known as Smoot-Hawley. tariffs have led to recessions, depres-

S sions, even wars. Hopefully, this is one Even then, 1,028 economists signed Trisha Ostrowski a petition asking President Herbert of Trump’s on, off, on-hold decisions on HooverH not to sign the bill. He signed trade. If not, this is the worst economic Matthew Randle ANNIVERSARY it anyway.a What happened? The value of decision a president has made since Her- globalglobal trade dropped from $4.9 billion in bert Hoover made his. - Stacy Randle Southern Business & Development (ISSN 1067-8751) is a registered trademark TM. Founded in 1992 and published µÕ>ÀÌiÀÞ >ÀV ]Õi]-i«ÌiLiÀ>` iViLiÀLÞ ,*ÕLÃ }]V°Ƃvw>Ìi`7iLÃÌiÃVÕìÜÜÜ°,>ì,i- Volume 25/Number 4 «ÀÌ°V]ÜÜÜ°- °V]ÜÜÜ°-ÕÌ iÀƂÕÌ ÀÀ`À°V°"vwVi>``ÀiÃÃ\nänÈ7iÃÌV iÃÌiÀ*>Vi] Ì}iÀÞ]Ƃ ÎÈ££Ç°* i\ÎÎ{È£ÓÇäÎ°/ÃÕLÃVÀLiV>ÎÎ{È£ÓÇäÎ`ÕÀ}À>LÕÃiÃÃ ÕÀÃ°ƂÕ>ÃÕLÃVÀ«Ì\fÓx° -}ii`ÌìÛiÀÞLÞÌ Àii`>Þ>\f£ä°vÀ>ÌVÌ>i`- E >`ÌÃÜiLÃÌiÃÃ}>Ì iÀi`vÀÀi- Spring 2018 able sources, however, the accuracy of this information is not guaranteed. All rights reserved. Permission must be granted by SB&D for reprint rights, in whole or in part. Copyright 1992-2017. Southern Business & Development TM 1997. South- ern Auto Corridor and Southern Automotive Corridor TM 2003.

6 SB&D SPRING 2018

AROUND For real-time news on business, politics and economic development in the THE South, go to RandleReport.com. For all economic development projects SOUTHannounced in the South, go to SB-D.com. For more information on the automotive industry in the South, go to SouthernAutoCorridor.com.

fforts to curb immigration, screening im- unemployment rate is the lowest it’s been in 17 migrants by certain educational standards years. There are over 6 million jobs available in Eand increased deportations will be the this country, and about 1.5 million people who biggest threat to the nation’s economy over the are unemployed that are suited for full-time next five years. Note this; half of all the new jobs work regardless of their skill levels. the government expects to be created over the As for farm workers, we agree with U.S. Secre- next eight years will require only a high school tary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, who said in diploma. Just about every economist you talk to February he would like to see a separate immi- says that unskilled immigrants are vital to the gration program for agriculture workers. Perdue economy. Forget the spoke at the annual USDA Agricultural Outlook The new positions opening over the next eight Forum in February, saying that immigration skills gap; years include low-paying jobs that most Amer- farm labor is in the crossfire of the immigration icans simply will not take. They include an esti- debate. “The people who come to America to it’s the mated 778,000 personal care aides, 580,000 food work on farms and ranches are not taking jobs service workers, 431,000 home-health aides and from Americans,” Perdue said. “They are not the unskilled gap millions of maids, construction laborers and ones putting a burden on the criminal justice farm workers. I can assure you, there is no farmer system or welfare system.” in America today who claims, “We don’t need any that’s scary In 2017, the Pew Research Center reported that more Mexicans working on our farms.” They are the U.S. workforce will grow only if new im- By Michael Randle all saying, “We need more Mexicans and now!” migrants are eligible to replace retiring Baby Last year saw fertility at the lowest rate on re- Boomers. Otherwise, the workforce will decline. cord in the U.S. We are in a baby bust (have Pew estimated that the U.S. working-age (25 to been since 2002); all the while the Baby Boom- 64) population will rise by 10 million people by ers are aging out of the workforce. For decades 2035 with legal immigration levels of at least 1 we could count on 175,000 to 225,000 people a million per year, which has been the average month turning age 16 in this country (becom- for several years. Without immigration, Pew ing work eligible). The last three claims the workforce would shrink from 173 years we have averaged 71,000 million today to 166 million. It would be re- people a month turning 16. The duced even further with mass deportations. The biggest source of increased labor supply is immigration, legal and illegal. You can make it political, but really, the issue is demography. It’s simple math. CONTINUED

8 SB&D SPRING 2018

AROUND THE SB&D’s pick for location traffic flows on a daily basis. SOUTH of Amazon HQ2 Amazon has about 30 data After reviewing over 50 loca- centers within a 15-minute tions in the U.S. and Canada, car ride of the site. SB&D has settled on its site Steelmakers restarting for Amazon’s second head- closed mills in the South quarters, dubbed “HQ2,” a $5 Steelmakers are reviving billion, 40,000-plus employee shuttered steel mills and even project. We believe HQ2 will looking to build a new one as be built on a 26-acre undevel- 25 percent across-the-board oped site near Dulles Inter- tariffs strengthen the domes- national Airport on the bor- tic steel industry. Republic der of Fairfax and Loudoun Steel and U.S. Steel both an- counties in Northern Virgin- nounced they would restart ia. The site is near the new mills and bring steelworkers East Coast headquarters for back to work. London-based its cloud service, Amazon Liberty House is reviving a Web Services. Amazon is also steel mill that ArcelorMit- building its latest data center tal closed in South Carolina. London-based Liberty House is reviving a steel campus nearby, and the site is And Nucor, the largest steel- mill in Georgetown, S.C., that ArcelorMittal adjacent to a new Metro sta- maker headquartered in the shuttered in 2015. Georgetown steelworks tion. It’s also in the middle of United States, announced was a pivotal part of South Carolina’s industrial Data Center Alley, where 70 plans to buy a micro mill in infrastructure for nearly 70 years. percent of the world’s internet Florida. %106+07'&

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10 SB&D SPRING 2018

AROUND THE Cullman, Ala., ranked No. 1 in SOUTH economic development projects In the spring quarter, the Alabama If you’ve ever driven along I-65 in north Department of Commerce released its Alabama, you’ve probably seen the signs annual report on project activity in the for Ave Maria Grotto in Cullman. It’s a state, and Cullman ranked No. 1 for 4-acre park in an old quarry on the grounds projects with a total of 31. Cullman also of St. Bernard Abbey with 125 miniature ranked No. 1 in expansion projects for reproductions of some of the most famous calendar year 2017. religious structures of the world. South dominates Forbes’ best cities for jobs ranking Forbes came out with its best cities for jobs ranking in the spring quarter and Dallas-Fort Worth ranked No. 1. Fol- lowing DFW were Austin, Nashville, Charlotte, Orlando and Raleigh in the South. San Jose, San Francisco, Seattle and Riverside-San Bernardino all made the top 10 from outside the South. Economists agree current expansion will break U.S. record At 107 months, the current economic expansion is the second longest on record. To beat the record expansion of 1991 to 2001, this one would have to go uninterrupted until August 2019. As of June, a consensus of over 50 top economic forecasters anticipate growth of 2.8 percent this year, followed by 2.6 percent in 2019. However, they also noted that a trade war between the U.S. and China could reduce that growth, but not to the point of recession. The economists also noted that if President Trump is impeached in 2018, the U.S. economy will continue to grow through 2019. The International Monetary Fund also paints a bright future for the U.S. economy this year, predicting growth of 2.9 percent. However, it reported in the spring quarter that a trade war “threat- ens to undermine confidence and derail global growth prematurely.” Nashville and Austin at top of nation’s job growth Nashville and Austin were two of the nation’s top three job growth markets in the U.S. last year. In terms of overall job growth, Nashville ranked third among all markets of 1 million or more residents, and Austin ranked second. Riv- erside-San Bernardino ranked No. 1. %106+07'&

12 SB&D SPRING 2018

AROUND Texas’ economy grew the THE fastest, but it’s still not like SOUTH 2014 After a few contractions in 2015 and 2016 as a result of the oil bust, Texas’ economy grew the fastest among all states in the fourth quarter of 2017. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Lone Star State’s economy grew at a 5.2 percent sea- sonally adjusted annual rate in the fourth quarter, mainly because of output gains from oil and gas mining. Yet, that rate, while it led all states, is about half the growth Tex- as saw in the third quarter of 2014 when the state grew at a 10 percent rate. After a few contractions in 2015 and 2016 as a result of the Chief Executive ranks Texas oil bust, Texas’ economy grew the fastest among all states best for business in the fourth quarter of 2017. In the spring quarter, Texas was named the No. 1 state for business by Chief Executive magazine. Fol- lowing Texas were Florida, North

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14 SB&D SPRING 2018 Carolina, South Carolina and Indi- ana. From the South, Tennessee and Georgia made the top 10. The worst SOME TAKE CREDIT. states for business were California, New York, Illinois, New Jersey and Connecticut. WE TAKE INITIATIVE. "vwVii>Ã}>ÀiÌÃÃÜ} Dallas-Fort Worth is the hottest deal-making market in the country, as evidenced by the Big D’s 300 points earned in this year’s SB&D 100. That’s the most points earned by any market in the 25-year history of the SB&D 100. But office leasing in Dallas-Fort Worth is slowing. While pre-leasing activity appears healthy with 69 percent of the space under construction already leased in the first quarter, single-tenant, build-to- suit projects are only 35 percent pre- leased. According to JLL, nationwide office net leasing in the first quarter was at its slowest annual rate since 2010. Chattanooga leads a slew of Southern cities with the lowest startup costs SmartAsset.com came out with its annual list of the cities in the U.S. with the lowest startup costs. The site looked at cost of labor, office space and energy costs among other cost Butler Snow’s Economic Development team has represented a large factors. Topping the list with the low- and diverse group of manufacturing, energy, health care, warehousing, est startup costs was Chattanooga, processing and distribution enterprises, including extensive involvement in followed by Knoxville; Greensboro, many of the region’s mega-project announcements. N.C.; Wichita; Little Rock; Columbia, S.C.; Memphis; Lexington, Ky.; New Orleans and Louisville. Whether your company is exploring expansion or relocation, Butler Snow is able to provide a comprehensive scope of legal, consulting, and business Exxon planning multibillion- EHZMWSV]WIVZMGIWXSQSZI]SYVTVSNIGXJVSQWXEVXXSČRMWL dollar Gulf Coast expansion ExxonMobil is considering a multibillion-dollar expansion plan that would double U.S. oil refining capacity along the Gulf Coast, a move that could boost refining capacity at its Baton Rouge refinery. The plan would make the oil giant’s Beaumont, Teamwork Focus Innovation Service Value Responsiveness ButlerSnow.com Texas refinery the nation’s largest by capacity when the work is complete AL | CO | DC | GA | LA | MA | MS | NC | NM | NY | PA | TN | TX | VA in the next decade. The plan comes LONDON | SINGAPORE amid increasing domestic shale oil production, particularly in Texas. This ad is authorized by Donald Clark, Jr., Chairman, Butler Snow LLP. FREE BACKGROUND INFORMATION AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. P.O. Box 6010, Ridgeland, MS 39158-6010 %106+07'&

SPRING 2018 SB&D 15 AROUND Southern Company selling THESOUTH Florida assets Atlanta-based Southern Compa- ny, parent of Georgia Power, Ala- bama Power and Mississippi Power The National Association of among other utility assets, is selling Homebuilders says Trump’s tariffs on Gulf Power, Florida City Gas and Canadian lumber have resulted in a its share of two natural gas power 60 percent increase in lumber cost plants. The buyer, NextEra Energy, in two years. will pay $6.48 billion for the assets. National Association of What are Smart Sites? Homebuilders says steep tariffs on Canadian lumber are t4IPWFMSFBEZGPSEFWFMPQNFOU killing construction industry t0OTJUFNVOJDJQBMFMFDUSJDTFSWJDF The National Association of t8BUFSTFXFSXJUIJOGFFU Homebuilders (NAHB) is unhap- t8JUIJONJMFTPG*OUFSTUBUFPS py with President Donald Trump’s

*OUFSTUBUFRVBMJUZIJHIXBZ ® tariffs on Canadian lumber. NAHB t3FWJFXFEBOERVBMJöFECZ CEO Jerry Howard says the tar- DPOTVMUBOUTBOEFOHJOFFST iffs are “ludicrous” in a story from US 17 (future I-87) Fox Business. “It’s ludicrous that a Perquimans Marine FedEx Perquimans River neighboring country like Canada Industrial Park: Hertford boat access facility is not being able to import into our country,” Howard said. “We tBDSFT 4NBSU4JUFTRVBMJöFE N Commerce Dr N Granby St t64 NJ are importing lumber from Russia S Granby St to build our American homes — it t4BMFQSJDFMFBTFPOMZ doesn’t make sense.” The Trump Hertford, NC administration announced tar- $PQZSJHIUª&MFDUSJ$JUJFTPG iffs on Canadian lumber last year, /PSUI$BSPMJOB *OD which has raised the price of lumber by 60 percent in two years. We call them Smart Sites. Tariffs causing bottlenecks at U.S. manufacturing plants Surging demand and the Trump You’ll call them a no-brainer. administration’s tariffs on import- ed metals are causing system-wide Smart Sites are a slam-dunk choice for companies that are bottlenecks, according to the Insti- ready to grow now. tute for Supply Management’s April Faster construction, fewer uncertainties and less risk for survey. Despite increased orders, companies and site selectors alike — that’s the genius of the production slowed down as suppli- Smart Sites qualifi cation program. But that’s not all. Our many er’s delivery times lengthened. Ac- Smart Sites are located in some of the best places in America cording to the report, U.S. factories to live and do business. wait on average 67 days for materi- To learn more about these properties and our growing list als, the longest period in decades. of other Smart Sites, contact Brenda Daniels at 800.768.7697 Metal manufacturers’ coalition ext. 6363 or [email protected]. It’s a no-brainer. protests steel and aluminum tariffs In the spring quarter, the Coali- tion of American Metal Manufac- turers protested President Don- ald Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs imposed in March. Under the banner “Tariffs are Taxes,” co-

16 SB&D SPRING 2018 Designed with the MODERN WORKFORCE in mind

Camp Hall is a new breed of commerce park— one thoughtfully constructed for human connection and ready to meet the demands of the 21st century.

åƼŅĹÚĜƋŸåƻƋåĹŸĜƴåÆåĹåĀƋŸŅüĬŅÏ±ƋĜŅĹ±ĹÚĜĹüų±ŸƋųƚÏƋƚųåØƋĘå Ę±ųĬåŸƋŅĹųåčĜŅĹŸƋ±ĹÚŸųå±ÚƼƵĜƋĘ±ƵŅųĩüŅųÏåŅüŅƴåųƐĂǈØǈǈǈţ

±ĵŞB±ĬĬÏųå±ƋåŸ±ŞĬ±ÏåŅüÏŅĵĵåųÏåØÏŅĹƴåĹĜåĹÏå±ĹÚÏŅĵĵƚĹĜƋƼ where the workforce can truly thrive in all areas of their lives.

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Home to Volvo’s only U.S. car manufacturing facility. AROUND THE The SOUTH Hub off TechnologyTeechechne and Talent

The Midlands Technical College Enterprise Campus is located at the intersection of This map shows the cumulative oil slick footprint from the innovation and education. BP/Deepwater Horizon oil spill, based on satellite images taken between April 25 and July 16, 2010.

To Greenville, SC To Charlotte, NC alition spokesperson Paul Nathanson & World Report named Austin as the

77 MTC said, “These tariffs will do nothing to best place to live in the U.S. Other cities ENTERPRISE INDUSTRIAL uphold their stated purpose of protect- in the South making the ranking’s top 26 CAMPUS ing U.S. national security. They will 10 were Fayetteville, Ark.; Huntsville, To Florence, SC Ala.; and Washington, D.C. Colorado 20 instead hurt U.S. manufacturers in the near term by raising the price of essen- Springs, Denver, Des Moines, Port- Columbia Airport tial inputs they need to make finished land, Minneapolis and Seattle made up To Atlanta, GA To ChaCharleston, SC products, and do long-term harm to the rest of the top 10. domestic steel producers by eroding Talent, innovation, and technology Tennessee adding jobs at 1.5 their own customer base.” all merge at the MTC Enterprise times the U.S. rate Campus, providing your company Triumph Gulf Coast awards grants Tennessee employers added 69,700 access to a world-class workforce. in Northwest Florida jobs from March of 2017 to March of Benefits of landing here: Triumph Gulf Coast, a seven-member, this year. That figure is 1.5 times the unpaid board established by the Flori- rate of the rest of the country. >Access to superiorsuperio faculty, da Legislature to make awards that will students, and facilitiesities Energy industry in Louisiana pays promote the economy of the eight Gulf out $4.3 billion in wages > Convenient proximity to Coast counties affected by the BP oil interstates and airports Despite the oil bust in recent years, spill, has awarded its first grants out of Louisiana’s energy industry remains a > Certified flexible site availability a pool of an expected $1.5 billion. The formidable economic force. Last year, first grant will provide $10 million to > Established utilities oil and gas production in Louisiana — the Port of Panama City for a major ex- including mining, refining and pipeline pansion at the port. operations — employed nearly 45,000 These states in the South saw people with a payroll of $4.3 billion. CONTACT record low unemployment U.S. natural gas saw record Charlton L. “Chuck” Whipple, SCCED Kentucky (4.0), Mississippi (4.5), Al- production in 2017 803.691.3954 abama (3.7) and Arkansas (3.6) saw U.S. natural gas production topped all [email protected] record low unemployment rates in the MIDLANDSTECH.EDU/enterprise previous years in 2017, according to past year. There are an unprecedented the U.S. Department of Energy. Gross 6.6 million jobs available as of May in mined withdrawals totaled 90.9 billion this country. cubic feet per day. The record year sub- Austin named best place to live stantially boosted exports of LNG. For the second straight year, U.S. News %106+07'&

18 SB&D SPRING 2018 The Power to Deliver The Dedicationto Serve

The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas provide reliable, affordable power to the state we call home. Our 17 electric distribution cooperatives’ service areas cover more than 60 percent of Arkansas with the power to serve more than half a million homes, farms and businesses.

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Coal dead? Not here. In the spring quarter, War- rior Met Coal opened a new $19 million portal facility at its No. 7 coal mine in Brook- wood, Ala. The portal is now being worked by 350 hour- ly miners and 150 salaried employees. Warrior Met has hired more than 1,000 workers in the area in 18 months. One in 11 Georgia jobs tied to ports A recent study by the Univer- sity of Georgia’s Terry Col- lege of Business showed that Georgia’s deepwater ports are one of the state’s “strongest economic engines.” Accord- Ì iÃ«À}µÕ>ÀÌiÀ]7>ÀÀÀ iÌ >«ii`>iÜf£«ÀÌ> ing to the study, the ports in facility at its No. 7 coal mine in Brookwood, Ala.

20 SB&D SPRING 2018 MOVIN’ ON THE TENN-TOM... IT’S THE ONLY WAY TO GO.

57 69 MisMMiMissourisousoouuri Paducah Bowling Green Kentucky 24

Clarksville Cumberland River

Tennessee River Nashville 40

Mississippi River Jackson M65 55 Tennessee 24 45 43 65 Arkansas Memphis 64 Chattanooga Collierville

72 40 Iuka Florence Huntsville South Haven Corinth 72 Muscle Shoals Decatur Oxford Tennessee River Tupelo 278 43 49 59 M65 65 22

Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Columbus Birmingham 20 82 Starkville 82 55 Tuscaloosa

45 25 Alabama 59 49 Mississippi

Mississippi River Auburn

Black Warrior River Jackson Meridian 80 85 20 Vicksburg Demopolis Montgomery

49 Tombigbee River 59 Natchez M65 45 Alabama River 65

Hattiesburg Pascagoula River 55

Mobile 10 Baton Rouge Biloxi Florida 12 Gulfport 10 New Orleans Louisiana TENN-TOM REGION GulfHIGHWAYS of Mexico AND INTERSTATES

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Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Development Authority www.tenntom.org [email protected] 662.328.3286 AROUND Brunswick and Savannah in Alabama industrial site THE 2017 supported over 439,000 i>ÀÃViÀÌwV>Ì SOUTH jobs, or one out of 11 jobs in A 735-acre site in Lowndes the state. and Montgomery counties Fayetteville, N.C., named has earned AdvantageSite “most innovative city” designation by the Econom- Fayetteville, home to Fort ic Development Partnership Bragg, the largest military of Alabama. The site, locat- base in the world based on ed just south of Montgom- population, has been named ery in Hope Hull, includes the nation’s most innovative proper zoning, accessibility city by Governing in collab- and is served by all utilities. oration with the nonprofit Living Cities. The second Chemical industry in annual Equipt to Innovate Louisiana is huge report, released in the spring According to economist Lo- quarter, assesses municipal ren Scott, Louisiana’s chem- governments based on sever- ical industry accounted for al metrics, including citizen $79.7 billion in annual sales engagement, racial equity, in 2017 and $15.7 billion data use and strategic plan- in wages. Two out of every Fayetteville, N.C., has been named the nation’s most ning. Other Southern cities seven jobs created in Loui- innovative city by Governing in collaboration with the in the report include Louis- siana were supported by the «ÀwÌLiving Cities. ville and San Antonio. chemical industry. -

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22 SB&D SPRING 2018 (502) 564-7670 • ThinkKentucky.com

More than just shovel-ready.

Kentucky has Build-Ready.

Need to begin construction and start operations quickly? At one of Kentucky’s certiﬁed Build-Ready sites, you can. With a Build-Ready, you have the follow guarantees:

• A building pad is ready • Zoning is in place • Environmental issues have been resolved • Infrastructure plans are set • Construction costs and timetables have been estimated • Funding plans have been developed, with sale and lease options • Building renderings are available

That means much of the red tape has been eliminated, allowing your company to be operational much more quickly.

Kentucky communities are offering a growing list of certiﬁed Build-Ready sites. To learn more, call (502) 564-7670 or visit BuildReadyKY.com SNAPSHOTS FROM THE In the spring quarter, ROAD SB&D visited Alabama, North Carolina and Texas.

1: SB&D traveled to 7ÃÌ->i] ° °]vÀ the annual Swing & Swine golf tournament. Host Bob i>À°v7ÃÌ->i Business Inc.’s Swing & Swine tournament greets guests. 2: SB&D Matthew Randle with professional golfer John Daly. 3: Leak and Randle. 4, 5 and 6: Swing and Swine 7ÃÌ->i° 7: ÕV7 ««i>` >ÌÌ Randle at SEDC’s Meet the Consultants in Dallas. 8: Randle with some of SEDC’s attendees. 9: George Swift and Randle. 10: Raul Peralta and James Chavez. 11: J.D. Lowery, Gene Stinson and Matt Randle. 12: Jubal Smith. 13: Sam Powers. 14: Josh Bays, Alison Benton and Craig Hughes. 15: Linda Burns, Dean Barber and Chris Schwinden. 16: Heidi Smith, Josh Bays and John Bradley.

24 SB&D SPRING 2018 SB&D attended the Hyundai expansion announcement in the spring quarter. 17: CEO of Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama Dong Ryeol Choi, Gov. Kay Ivey, Director of Production for Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama Craig Stapley 18: Dong Ryeol Choi. 19: Artist Brooks Barrow, Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange, Gov. Kay Ivey, Chairman of the Montgomery County Commission Elton Dean, and President of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Randy George. -

SPRING 2018 SB&D 25 RELOCATIONS EXPANSIONS & For real-time news on business, politics and economic development in the South, go to RandleReport.com. For all economic development projects announced in the South, go to SB-D.com. For information on automotive in the South, go to SouthernAutoCorridor.com. ALABAMA The new mill will comple- Hyundai Power Manufacturer expanding ment Westervelt’s existing Transformers expanding in Arkansas Google begins lumber mill in Moundville, construction on in Montgomery Bekaert is expanding its Ala., which the company Hyundai Power Transform- heavy steel wire plant in Van $600 million data center says is the second-largest Google has begun construc- ers USA will invest $33 mil- Buren, Ark. The company production facility of South- has been part of the Van Bu- tion on its $600 million data lion in its Montgomery plant ern Yellow Pine in the U.S. to expand capacity by 60 per- ren community since 1976. center in Bridgeport, Ala. The specific location and cent to build its transform- The $16 million expansion The project is expected to design should receive final ers. The project will result in will include 100,000 square create as many as 100 full- approval from its board of 86 new jobs. feet of new space and 40 new time jobs in Jackson County. directors soon. jobs. Aviation company ARKANSAS Over $100 million Food service company to expanding in Birmingham being invested in South Nucor plans another add jobs at new Arkansas Stewart Industries Interna- Alabama plant expansion of its East distribution center tional has leased the former Kimberly-Clark is investing Arkansas plant Fort Worth-based Ben E. Kaiser Aircraft facility next to $100 million to expand and Charlotte-based Nucor just Keith Co. is opening a new Birmingham-Shuttlesworth improve its plant in Mobile. recently celebrated an ex- distribution center with International Airport. The The company makes bath tis- pansion of its steel mill in warehouse and office space company said recently they sue for Scott and Cottonelle Mississippi County, Ark. in Arkansas. The facility in expect to hire 200 to provide brands. Now the company has an- North Little Rock will em- maintenance support to the nounced another expansion ploy 350. East Coast-based aviation in- Manufacturer adding jobs of the plant. Nucor will add dustry. in Lanett a galvanizing line to produce FLORIDA WestRock, which is a man- sheet metal at the plant at a Westervelt Lumber will Pratt & Whitney investing ufacturer of paper and cost of $240 million. build mill in Alabama, packaging, is expanding its $100 million in South create 100 jobs operations in Lanett. The Swedish manufacturer Florida facilities The 130-year-old Tuscaloo- company, which has about expands in rural Arkansas Jet engine maker Pratt & sa company, Westervelt, will 300 employees, is adding a Granges of Sweden an- Whitney announced in May build a new mill in South 375,000-square-foot distri- nounced in May it will invest it will invest $100 million in Alabama, creating 100 jobs. bution center and 50 jobs. $26 million to expand its fa- its massive manufacturing cilities in Newport, Ark. The and design campus in north- company makes light gauge western Palm Beach County. aluminum foil for food- The project will include new grade packaging. The deal equipment for manufactur- will add 100 jobs. ing, engineering and the de- Medical marijuana companies bringing 100 jobs to Jefferson County, Ark. More than 100 jobs are coming to the Pine Bluff area as part of the medical marijuana industry. Five cultivation facilities will open across the state, with two belonging to Natural State Wellness Enterprises ivviÀÃ ÕÌÞ°ƂÀ>Ã>ÃÜ>ÃÌ iwÀÃÌÃÌ>ÌiÌ i Li iÌÌ legalize the drug for certain patients. 26 SB&D SPRING 2018 GE opens $200 million Alabama plant GE Aviation opened its $200 million components complex in Huntsville in the spring quarter. One plant will produce ÃVV>ÀL`i>`Ì iÌ iÀViÀ>VwLiÀÌLiÕÃi`Ì make ceramic matrix components for jet engines and gas ÌÕÀLiÃ°/ iÕÌÃÛiV>Ì>ÀÃÌ iwÀÃÌÌiÌ iÃi two processes will be in the same location.

Texas. Lockheed already em- off with pay. Some of the ploys 270 at the plant. other year-round roles include registered nurses and Nucor bringing $240 people with Medicare and million steel plant to sales experience. Florida velopment of new technolo- Cocoa, Fla. The company Charlotte-based Nucor re- Details emerge on Jabil’s gies. The project will create plans to hire 375 full-time cently announced it will HQ project in St. Pete invest $240 million to build 215 new jobs. workers to distribute perish- Jabil Inc. expects to spend a rebar micro mill in Frost- able food to Walmart stores $67.3 million on its new Company opens Center proof, Fla. The Polk County across the state. world headquarters in St. Pe- for Intelligent Buildings facility will be the second tersburg, Fla. The improve- In the spring quarter, United Raytheon to hire 500 in rebar micro mill Nucor is ments will be used to accom- Technologies cut the ribbon Palm Bay, Fla. constructing. (In Novem- modate 300 new full-time on its Center for Intelligent Massachusetts-based Ray- ber 2017, the company an- jobs, and the introduction of Buildings in Palm Beach theon may employ up to 500 nounced a rebar micro mill an innovation center. County. The smart building for its cybersecurity division project in Sedalia, Mo.) The is part headquarters, part at the former Oakridge Glob- Florida mill could create up GEORGIA product showcase. United al Energy Solutions facility in to 250 jobs that pay an aver- Gulfstream expands in Technologies builds smart Palm Bay. The defense con- age annual salary of $66,000. Savannah buildings, and its headquar- tractor employs more than Florida Blue hiring 500 Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., ters is where it can show that 64,000 workers worldwide in Florida Blue (Florida’s Blue the world’s corporate jet technology to customers. its defense, civil government Cross/Blue Shield) is on an- manufacturer, is investing The $115 million project will and cybersecurity divisions. other hiring spree, and this $55 million in its service create 480 jobs. Lockheed Martin adding time it’s for 500 workers center operations in Savan- Walmart to hire hundreds 100 jobs in Florida statewide. More than half nah. The company will add for new Cocoa facility Lockheed Martin is adding of the open positions are for 200 workers to the workforce Walmart is holding job in- 100 jobs at its plant in Pi- member care specialists and there, which currently stands formation sessions for its nellas Park that makes parts will offer year-round bene- at more than 10,000. soon-to-open Cocoa Gro- for the F-35 fighter jet that fits while working for nine cery Distribution Center in is assembled in Fort Worth, months, then three months CONTINUED

Telemundo opens new $250 million Miami HQ Telemundo has opened the largest TV production studio in South Florida, a $250 million complex designed for 1,200 employees, with room to grow to 1,500. The Spanish language media giant is a subsidiary of NBCUniversal and Comcast Corp. The facility will be the hub of TV series production, news, digital content and sports for Telemundo. SPRING 2018 SB&D 27 RELOCATIONS &EXPANSIONS

Pandora expands its located in Sandy Springs. The plant in Western Ken- ern Kentucky’s Breathitt Atlanta operations The U.S. Bancorp subsidiary tucky will house 125 full- County and create 121 jobs Pandora, the largest mu- provides payment processing time jobs. with the construction of a and services to merchants new facility on a reclaimed sic streaming service in the Barrel manufacturer and financial institutions. mine in Jackson. U.S., will expand its opera- to add 220 jobs in tions in Atlanta. The Califor- Rug maker to build Morehead, Ky. LINAK expansion brings nia-based company is adding 650,000-square-foot Missouri-based barrel man- new jobs to Louisville 250 jobs. distribution center in ufacturer Independent Stave More than 400 new jobs are Facebook to build $750 Georgia says it will create 220 jobs in coming to Louisville with the million data center in Rug maker Loloi will build Morehead as it plans to build opening of a 75,000-square- Georgia a distribution center in a new $66.5 million cooper- foot expansion at LINAK Facebook is investing $750 Cartersville, Ga. The Dal- age. The company already Incorporated. The company, million in a new data center las-based company will hire has a stave mill in Morehead, which is headquartered in in Newton County, Ga., lo- 200 in the deal. and the governor’s office says Jefferson County, Ky., makes cated just outside of Atlanta. the cooperage announce- parts used in healthcare It is the social media giant’s Georgia Ports breaks ment is a result of strong equipment, desks and other ninth data center in the U.S. ground in Chatham demand in the bourbon and furniture. County, Ga. whiskey industry. New Taurus USA facility Officials were on hand re- LOUISIANA to bring 300 jobs to cently for the ground-break- Conveyor manufacturer Formosa to locate $9.4 Bainbridge ing of the Mason Mega Rail adding 300 jobs in billion facility in Louisiana Taurus USA, a firearms man- project at the Georgia Ports. Kentucky Taiwan-based Formosa Pet- ufacturer, will create 300 jobs The $127 million project will Material Handling Systems rochemical Corp. will locate and invest more than $22.5 double capacity at the port. (MHS) is investing $20 mil- a $9.4 billion chemical man- million to establish a man- lion in its facilities in Mount ufacturing complex on 2,400 ufacturing plant in Decatur KENTUCKY Washington, Ky. The compa- acres on the west bank of the County. Aluminum processor ny builds and installs con- Mississippi River in St. James veyor systems for companies Elavon to expand Atlanta breaks ground in Parish. The project will cre- such as Amazon, Fed-Ex and HQ, create 180 jobs Kentucky ate 1,200 jobs. UPS. The project will double Payments company Ela- Novelis broke ground in the New Orleans votes “yes” von is expanding its Atlanta spring on a $305 million au- the company’s footprint and add 300 jobs. for DXC Technology headquarters and will create tomotive-grade aluminum The New Orleans City nearly 200 jobs at its campus sheet plant in Todd County. Indoor farming company Council recently passed an bringing new jobs to incentive package worth as Breathitt County much as $6.5 million that is Hydroponic Farms USA, part of a larger $120 million a startup indoor farming deal to bring the technology company, will invest more firm DXC to New Orleans. In than $44.5 million in East- exchange for the incentives,

Instacart adding 400 jobs in metro Atlanta Instacart, a grocery delivery service, announced in the spring it will add 400 jobs in the Atlanta area. The company is also investing $40 million in metro Atlanta. The Instacart service is available in more than 240 markets nationwide and handles deliveries for seven of the eight largest grocers in North America.

28 SB&D SPRING 2018 Century Aluminum announces $115 million upgrade to smelter in Hawesville, Ky. Century Aluminum, a producer of primary aluminum, will invest approximately $116.5 million for improvements at its operation in Hawesville that will create over 250 full-time jobs. The facility produces high purity metal required for the defense, aerospace and electrical industries.

DXC has pledged to hire at in Jefferson Parish. Louisi- General Atomics, a defense time jobs. Workers there will least 2,000 people. The com- ana Economic Development contractor headquartered in also have “opportunities to pany’s pledge has been hailed (LED) said the facility will San Diego, Calif., specializes engage with Amazon Robot- as an economic game-chang- primarily import and refine in nuclear physics. The com- ics in a highly technological er for the city according to palm oil from sources in the pany’s acoustic surveillance workplace.” Greater New Orleans Inc.’s Pacific, and LED said access sensor doesn’t see you com- Thermo Fisher investing Michael Hecht. to international waters will ing, it hears you. be vital to the operation. $50 million in St. Louis Software developer Mississippi wood Thermo Fisher Scientific doubling workforce in MISSISSIPPI manufacturer expanding will invest $50 million at its Louisiana St. Louis facility to expand Peco Foods bringing 300 in Vicksburg CGI, a software developer, is production of the compa- jobs to West Point Industrial Wood Products is adding 400 jobs to its facili- Alabama-based Peco Foods locating several lines of its ny’s biologic drug substance ty in Lafayette. By the year will take over the former wood products in a plant in capabilities. The project will 2023, 800 people will work at AmeriCold facility in West Vicksburg, Miss. The com- create 80 jobs. the company’s center with an Point, Miss., and invest $40 pany will invest $2 million in Magnitude 7 Metals estimated cumulative payroll million in it. The company is the deal and create 50 jobs. reopens Missouri of $480 million. a poultry provider. The proj- Woodgrain Distribution aluminum smelter ect will create 300 jobs. Big aerospace deal in plans Jackson distribution Magnitude 7 Metals will re- Lake Charles Metal building company hub open an aluminum smelter Citadel Completions is in- plans Northeast Building products company closed in 2016 in Marston, vesting over $17 million to Mississippi factory Woodgrain Distribution will Mo. The company plans to establish a center for interior A Georgia company that invest $5 million to open a create more than 450 jobs to jet modifications at Chen- makes steel building compo- distribution hub in Jackson. produce aluminum cans. nault International Airport nents wants to open a factory Grove Collaborative in Lake Charles. The facili- in Aberdeen, Miss. Bradbury MISSOURI ty will also perform aircraft plans Missouri Logistics & Services will in- Amazon creating 1,500 maintenance. The project is distribution hub vest $1 million and hire 150 jobs in Missouri Grove Collaborative, a nat- expected to start in the third people by 2020. Amazon.com will locate its ural home care products quarter of this year and will first Missouri fulfillment company that ships natural generate 256 jobs. General Atomics’ $20 million expansion will center in St. Peters, Mo., cre- cleaning brands like Meth- New $70 million plant add 60 jobs in Mississippi ating more than 1,500 full- od and Mrs. Meyer’s, plans to bring 39 jobs to General Atomics Electro- Jefferson Parish magnetic Systems will invest Georgia-based Fuji Vege- $20 million to expand for table Oil plans to launch a the tenth time in 13 years in $70 million processing facil- Shannon, Miss. The project is ity with 39 jobs next to the expected to create 48 jobs to former Avondale Shipyard manufacture laser systems.

+PFKCDCUGFFCVCƂTO VQNQECVGƂTUVEGPVGTKP0GY1TNGCPU `>L>Ãi``}Ì>`>Ì>ÃiÀÛViÃwÀ iÀÌ]Ü Ãi founder and CEO Radha Basu is shown here, will locate its wÀÃÌ1°-°`iÛiÀÞViÌiÀ`ÜÌÜ iÜ"Ài>Ã°/ i V«>Þ]Ü V ÕÃiÃ`>Ì>ÌÌi>V >ÀÌwV>Ìi}iVi] will hire 100.

SPRING 2018 SB&D 29 RELOCATIONS &EXPANSIONS

0GUVNÅVQJKTGYQTMGTUKP/KUUQWTK Nestlé announced in the spring it will add 135 workers at a Conagra Brands plant in Trenton, Mo. The plant makes Chef-mate products.

to open a new $3.7 million Durham County. The com- als supplier for the furniture, ments firm, is investing fulfillment center in St. Pe- pany will invest $55 million construction and flooring almost $25 million in its ters, Mo. The new facility is and create 200 jobs. industries, has begun con- operations center in Win- expected to create 210 jobs in struction on its North Amer- ston-Salem. The company, LabCorp locates the region. ican corporate offices, part of which will hire 50 in the deal, operations in Durham a $700 million project that has been operating there for ÀÌ}>}iwÀ i>À LabCorp, known for its clin- will add 770 manufacturing a decade. «iÃwÀÃÌ ÃÃÕÀ ical laboratory and drug jobs in Davidson County. vwVi]>``}xääLÃ development services, will Fibertex breaks ground in Cenlar FSB, a mortgage locate a new operations cen- Grifols breaks ground on Randolph County servicing operation head- ter in Durham County. The $120 million facility Officials gathered at the site quartered in New Jersey, company plans to create 422 Spain-based healthcare giant of a proposed Fibertex man- plans on adding 500 jobs jobs and will invest $30 mil- Grifols has broken ground ufacturing facility to mark in O’Fallon, Mo., as it takes lion in facility. on a new $120 million fa- the company’s expansion over the mortgage servicing cility at its Johnston County into Randolph County with Israel-based Albaad USA operations of Citigroup. The site, part of a $320 million a groundbreaking. Based in expands North Carolina CitiMortgage unit based investment in Clayton. The Denmark, Fibertex Person- in O’Fallon last year began manufacturing plant company’s latest addition al Care announced last year Albaad USA, an Israel-based to focus more on making will be used for making he- that it would locate its first manufacturer of wet wipes mortgage loans rather than motherapy products. An ad- U.S. manufacturing opera- and other hygiene products, servicing them. ditional $210 million is being tion in Asheboro on what will expand its U.S. opera- invested in its other facilities once was the Goodyear wire NORTH CAROLINA tions in Reidsville, N.C. The there. Grifols expects to hire plant campus. The project company plans to add 302 about 250 new employees in means a $114 million invest- Life sciences company jobs and invest $45 million Clayton over the next dozen ment and 145 new jobs. locating new plant in in Rockingham County. years. North Carolina GE Aviation will invest AveXis, a clinical-stage gene EGGER Wood Products >V>«>ÞiÌÃwÀ $105 million in therapy company that de- breaks ground on $700 investing in Winston- North Carolina velops treatments for neuro- million Triad Project Salem Ohio-based aircraft engine logical diseases, will locate a EGGER Wood Products, an The Clearing House Pay- supplier GE Aviation plans new manufacturing plant in Austria-based wood materi- ments Co., a financial pay- to invest $105 million into its

Corning to construct Valor Glass facility in &WTJCO0% Corning has announced an investment in Corning Valor Glass to build a high-volume manufacturing facility that will create over 300 new jobs in Durham County. Adding capacity for Valor Glass — a break- resistant glass for packaging injectable drugs — is part of Corning’s plan announced in July 2017 to invest $500 million and create 1,000 new jobs in the U.S. 30 SB&D SPRING 2018 operations in Asheville and West Jefferson, N.C., creating 146 jobs to support its new technology. Corvid Technologies expands HQ in Mooresville 0GYUVGGNOKNNQRGPUKP1MNCJQOC Engineering firm Corvid Commercial Metals dedicated its new micro mill in Durant, Okla., in the spring quarter. Technologies, which pro- The mill is the company’s second advanced micro mill that uses a manufacturing process that vides physics-based engi- melts, casts and rolls steel from a single strand, resulting in higher yields and lower energy neering solutions for the use than the traditional mini mill plant. defense, automotive, aircraft and biomedical industries, contractor and 550 quality vestments and 500 new jobs. bring 200 news jobs to Or- will invest $28.9 million to jobs to town. CACI provides angeburg County with a $52 Steelworkers return to locate its headquarters and information solutions and million investment in its mill in Georgetown create 367 new jobs in Iredell services in support of na- first North American oper- Forty steelworkers have re- County. Salaries will average tional security missions and ations. As a U.S. subsidiary turned to work at a George- $100,000. government transformation of Zhangzhou Sanlida Envi- town mill, the plant’s new for Intelligence, Defense and ronmental Technology Cor- VÀÞ>Ài>wLiÀ«ÌV owners announced recently. Federal Civilian customers. poration, the plant imports expansions to total British-based Liberty House and recycles waste paper and $54 million, 100 jobs Alltran expanding Tulsa acquired the mill from Arce- plastic to be used in foam A Hickory-area fiber-optic vwViÜÌ £xäiÜV> lorMittal, which ceased op- and cast plastic parts. cable plant is adding 100 jobs center jobs erations at the plant in Au- and will spend almost $75 Alltran is bringing 150 new gust 2015. Big sawmill deal in million on its huge facility “high-paying” call center Camden S.C. State Port opens in Catawba County. Italian jobs to Tulsa. The company Canfor Southern Pine will inland port energy and telecom cable specializes in revenue cycle, upgrade its sawmill in The State Ports Authority company Prysmian Group accounts receivable and con- Camden, S.C. The compa- opened its $50.5 million in- already has about 500 work- tact center solutions within ny, which manufactures land port in Dillon, S.C., in ing at its Claremont facility. health care, financial ser- high-quality Southern yel- the spring quarter. The new vices, higher education and low pine lumber at 14 loca- OKLAHOMA inland port is located on a government. tions in the South — includ- CSX main rail line that will Italian paper ing Conway, Darlington and SOUTH CAROLINA operate six days a week. manufacturer announces Marion in South Carolina — The cargo transfer hub will $360 million plant in Mortgage company is headquartered in Myrtle enable trucks and trains to Oklahoma relocating to South Beach, S.C. The expansion exchange thousands of con- will see an impressive $40 An Italian tissue paper man- Carolina, 1,100 jobs tainers to be distributed ufacturer is investing $360 More than 1,000 jobs will be million invested into the north on Interstate 95. Camden facility. million to build a new plant created in York County, S.C., in northeastern Oklaho- as RoundPoint Mortgage Manufacturer to open TENNESSEE ma that will support 300 will relocate its headquarters new plant in rural area jobs. Sofidel Group an- from Charlotte. The compa- South Carolina Big relocation from New nounced the plan as it broke ny is investing $34 million in ACS Manufacturing, a mak- York to Nashville ground on the project in In- the deal. er of acoustical equipment Global investment firm Al- ola, located about 30 miles enclosures, is opening a new lianceBernstein announced Keurig to build new east of Tulsa. plant in Abbeville, S.C. The in the spring it will relocate facility in South Carolina its global headquarters from $6 million investment will OKC could get 550 new Keurig Green Mountain New York to Nashville. The create 150 jobs. jobs plans to build a new roast- headquarters relocation is Oklahoma City took a first ing and packaging facility iÃiwÀÌ«i expected to create 1,050 jobs step toward approving a in Spartanburg County. The recycling facility in in Nashville. The company is $1.25 million economic in- coffee operations will see South Carolina investing $70 million in the centive to bring a federal $350 million in capital in- Eclomedia is expected to move. It chose Nashville over SPRING 2018 SB&D 31 RELOCATIONS &EXPANSIONS

5COUWPINCWPEJGUUGEQPFNKPGCV5QWVJ%CTQNKPCCRRNKCPEGRNCPV South Korean-based appliance manufacturer Samsung announced the expansion of its production footprint in South Carolina, making progress on a plan to create i>ÀÞ£]äääLÃÌ iÃÌ>ÌiLÞÓäÓä°/ iV«>ÞvwV>Þ>ÕV i`>iÜi of top-loading washing machines at its facility in Newberry, which is in addition to a line of front-loading washing machines that the electronics company began making at the plant earlier this year. The expansion comes less than a year after Samsung’s June announcement that it would invest $380 million in South Carolina to manufacture home appliances, creating an estimated 950 jobs by 2020.

Charlotte for the relocation. ate 50 jobs in Johnson County company to investvest in more manent jobs and 6,000 6 000 con- con over the next five years. training facilities and lead to struction jobs. FedEx plans major the creation of 124 new jobs. investment in Memphis Nearly 100 new jobs, $40 Indeed.com to hire 3,000 hub million for Knox County Defense contractor in Austin FedEx Corp is making a cap- More than 85 new Knox expanding in Tennessee The job website Indeed plans ital investment of more than County jobs and roughly $40 Kilgore Flares, a defense con- to hire 3,000 employees at its $1 billion to modernize its million in investments will tractor, is investing $40 mil- Austin facilities. The compa- hub in Memphis. Construc- bolster global adhesive-prod- lion to expand its facilities in ny currently employees 1,600 tion is expected to begin in ucts company Scapa Tapes Toone, Tenn. The project will in Austin and is developing 2019 and be completed by North America’s Knoxville create 100 jobs. two new offices in downtown 2025. In the meantime, FedEx operations. New Zealand tech Austin and The Domain. Express immediately hopes to SpecialtyCare to company chooses Texas port signs lease fill 1,700 part-time positions. consolidate and expand Nashville with Big River Steel Green Applications HQ in Tennessee, add New Zealand-based tech The prospect of a $1.5 billion, locates in Mountain City 100 jobs firm, Mobile Mentor, has LEED-certified steel man- Green Applications, an LED SpecialtyCare, a clinical ser- chosen Nashville as the place ufacturing plant locating at lighting manufacturer, dis- vices provider for hospitals for its first U.S. office. The the Port of Brownsville has tributor and wholesaler doing and health systems, is mov- deal will create 110 jobs. moved closer to reality. Port business as Star LED, plans ing its headquarters to a new, TEXAS commissioners voted unan- to establish operations in expanded location in Brent- imously to lease about 800 Mountain City. The company wood. The 40,000-square- A $10 billion deal near acres on the Brownsville Ship will invest $1 million and cre- foot space will allow the Corpus Christi Channel to Arkansas-based ExxonMobil Chemical and Big River Steel. Big River in Saudi Basic Industries (SAB- turn will build a high-tech IC), have formed a new joint steel mill that will house 500 venture for their Gulf Coast workers. About 1,500 con- Growth Ventures project. struction jobs will also be The $10 billion project, which created. will be located near Corpus Christi in Portland, Texas, Oracle opens gleaming is expected to include a 1.8 new Austin facility million-ton ethane cracker, Oracle has opened its new a monoethylene glycol unit 560,000-square-foot facility and two polyethylene units. in Austin. Execs of the Cal- The deal will create 600 per- ifornia-based company call

Doss Enterprises continues West Virginia expansion Doss Enterprises, an excavation and site development company, is adding 70 long-term positions to help serve across North Central West Virginia. 32 SB&D SPRING 2018 Gerber relocating HQ to Virginia Gerber Products is relocating its U.S. headquarters from New Jersey to Arlington County, Va. The company wanted to be near the headquarters of its sister company, Nestlé USA, which also is in Arlington County. The $5 million relocation will create 150 new jobs.

ÛiÃÌiÌwÀV ÃiÃ Estate Partners, which will sion that will create 100 jobs Austin over Dallas and make $179 million in im- over the next five years. The Denver provements to the facility. company offers a platform that enables its clients to pay Pacific Management Invest- Appian sets up new HQ in the two new buildings the all vendors electronically. ment Co. has chosen Austin Virginia, adds 600 jobs “workforce of the future.” The for a new innovation office Appian, a low-code and busi- MicroStrategy adding 300 campus, just outside down- that will house 200 workers. ness process platform provid- jobs, investing $6 million town Austin, could eventually The financial firm will use ar- er, is moving its headquarters at Virginia headquarters house 10,000 tech workers. tificial intelligence to manage to a larger space in McLean, MicroStrategy Incorporated portfolios, client relations and TaskUs could bring 1,000 Va. The company will invest has renewed its headquarters economic forecasting. jobs to New Braunfels over $28 million in the move, lease in Tysons, Va., and plans TaskUs, a Los Angeles com- JSW Steel to invest $500 which will relocate 600 work- to invest $6 million in capital pany that specializes in pro- million in Baytown ers, and add 600 more. improvements. The analytics and mobility software com- viding business services to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott re- Big government pany also considered Wash- digital brands such as Tinder cently announced a $500 contractor to place IT jobs ington, DC for the project, and Hootsuite, is expanding million investment from In- in rural Virginia which will retain more than its presence with as many as dia-based JSW Group to ex- Science Applications Inter- 800 existing jobs in Fairfax 1,000 new call center posi- pand its steel operations in national Corp. (SAIC) plans County and add 300. tions in New Braunfels. The Baytown. The expansion will to establish an IT service company reported it may create 500 new jobs at the center in Dickenson County, WEST VIRGINIA have upwards of 2,000 work- plant. Va., one of the state’s poor- VA Coding Unit moves to ers in the region. iÛiÀwÀÌLÕ` est counties. SAIC is a major Huntington, W.Va. $1 billion data campus in government contractor. The Indian tech company The revitalization of down- Richardson, Texas deal will create 40 jobs. unveils Plano tech hub, town Huntington took an- EdgeCore Internet Real Es- could hire 450 DowDuPont’s $50 million other step forward as the tate plans to build a $1 billion An India-based informa- investment in Kevlar Veterans Affairs’ MidSouth data center in Richardson. tion technology company production to include Healthcare Network an- EdgeCore wants to build a recently unveiled a new hub «>Ì iÃÌiÀwi`]6>° nounced it would relocate its facility on 33 acres to include in Plano, with plans to hire DowDuPont is investing $50 85-employee medical coding two office and data center 150 workers to staff it. WiWi-- million in its global oper- unit from Ceredo, W.Va. The buildings, each spanning pro Limited plans to openen ations that make Kevlar, a move will create an additional 358,000 square feet. its 45,000-square-foot Texasxas high-strength material man- 40 jobs in a long-vacant for- Technology Center, whichch VIRGINIA ufactured at the company’s mer department store. will be home to the compa-a- Spruance plant in Chester- Ground-breaking for a ny’s U.S. cybersecurity center Customs and border field County. The investment new plant in Jefferson and advanced analytics oper- protection agency moving will not mean additional hir- County ations. It will initially employ 3,700 jobs to Loudoun ing there, although the Spru- TeMa North America, based 150, but plans to increase to County ance plant, which employs The U.S. Customs and Border in Italy, is breaking ground as many as 450 workers. about 1,800 people, has hired Protection Agency’s Office on a 42,000-square-foot man- 150 people over the last year. Peloton to open regional of Information Technology ufacturing plant in Jefferson campus in North Texas headquarters will consolidate FinTech Paymerang plans County. The $10 million Indoor cycling company its operations and bring 3,700 hiring 100 in Virginia plant, announced last sum- Peloton will open a regional jobs to Loudoun County. The Backed by a new $26 mil- mer, is the company’s first campus in Plano, Texas. The county’s Board of Supervisors lion investment, Chester- manufacturing facility in the new office will replace its aided the relocation through field County-based financial United States, and will pro- New York headquarters. The an agreement with Quantum services tech company Pay- duce insulation and drainage project will create 400 jobs. Park owner American Real merang is planning an expan- systems.- SPRING 2018 SB&D 33 SOUTHERNAUTO CORRIDOR-COM For real-time news on business, politics and economic development in the South, go to RandleReport.com. For all economic development projects announced in the South, go to SB-D.com. For more information on the automotive industry in the South, go to SouthernAutoCorridor.com.

Nissan cutting vehicle production by 20 percent in the U.S. Nissan Motor Co. is cutting production by as much as 20 percent in North America to help it deal with declining profitability in the United States. Nissan, Ja- pan’s second largest automaker, with its North Ameri- can headquarters in a Nashville suburb, has seen sales fall 6.5 percent this year. Discounts for the slow selling Altima and Rogue models have factored in the drop in profit in the U.S. In the Southern Auto Corridor, Nissan operates assembly plants in Canton, Miss., and Smyrna, Tenn. It also operates an engine and crank- shaft plant in Decherd, Tenn. Although production is slowing down, the Nikkei said, employees will not be let go. The plants will not be completely shut down Nissan’s new CEO Hiroto Saikawa wants the company to slow down, and, at some point later this year, production is ex- worried its rush to expand sales was pushing it off track. pected to return to normal levels.

ALABAMA Hyundai plant in Montgomery to undergo $388 million expansion Hyundai announced in the spring quarter it will invest $388 million in its Montgomery assembly plant to build a 260,000-square-foot engine head manufacturing facility to produce its next-generation engine. The engine will use new technology and components. The South Korean automaker will also update and improve its existing engine plant at the Montgom- ery campus. The new engines will be placed in vehicles built at the Alabama facility as well as Kia’s plant in West Point, Ga. Also, Hyund- ai rolled out the new Santa Fe model in June. Fifty jobs will be created with the expansion. About 3,000 workers are currently housed at the Montgomery facility. Alabama sees record 15,000 new manufacturing jobs in 2017 Hyundai announced in the spring quarter it will invest $388 million in its In calendar year 2017, 15,465 manufacturing Montgomery assembly plant. Pictured at the site are Dong Ryeol Choi, jobs were created in Alabama with a record in- *ÀiÃ`iÌ>` iv ÝiVÕÌÛi"vwViÀvÞÕ`> ÌÀ >Õv>VÌÕÀ} vestment total of $4.41 billion. The automotive Alabama; Kay Ivey, Governor, State of Alabama; and Craig Stapley, and aerospace sectors led the way followed by Director of Production, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. forest products and food production.

34 SB&D SPRING 2018 The new Mercedes-Benz North American headquarters is located in Sandy Springs, Ga.

Construction begins on of Mobile would clearly be Big automotive parts supplier ty. Company officials say 222 Mazda-Toyota plant on an advantage to Alabama’s opens Alabama plant employees will be hired at October 1 three operating auto assem- Samvardhana Motherson the new supply plant by the Construction on Huntsville’s bly plants — Mercedes-Benz, Peguform (SMP) has of- end of 2019. $1.6 billion Mazda-Toyota Hyundai and Honda — as ficially opened its new Truck & Wheel Group opens plant is scheduled to start on well as the Mazda-Toyota 700,000-square-foot plant in $30 million Alabama wheel October 1, according to Gov. joint venture assembly plant Tuscaloosa, Ala. The compa- assembly plant Kay Ivey. The plant is expect- in Huntsville that begins ny has invested $150 million The Spain-based auto suppli- ed to house 4,000 workers. construction in October. The in the facility and the plant er Truck & Wheel Group has new terminal could create already houses 320 workers. Port of Mobile signs opened a new 127,000-square- 600 or more jobs. Plans are to hire up to 1,000. agreement to ship vehicles foot manufacturing facility The Alabama State Port Au- Autocar opens $120 million Auto supplier Yorozu opens that will supply wheel assem- thority is partnering with plant in Birmingham Jasper plant blies for automakers in the a joint venture from South Autocar, a manufacturer Auto parts maker Yorozu Southeast. The $30 million America to build and oper- of concrete trucks and gar- marked the grand opening project will create more than ate a facility that enables ve- bage trucks, has opened its of its $110 million manu- 70 jobs. hicles to be driven on and off $120 million plant in Bir- facturing plant in Walker ARKANSAS of ships at the Port of Mobile. mingham at a 1.3 million- County, where hiring has The joint venture is called square-foot facility, a former been ramping up and will Nucor completes latest AutoMobile International Meadowcraft Complex. The continue to grow. The Tier 1 Arkansas expansion Terminal. An automobile company currently employs automotive supplier produc- In the spring quarter, Nucor handling center at the Port 746 workers. es metal stamped suspension Steel Arkansas completed components for automakers its $230 million cold mill including Honda, Toyota expansion. The company and Nissan. makes steel for the auto- German auto supplier motive industry near Bly- opens $46.3 million plant in theville, Ark., and is one of Alabama the largest employers in Mis- MöllerTech, a German auto sissippi County. About 100 supplier, has opened a $46.3 jobs will be added at the mill. million plant in Bibb Coun- CONTINUED

Toyota announced in the spring quarter it is investing $170 million at its Blue Springs, Miss., assembly plant to add capacity. The deal will create 400 jobs. SPRING 2018 SB&D 35 SOUTHERNAUTO CORRIDOR-COM

Volvo Cars has begun producing prototypes of its new S60 sedan to prepare for full production by the end of the year in Berkeley County, S.C.

FLORIDA Smyrna’s Topre America MISSISSIPPI in Gaston County on what announces 50 new jobs will become the company’s Mexican auto supplier Topre America Corp. has Toyota creating hundreds of first manufacturing facility chooses Panama City for HQ announced plans to expand jobs at Mississippi plant in the United States. The new Yucatan-based Air Temp, a its existing facility in Smyr- Toyota announced in the 160,000-square-foot facility, global auto parts supplier, na, Ga., representing a $37.8 spring quarter it is investing which will manufacture hy- $170 million at its assembly will locate its first U.S. head- million capital investment draulic lift gates for trucks, is plant in Blue Springs, Miss., quarters in Panama City, Fla. and the creation of 50 jobs. expected to create up to 200 The project is expected to to add capacity. The Japanese Topre America provides au- new jobs. create 50 jobs. automaker builds the Corol- tomotive stamping and body la model there. The deal will Two foreign companies GEORGIA structure assemblies for Nis- create 400 jobs. adding 100-plus jobs in san, Honda and Toyota. Charlotte region Mercedes-Benz to add Nissan’s milestone in Tokyo-based Yokohama Tire innovation lab in Atlanta KENTUCKY Mississippi Mercedes-Benz will open will open a research and de- Fitzgerald Industries opens Nissan’s plant in Canton, an innovation lab, named velopment facility in Cor- Kentucky plant Miss., produced its 4 mil- Lab1886, in metro Atlanta, a nelius, adding 56 jobs and A manufacturer of dump- lionth vehicle, a 2018 NV surprise announcement that nearly $5.9 million in in- truck beds, Fitzgerald In- Cargo van, marking a ma- came as the German auto- vestment, while Kurz, a hot dustries II, will locate in jor milestone for the facility maker opened its new North that opened in 2003. To meet stamping and coating tech- American headquarters in the former Belden plant in nology company based in Monticello, Ky. The compa- demand for the NV, the Jap- Sandy Springs. Lab1886, anese automaker added a Furth, Germany, will build a reference to the year the ny plans to invest $6 million a new $18 million North and create 250 full-time jobs. second shift in April. About founders of Mercedes’ 250 jobs will be created or American headquarters in parent company, Daimler Commercial truck facility retained to staff the second Huntersville and hire 90 new Group, built the first auto- adding jobs in Kentucky shift. positions by 2022. mobile powered by an in- E-Z Pack Refuse Hauling NORTH CAROLINA SOUTH CAROLINA ternal combustion engine, Solutions, a maker of com- will help fast-track projects mercial trucks, is investing Chinese tire plant gets bigger Volvo Cars gears up for mass and services from design to $6.85 million in its plant in Last year, China-based Tri- hiring in South Carolina market. Harrison County. The deal angle Tire announced a $582 Volvo Cars has begun producing prototypes of its new Tire maker joint venture will create about 100 jobs. million, 800-employee tire S60 sedan to prepare for full picks Atlanta for HQ plant at the Kingsboro CSX LOUISIANA production by the end of the A new joint venture between Select Megasite in Edge- year in Berkeley County. The two global tire makers is lo- Plant coming to Vidalia combe County, N.C. In the test cars (not to be sold) help cating its headquarters in At- Syrah Resources announced spring quarter, company of- new hires learn how to make lanta. Goodyear and Bridge- in the spring it will build a ficials raised those numbers the vehicles before produc- stone have created TireHub, $25 million graphite process- to just over $1 billion and being them in real time. a tire distribution joint ven- ing facility in Vidalia, La. The tween 1,100 and 1,200 jobs at the unbuilt plant. ture. The new company will plant will produce graphite Magna South Carolina plant attempt to meet the growing anode materials for batteries Manufacturer Dhollandia to supply BMW demand for larger rim diam- in electric vehicles and oth- building $30 million Headquartered in Ontario, eter premium tires. The new er products. The Australian North Carolina facility Canada, Magna will supply headquarters in Atlanta will company will hire 55 work- Belgium-based manufactur- seats to BMW Group for house 150 workers. ers in the deal. er Dhollandia broke ground the first time with the open- 36 SB&D SPRING 2018 ing of its seat-manufactur- el at its Chattanooga plant, About 640 jobs will be creat- four new production lines ing facility in Spartanburg representing a $340 million ed in the deal. and 320 jobs focused on County, S.C. At the recent investment in addition to the Truck parts maker opening a electrification and safety grand opening, Magna also $900 million already invested plant in Northeast Tennessee systems. announced an $8 million ex- to expand the plant for At- Canada-based RMC Ad- pansion of the plant, which las production. Beginning in South Korean manufacturer vanced Technologies is will add 25,000 square feet the last quarter of 2019, the to build new plant in West opening a new plant in and an additional 130 jobs, plant will make a five-seat Hawkins County, Tenn. The Tennessee bringing the total workforce SUV based on its Atlas, a sev- company makes large body Dong-A USA, an automo- to 610 jobs at the facility, en-seat vehicle that’s already parts for big truck rigs. The tive and appliance supplier, which will supply seats for built in Chattanooga. Volk- company will hire 54 work- will invest $13 million in a the BMW X5, X6 and X7 swagen currently employs ers to start. new plant in Martin, Tenn. models. 3,500 people at the plant, The South Korean company and that number could grow Adient to invest $10.8 million Auto parts supplier based on sales of the new in Tennessee makes rubber and plastic expanding in South Carolina SUV. Adient will invest $10.8 mil- components. The deal will JTEKT North America is lion in its Lexington facility create 200 new jobs. investing $19.4 million in General Motors returns and create 200 new jobs. The its Koyo Bearings plant in to three shifts at Over 170 new jobs in Loudon automotive seating and in- West Union, S.C. The com- Tennessee plant terior systems manufacturer Morgan Olsen is immedi- pany, which makes bearings, GM will add a third shift that plans to upgrade its facility ately hiring over 170 po- steering systems and drive- it took down in November at by installing equipment and sitions. The company pro- line components, will add its plant in Spring Hill, Tenn. expanding production in duces walk-in vans and is 56 jobs in the project. The third shift will add about Henderson County, Tenn. looking to quickly fill these 1,000 jobs. GM added the Auto parts supplier plans positions after being award- shift because of high demand ATLASBX locating first U.S. South Carolina plant for its GMC Acadia and Ca- manufacturing facility in ed a “record-breaking” con- Germany-based Paul Bippus dillac XT5 models. Tennessee tract for over 6,000 vans. GmbH, a manufacturer of ATLASBX will locate its first precision parts, is opening Big deal in Dorman Products plans hub U.S. manufacturing facility a plant in Summerville, S.C. Northeast Tennessee in Portland, Tenn. in Clarksville, Tenn. The au- The $16 million facility will Belgian-based Van Hool tomotive battery manufac- Dorman Products will in- supply parts to the nearby NV, a manufacturer of bus- turer will invest $75 million vest more than $55 million Robert Bosch plant. The deal es, coaches and industrial and create approximately 200 to expand its operations in will create 45 jobs. vehicles, will establish its jobs in Montgomery County. Robertson County, Tenn. first U.S. manufacturing fa- TENNESSEE The Pennsylvania-based au- cility in Morristown, Tenn. Denso invests millions, adds tomotive parts manufactur- Volkswagen announces The family-owned company 320 jobs in Tennessee $340 million Chattanooga plans to invest $47 million to Automotive supplier Denso er plans to establish a new investment build a 500,000-square-foot announced a $190 million production and distribution Volkswagen has announced facility in Morristown’s East investment in its Athens, facility and create approxi- plans to build a third mod- Tennessee Progress Center. Tenn., facility that will add mately 215 jobs. -

Volkswagen announced plans to build a third model at its Chattanooga plant, representing a $340 million investment in addition to the $900 million already invested to expand the plant for Atlas production.

SPRING 2018 SB&D 37 100 SB&D

38 SB&D SPRING 2018 How did they finish? The South continues to beat the odds with four years of unprecedented economic development success. See which states and cities win, place and show. . . BY MICHAEL RANDLE

SPRING 2018 SB&D 39 100 SB&D

he South continued its decades-long Job fairs are happening everywhere as recent research shows that 77 percent of run as the economic engine of the CEOs are concerned that their companies’ growth will be adversely impacted by world’s largest economy. In 2017, almost the ongoing shortage of key skills such as leadership, adaptability and problem 1 million of the 2.2 million jobs created ÃÛ}°>``Ì]1°-°i«ÞiÀÃ>ÀiÀi«ÀÌ}`vwVÕÌÞ À}Ãi`ÌÀ>`iÃ in the U.S. were captured by states in the people, technicians, engineers and medical talent, among others. South. The West came in second place with a net plus of 669,000 jobs, followed Tby the Northeast (320,000) and Midwest regions, mostly from the Northeast. The pool of an estimated 1.4 million workers (281,000) last year. South is by far the largest in-migration by most economists’ accounts. I know, region of the country. crazy! It wasn’t too long ago that over 15 At 92 months (as of May), the U.S. is million able workers were unemployed in the longest stretch of consecutive To give you a comparison, while over 1.2 in the U.S. and that was deemed the monthly job gains in history. Yet, jobs million people migrated to the 15-state “new normal.” are not the issue anymore; people are. American South, only 111,221 migrated Workers are hard to find, which is slow- to the Northeast during the same peri- Since the 2014 recovery peak of 250,000 ing the economy down a little. It’s not od. So, if your market is a destination jobs created per month on average, the much yet, but the consecutive monthly for those looking for better jobs and a average monthly job gains have fallen ev- streak of job gains has to end at some lower cost of living, you are somewhat ery year. The theory that there are plenty point, and if workers don’t magically insulated from the lack of labor. of folks outside the labor force and em- emerge from somewhere, we are closer Regardless, labor constraints have be- ployable is completely flawed. The U.S. to that happening than at any time in come the No. 1 issue in this economy. set a new record low in April for week- eight years. The situation in the South and else- ly unemployment insurance claims. In Fortunately for the South, it is the No. 1 where is no longer about a skills gap. All fact, the record low is unprecedented. region for in-migration from other U.S. the folks with skills are working. What The last time we saw a low of 200,000 un- regions and has been for decades. Over we have today is a “body gap.” Current- employment insurance (UI) payments 1.2 million people migrated to the South ly, there are a record 6.6 million jobs filed was during a week in Decem- from July 2016 to July 2017 from other available in the U.S., with an employable ber 1969. Why is it unprecedented? In 40 SB&D SPRING 2018

SB D100 & 1969, the U.S. had a labor force of 82 million people. Today, it’s double that at 162 million. In other words, new UI claims just reached a 49-year low with a labor force almost twice as large as it was 49 years ago. What does that mean? At 92 months (as of May), the It means there’s hardly anyone left that U.S. is in the longest stretch of is employable. And while there are few workers avail- consecutive monthly job able, some of our lawmakers are try- ing hard to cut legal immigration in gains in history. addition to illegal immigration. Let’s Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics emphasize that: some lawmakers want to cut legal immigration. That seems

2010 88,000 2011 174,000 2012 179,000 191,000 2014 250,000 2015 226,000 2016 195,000 2017 182,000

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42 SB&D SPRING 2018

SB D100 & to me to be the opposite of what this Remember, labor participation or to- nation needs right now as it relates tal workforce is defined as anyone age to economic realities. Sure, we’ve all 16 to 64. Not counted are those in the heard about the aforementioned “skills military, in prison, in long-term care or gap,” but that is not the most are otherwise institutionalized. pressing issue. Unskilled Employment Status among workers are the center of So, as you can see, only 12 out of 500 every 500 Americans the real labor shortage, as people in this country are unemployed farmers, seafood proces- and seeking a job. That’s about 2.3 per- 247 Employed Full Time sors and construction cent of the eligible workers in the coun- 54 Employed Part Time companies are in need try who are unemployed, want a job of tens of thousands of and are actively looking. That’s a tiny 177 Unemployed, Don’t Want Job workers that are simply pool of workers left who want a job. 12 Unemployed, Want Job not there for hire. The second largest pool in the chart are those who are unemployed who don’t 10 Unemployed, Not Looking Another way to look at U.S. labor availability, want a job. That could be any number 500 Total or lack thereof, is this of types of individuals aged 16 to 64, including the retired, disabled, drug Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics nifty chart (shown at left) that FiveThirtyEight put to- addicted, mentally ill, student and gether from numbers provid- family caretaker. Remember, there are ed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. As an estimated 2 million people in this of April 2018, this is the employment country who are addicted to opioids status among every 500 Americans. and cannot pass a drug test.

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44 SB&D SPRING 2018 6JGDCD[DWUV5QOCP[NGUU aging out of the workforce, job growth RGQRNGGPVGTKPIVJGYQTMHQTEG will most certainly keep falling. Yet, As mentioned in previous cover stories, declining job growth is not such a bad we are facing a double whammy to the thing when you have achieved full em- labor market — today’s tight immigra- ployment. Full employment is the goal tion policies and birth rates that have of any economy. been declining for more than 15 years. It should be noted that just about every It isn’t too surprising that job growth is developed country in the world is in the beginning to slow considering the un- same tight labor and low fertility rate employment rate, 3.9 percent, is beyond boat as the U.S. The problem is that the Just about every full employment. U.S. is not doing anything about it. In As a result of the lower birth rates seen fact, the U.S. is doing the exact oppo- developed country since 2002, the U.S. population to- site of what it should do in a tight labor day provides anywhere from 60,000 to market. Japan is suffering not from a in the world is 75,000 people entering the job market skills gap, but a body gap as well. What Japan is experiencing is the same as in per month (turning age 16). For de- experiencing the the U.S. — a severe shortage of people. cades, the U.S. could count on about 175,000 to 225,000 people entering the In May, officials in Japan announced a same tight labor job market per month. But with a de- new program to recruit foreign work- clining labor force, population and im- ers to solve its labor situation. Like the and low birth migration, combined with full employ- U.S. today, Japan has long resisted im- ment and a record number of people migrant labor. This summer, a new pro- rates as the U.S.

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SPRING 2018 SB&D 45 100 SB&D

296 680 695 2015 424 2014 668 410 185 597 160 2011 189 259 594 2009 227 140 2008 291 429 /#07(#%674+0) 209 510 010/#07(#%674+0) 2006 257 225 482 2005 219 589 616#.241,'%65 2004 292 297 585 277 466 Totals are derived from all projects announced in the American South 2002 164 245 409 1994-2017 meeting or exceeding 200 jobs and/or $30 million in investment. 2001 165 282 447 Source: SB&D 2000 209 521 1999 194 540 1998 228 572 made the previous calendar year that 1997 229 407 meets or exceeds $30 million in invest- 1996 212 ment and/or 200 jobs. Why $30 million and/or 200 jobs? Well, back in the day, 1994 281 189 470 if the project didn’t meet one or both of those thresholds, many states wouldn’t let the local economic developer use the The South’s Manufacturing state plane for site visits. vs. We rank and publish on page 56 the top Non-Manufacturing Projects 100 job announcements from calendar 1994-2017 year 2017, and on page 58 are the top 100 investment announcements from last year. But those are simply the top 100 projects for each sector. This, the 24th annual SB&D 100, saw 680 projects gram will be launched in Japan that will 6JG5$&5QJQY meet or exceed 200 jobs and/or $30 mil- accept foreigners with certain skill sets. FKFRTQLGEVCEVKXKV[KPVJG5QWVJ lion in investment, the third best total The accepted individuals will work in HCTGKP2TGUKFGPV6TWORoUƂTUV in the ranking’s history. Only the 2016 Japan for as long as five years as “train- [GCTKPQHƂEG! SB&D 100 with a record 730 projects ees.” They will work in fields such as ag- Given the labor constraints, how did (projects from calendar year 2015) and riculture, construction and home care. President Trump’s first year in office the 2017 SB&D 100 (projects from calendar year 2016) topped this year’s total. Void of a recession, the U.S. will be fare in economic development project forced to take up a similar foreign activity in the South, the world’s third The last four years have been the most worker program as Japan’s within 18 largest economy? The methodology of successful in SB&D 100 history (see months, maybe sooner. With this baby the Southern Business & Development chart above). In the first 20 years of bust, site consultants are unable to 100 can be found on page 60 in the 2018 this ranking, the yearly average of big prove to employers that locations in Top Deals and Hot Markets report. The deals announced in the 15-state Amer- the South and elsewhere in the U.S. can short version of the methodology of ican South was 520 projects. Reaching backfill labor 20 years out. It’s not poli- this ranking is this: we document every 500 projects meeting our thresholds tics, it’s demographics. publicly announced project in the South represented the benchmark for an out-

46 SB&D SPRING 2018

100 SB&D

612+0&7564+'5 07/$'41(241,'%65 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 1. Distribution 74 66 54 51 26 39 2. Food & Beverage 73 51 63 45 50 36 3. Automotive 72 85 111 81 83 81 4. Financial Services 38 47 69 42 31 19 5. Aviation/Aerospace 35 55 26 28 30 18 6. Petrochemicals 27 41 70 47 37 51 7. Headquarters 33 32 36 42 14 15 8. Oil & Gas 33 25 37 51 53 73 9. Call Centers 29 26 26 33 26 15 10. Healthcare 28 27 19 43 37 23 11. Paper & Packaging 24 10 12 5 4 6 12. IT 21 24 20 25 16 7 13. Communications 17 18 8 20 12 16 14. Metals 16 18 14 15 22 12 15. Building Materials 13 26 21 35 29 15 16. Electronics 12 13 6 6 18 15 17. Data Centers 12 12 14 16 15 7 18. Software 12 6 11 8 4 3 19. Textiles 11 8 11 7 13 4 20. Wood Products 8 11 7 12 10 13 21. Renewable Energy 7 19 19 12 15 8 22. Life Sciences 6 11 5 2 4 8 Distribution leader Amazon currently has 23. Pharmaceuticals 5 22 7 6 6 2 more facilities in Kentucky than any other state in the South. It was widely thought 24. Apparel 5 8 5 8 6 9 that the company had even gotten in to 25. Fossil Energy 6 7 7 19 8 5 the horse-racing biz, sponsoring Audible, Totals are derived from all projects announced in the American South 2012-2017 a favorite in this year’s Kentucky Derby. meeting or exceeding 200 jobs and/or $30 million in investment. Source: SB&D Such was not the case, but Amazon did take advantage of the publicity. standing year for the first 20 years of years may represent the best we’ve got an expanding or contracting economy. the SB&D 100. Not anymore. In the for years to come. So, again, we are in the sweet spot his- last three years, we’ve seen 730 projects torically when it comes to project ac- The only year that can even remotely (2015), 695 projects (2016) and 680 big tivity in the American South. There has compare to the last four years was in deals in calendar year 2017. That’s a never been a better period of economic 1997 when 636 big deals made the big three-year average of 702 projects, oblit- development success than the last four board. But even the go-go 1990s can’t erating the annual average of the first 20 years in the South. compare with the average of 701 big years of the “100.” deals seen the last three years. From $TGCMKPIFQYP So, while Trump’s first year couldn’t 1995 to 2000 — formerly the best VJG5$& quite beat President Obama’s last two stretch in total projects until this four- For the fourth consecutive year, both years in large project activity, it is close year string — the yearly average of manufacturing and services had out- enough to not make a real difference. SB&D 100 projects was 566. Of course, standing years. If you study the chart So, yes, if you base the health of an the low point in the last 24 years was the on page 46, you will notice that is rarely economy on corporate and industrial recession year of 2009 when only 367 the case. With 384 projects meeting or project activity, this four-year period in deals met or exceeded our thresholds, exceeding 200 jobs and/or $30 million the South is indeed as good at it gets. We meaning project activity found in each in investment, manufacturing had its have been in rare air and the last four year’s SB&D 100 directly correlates with second best year ever. CONTINUED 48 SB&D SPRING 2018 Taking a birds-eye view at site selection in Kentucky while still in your PJs

PowerVision uses the latest drone technologies to provide an aerial showcase of available commercial and industrial tracts, along with vital information about our communities that allow you to conduct virtual site visits while still wearing your fuzzy slippers.

%LJ6DQG\5(&&%OXH*UDVV(QHUJ\&ODUN(QHUJ\&XPEHUODQG9DOOH\(OHFWULF)DUPHUV5(&&)OHPLQJ0DVRQ(QHUJ\ *UD\VRQ5(&&,QWHU&RXQW\(QHUJ\-DFNVRQ(QHUJ\/LFNLQJ9DOOH\5(&&1ROLQ5(&&2ZHQ(OHFWULF 6DOW5LYHU(OHFWULF6KHOE\(QHUJ\6RXWK.HQWXFN\5XUDO(OHFWULF7D\ORU&RXQW\5(&& DataIsPower.org SB D100 & The manufacturing sector in the South of reshoring, onshoring, nearshoring, has now been on a 10-year hot streak make it where you sell it — whatever (not including the recession year of you want to call this manufacturing 2009). The region has simply become renaissance — has been driving the one of the most competitive on a cost South’s economy for more than a de- basis as any region or country in the cade now. world. The proliferation of low-cost natural gas has helped manufacturing Of all aspects of the South’s economy, stop the loss of jobs and now the sec- the success of the manufacturing sector tor is a job generator. About 1.2 million is without a doubt the greatest come- manufacturing jobs have been added back story. The industry was so down in the U.S. since the collapse of the in- from 1994 to 2006 that the South only dustry in 2009. Almost half of those averaged 214 large manufacturing an- 1.2 million manufacturing jobs have nouncements each year. From 2007 to One of 2017’s big food and beverage been created in the 15-state American 2017, that annual average has risen to projects had Tennessee crowing. South. 358 large projects, a very significant and Tyson Foods will build a new chicken healthy comeback. production complex in Humboldt, Tenn., When manufacturing was cratering 75 miles northeast of Memphis, that will from the early 1990s to 2006, many On the services side, the region saw 296 employ 1,500 people. The $300 million years saw the service sector totals were projects announced of 200 jobs or more. project is to begin operations in late double the number of manufacturing That is 46 deals less than last year, but 2019 to meet what Tyson described in a deals meeting our thresholds. For the still an outstanding number. So, this was release as “strong consumer demand for last 10 years, however, manufacturing the fourth consecutive year where man- its chicken.” has beaten services each year in large ufacturing and services performed well job generating projects. Yes, the age in the same year.

Skilled Workforce. Centrally Located. Advanced Manufacturing.

RANDOLPH COUNTY North Carolina Economic Development Corporationon The Heart of North Carolina’s Economic Future Phone: 336.626.2233 www.rcedc.com

50 SB&D SPRING 2018 Industry sector performances For only the second time in 24 years, the automotive industry was not the No. 1 Puzzled over your next move sector in projects meeting or exceeding in the Carolinas? 200 jobs and/or $30 million in investment. Reigning supreme this year is the distribution sector with 74 big deals. Our economic development It’s amazing how distribution in the lawyers can help you piece South is evolving. Home to FedEx, UPS and DHL’s main U.S. hubs, the distribu- everything together. tion sector, in what is probably the best consumer economy in years, is lighting up the big deal board. For example, in 2013, there were only 26 projects of 200 jobs or more from the distribution sector. That total has now almost tripled in four years. There were all kinds of distribution centers announced in 2017 from Walmart to Dollar Tree to Chewy.com. But, leading the way with 14 massive distribution/fulfillment centers in this year’s SB&D 100 is Amazon. The proliferation of Amazon distribution centers clearly indicates the nation’s changing buying habits. 0QVCDNG&KUVTKDWVKQP2TQLGEVU ,QDU +PX .QECVKQP Amazon 2,700 $1,400 Hebron, Ky. Amazon 2,500 N/A Jacksonville, Fla. Amazon 1,500 N/A Jacksonville, Fla. Amazon 1,500 $198 Orange Co., Fla. ( Investment in millions) Another sign that consumerism has Companies large and small meet their challenges been unleashed is the fact that the food at the job site, at the deal table, in court and in the halls of government with Nexsen Pruet. and beverage industry, with 73 big projects, came in second for the most projects meeting our thresholds. Food and beverage projects increased from 51 to 73 this year.

0QVCDNG(QQFCPF$GXGTCIG2TQLGEVU ,QDU +PX .QECVKQP Tyson 1,500 $320 Humboldt, Tenn. Simmons 1,500 $300 Benton Co., Ark. 1230 Main Street | Suite 700 | Columbia, SC 29201 Mission 1,000 N/A Dallas, Texas (T) 803.771.8900 | (F) 803.253.8277 4141 Parklake Avenue | Suite 200 | Raleigh, NC 27612 Ruiz 704 $79 Florence, S.C. (T) 919.755.1800 | (F) 919.653.0435 ( Investment in millions) Tushar Chikhliker | SC Economic Development Team Leader While the automotive sector, for only Ernie Pearson | NC Economic Development Team Leader the second time in 24 years, was not the More than 190 lawyers in Columbia, Raleigh, Charleston, Charlotte, Greensboro, No. 1 industry, it placed third with 72 Greenville, Hilton Head and Myrtle Beach. big deals. Automotive has averaged 88 nexsenpruet.com projects a year for 24 years, and to see it drop to 72 is a little concerning. CONTINUED SPRING 2018 SB&D 51 100 SB&D

Allstate racked up major points with its announced expansion that will create 2,250 jobs in a Charlotte project spanning three years. The insurer is expected to invest more than $22 million on its operations center. The move will add to the roughly 1,400 employees the company already has in the North Carolina city.

Volvo announced in 2015 it would build its then-bread- 0QVCDNG#WVQOQVKXG2TQLGEVU and-butter model, the S60 sedan,in South Carolina. In ,QDU +PX .QECVKQP 2017, the automaker decided to add the revamped, Volvo 1,910 $620 Ridgeville, S.C. hybrid XC90 to its Low Country lineup. That addition will Toyota 1,209 $1,330 Georgetown, Ky. result in 1,900 more jobs and push the total investment to Denso 1,000 $1,000 Maryville, Tenn. more than $1 billion. BMW 1,000 $600 Greer, S.C. ( Investment in millions)

Also concerning is the fact that just two years ago, financial services racked up 69 projects, its second best year ever. This year it could only muster 38. We’ve seen over the years that when financial services deals begin to wane in the South, that indicates the economy is slowing. But 38 projects is a great total compared to financial services’ performance in the recession. It was the financial services industry that totally collapsed during the recession, drop- ping the service sector to record lows for several years. As late as 2011, when financials only put up nine big deals, the sector was still reeling. It really didn’t gain traction until 2013 when it posted 31 projects.

0QVCDNG(KPCPEKCN5GTXKEGU2TQLGEVU ,QDU +PX .QECVKQP Allstate 2,250 $22 Charlotte, N.C. USAA 1,500 $70 San Antonio, Texas Navy Federal 1,400 $100 Frederick Co., Va. Credit Suisse 1,200 $65 Morrisville, N.C. ( Investment in millions)

After a record year in calendar year 2016 with 55 big deals, the aerospace industry had its second best year with 35 projects. This is the industry to watch. Last year for the first time, automotive and aerospace finished No. 1 and No. 2 in total deals on the manufacturing side. This year it was food and beverage and automotive. CONTINUED

52 SB&D SPRING 2018

100 SB&D

(Top right) Global IT services giant NTT Data plans to relocate its North American headquarters into Plano’s Legacy West as part of a major consolidation after the company acquired Plano- based Dell Services for $3.1 billion. The move also means an additional 6,000 jobs. (Bottom right) A $3.8 billion methanol project — LC Methanol — will be built on about 70 acres (Top left) The Air Force chose Florida’s Tyndall Air Force Base along the Calcasieu Ship Channel. as the site of a new MQ-9 Reaper Wing consisting of 1,600 new jobs and more than $250 million of military construction. With 33 deals, headquarter projects continued (Bottom left) American Airlines is planning a new its strong run begun in 2014. 1.8 million-square-foot headquarters campus in Fort Worth that will house more than 7,000 administrative employees. 0QVCDNG*GCFSWCTVGTU2TQLGEVU The construction is expected to cost at least $350 million. ,QDU +PX .QECVKQP American Airlines N/A $350 Fort Worth, Texas CPS Energy N/A $145 San Antonio, Texas 0QVCDNG#GTQURCEG2TQLGEVU Amazon Web 1,500 N/A Fairfax Co., Va. ,QDU +PX .QECVKQP Nestlé 748 $39 Arlington Co., Va. Tyndall AFB 1,600 $250 Panama City, Fla. ( Investment in millions) Aerojet 805 $46 Huntsville, Ala. Pratt & Whitney 510 $386 Columbus, Ga. 1VJGT0QVCDNG2TQLGEVU Blue Origin 342 $200 Huntsville, Ala. ,QDU +PX .QECVKQP ( Investment in millions) NTT Data 6,377 $28 Plano, Texas DXC Technology 2,000 N/A New Orleans, La. Nutri Biotech 1,600 $100 Garland, Texas Another industry that is certainly slowing is the Jackson Healthcare 1,400 $100 Alpharetta, Ga. petrochemical sector. In 2015, petrochemical activ- UPS 1,400 $22 Arlington, Texas ity, mostly in Louisiana and Texas, set a record with ExxonMobil SABIC 600 $10,000 Portland, Texas 70 projects, several of which were multi-billion dol- Braidy Industries 550 $1,300 South Shore, Ky. lar deals. That activity has slowed to 27 projects this Facebook 100 $1,000 Henrico Co., Va. year. Ford 500 $900 Louisville, Ky. 0QVCDNG2GVTQEJGOKECNU2TQLGEVU Centene 1,000 $770 Clayton, Mo. ,QDU +PX .QECVKQP Samsung 950 $380 Newberry, S.C. LC Methanol 200 $3,900 Lake Charles, La. EnerBlu 875 $372 Pikeville, Ky. Wanhua Chemical N/A $1,123 St. James Parish, La. Shandong Ruyi 800 $410 Forrest City, Ark. Lotte Chemical N/A $1,100 Calcasieu Parish, La. Autocar 746 $120 Birmingham, Ala. Agrium N/A $720 Borger, Texas Mercedes-Benz 502 $281 Woodstock, Ala. ( Investment in millions) ( Investment in millions)-

54 SB&D SPRING 2018 Digital Marketing Campaigns Done Right.

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Jackson, Mississippi | 601.713.0045 Punta Gorda, Florida | 941.347.7412 2018 100 SB&DJOB RANK COMPANY JOBS $INV* LOCATION N/E/R PRODUCT/SERVICE 1 NTT Data Corp. 6,377 $29 Plano, Texas E IT 2 Amazon 2,700 $1,494 Hebron, Ky. N Distribution 3 Amazon 2,500 N/A Jacksonville, Fla. N Distribution 4 Allstate Insurance 2,250 $23 Charlotte, N.C. E Headquarters 5 The World of Avatar 2,200 N/A Orlando, Fla.. N Theme Park 6 Infosys 2,000 $9 TBD in N.C. N Headquarters 7 DXC Technology 2,000 N/A Orleans, La. N IT 8 Volvo Car USA 1,910 $620 Ridgeville, S.C. E Auto Assembly 9 Anthem 1,800 N/A Atlanta, Ga. E Financial Services 10 ASOS 1,620 $42 Union City, Ga. R Distribution 11 Tyndall Air Force Base 1,600 $250 Panama City, Fla. E Aerospace 12 Nutri Biotech USA 1,600 $100 Garland, Texas E Pharmaceuticals 13 Tyson Foods 1,500 $320 Humboldt, Tenn. N Food & Beverage 14 Simmons Prepared Food 1,500 $300 Benton County, Ark. E Food & Beverage 15 Amazon 1,500 $198 Orange, Fla. N Distribution 16 USAA 1,500 $70 San Antonio, Texas E Financial Services 17 Amazon 1,500 N/A Jacksonville, Fla. N Distribution 18 Amazon Web Services 1,500 N/A Fairfax County, Va. N IT 19 Navy Federal Credit Union 1,400 $100 Frederick County, Va. E Financial Services 20 Jackson Healthcare 1,400 $100 Alpharetta, Ga. E Healthcare 21 United Parcel Service 1,400 $23 Arlington, Texas N Distribution 22 Favor TechConsulting 1,275 $2 Fairfax County, Va. E Headquarters 23 Toyota 1,209 $1,330 Georgetown, Ky. E Auto Assembly %TGFKV5WKUUG /QTTKUXKNNG0% ' 1HƂEG 25 C3 1,200 $1 McGregor, Texas E Call Center 26 Global Technical Systems 1,110 $55 Virginia Beach, Va. E Renewable Energy 27 Chewy.com 1,100 N/A Hollywood, Fla. N Call Center 28 Amazon 1,100 N/A Frederick County, Va. N Distribution 29 Cognizant 1,090 $8 Irving, Texas E IT 30 Denso 1,000 $1,000 Maryville, Tenn. E Auto Parts 31 Centene 1,000 $770 Clayton, Mo. E Healthcare 32 BMW Manufacturing 1,000 $600 Greer, S.C. E Auto Assembly 33 TJX Companies 1,000 $150 San Antonio, Texas N Distribution 34 Amazon 1,000 $92 Miami-Opa Locka, Fla. N Distribution 35 Luxottica Group 1,000 $78 McDonough, Ga. E Eyewear 36 Arthrex 1,000 $69 Sandy Springs, S.C. N Healthcare 37 LuLaRoe 1,000 $35 Blythewood, S.C. N Distribution 38 Textile Corp. of America 1,000 $27 Pikeville, Tenn. N Textiles 39 Spring Venture Group 1,000 $12 Kansas City, Mo. R Headquarters &KXGTUKƂGF%QPUWNVCPVU .QWKUXKNNG-[ 0 (KPCPEKCN5GTXKEGU 41 USAA 1,000 N/A Tampa, Fla. E Financial Services 42 Amazon 1,000 N/A Katy, Texas N Distribution 43 Mission Foods 1,000 N/A Dallas, Texas E Food & Beverage 44 Amazon 1,000 N/A Braselton, Ga. R Distribution 45 Samsung 950 $380 Newberry, S.C. N Electronics 46 EnerBlu 875 $372 Pikeville, Ky. N Renewable Energy 47 Charles Schwab 823 N/A Austin, Texas N Financial Services 48 Philips North America 815 $17 Nashville, Tenn. N Headquarters 49 Aerojet Rocketdyne 805 $47 Huntsville, Ala. E Aerospace 50 Triangle Tire Co. 800 $580 Rocky Mount, N.C. N Auto Parts 51 Shandong Ruyi Tech Group 800 $410 Forrest City, Ark. N Textiles 52 Gartner 800 $12 Irving, Texas E IT 53 Modernizing Medicine 800 N/A Boca Raton, Fla. E Healthcare 54 Brakebush Brothers 800 N/A Greenville, Texas N Food & Beverage 55 Accenture 800 N/A Atlanta, Ga. E IT 56 Brown & Brown 760 $25 Volusia, Fla. E Financial Services 57 Amgen 750 $20 Hillsborough, Fla. N Life Sciences 56 SB&D SPRING 2018 RANK COMPANY JOBS $INV* LOCATION N/E/R PRODUCT/SERVICE 58 Empereon Marketing 750 $2 Waco, Texas E Healthcare 59 Nestlé USA 748 $40 Arlington County, Va. N Headquarters 60 Autocar 746 $120 Birmingham, Ala. N Auto Assembly 61 Ruiz Food Products 705 $79 Florence, S.C. E Food & Beverage 62 Trane 700 $96 Columbia, S.C. E HVAC 63 Publix Super Markets 700 $28 Polk, Fla. E Headquarters 64 Flex-N-Gate 700 $25 Grand Prairie, Texas N Auto Parts 65 Movement Mortgage 700 $18 Indian Land, S.C. E Financial Services 2CEKƂE7PKQP(KPCPEKCN 0# 'N2CUQ6GZCU ' (KPCPEKCN5GTXKEGU 67 Candor 675 $39 Rome, Ga. R IT 68 Milwaukee Tool 660 $33 Northern Miss. E Hand Tools 69 Charter Communications 655 $7 Charlotte, N.C. E Headquarters 70 ExxonMobil - SABIC 600 $10,000 Portland, Texas N Petrochemicals 71 LG Group 600 $251 Clarksville, Tenn. N Appliances 72 General Motors 600 $150 Arlington, Texas E Auto Assembly 73 Amazon 600 $106 Macon, Ga. R Distribution 74 Chewy.com 600 $50 Marion, Fla. E Distribution 75 Amazon 600 $35 Kannapolis, N.C. N Distribution 76 Amazon 600 $35 Memphis, Tenn. N Distribution 77 Merck 600 $24 Austin, Texas N Pharmaceuticals 78 Gartner 600 $22 Lee, Fla. E IT 79 Spectrum 600 $18 McAllen, Texas E Call Center 80 Convergys 600 $4 Lynchburg, Va. N Call Center 81 Comcast 600 N/A Miramar, Fla. E Communications 82 Alorica 600 N/A High Point, N.C. E Call Center 83 Alorica 595 N/A Caddo, La. N Call Center 84 Availity 593 $12 Duval, Fla. E IT 85 Iomaxis 555 $2 Fairfax County, Va. E Cybersecurity 86 Braidy Industries 550 $1,300 South Shore, Ky. N Metals 87 Walmart 550 $135 Irvington, Ala. N Distribution 88 New Flyer 550 $40 Shepherdsville, Ky. N Auto Assembly 89 AXA 550 $18 Charlotte, N.C. E Headquarters 90 Pratt and Whitney 510 $386 Columbus, Ga. E Aerospace 91 Gap 509 $42 Gallatin, Tenn. E Apparel 92 Mercedes-Benz 502 $282 Woodstock, Ala. N Auto Assembly 93 Ford Motor Co. 500 $900 Louisville, Ky. E Auto Assembly 94 Finisar 500 $390 Sherman, Texas N Communications 95 Lockheed Martin 500 $200 Orange, Fla. E Aerospace 96 John Soules Food 500 $110 Valley, Ala. N Food & Beverage 97 Metlife 500 $63 Cary, N.C. E Headquarters 98 Toyota Motor Credit Corp. 500 $36 Plano, Texas E Financial Services 99 Black and Decker 500 $31 Fort Mill, S.C. N Hand Tools 100 TexPharma 500 $21 Rosenberg, Texas N Pharmaceuticals 101 Louis Vuitton 500 $20 Keene, Texas N Apparel 102 Onetrust 500 $20 Atlanta, Ga. R IT 103 Crawford & Co. 500 $15 Peachtree, Ga. N Financial Services 104 Senture 500 $10 Williamsburg, Ky. N Call Center 105 PRA Group 500 $4 Burlington, N.C. N Call Center 106 Hulu 500 $3 San Antonio, Texas E Call Center 107 Sysnet Global Solutions 500 $2 Atlanta, Ga. R Call Center 108 Northwell Health (Formativ) 500 $1 Duval, Fla. N Life Sciences 109 Formativ Health 500 N/A Jacksonville, Fla.. N Healthcare 110 Harbor Freight Tools 500 N/A Dillon, S.C. E Distribution 111 Geico 500 N/A Virginia Beach, Va. E Financial Services 112 Athenahealth 500 N/A Atlanta, Ga. E Healthcare 113 CGS 500 N/A Peachtree, Ga. R IT 114 LHC Group 500 N/A Lafayette, La. E Healthcare $INV*=INVESTMENT IN MILLIONS. N=NEW PROJECT E=EXPANDED R=RELOCATED SPRING 2018 SB&D 57 2018 100 SB&DINVESTMENT RANK COMPANY $INV* JOBS* LOCATION N/E/R PRODUCT/SERVICE

1 China Energy $80,000 N/A West Virginia N Oil & Gas 2 Lake Charles LNG Export $10,900 N/A Calcasieu, La. E Petrochemical 3 ExxonMobil - SABIC $10,000 600 Portland, Texas N Petrochemical 4 Invenergy, GE, American Electric $4,500 N/A Texas County, Okla. E Renewable Energy 5 Lake Charles Methanol $3,900 200 Calcasieu, La. N Petrochemical 6 Amazon $1,494 2,700 Hebron, Ky. N Distribution 7 Toyota $1,330 1,209 Georgetown, Ky. E Auto Assembly 8 Braidy Industries $1,300 550 South Shore, Ky. N Metals 9 Phillips 66 $1,300 N/A Calcasieu, La. E Oil & Gas 10 Wanhua Chemical $1,123 N/A St James/Iberville, La. N Petrochemical 11 Lotte Chemical Louisiana $1,100 N/A Calcasieu, La. E Petrochemical 12 Denso $1,000 1,000 Maryville, Tenn. E Auto Parts 13 Facebook $1,000 100 Henrico County, Va. N Data Centers 14 Switch $1,000 65 Lithia Springs, Ga. R Data Centers 15 Vantage Data Centers $1,000 50 Loudoun County, Va. N Data Centers 16 Ford $900 500 Louisville, Ky. E Auto Assembly 17 Valero and Magellan Midstream $820 N/A Pasadena, Texas N Oil & Gas 18 Energy World Corp. $800 N/A Lafourche, La. N Oil & Gas 19 Centene $770 1,000 Clayton, Mo. E Health Care 20 Agrium $720 N/A Borger, Texas E Petrochemicals 21 Volvo $620 1,910 Ridgeville, S.C. E Auto Assembly 22 BMW $600 1,000 Greer, S.C. E Auto Assembly 23 Triangle Tire $580 800 Rocky Mount, N.C. N Auto Parts 24 International Paper $553 N/A Selma, Ala. E Paper & Packaging 25 Airgas $470 35 Mebane, N.C. E Gases 26 WestRock $470 N/A Florence, S.C. E Paper & Packaging 27 MMEX Resources $450 100 Fort Stockton, Texas N Oil & Gas 28 Enel Green Power $435 N/A Billings, Okla. E Renewable Energy 29 KPMG $433 80 Orange, Fla. N Financial Services 'PGN)TGGP2QYGT 0# -KPIƂUJGT.QICP%Q1MNC ' 4GPGYCDNG'PGTI[ 31 Shandong Ruyi Tech Group $410 800 Forrest City, Ark. N Textiles 32 Irving Consumer Products $400 211 Macon, Ga. R Paper & Packaging )GQTIKC2CEKƂE 2CNCVMC(NC ' 2CRGT2CEMCIKPI 34 Tall Oak Midstream $400 N/A Hughes County, Okla. E Oil & Gas 35 Finisar $390 500 Sherman, Texas N Communications 36 Pratt and Whitney $386 510 Columbus, Ga. E Aerospace 37 Samsung $380 950 Newberry, S.C. N Electronics 38 EnerBlu $372 875 Pikeville, Ky. N Renewable Energy 39 Nokian Tyres $360 400 Dayton, Tenn. N Auto Parts 40 CONFIDENTIAL $360 375 Huntingdon, Tenn. E Metals 41 Novus International $360 65 Port Lavaca, Texas N Food & Beverage 42 Syngas Energy $360 N/A St James, La. N Petrochemicals 43 American Airlines $350 N/A Fort Worth, Texas N Airline 44 Clearwater Paper $330 180 Shelby, N.C. E Paper & Packaging 8CNGTQ4GƂPKPI 0# 5V%JCTNGU.C ' 1KN)CU 46 Tyson Foods $320 1,500 Humboldt, Tenn. N Food & Beverage 47 Nestlé-Purina $320 240 Hartwell, Ga. R Food & Beverage 48 Simmons Prepared Foods $300 1,500 Benton County, Ark. E Food & Beverage 49 EGGER Wood Products $300 400 Linwood, N.C. N Wood Products 50 Apple $300 N/A Maiden, N.C. E Data Centers

58 SB&D SPRING 2018 RANK COMPANY $INV* JOBS* LOCATION N/E/R PRODUCT/SERVICE

51 Charles Schwab $300 N/A Westlake, Texas N Financial Services 52 PCS Nitrogen Fertilizer $290 N/A Ascension, La. E Petrochemicals 53 Mercedes-Benz $282 502 Woodstock, Ala. N Auto Parts 54 Grainger $273 431 Louisville, Ky. N Distribution 55 Facebook $267 N/A Fort Worth, Texas E Data Centers 56 Phillips 66 $255 N/A Brazoria, Texas E Oil & Gas 57 Exxon Mobil $252 N/A East Baton Rouge, La. E Petrochemicals 58 LG Group $251 600 Clarksville, Tenn. N Electronics 59 Qorvo $250 220 Richardson, Texas E Electronics 60 Tyndall Air Force Base $250 1,600 Panama City, Fla. E Aerospace 61 Nucor $250 255 Sedalia, Mo. N Metals 62 Google $250 50 Loudoun County, Va. N Data Centers 63 INEOS $250 N/A Chocolate Bayou, Texas E Petrochemicals )GQTIKC2CEKƂE 2WVPCO(NC ' 2CRGT2CEMCIKPI 65 James Hardie $220 205 Prattville, Ala. N Building Materials 66 Entergy Louisiana $216 N/A Washington, La. N Power Generation 67 Nucor Steel $213 75 Ghent, Ky. E Metals 68 Lockheed Martin $200 500 Orange, Fla. E Aerospace 69 Blue Origin $200 342 Huntsville, Ala. N Aerospace 70 Roseburg Forest Products $200 145 Chester, S.C. N Wood Products 71 Alon USA $200 19 Big Spring, Texas E Oil & Gas 72 Cyrus One $200 9 Douglasville, Ga. R Data Centers 73 Corning $200 N/A Harrodsburg, Ky. E Glass 74 Phillips 66 $200 N/A Calcasieu, La. E Oil & Gas 75 Electrolux $200 N/A Anderson, S.C. E Appliances 76 Hexcel $199 88 Decatur, Ala. E Petrochemicals 77 Amazon $198 1,500 Orange, Fla. N Distribution 78 Graphic Packaging $190 N/A Ouachita, La. E Paper & Packaging 79 Corning $189 317 Durham, N.C. E Glass 80 Apotex $184 383 Broward, Fla. E Life Sciences 81 Shaw Industries $184 N/A Andalusia, Ala. E Textiles 82 Bridgestone $180 16 Wilson, N.C. E Auto Parts 83 White Rock Pigments $179 124 Hawesville, Ky. N Chemicals 84 BASF $156 N/A Ascension, La. E Petrochemicals 85 OneOK $155 N/A Canadian Valley, Okla. E Oil & Gas 86 Robert Bosch $152 130 Anderson, S.C. E Auto Parts 87 TJX Companies $150 1,000 San Antonio, Texas N Distribution 88 General Motors $150 600 Arlington, Texas E Auto Assembly 89 Fresenius Kabi $150 445 Wilson , N.C. E Healthcare 90 Advanced Airfoil $150 350 Hillsborough, Fla. N Headquarters 91 Roxul $150 150 Ranson, W.Va. N Building Materials 92 Huntsman $150 N/A Port Neches, Texas E Petrochemicals 93 WestRock $150 N/A Jackson, La. E Paper & Packaging 94 Kentucky Owl $150 77 Bardstown, Ky. N Food & Beverage 95 Walmart $148 460 Brevard, Fla. N Distribution 96 Five Star Custom Foods $146 138 Nashville, Tenn. E Food & Beverage 97 CPS Energy $145 N/A San Antonio, Texas E Headquarters 98 Air Products and Chemicals $145 N/A Ascension, La. E Oil & Gas 99 Mohawk Industries $142 245 Dickson, Tenn. E Oil & Gas 100 Graphic Packaging Int’l $136 N/A Macon, Ga. E Paper & Packaging

$INV*=INVESTMENT IN MILLIONS. N=NEW PROJECT E=EXPANDED R=RELOCATED

SPRING 2018 SB&D 59 SB D100 & TOP DEALS HOT MARKETS Kentucky Nailed It; Dallas-Fort Worth Sets Market Record for Points Recognizing outstanding economic development performances in the South for calendar year 2017. By Michael Randle

#)7+&' 616*'5$& SB&D 100 Introductions and Methodology We can’t think of a better way to judge a state or a community’s at- tractiveness to industry than to count and identify the companies making Ã}wV>Ìw>V>VÌiÌÃÌÌ >ÌÃÌ>ÌiÀVÕÌÞ°/ >Ì½ÃÜ >ÌÜi do with the annual SB&D 100. We count the number of companies making public commitments meeting or exceeding 200 jobs and/or $30 million in investments and highlight market peer groups who captured the most of those game-changing deals. All announcements found in the SB&D 100 were made public by a representative of the company. Job and investment totals are those that have been projected by a company Ã«iÃ«iÀÃÛiÀ>Ì ÀiiÌwÛiÞi>À«iÀ`°"ÞiÜ]iÝ«>`i`>`ÀiV>Ìi`>- ufacturing and selected service projects are eligible for the ranking. Government projects such as prisons and military bases are eligible; however, retail, lodging and some enter- Ì>iÌL>Ãi`>ÕViiÌÃ>ÀiÌ°,i>iÃÌ>ÌiÛiÃÌiÌÃÃÕV >ÃvwViLÕ`}Ã] convention centers and industrial parks are not eligible. /i«ÌÃ>Àii>Ài`vÀi>V - E £ää>ÕViiÌ>`wÛi«ÌÃ>Ài}ÛivÀ each JMD (just missed deal). This year’s SB&D Job 100 threshold is 500 jobs — the number of jobs for the 100th largest project — so all announcements made of 500 jobs or more earned 10 points. Five points are given for announcements of 200 to 499 jobs. This year’s Investment 100 threshold is $127 million, meaning 10 points are awarded for announcements meeting or exceeding that total, and wÛi«ÌÃvÀ`i>ÃfÎäÌf£ÓÈ°ÛiÃÌiÌ° After points are tallied in the state division, almost all of the judging for state of the year and honorable mention honors is based on points per million residents, or points per capita. In each market division, those cited are based on points only.

60 SB&D SPRING 2018 2018 SB&D 100 2018 SB&D 100 SB&D State of the Year Winners State Scores* State Scores PPM** 1994-2018

State Points Projects State Points PPM 2018 Kentucky 2017 South Carolina Texas 97 685 Kentucky 96.5 2016 Tennessee Florida 73 495 Louisiana 77.1 2015 Kentucky North Carolina 65 425 South Carolina 63.0 2014 Louisiana and Texas Kentucky 50 425 Alabama 61.2 2013 Louisiana and Texas Georgia 64 415 Tennessee 55.2 2012 North Carolina Tennessee 63 375 West Virginia 52.7 2011 Louisiana Louisiana 51 355 North Carolina 40.8 2010 Louisiana and Tennessee South Carolina 47 315 Georgia 39.5 2009 Louisiana and Tennessee Alabama 47 300 Virginia 31.2 2008 Alabama Virginia 43 265 Oklahoma 29.5 2007 Louisiana Missouri 29 165 Mississippi 29.3 2006 Alabama and North Carolina Oklahoma 18 115 Missouri 27.0 2005 Alabama and North Carolina West Virginia 12 95 Arkansas 25.0 2004 Alabama Mississippi 12 85 Texas 23.8 2003 Alabama Arkansas 9 75 Florida 23.2 2002 Florida 2001 Virginia *Five or 10 points are earned for each project **PPM = Points per million residents is 2000 Tennessee announced that meets or exceeds 200 jobs determined by dividing population into the 1999 Virginia and/or $30 million in investment. Points are points earned by states for projects of 200 1998 North Carolina based on the size of the project. jobs and/or $30 million. or more. 1997 Texas Source: SB&D Source: SB&D 1996 Virginia 1995 Florida and Texas 1994 Texas

State of the Year honors were chosen based on PPM scores and other factors from projects announced the previous calendar year. Source: SB&D

With several huge projects, many State Division of which landed in the eastern part With 425 points and 96.5 points per million residents, Kentucky is the runaway of the state, Kentucky saw its best winner for 2018 State of the Year. Kentucky has been on a roll for several years year ever with 425 points and a now, winning its first State of the Year in 2015 and earning an honorable mention ridiculously high 96.5 PPM score. in each of the years since. With Amazon’s air hub, Toyota’s massive expansion Pictured is Gov. Matt Bevin. and Braidy Industries’ new aluminum mill, Kentucky captured three of the top 10 investments announced in the South in calendar year 2017. Kentucky nicely addressed its most pressing need with several large projects in Eastern Kentucky, where thousands of former coal miners have lost their jobs. By virtue of their points per million residents, Louisiana, South Carolina and Al- abama earned honorable mentions in the 2018 SB&D 100. All three states had outstanding years. CONTINUED

SPRING 2018 SB&D 61 SB D100 & TOP DEALS HOT MARKETS

Dallas-Fort Worth set an all-time market high of 300 points in the 2018 SB&D 100. The total beat or tied seven state scores this year. Job generation from DFW suburb Plano has been off the charts the last several years.

Mega-Markets (2,500,000-plus population) In the mega-markets division, we can write with certain- ty that no single market in the country is producing more deals than Dallas-Fort Worth. In fact, points earned by DFW were around the state average seen this year. Last year DFW earned 295 points, the most points earned by a single market in SB&D 100 history. The many markets that make up Dal- las-Fort Worth topped the single market record set last year with 300 points this year. Atlanta, which has placed second to DFW the last two years, came in second again this year with 235 points. Midtown The Richardson Economic Development Partnership Atlanta may be the South’s most active tech scene. Northern (REDP) was the second entity, nationally, to have Virginia, also a tech giant, placed third in this division for achieved dual honors of AEDO accreditation and the third consecutive year. Charlotte, which entered the me- the 5-star US Chamber Conferred accreditation. ga-market division last year, also had an outstanding year. Richardson, Texas is home to the Telecom Corridor, Major Markets (750,000-2,499,999 population) where the highest concentration of technology workers in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area are located. In the major market division, we have a tie. With 105 points, Pictured is the REDP staff. for the third straight year, Nashville is at the top of the major market peer group. But this year, Louisville tied Nash- of the South’s new oil and gas and petrochemical activity has ville with 105 points for top honors among major markets. been built in and around Lake Charles over the last eight Greenville, S.C.; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Baton Rouge earned years, including the nation’s first large-scale LNG export honorable mentions. facility. Jackson, Tenn., Florence, S.C. and Decatur, Ala., earned honorable mentions in the Small Market division. Mid-Markets (250,000-749,999 population) 4WTCN/CTMGVU (fewer than 100,000 population) We have a first-time Mid-Market of the Year in the 2018 SB&D 100. Macon, Ga., with 55 points, is your new Mid-Market As mentioned, leaders in the Commonwealth of Kentucky of the Year. Macon was followed by Rocky Mount-Wilson- addressed a huge issue in 2017. Eastern Kentucky, long ruled Roanoke Rapids, N.C., Brevard County, Fla., Tri-Cities, by the coal industry, has more out-of-work residents than Tenn., Northern Kentucky, Huntsville, and Hickory-Le- any rural market in the South. Two big deals, EnerBlu and noir-Morganton, N.C. Braidy Industries, will put about 1,400 of those to work in Eastern Kentucky. For the first time, Pikeville, Ky., earned Small Markets (100,000-249,999 population) Rural Market of the Year. Carroll County, Tenn., Obion For the eighth consecutive year, Lake Charles, La., is the County, Tenn., Nelson County, Ky., Forrest City, Ark., and South’s 2018 Small Market of the Year. During those eight South Shore, Ky., all earned honorable mention in the Rural years, Lake Charles has never truly been challenged. Much Market category.

62 SB&D SPRING 2018 LOUISVILLE

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www.louisvilleky.gov/louisvilleforward 502.574.4140 SB D100 & TOP DEALS HOT MARKETS

STATE OF THE YEAR -'067%-; 425 Points, 96.5 PPM (1st) Notable Kentucky Deals: Company Jobs Investment* Amazon 2,700 $1,494 Toyota 1,209 $1,330 Braidy Industries 550 $1,300

HONORABLE MENTION Atlanta also set a 24-year point record with 235, coming in second .17+5+#0# to Dallas-Fort Worth in the mega-market category. Midtown Atlanta 350 Points, 77.1 PPM (2nd) «VÌÕÀi`®Ã}Ì>` >ÃLiViÌ iVÕÃÌiÀÌ i-ÕÌ vÀw>V> Notable Louisiana Deals: technology companies. Company Jobs Investment* Lake Charles LNG N/A $10,900 DXC Technology 2,000 N/A MEGA-MARKETS HONORABLE MENTION Lake Charles Methanol N/A $3,900 (2,500,000-plus population) 0146*'408+4)+0+# 155 Points HONORABLE MENTION MEGA-MARKET OF THE YEAR Notable Northern Virginia Deals: 5176*%#41.+0# &#..#5(1469146* Company Jobs Investment* 315 Points, 63.0 PPM (3rd) 300 Points Amazon Web Services 1,500 N/A Notable South Carolina Deals: Notable Dallas-Fort Worth Deals: Favor Tech Consulting 1,275 $2 Company Jobs Investment* Company Jobs Investment* Nestlé USA 748 $39 Volvo 1,910 $620 NTT Data 6,377 $28 BMW 1,000 $600 Nutri Biotech USA 1,600 $100 HONORABLE MENTION Arthrex 1,000 $69 ExxonMobil-SABIC 600 $10,000 %*#4.166' 135 Points HONORABLE MENTION HONORABLE MENTION Notable Charlotte Deals: #.#$#/# #6.#06# Company Jobs Investment* 300 Points, 61.2 PPM (4th) 235 Points Movement Mortgage 700 $18 Notable Alabama Deals: Notable Atlanta Deals: Amazon 600 $35 Company Jobs Investment* Company Jobs Investment* AXA 550 $18 Aerojet Rocketdyne 805 $46 Anthem 1,800 N/A Other mega-market scores: South Autocar 746 $120 Jackson Healthcare 1,400 $100 Florida 115; Orlando 90; Houston 80; San Mercedes-Benz 502 $281 Luxottica Group 1,000 $78 Antonio 75; St Louis 65; Tampa Bay 60.

64 SB&D SPRING 2018 * Investment in millions Louisville is the up-and-coming MAJOR MARKETS major market in the South and (750,000-2,499,999 population) contributed a quarter of the points for state of the year Kentucky. The CO-MAJOR MARKET OF THE YEAR Louisville MSA tied Nashville, one .17+58+..' of the hottest markets in the South, for co-major market of the year with 105 Points 105 points. Pictured is the staff of Notable Louisville Deals: HONORABLE MENTION Louisville Forward with Louisville Company Jobs Investment* ,#%-5108+..' Mayor Greg Fischer. &KXGTUKƂGF%QPUWNVCPVU 85 Points Ford 500 $900 Notable Jacksonville Deals: Grainger 431 $272 Company Jobs Investment* Amazon 2,500 N/A CO-MAJOR MARKET OF THE YEAR Amazon 1,500 N/A 0#5*8+..' Availity 593 $12 105 Points

Notable Nashville Deals: HONORABLE MENTION Company Jobs Investment* )4''08+..'5% Philips North America 815 $17 85 Points Gap 509 $41 Notable Greenville Deals: Mohawk Industries 245 $142 Company Jobs Investment* Arthrex 1,000 $69 HONORABLE MENTION BorgWarner 160 $71 $#610417)' Lockheed Martin 250 N/A 90 Points Other major market scores: Notable Baton Rouge Deals: New Orleans 80; Raleigh 70; Columbia, S.C. 55; Greensboro- Company Jobs Investment* Winston-Salem-High Point 50; PCS Nitrogen N/A $290 Knoxville 50; Charleston, S.C. 45; Hampton Roads 45; Oklahoma City 40; ExxonMobil N/A $252 Kansas City 35; Austin 30; Richmond 25; BASF N/A $156 Birmingham 25; Memphis 20.

SPRING 2018 SB&D 65 SB D100 & TOP DEALS HOT MARKETS

MID-MARKETS (250,000-749,999 population)

MID-MARKET OF THE YEAR /#%10)# 55 Points Notable Macon Deals: Company Jobs Investment* HONORABLE MENTION Irving Consumer Products 211 $400 0146*'40-'067%-; Amazon 600 $106 40 Points Pure Flavor 200 $105 Notable Northern Kentucky Deals: Company Jobs Investment* HONORABLE MENTION #OC\QP(WNƂNNOGPV 41%-;/17069+.510 41#01-'4#2+&50% Mubea Tailor 118 $73 45 Points Schwan’s Global Supply N/A $33 Notable Rocky Mount-Wilson-Roanoke Rapids Deals: HONORABLE MENTION Company Jobs Investment* *70658+..'#.# Triangle Tire 800 $580 40 Points (TOP) It’s always exciting to see Bridgestone 16 $180 Notable Huntsville Deals: >wÀÃÌÌiÜiÀt >V]>°] Fresenius Kabi 445 $150 Company Jobs Investment* ÜÌÃwÀÃÌ`>ÀiÌvÌ iÞi>À with 55 points from several large Aerojet Rocketdyne 805 $46 projects. Pictured are members of HONORABLE MENTION Blue Origin 342 $200 the Macon-Bibb County Industrial $4'8#4&%1706;(.# Toyota 50 $127 Authority. Standing left is Stephen 45 Points Adams, acting director; Standing Notable Brevard County Deals: HONORABLE MENTION right is Tyler Garrison, project manager; Seated, left to right, are Company Jobs Investment* *+%-14;.'01+4 ƂÞ/>À«iÞ]«iÀ>ÌÃEw>Vi Walmart 460 $148 /14)#06100% director, Eleyce Coleman, existing 40 Points Lockheed Martin 450 N/A industry manager, and Lillie Battle, Enhanced Resources 400 N/A Notable Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton administrative assistant. Deals: Company Jobs Investment* HONORABLE MENTION (LOWER) With 40 points, Johnson Apple N/A $300 City-Kingsport-Bristol, Tenn., ,1*0510%+6;-+0)52146 earned an honorable mention $4+561.6'00 Continental Teves 160 $40 in the mid-market division. 40 Points Corning 210 $67 Pictured is Alan Bridwell, the Notable Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol Other mid-market scores: Corpus executive director of the Northeast Deals: Christi,Texas 35; Marion County, Fla. 30; Volusia County, Fla. 30; Durham, N.C. Tennessee Valley Regional Company Jobs Investment* 30; Lexington, Ky. 25; Montgomery, Industrial Development Association Rockline Industries 250 $40 Ala. 25; Mobile, Ala. 25; Columbus, (NETVRIDA). Ga. 25; Savannah, Ga. 25; Fayetteville- Landair Transport 210 N/A Springdale-Rogers, Ark. 20; Clarksville, CONFIDENTIAL 30 $51 Tenn. 20; Fayetteville, N.C. 15.

66 SB&D SPRING 2018 * Investment in millions

SMALL MARKETS (100,000-249,999 population)

SMALL MARKET OF THE YEAR .#-'%*#4.'5.# (TOP LEFT) Lake Charles, La., earned its eighth straight small market of the 80 Points year, an unprecedented accomplishment. If you are seeking a poster child Notable Lake Charles Deals: for the fracking frenzy, Lake Charles and Southwest Louisiana are it. Pictured Company Jobs Investment* is George Swift, president and CEO of the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance (far right), with a helicopter pilot ready for an aerial Lake Charles LNG N/A $10,900 view of one of the area’s many projects. Lake Charles Methonal 200 $3,900 (CENTER) In the rural market division, Nelson County, Ky., earned an Phillips 66 N/A $1,300 honorable mention. Pictured is Kim Huston, president of the Nelson County Economic Development Agency. (RIGHT) With 20 points, Obion County, Tenn., also earned an honorable HONORABLE MENTION mention in the rural market division. Pictured is Lindsay Frilling, CEO of the ,#%-510*7/$1.&66'00 Obion County Chamber of Commerce. 40 Points Notable Jackson-Humboldt Deals: RURAL MARKETS Company Jobs Investment* (fewer than 100,000 population) HONORABLE MENTION Tyson Foods 1,500 $320 0'.510%1706;-; Stanley Black and Decker 256 $29 RURAL MARKET OF THE YEAR 20 Points Toyota Boshoku 139 $31 2+-'8+..'-; 25 Points Notable Nelson County Deals: Company Jobs Investment* HONORABLE MENTION Notable Pikeville Deals: Kentucky Owl 77 $149 (.14'0%'5% Company Jobs Investment* Takigawa America 180 $45 25 Points EnerBlu 875 $372 ORBIS Corporation 55 $30 Notable Florence Deals: Appalachian Forest 140 $50 Company Jobs Investment* HONORABLE MENTION GE Healthcare 100 $40 HONORABLE MENTION (144'56%+6;#4- Ruiz Food Products 705 $79 %#441..%1706;6'00 20 Points WestRock N/A $470 20 Points Notable Carroll County Deals: Notable Forrest City Deals: Company Jobs Investment* HONORABLE MENTION Company Jobs Investment* Shandong Ruyi 800 $410 &'%#674#.# CONFIDENTIAL 375 $360 25 Points Granges Americas 107 $110 HONORABLE MENTION Notable Decatur Deals: )4''072%1706;-; Company Jobs Investment* HONORABLE MENTION 20 Points Wolverine Industries 250 $16 1$+10%1706;6'00 Notable Greenup County Deals: Hexcel Corporation 88 $199 20 Points Company Jobs Investment* 3M Company 16 $39 Notable Obion County Deals: Braidy Industries 550 $1,300 Other small market scores: Tuscaloosa, Company Jobs Investment* Ala. 20; Monroe, La. 20; Alexandria, La. Tyson Foods 330 $80 Other rural market scores: Chambers 20; Olive Branch, Miss. 20; Joplin, Mo. County, Ala. 15; Hartwell, Ga. 15; 20; Midland, Texas 15; Rome, Ga. 15. Williams Food Works 226 $37 Hawesville, Ky. 15; Frankfort, Ky. 15.

68 SB&D SPRING 2018 * Investment in millions Put Success in Your Corner

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Some of the companies that proudly call the NESA Region home SB D100 & STATE SUMMARY

Total Deals Total Points *PPM #NCDCOC

Another solid year by Alabama, earning another honorable mention. Automotive and aerospace rule this state, as each year sees lots of deals from those sectors. Next year already has an excellent start with Mazda and Toyota’s announcement in January 2018 of their $1.6 billion joint venture assembly plant in Huntsville.

Arkansas 9 75 25.0

Good year for Arkansas. This small state’s economy is one of the best in the South and its unemployment rate, at 3.7 percent, is one of the lowest in the region. Two big deals captured by Arkansas included Shandong Ruyi and Simmons Prepared Foods, and will result in 2,300 jobs.

(NQTKFC

Lots of projects coming from Florida and not surprising to us, many have come from the manufacturing sector. Manufacturers in the aerospace industry have really boosted the economies of Northwest Florida, South Florida, the Space Coast and Central Florida in general.

)GQTIKC

Nice year for Georgia, with its highest point total in several years. Atlanta remains smoking hot with a nice mix of headquarter, financial services and healthcare deals. Georgia is one of the few Southern states with some labor available. The flooring industry that dominates the economies of Northwest Georgia, slammed by the recession, has come back strong. Kentucky 50 425 96.5 A generational year for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. State of the Year easily, capturing its second in four years. Louisville tied Nashville for Major Market of the Year and somehow, leaders in East Kentucky are turning projects they have never turned before, and with good reason. Since the coal industry has given pink slips to over 10,000 miners in recent years, Eastern Ken- tucky is home to more skilled labor than just about any region in the South. .QWKUKCPC

Louisiana earned another honorable mention as the petrochemical and oil and gas sectors still have legs. But that sector of our economy is slowing. Lake Charles won its eighth-straight Small Market of the Year, and Baton Rouge earned an honorable mention in the major market division.

/KUUKUUKRRK Mississippi hit its lowest unemployment rate in history earlier this year. The Milwaukee Tool deal was big for rural Mississippi. Toyota’s recently announced expansion is huge, and when Mazda and Toyota’s plant begins construction in North Alabama, all kinds of opportunities will fall on Northeast Mississippi.

/KUUQWTK Another decent year for Missouri in large projects. About the same performance as last year. At 3.5 percent unemployment, Missouri’s labor shed is stressed. The $770 million Centene project in the St. Louis suburbs is one of the largest healthcare deals in a long time.

70 SB&D SPRING 2018 SB D100 & STATE SUMMARY

Total Deals Total Points *PPM 0QTVJ%CTQNKPC A promising comeback from last year’s performance on the heels of the abolishment of the controversial “bathroom bill.” Char- lotte, now competing in the big boy mega-market category, earned an honorable mention in that division. The 65-project total was fourth-best in the South.

1MNCJQOC A slowdown in big deals last year for Oklahoma. But the economy there is in good shape as the oil and gas industry finally lifts itself out of recession. The wind energy industry here is growing, as is aviation and aerospace.

5QWVJ%CTQNKPC A 20-project drop in projects meeting or exceeding our thresholds from last year’s State of the Year performance isn’t so bad. This year’s performance by the Palmetto State is good enough for another honorable mention. With 17 honorable mentions in 24 years, South Carolina has more than any other state in the South.

Tennessee This performance by Tennessee is very encouraging considering itsunemployment rate is 3.4 percent. The jobless rate fell in all 95 Tennessee counties in April, and the unemployment rate is now at or below 5 percent in all counties across the state.

6GZCU If it wasn’t for Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas’ year would have been a disaster. Of Texas’ 685 points, Dallas-Fort Worth was responsi- ble for 300. But this state’s job generation total is one of the nation’s best, and Dallas-Fort Worth is the nation’s best. But with just 30 points, the Austin area’s economy is slowing, as is Houston’s.

8KTIKPKC A drop of 14 big projects in Virginia compared to last year’s SB&D 100 performance is somewhat of a concern. But this year’s total of 43 large deals is still a pretty good performance. Northern Virginia earned an honorable mention in the mega-market category.

West Virginia 12 95 52.7 West Virginia saw the largest single project in SB&D history with China Energy announcing $80 billion in shale gas plays in the state. Those developments sent West Virginia’s PPM score soaring to sixth-best in the region.

/GVJQFQNQI[ *PPM = Points per million residents is determined by dividing population into the points earned by states for capturing projects of 200 jobs and/or $30 million or more. Source: SB&D

SPRING 2018 SB&D 71

V best OF THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY IN THE AMERICAN SOUTH

We continue with our series of the “Best of Economic Development in the South” with the erospace “Best of the Aerospace Industry in the American South.” The South’s aerospace industry had the two best back-to-back years in terms of project activity ever in 2016 and 2017. This ranking will assist you in finding a location in the South for your aerospace company. The results are based on SB&D’s knowledge of the aviation and aerospace industry in the region, data from RandleReport.com and SB-D.com, and a poll of members of the Southern Economic Development Roundtable. There are 10 categories per state in the “Best of the Aerospace Industry in the American South” and the communities or sites chosen are listed based on what we believe are the top of their classes. We think you will enjoy reading the results of the “Best of the Aerospace Industry in the American South.” The aerospace industry is growing faster than any industry in the region. AThis unique forum can help guide you and your business to a profitable place in the American South, the third largest economy in the world. This is Part 2 of a three-part series that will profile five of the 15 states in the South. Profiled here is the “Best of the Aerospace Industry” in Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina and Oklahoma. SPRING 2018 SB&D 73 CONTINUED V (TOP) There are several sites for large users at Chennault International Airport in Lake Charles, La. (LOWER) England Airpark in best Alexandria, La., features OF THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY several sites along with IN LOUISIANA two megasites.

.QWKUKCPC U$GUV#UUGVUHQTVJG#GTQURCEG+PFWUVT[ • England Airpark • Barksdale Air Force Base • Michoud Assembly Facility • Chennault International Airport • Shreveport Regional Airport Also receiving votes: Right to Work laws; Acadiana Regional Airport; Monroe Regional Airport; Baton Rouge Metro Airport; Available sites; Business climate; Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans; AIRSTA New Orleans; NAS JRB New Orleans; Low operating costs. .QWKUKCPC U/QUV+ORQTVCPV'ORNQ[GTUKPVJG#GTQURCEG+PFWUVT[ • Lockheed Martin • NASA • Boeing • Northrop Grumman • Bell Helicopter • Rockwell Collins Also receiving votes: Textron; Metro Aviation; Arrow Aviation; Haynes International; AvEx; K&B Industries; PHI; Sky Connect.

6JG$GUVKP#GTQURCEG4&KP.QWKUKCPC $GUV2NCEGUKP0QTVJ.QWKUKCPCHQT#GTQURCEG%QORCPKGU • NASA Michoud • Caddo Parish - Shreveport,, La. • Louisiana Center for Manufacturing Sciences • Bossier Parish - Bossier City, La. • Louisiana State University • Ouachita Parish - Monroe, La. • Louisiana Tech University • Bienville Parish - Arcadia, La. • University of Louisiana at Lafayette Also receiving votes: Lincoln Parish - Ruston, La. • University of Louisiana at Monroe $GUV2NCEGUKP9GUV.QWKUKCPCHQT#GTQURCEG%QORCPKGU • McNeese State University • Calcasieu Parish - Lake Charles, La. .QWKUKCPC U$GUV%QNNGIGUHQT#GTQURCEG9QTMGT6TCKPKPI • Caddo Parish - Shreveport,, La. • SOWELA Technical Community College • Bossier Parish - Bossier City, La. • South Louisiana Community College • Beauregard Parish - De Ridder, La. • Baton Rouge Community College $GUV2NCEGUKP%GPVTCN.QWKUKCPCHQT#GTQURCEG%QORCPKGU • University of Louisiana at Monroe • Rapides Parish - Alexandria, La. • Louisiana Tech University • Nunez Community College • East Baton Rouge Parish - Baton Rouge, La. • Vernon Parish - Leesville, La. Also receiving votes: University of Louisiana at Lafayette; McNeese State University. $GUV2NCEGUKP'CUV.QWKUKCPCHQT#GTQURCEG%QORCPKGU $GUV5KVGUKP.QWKUKCPCHQT.CTIG#GTQURCEG#UUGODN[ • Orleans Parish - New Orleans, La.. • W1 Megasite England Airpark - Alexandria, La. • St. Tammany Parish - Slidell, La. • W2 Megasite England Airpark - Alexandria, La. • Ouachita Parish - Monroe, La. • Franklin Farm Megasite - Richland Parish, La. • Plaquemines Parish - Belle Chasse, La. • Chennault International Airport - Lake Charles, La. $GUV2NCEGUKP5QWVJ.QWKUKCPCHQT#GTQURCEG%QORCPKGU • Beauregard Airport Industrial Site - De Ridder, La. • Calcasieu Parish - Lake Charles, La. • Shreveport Regional Airport - Shreveport, La. • Lafayette Parish - Lafayette, La. • Monroe Regional Airport - Monroe, La. • Iberia Parish - New Iberia, La.

74 SB&D SPRING 2018

V best OF THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY IN MISSISSIPPI

/KUUKUUKRRKoU$GUV#UUGVUHQTVJG#GTQURCEG+PFWUVT[ • Columbus Air Force Base • Stennis Space Center • Mississippi State’s Raspet Flight Laboratory • Keesler Air Force Base • Low operating costs Also receiving votes: Camp Shelby; Meridian Naval Air Station; Trent Lott International Airport; Available sites; Business climate; Incentives; Low cost utilities. /KUUKUUKRRKoU/QUV+ORQTVCPV'ORNQ[GTUKPVJG Aerospace Industry 6JG$GUVKP#GTQURCEG4&KP/KUUKUUKRRK • Northrop Grumman • Mississippi State University • GE Aviation • University of Southern Mississippi • Airbus Helicopters • Center for Manufacturing Excellence • Rolls Royce • Raspet Flight Research Laboratory • Aerojet Rocketdyne /KUUKUUKRRKoU$GUV%QNNGIGUHQT#GTQURCEG9QTMGT6TCKPKPI • Boeing • Lockheed Martin • Mississippi State University • NASA • University of Southern Mississippi • Columbus Air Force Base • Hinds Community College Also receiving votes: Aurora Flight Sciences; L3; IAI North • Northwest Mississippi Community College America; EATON; FINMECANICA; General Atomics; $GUV5KVGUKP/KUUKUUKRRKHQT.CTIG#GTQURCEG#UUGODN[ Ducommun; Orbital ATK; Raytheon; SpaceX; Stark • Infinity Megasite - Columbus, Miss. Aerospace; Zodiac Aerospace; Keesler Air Force Base. • Prairie Belt Powersite - West Point, Miss. • The Hive - Lee County, Miss. • Tri-County Commerce Park - Tishomingo County, Miss. • Northeast Mississippi RailHub - Alcorn County, Miss. $GUV2NCEGUKP0QTVJ/KUUKUUKRRKHQT Aerospace Companies • DeSoto County - Hernando, Miss. The Columbus Air Force Base in Columbus, • Tishomingo County - Iuka, Miss. Miss., is home to the 14th Flying Training • Lee County - Tupelo, Miss. Wing and has been since 1972. • Alcorn County - Corinth, Miss. • Also receiving votes: Marshall County - Holly Springs, Miss.

76 SB&D SPRING 2018 The Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, Miss., has been a part of NASA’s space exploration for years. Mainly a rocket engine test site, the Center has been involved in the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope. Several rocket engine manufacturers have facilities there. (LEFT) A test is being performed on one of the latest and most sophisticated Rolls-Royce civil aircraft engines. ,/®Ƃ,-Óxy} Ìi}iÃvÌi` onto the A-1 Test Stand at Stennis in «Ài«>À>ÌvÀ>ÃV i`Õi`ÌiÃÌwÀ}°

$GUV2NCEGUKP9GUV/KUUKUUKRRKHQT Aerospace Companies • Hinds County - Jackson, Miss. • Washington County - Greenville, Miss. • Bolivar County - Cleveland, Miss. $GUV2NCEGUKP%GPVTCN/KUUKUUKRRKHQT#GTQURCEG Companies • Hinds County - Jackson, Miss. • Madison County - Canton, Miss. One of the nation’s premier • Scott County - Forest, Miss. destinations for • Neshoba County - Philadelphia, Miss. your company’s $GUV2NCEGUKP'CUV/KUUKUUKRRKHQT growth in Aerospace Companies unmanned • Lowndes County - Columbus, Miss. systems and aerospace. • Tishomingo County - Iuka, Miss. • Lee County - Tupelo, Miss. STENNIS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT O2,400+-acre airport and airpark with 2,000 • Lauderdale County - Meridian, Miss. developable acres contiguous to runway O 8,500-foot grooved and lighted runway $GUV2NCEGUKP5QWVJ/KUUKUUKRRK O Easy access to Highway 603 and I-10 for Aerospace Companies O Foreign Trade Zone #92

• Hancock County - Bay St. Louis, Miss. STENNIS SPACE CENTER • Jackson County - Pascagoula, Miss. O NASA’s premiere facility for rocket propulsion testing O$3URMHFW5HDG\&HUWLÀHG6LWH • Harrison County - Gulfport, Miss. O Home to more than 40 federal, state, academic and private technology-based organizations including the Also receiving votes: Forrest County - Hattiesburg, Miss. Naval and Meteorology Oceanography Command O 5,000+ workforce

Currently undergoing a Spaceport Feasibility Study ACT WorkReady Community Aerospace Academy COMING SOON!

Contact Janel Carothers at [email protected] or 228.467.9231

14054 Fred & Al Key Road |Kiln, MS 39556 |www.portairspace.com

SPRING 2018 SB&D 77 V best OF THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY IN MISSOURI

/KUUQWTKoU$GUV#UUGVUHQTVJG#GTQURCEG+PFWUVT[ $GUV2NCEGUKP9GUV/KUUQWTKHQT#GTQURCEG%QORCPKGU • Robust aerospace manufacturing sector • Jackson County - Kansas City, Mo. • Quality Workforce • Jackson County - Blue Springs • Central U.S. location • Jasper County - Joplin, Mo. • Scott Air Force Base $GUV2NCEGUKP%GPVTCN/KUUQWTKHQT#GTQURCEG%QORCPKGU • Whiteman Air Force Base • Phelps County - Rolla, Mo. Also receiving votes: Right to Work laws; Boeing. • Greene County - Springfield, Mo. /KUUQWTKoU/QUV+ORQTVCPV'ORNQ[GTUKPVJG#GTQURCEG • Polk County - Bolivar, Mo. Industry $GUV2NCEGUKP'CUV/KUUQWTKHQT#GTQURCEG%QORCPKGU • Boeing • St. Louis County - Hazelwood, Mo. • GKN Aerospace • LMI Aerospace • St. Louis County - Chesterfield, Mo. • PAS Technologies • St. Louis County - Clayton, Mo. • Triumph Group • St. Charles County - O’Fallon, Mo. • May Technology • St. Charles County - St. Charles, Mo. Also receiving votes: Aviation Technical Services; Ducommun; $GUV2NCEGUKP5QWVJ/KUUQWTK Essex; Heizer Aerospace; Patriot Machine. for Aerospace Companies 6JG$GUVKP#GTQURCEG4&KP/KUUQWTK • Jasper County - Joplin, Mo. • Center for Aerospace Manufacturing Technologies - • Pemiscot County - Caruthersville, Mo. Missouri S&T • Cape Girardeaux County - Cape Girardeaux, Mo. • Intelligent Systems Center - Missouri S&T • The Emerson Center for Engineering Manufacturing - St. Louis Community College Also receiving votes: The Aerospace Institute of St. Louis Community College; The Center for Intelligent Maintenance Systems. /KUUQWTKoU$GUV%QNNGIGUHQT#GTQURCEG9QTMGT6TCKPKPI • Missouri University of Science and Technology • St. Louis Community College • Saint Louis University • Missouri State University Also receiving votes: University of Missouri. $GUV5KVGUKP/KUUQWTKHQT.CTIG#GTQURCEG#UUGODN[ • Wildwood Ranch - Joplin, Mo. • Neosho Industrial Park - Neosho, Mo. • Lake City Site - Independence, Mo. • Rolla National Airport Industrial and Technology Park $GUV2NCEGUKP0QTVJ/KUUQWTKHQT Aerospace Companies • Adair County - Kirksville, Mo. Boeing Defense, Space & • Platte County - Platte City Security is headquartered outside St. Louis at the Lambert-St. Louis International Airport in Berkeley, Mo. Boeing has produced many aircraft from this location, including the T-X trainer aircraft (pictured). 78 SB&D SPRING 2018 V best OF THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY IN NORTH CAROLINA

0QTVJ%CTQNKPCoU$GUV#UUGVUHQTVJG#GTQURCEG+PFWUVT[ • Large labor force • Low corporate income tax • Marine Corps Air Station at Cherry Point • Seymour Johnson Air Force Base • Charlotte Douglas International Airport Also receiving votes: North Carolina Global Transpark; North Carolina ports; Business climate; Incentives; Low operating costs; Low unionization rate. 0QTVJ%CTQNKPCoU/QUV+ORQTVCPV'ORNQ[GTUKPVJG Aerospace Industry Honda Aircraft Company’s HondaJet, a light business jet, is assembled in Greensboro, N.C. • GE Aviation • HondaJet • Lockheed Martin • Spirit Aerosystems • BAE Systems Also receiving votes: American Airlines; Boeing; ATI; SAFRAN Turbomeca; HAECO; LORD; UTC Aerospace Systems; Curtiss- Wright; B/E Aerospace; Honeywell; Triumph; Raytheon; UTC Aerospace Systems; EATON. 6JG$GUVKP#GTQURCEG4&KP0QTVJ%CTQNKPC • Institute for Transportation Research and Education at North Carolina State • Spirit Aerosystems Composite Center of Excellence • North Carolina Advanced Manufacturing Alliance • North Carolina State University 0QTVJ%CTQNKPCoU$GUV%QNNGIGUHQT#GTQURCEG Worker Training • North Carolina State University • Appalachian State University • University of North Carolina at Charlotte • Central Carolina Community College • Randolph Community College Also receiving votes: Embry-Riddle. $GUV5KVGUKP0QTVJ%CTQNKPCHQT.CTIG#GTQURCEG#UUGODN[ • Greensboro-Randolph Megasite - Randolph County, N.C. • Chatham-Siler City Manufacturing Site - Chatham County, N.C. • North Carolina’s Global TransPark • The Moncure Megasite - Chatham County, N.C. CONTINUED

SPRING 2018 SB&D 79 V best OF THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY $GUV2NCEGUKP0QTVJGTP0QTVJ%CTQNKPCHQT#GTQURCEG%QORCPKGU IN NORTH CAROLINA • Guilford County - Greensboro, N.C. • Durham County - Durham, N.C. • Forsyth County - Winston-Salem, N.C. $GUV2NCEGUKP9GUVGTP0QTVJ%CTQNKPCHQT#GTQURCEG%QORCPKGU • Buncombe County - Asheville, N.C. • Burke County - Morganton, N.C. • Cleveland County - Shelby, N.C. $GUV2NCEGUKP%GPVTCN0QTVJ%CTQNKPCHQT#GTQURCEG%QORCPKGU • Wake County - Raleigh, N.C. • Durham County - Durham, N.C. • Iredell County - Statesville, N.C. • Randolph County - Asheboro, N.C. • Chatham County - Pittsboro, N.C. $GUV2NCEGUKP'CUVGTP0QTVJ%CTQNKPCHQT#GTQURCEG%QORCPKGU • Cumberland County - Fayetteville, N.C. • New Hanover County - Wilmington, N.C. • Onslow County - Jacksonville, N.C. • Lenoir County - Kinston, N.C. • Craven County - New Bern, N.C. $GUV2NCEGUKP5QWVJGTP0QTVJ%CTQNKPCHQT#GTQURCEG%QORCPKGU GE Aviation has several facilities in North • Union County - Monroe, N.C. Carolina. Pictured below is its Asheville facility, where it recently announced a $105 • Mecklenburg County - Charlotte, N.C. million expansion. • New Hanover County - Wilmington, N.C.

80 SB&D SPRING 2018 V best 1MNCJQOCoU$GUV#UUGVUHQTVJG#GTQURCEG+PFWUVT[ OF THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY • Tinker Air Force Base IN OKLAHOMA • American Airlines Maintenance and Engineering Ctr. • Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex 1MNCJQOCoU$GUV%QNNGIGUHQT#GTQURCEG9QTMGT6TCKPKPI • FAA Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center • Oklahoma State University • The Oklahoma Air & Spaceport • University of Oklahoma • Vance Air Force Base • Oklahoma State University Tulsa Also receiving votes: Altus Air Force Base; 21st Century Also receiving votes: Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Quality Jobs Program; Aerospace Engineer Workforce Tax Credit; Business climate; Central location; Incentives. $GUV5KVGUKP1MNCJQOCHQT.CTIG#GTQURCEG#UUGODN[ 1MNCJQOCoU/QUV+ORQTVCPV'ORNQ[GTUKPVJG • Oklahoma Air & Space Port - Burns Flat, Okla. Aerospace Industry • MidAmerica Industrial Park - Pryor, Okla. • American Airlines • Ardmore Industrial Airpark - Ardmore, Okla. • Boeing • Lawton Airport Industrial Park - Lawton, Okla. • GE Aviation $GUV2NCEGUKP0QTVJ1MNCJQOCHQT#GTQURCEG%QORCPKGU • Spirit Aerosystems • Garfield County - Enid, Okla. • Lockheed Martin • Delaware County - Grove, Okla. Also receiving votes: Pratt & Whitney; Northrop • Kay County - Newkirk, Okla. Grumman; Nordam; Lufthansa Technik; Asco Industries; ARINC; Flight Safety; BizJet . • Kay County - Ponca City, Okla. 6JG$GUVKP#GTQURCEG4&KP1MNCJQOC $GUV2NCEGUKP9GUV1MNCJQOCHQT#GTQURCEG%QORCPKGU • Tinker Air Force Base • Jackson County - Altus, Okla. • Boeing Defense • Washita County - Burns Flatt, Okla. • University of Oklahoma • Woodward County - Woodward, Okla. • Oklahoma State University $GUV2NCEGUKP%GPVTCN1MNCJQOCHQT#GTQURCEG%QORCPKGU • Oklahoma County - Oklahoma City, Okla. • Oklahoma County - Midwest City, Okla. • Canadian County - El Reno, Okla. • Cleveland County - Norman, Okla. • Oklahoma County - Edmond, Okla. • Payne County - Stillwater, Okla. • Pottawatomie County - Shawnee, Okla. $GUV2NCEGUKP'CUV1MNCJQOCHQT#GTQURCEG%QORCPKGU • Tulsa County - Tulsa, Okla. • Mayes County - Pryor, Okla. • Pittsburg County - McAlester, Okla. • Tulsa County - Broken Arrow, Okla. $GUV2NCEGUKP5QWVJ1MNCJQOCHQT#GTQURCEG%QORCPKGU • Comanche County - Lawton, Okla. • Carter County - Ardmore, Okla. • Comanche County - Elgin, Okla. -

(TOP LEFT) American Airlines’ Tulsa Maintenance Base, known as Tech-Ops Tulsa, is the world’s largest commercial airline maintenance facility at 3.3 million square feet in size. (BOTTOM LEFT) The Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex at Tinker Air Force Base is one of the largest units in the Air Force Materiel Command, with a team of 10,000 military and civilian professionals. MRO is performed on a variety of aircraft, including the KC-135 and B-52s. SPRING 2018 SB&D 81 6KUJQOKPIQ County, Miss., is JQOGVQOCP[TCKN served industrial parks, KPENWFKPIVJGCETG Tri-State Commerce Park. 6JGEQWPV[KUCDQWV OKNGUHTQOVJG/C\FC Toyota site. Pictured is VJG;GNNQY%TGGM Port.

The Way-Too-Early Guide to Toyota-Mazda Parts Supplier Locations

Southern Business & Development ALABAMA an exceptional school system. The high is celebrating its 25th anniversary quality education system is matched by Cullman County, Ala. over the next year (four issues). The excellent healthcare options. second feature attributed to that Cullman County is rich in automo- Jackson County, Ala. theme is this pictorial titled, “The tive suppliers, most of which are for- Way Too Early Guide to Toyota- eign-owned. Located on Interstate 65, If you don’t want to compete with Toy- Mazda Parts Supplier Locations.” 48 miles south of the Toyota-Mazda site ota-Mazda’s workforce, you might want that is also located on I-65, Cullman to take a look at Jackson County, Ala. Based on our data, we have Located adjacent to Madison County chosen the 25 best counties in the has consistently been named among in the far northeast corner of the state, South for suppliers to the Toyota- the top Micropolitans in the South by Jackson County is about 55 miles from Mazda plant that is being built in Southern Business & Development in the Toyota-Mazda site. Its county seat, Huntsville, Ala. The MTMUS facility project activity. Wallace State Commu- is expected to be fully operational nity College in nearby Hanceville, Ala., Scottsboro, is 73 miles from the site. In in 2021 and will house 4,000 is considered one of the best, if not the March, Google officially broke ground workers. best, community college for workforce on a $600 million data center in Jackson training in the state. County. Cullman has a thriving downtown, lo- Most of the industrial parks in Jackson cal leaders supportive of growth, and County are rail-served and the popula-

82 SB&D SPRING 2018 Cullman, Ala., CNTGCF[JCUCUKIPKƂECPV automotive parts supplier employment base. Cullman KULWUVOKNGUUQWVJQHVJG 6Q[QVC/C\FCUKVGVJCVKU also located on I-65.

tion within a 50-mile radius of Jackson Limestone County, Ala. the most diversified economies in the (including parts of Huntsville) is near- South. Military, space, telecommuni- ly 250,000. School systems in Jackson Even though the Toyota-Mazda site is cations and biotechnology all thrive in County rank in the top 20 percent in the in the city of Huntsville (which is in Madison County. Madison County has Madison County), the site is technical- state of Alabama. The Earnest Pruett an estimated population of 365,000. ly in Limestone County, just off I-65. Center for Technology (EPCOT) is the Limestone County is ground zero for Marshall County, Ala. No. 1 high school technical program in the Toyota-Mazda plant. The county is Alabama. EPCOT is located adjacent to Parts of Marshall County are only about growing rapidly, with a 10-year growth Jackson County Industrial Park. 40 miles from the site of the Toyo- rate of 26 percent. With the arrival of ta-Mazda plant. Guntersville, the coun- Lauderdale County, Ala. Toyota-Mazda, that growth will expand ty seat, is roughly equidistant (60 to 90 exponentially. Florence, the county seat of Lauder- minutes) from both the Honda assem- dale County, Ala., is 43 miles from the There’s been no news on whether Toy- bly plant in Talladega County and the Toyota-Mazda site in Huntsville and 96 ota-Mazda will build a supplier park Toyota-Mazda site in Limestone Coun- miles from the Toyota assembly plant near or at the site of the new plant. Re- ty. Both are Japanese automakers, so if your company supplies Honda’s plant in Blue Springs, Miss. So, logistically, a gardless, Limestone County is home to and plans on supplying the Toyota-Maz- supplier building a plant in Lauderdale an abundant number of industrial sites, da plant when built, Marshall County County or any counties in the Shoals ranging from 100 acres to a 2,000-acre would be a good fit. region of Northwest Alabama can megasite. serve both facilities. Madison County, Ala. Residents of Marshall County enjoy a lower cost of living and have access to The Shoals Economic Development Huntsville, the county seat of Madison many recreational opportunities, in- County, was recently ranked by U.S. Authority (SEDA) works to capture cluding water activities on and around News & World Report as the seventh projects in the Northwest Alabama re- the Tennessee River and Lake Gunters- best place to live in the U.S. That ranking gion, including Lauderdale and Colbert ville. The schools in Marshall County topped Nashville and Raleigh-Durham, Counties. SEDA currently owns and are consistently ranked above average in among other outstanding places to live. operates four industrial parks in North- statewide tests. west Alabama with a combined acreage Madison County has a flourishing job of 3,792 acres. Of that acreage, approxi- market and it’s where most of the 4,000 Morgan County, Ala. workers for the Toyota-Mazda plant will mately 1,100 acres are available for pro- Located about 15 miles from the site of be drawn from. spective industry. Another 1,850 acres Toyota-Mazda is Decatur and Morgan are available for industrial use at eight Huntsville was almost picked by Volk- County. Also on Interstate 65, Morgan other parks and sites. Automotive sup- swagen in 2008 for its plant that went County is supported by a diverse indus- plier North American Lighting operates to Chattanooga. With the addition of try base, including automotive, aero- a large plant in the Shoals region, where Toyota-Mazda to the city, the Hunts- space, food processing, steel processing it employs over 1,600 workers. ville region is without question one of and chemicals. CONTINUED SPRING 2018 SB&D 83 6JG/C\FC6Q[QVCRTQLGEV was captured by Huntsville, #NCQPGQHVJG5QWVJoUOQUV innovative cities.

Morgan County is also home to the are on Interstate 65. Hardin County has Robotics Technology Park. Workforce plenty of Toyota suppliers now because training in robotics is more active in it is located just 90 miles from Toyota’s this part of North Alabama than any largest North American assembly plant other part of the state. It is also home in Georgetown, Ky. Hardin County is to the Mallard-Fox Creek Port on the also 40 miles from Ford’s two assembly Tennessee River. The port is served by plants in Louisville and 75 miles from employmentmploymentoyment is 20 ppercentercent ggreaterreater tthanhan Norfolk Southern and there is industrial GM’s Corvette plant in Bowling Green. the nationalti l average. ThThere are 14 major14 j land available at the port. automotive OEMs within 250 miles of Hardin County has a thriving manu- Louisville, and when the Toyota-Mazda Walker County, Ala. facturing sector, with many industries plant is built, that will make it 15. manufacturing components for the With the completion of Interstate 22 automotive sector. Hardin County is Nelson County, Ky. from Birmingham to Memphis, Walker centrally located to assembly plants in County has seen a significant increase Bardstown is the county seat of Nelson Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and the in project activity. Jasper, the coun- County. Bardstown continues to be in- Midwest. The county is poised for sig- ty seat, is located about 75 miles from cluded in the list of the “Top 10 Best nificant additional growth in advanced the Toyota-Mazda site. Walker County Small Towns in America.” Bardstown manufacturing with the 1,551-acre is also about 72 miles from the Mer- was also named the “Most Beautiful Glendale Megasite. The site is certified cedes-Benz plant in Tuscaloosa County, Small Town in America” by RandMc- by CSX Railroad and is located on Inter- 80 miles from the Honda assembly plant Nally and USA Today. state 65 and a CSX mainline. in Talladega County and 105 miles from Nelson County is about 250 miles from Toyota’s plant in Blue Springs, Miss. Jefferson County, Ky. the Toyota-Mazda site in North Ala- Recently, Japanese parts supplier Yorozu From Louisville and Jefferson County, bama, but only 65 miles from Toyota’s opened a large facility in Walker Coun- parts suppliers can serve both the Toy- Kentucky plant. There are several Toy- ty. Yorozu already supplies Toyota and ota assembly plant in Georgetown, Ky., ota parts suppliers located in Nelson Mazda, so it’s highly probable the new and the Toyota-Mazda plant in Hunts- County, including Toyota Boshoku. plant in Walker County will supply the ville, Ala. Manufacturing is thriving in Population growth in Nelson County new Toyota-Mazda plant when it opens Louisville as Forbes has called the metro has been in double digits of late and the county continues to be one of the fastest in three years. a manufacturing “boomtown” two years growing areas of the Commonwealth. in a row. Louisville is also an outstand- KENTUCKY ing place to live with a vibrant central Simpson County, Ky. Hardin County, Ky. business district. This small county of about 18,000 peo- Elizabethtown and Hardin County, Ky., The Louisville region’s labor productivi- ple is a straight shot down Interstate 65 are about 200 miles from the Toyo- ty is 50 percent higher than the national to the Toyota-Mazda site in North Ala- ta-Mazda site in North Alabama. Both average and the metro’s manufacturing bama, 140 miles away. Why pick Simp- 84 SB&D SPRING 2018 Downtown Columbus, Miss., is CF[PCOKEOCTMGVVJCV JCUECRVWTGFCPKORTGUUKXG number of automotive and aerospace manufacturing projects. Columbus is 86 miles HTQOVJG6Q[QVCRNCPVKP$NWG Springs, Miss., and 150 OKNGUVQVJG/C\FC Toyota site.

sonsonCountyforoneofthebestsit County forf one off theh bbest siteses for Home to a GM plant, Warren County true dual rail — site. The 145-acre site parts suppliers to Toyota-Mazda? Well, is approximately 155 miles north of the (with another 160 acres available) is the folks running the Franklin-Simp- Toyota-Mazda site and 155 miles south- controlled by the Corinth Alliance, the son Industrial Authority really know west of the Toyota plant in Georgetown, local economic development agency. the practice of economic development. Ky. . .so equidistant to both plants. Alcorn County and Corinth, Miss., are There seems to always be at least one Warren County is home to Western located in Northeast Mississippi, just 50 spec building available in the county Kentucky University, and the South miles north of Toyota’s Corolla assem- and there are over 400 acres of avail- Central Kentucky region has grown by blyyp plant in Blue Springs, p g Miss., and 100 able industrial land. The county features 22 percent in the past nine years. Inter- milesmiles fromfrom thethe new Toyota-MazdaToyota-Mazda site. high speed internet service, a state-of- estingly, there are no local sales tax or CONTINUED the-art technical college and CSX Rail- production equipment taxes in Warren way access. County. The Nashville International Warren County, Ky. Airport is only one hour from Bowling Green. Here is another county in Kentucky that sees high volumes of deal activity. MISSISSIPPI $CTFUVQYP-[KUNQECVGF Located to the north of Simpson Coun- KPDGVYGGPVJGOCUUKXG Alcorn County, Miss. ty, the interstate that fronts the Toyo- Toyota plant in Georgetown, ta-Mazda site (I-65) runs right through I just visited Corinth, Miss., and Alcorn -[CPFVJGUKVGQHVJG /C\FC6Q[QVCRNCPVKP Warren County and Bowling Green, Ky. County. Great place with a dual rail — Huntsville.

SPRING 2018 SB&D 85 Giles County, Tenn., is LWUVCETQUUVJGUVCVGNKPG HTQO.KOGUVQPG%QWPV[#NC QPN[OKNGUCVKVUUQWVJGTP DQTFGTHTQOVJG6Q[QVC /C\FCUKVG

.CYTGPEG%QWPV[6GPPJCU plenty of outdoor amenities and is located about 50 miles HTQO/C\FC6Q[QVC

Alcorn County is within 250 miles of 10 Springs, Miss. In fact, if there is lots of of the furnitureniture industry, thethe county assembly plants in the Southern Auto- interaction between the two Toyota fa- was immersed into ththee autoautomotivem in- motive Corridor. The public schools in cilities, you must drive through Itawam- dustry when Toyota openedd a plant in Corinth are first-rate and the North- ba County to get to either plant. neighboring Union County in the fall of 2011. That Union County plant builds east Mississippi Community College Itawamba County’s population is just the Corolla model, which will also be in neighboring Prentiss County, with shy of 25,000. It’s a small county, but assembled at the Toyota-Mazda plant in a satellite campus in Corinth, provides its location is perfect for Toyota-Mazda Huntsville. valuable services to business and indus- suppliers. The Itawamba County School try through its Division of Workforce District is the No. 10 school district in The Community Development Foun- Training and Economic Development. the state of Mississippi. Furthermore, dation (CDF), one of the first econom- Itawamba County, Miss. Itawamba County is also home to ic development agencies formed in Itawamba Community College, which the United States in the late 1940s, has Itawamba County, Miss., is the first has been rated as the No. 6 community made major contributions to Lee Coun- county you hit when driving on Inter- college in the nation. ty with the development of nine indus- state 22 from Birmingham to Mem- trial parks. CDF has been characterized Lee County, Miss. phis. The county seat is Fulton, which by many as an organization that is at the is 110 miles from the Toyota-Mazda site Tupelo and Lee County, Miss., have center of innovation, as well as the most in Huntsville, Ala., and only 35 miles a rich history in the practice of eco- significant force in rural American eco- to the Toyota Corolla plant in Blue nomic development. Long the home nomic and community development.

86 SB&D SPRING 2018 Lowndes County, Miss. county. County and municipal govern- south of Nashville and 40 miles north of ments are very cooperative in accom- Huntsville, two of the South’s most pro- Here is another famous place that is modating the needs of new and expand- gressive cities. home to a well-known, highly success- ing businesses. ful economic development agency, the Lawrence County, Tenn. Tishomingo County, Miss. Golden Triangle Development Link. Lawrence County and Lawrenceburg are You may have seen its CEO Joe Max Tishomingo County has captured some located just across Tennessee’s border Higgins on 60 Minutes recently. outstanding projects over the years, with Alabama, approximately 40 miles The Golden Triangle references a region particularly in the steel industry. Locat- from the Toyota-Mazda site in Hunts- in North Mississippi encompassing Co- ed just across the border from Lauder- ville, Ala. Lawrence County has been lumbus, Starkville and West Point. The dale and Colbert counties in Alabama, fertile ground for companies like Dura GTR LINK boasts a record of nearly $6 Tishomingo County is 60 miles from the Automotive, Modine, Graphic Packag- billion in investments and nearly 6,000 Toyota plant in Blue Springs, Miss., and ing, Hughes Parker Industries, Bertolini, jobs created in just over a decade. The just 84 miles from the Toyota-Mazda site. InMotion Robotics and 3D Systems. organization has secured many indus- There might not be a rural county in the The Lawrence County School System trial sites, including the Prairie Belt South that has more and larger indus- works closely with local industry to Powersite and the Infinity Megasite. trial parks than you will find in Tishom- make sure its programs help prepare Lowndes County is located 80 miles ingo County. The Tri-State Commerce students for success in today’s job mar- from the Toyota plant in Blue Springs, Park features 3,500 acres with a rail yard, ket. The county is also home to Colum- Miss., and 150 miles from the Toyo- barge dock and 24/7 security. It also has bia State Community College’s Law- ta-Mazda plant site. a crane with capacity of 400 tons, dual rence Campus. Monroe County, Miss. feed electric power and an onsite fire Lincoln County, Tenn. department. There are also several more Monroe County is located just north industrial parks in the county. Fayetteville and Lincoln County are of Lowndes County, just 35 minutes located in southernmost Tennessee, from Toyota’s Mississippi plant in Blue Union County, Miss. 31 miles from Huntsville and 82 miles Springs. It is located about 125 miles Union County is home to Toyota’s Mis- from Nashville. Fayetteville, the county from the Toyota-Mazda site in North sissippi assembly plant. The county is seat, is located 45 miles from the Toyo- Alabama. located on Interstate 22, one hour from ta-Mazda site. Monroe County is also located on the Memphis International Airport and 150 There is a wealth of workforce training Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway, which miles from the Toyota-Mazda site in facilities in Lincoln County, including connects the Port of Mobile to the Ten- Huntsville, Ala. the Don Sundquist Center for Advanced nessee River. The BNSF mainline runs Northeast Mississippi Community Col- Technologies, Motlow State Communi- through the county halfway between lege has a branch in New Albany and ty College and the Tennessee College of Birmingham and Memphis. Monroe the two school systems are rated Level Applied Technologies. Industrial sites County is halfway between Tupelo (Lee 5 or Level 4, the state’s highest ratings. in Lincoln County are numerous at the County) and Columbus, Miss., (Lown- Historically, Union County has been a Bullington and Fayetteville-Lincoln des County). manufacturing location as it is consid- County Industrial Parks. Prentiss County, Miss. ered the birthplace of Northeast Missis- Maury County, Tenn. sippi’s furniture industry. Prentiss County is located in extreme Maury County is home to a large Gen- Northeast Mississippi, 115 miles west TENNESSEE eral Motors assembly plant and is a of the Toyota-Mazda site and 30 miles hotbed for automotive suppliers. The Giles County, Tenn. from Toyota’s plant in Blue Springs, county is in the heart of automotive Miss. This county is also on the Ten- Giles County has about 29,000 resi- manufacturing in the U.S. In fact, 14 nessee Tombigbee Waterway and it is dents, and one of its largest employers is OEMs are within 250 miles of Maury served by KCS rail. Parker Hannifin, Magneti Marelli, a manufacturer of au- County. The county also has a wide se- an automotive supplier, operates a large tomotive lighting. In fact, several large lection of available sites and buildings, plant in Prentiss County. automotive suppliers operate in Giles many with direct highway access or In- County. terstate 65 access. The biggest draw to Prentiss County is that it is home to Northeast Mississip- Giles County is just across the state line The southernmost border of Maury pi Community College in Booneville. from Limestone County, Ala., only 15 County is only about 50 miles from the Industrial sites and buildings are read- miles at its southern border from the Toyota-Mazda site. Maury County is ily available at several locations in the Toyota-Mazda site. It is located 58 miles part of the Nashville MSA. - SPRING 2018 SB&D 87 TOP DEALS The American South’s 10 largest new or expanded manufacturing and selected non-manufacturing job announcements

#00170%'/'065/#&'+06*'524+0)37#46'4 Development Jobs Investment* N/E/R** Location Description 1. Indeed.com 3,000 N/A E Austin, Texas Website 2. Formosa 1,200 $9,400 N St. James Parish, La. Chemicals 3. RoundPoint Mortgage 1,100 $34 R York County, S.C. Financial Services 4. AllianceBernstein 1,050 $70 R Nashville, Tenn. Financial Services 5. General Motors 1,000 N/A E Spring Hill, Tenn. Auto Assembly 6. TaskUs 1,000 N/A N New Braunfels, Texas Call Center 7. EGGER Wood 770 $700 N Davidson County, N.C. Wood Products 8. Van Hool NV 640 $47 N Morristown, Tenn. Bus Assembly 9. ExxonMobile SABIC 600 $10,000 N Portland, Texas Ethane 10. Appian 600 $28 R McLean, Va. Headquarters

*Investment in millions **N=New, E=Expansion, R=Relocation Source: RandleReport.com

88 SB&D SPRING 2018 unionunion countycounty

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