October 2019
Metals startup announces new Houston factory
Toyota Tsusho America, the Japanese automaker’s supply chain arm, announced a joint venture with Modumetal, which will be named ModuTAI. They will establish a new production facility in Houston. The new company will make specialized alloy products for the oil and gas industry, and plans to expand into construction, marine and transportation markets.
New manufacturing facility to create 200 jobs in Seguin, Texas
A Michigan-based company is set to build a manufacturing facility that will create 200 new jobs for the city of Seguin. Continental Structural Plastics is making a capital investment of $70 million to construct the 200,000-square-foot facility that will produce lightweight composite solutions for the automotive, heavy truck, HVAC and construction industries.
Injection molder Investing $3.7 million In Virginia
Injection molder Blue Ridge Industries will invest $3.7 million and hire 13 more employees at its manufacturing plant in Winchester, Va., where the female-owned company is based. Founded in 1985, BRI manufactures a wide variety of plastic parts for the automotive, construction, commercial goods and electronic enclosures markets.
Airtech announces $13 million expansion in Tennessee
A Robertson County manufacturer will soon invest $13 million in its plant and add about 30 new jobs. Airtech, a vacuum bagging and composite tooling materials manufacturer, will expand in Robertson County The company serves many sectors, including aerospace and automotive.
Nippon Paint investing $60 million In Tennessee
Nippon Paint will invest approximately $60 million to establish a facility in Chattanooga. The company will create 150 jobs in Hamilton County as it expands its paint and coating products for automotive customers in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Navistar plans to build $250 million facility in San Antonio
Illinois-based Navistar, which makes commercial trucks, plans to spend more than $250 million to build a new manufacturing facility in San Antonio, Texas, delivering 600 new jobs to the area. The investment is contingent on finalization of various incentive packages.
Hyundai to invest another $292 million in Alabama plant
Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) recently announced that it’s preparing to invest nearly $300 million more in new machinery and equipment for its factory there. The money will help with production of the redesigned Elantra and Santa Fe vehicles as well as the company’s new, more fuel-efficient Theta engine. Back in June, HMMA celebrated the opening of its new cylinder head manufacturing plant. The 260,000-square-foot facility represents a $388 million investment and 50 new jobs.
Carvana expected to bring 400 new jobs to West Memphis, Ark.
Carvana plans to open an inspection and distribution center in West Memphis. The Arizona-based online auto sales platform, noted for its “car vending machines,” will invest $40 million in the West Memphis facility and plans to eventually employ more than 400 people. Automobiles will be inspected, reconditioned, photographed and stored at the facility.
Toyota’s $391 million expansion is first major renovation of San Antonio plant since 2006
Toyota announced it will spend $391 million to expand its San Antonio truck factory — the biggest capital infusion at the facility since production began in 2006. Once completed, the automaker said its total investment in the plant will exceed $3 billion.
Ford’s new Texas call center to generate 500 jobs
The Ford Motor Company recently announced it would be opening a new customer contact center in Houston, where company officials expect it to generate as many as 500 jobs.
GM Bowling Green plant to add 400 jobs
Automaker GM plans to add a second shift and more than 400 new employees at the Bowling Green Assembly Plant in preparation to build the next-generation Chevrolet Corvette later this year.
Kobelco expands plant in Bowling Green, Ky.
Japan-based automotive parts manufacturer Kobelco Aluminum Products & Extrusions has reached full capacity at its new facility in Bowling Green. The company will undergo a $42 million, 90-job expansion that will push total employment at the plant to 220 and total investment to $95 million.
Navistar to build facility in Texas
Commercial truck and bus manufacturer Navistar will make a capital investment of more than $250 million to build a new manufacturing facility in Texas. The investment will bring approximately 600 jobs to the San Antonio area.
DENSO opens R&D center in Plano, Texas
DENSO, the world’s second largest mobility supplier, will invest $1.3 million to open the Texas Innovation and Connected Service Center in Plano. The company will use state-of-the-art R&D to innovate vehicle service solutions.
India-based Bharat Forge to open in Sanford, N.C.
Bharat Forge America will invest $127.3 million to build an aluminum forging plant to manufacture automobile components in Sanford. The company plans to create 304 jobs there. The new facility in Sanford will be part of a larger manufacturing center that will bring as many as 460 jobs to Lee County.
$400 million expansion underway at Volvo Truck’s Virginia plant
Volvo Trucks North America (VTNA) will invest nearly $400 million over the next six years to upgrade the New River Valley plant that produces all Volvo trucks sold in North America. The upgrades include expansion of the plant’s footprint and installation of equipment.
Toyota supplier to hire 900 in South Texas
Aisin AW, a maker of transmissions for Toyota and other automakers, is building a new plant in Guadalupe County, near San Antonio. The $400 million project will create 900 jobs. Toyota assembles pickup trucks in San Antonio.
Dump truck builder expands into N.C. Triad
Dump Truck body manufacturer Ox Bodies is set to open an operation in High Point, N.C., creating at least 40 jobs. The company will paint dump truck bodies, install those bodies on client-provided chassis, and provide parts, service and installation of other commercial truck accessories in the former Hatteras Yachts building.
Supercar manufacturer moving its U.S. base to North Texas
British supercar manufacturer McLaren Automotive is moving its North American base of operations from New York to Coppell, Texas. McLaren Automotive’s luxury sports cars are manufactured at the company’s plant in Surrey, England, and shipped to the U.S. Since entering the U.S. market eight years ago, McLaren has sold more than 7,000 of its cars, which start at$200,000.
Bendix investing $65 million in Kentucky plant expansion
Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake is investing $65 million to expand its facility in Bowling Green, Ky., and plans to add 100 new jobs. Bendix makes air disc brakes for commercial vehicles.
Brose celebrates plant expansion in Vance, Ala.
Auto parts supplier Brose Tuscaloosa is celebrating the completion of an 80,000-square-foot expansion. The company was recently awarded a contract to produce seat adjustment components for Ford’s F-150. The parts supplier in Vance now employs 700, but that number could grow to 800 in the future.
Auto supplier kicks off construction on $110 million Alabama plant
DaikyoNishikawa US (DNUS) recently celebrated a groundbreaking to officially launch construction on the auto supplier’s $110 million manufacturing plant in North Alabama. The DNUS facility, which will produce plastic automotive parts for the Mazda Toyota Manufacturing assembly plant, will employ approximately 380 people at full production.
North Carolina wins Carvana
North Carolina is offering $1.2 million in tax incentives to Carvana, a move that the Cooper Administration says will result in nearly $512 million for the state’s economy. The e-commerce car sales platform plans to open a new inspection and reconditioning facility in Cabarrus County. The Concord facility’s staff will inspect, refurbish and process vehicles for online sales.
Mobile, Ala., approves $36 million bond issue for tire recycler
A bond issue of up to $36 million is coming down the pipeline for a tire recycling facility in South Alabama. The Mobile County Commission gave the green light for the bond issues for a plant in the Axis area north of Mobile that will reduce tires to raw materials such as steel, carbon black and crumb rubber. The project will likely employ 55 to 60 people.
