Recent State Project Wins

Recent State Project Wins

Faymonville Group Selects Little Rock, Arkansas for U.S. Production Facility

After evaluating locations across the United States, the Faymonville Group, a family-owned company operating in Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, and Italy, recently announced selection of a site in Little Rock, Arkansas for its first U.S. production facility. The company manufactures vehicles for heavy load and special transport: semi-trailers, low-loaders, modular vehicles, and self-propelled trailers.

“We look forward to becoming part of this community and making a positive impact,” said Yves and Alain Faymonville. “We’re eager to get started and can’t wait to see the ‘made in America’ label on our vehicles soon.”

The 54-acre site at the Port of Little Rock provides access to major interstates, Class I railroads, navigable waterways, and a national airport. The production site covers 409,000 square feet in Phase 1. In Phase 2, the area will expand to 624,000 square feet. Once fully developed, the project will create 500 jobs.

Faymonville intends to invest more than $100 million. Additionally, the project is expected to create 389 indirect and induced jobs in Little Rock and surrounding communities, generating a $239 million economic impact.

“This economic development project is a win for Faymonville Group, for Little Rock, and for Arkansas – but most importantly, it’s a win for the 500 people who will be able to work for this industry-leading company, providing them with new economic opportunities,” said Clint O’Neal, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.

Orano USA Seeks to Locate Uranium Enrichment Operations in Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter, and Orano USA officials announced recently the company has selected Oak Ridge, Tennessee, as the preferred site to construct a new, $4.5 billion, state-of-the-art centrifuge uranium enrichment facility.

The uranium enrichment center will be a multi-structure commercial production site covering approximately 750,000 square feet, making it one of the largest in North America. Facility operations will create more than 300 new direct jobs in Roane County.

Since the creation of the $50 million Nuclear Energy Fund in 2023, Tennessee has landed 700 new jobs and billions in investment.

“Tennessee is the number one state for nuclear energy companies to invest and thrive, and we are proud to partner with Orano to lead America’s energy independence and drive continued economic growth and greater opportunity for Tennesseans,” said Gov. Lee

With U.S. headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, and global headquarters in Paris, France, Orano is a leading technology and services provider for the commercial and federal nuclear industries. The company specializes in uranium mining/conversion/enrichment, supporting advanced reactor development, used nuclear fuel management and recycling, decommissioning shutdown nuclear energy facilities, federal site cleanup and closure, and developing nuclear medicines to fight cancer.

Globally, Orano has more than 60 years of industrial experience in uranium conversion, chemistry and enrichment and recently modernized its facilities for decades more reliable operations and supply. Orano currently provides 12% of global uranium enrichment capacity through its fuel enrichment site in France.

Oklahoma Celebrates Most Successful Month of Economic Development in State History

The Oklahoma Department of Commerce is celebrating the most successful month of economic development in state history, based on publicly announced job growth. From April 24 to May 15, companies expanding or launching operations in Oklahoma announced plans to create 2,907 jobs.

“The best part of this record job growth is that it’s reaching every corner of the state,” said Evan Brown, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Office of Economic Development, Growth, and Expansion (EDGE). “Not only are companies choosing Oklahoma, but our existing businesses are expanding as well.”

The almost 3,000 jobs were announced in just a 21-day period:

• April 24: Dollar Tree announces plans to rebuild its distribution center in Marietta, OK, creating 400 jobs.
• April 30: Commerce announces winners of the Business Expansion Incentive Program (BEIP), resulting in 190 new jobs statewide.
• May 6: Commerce announces winners of the Oklahoma Innovation Expansion Program (OIEP), supporting the creation of 967 jobs across various sectors and dozens of communities.
• May 12: CBC Global Ammunition selects Oklahoma for a new manufacturing facility, adding 350 jobs.
• May 15: Emirates Global Aluminium announces a $4 billion aluminum production plant, choosing Oklahoma as the site for its U.S. operations, creating 1,000 new jobs.

“We’re not just seeing large companies pick Oklahoma for their new home – entrepreneurs and small businesses across the state are also finding ways to grow their footprint and reinvest in their communities,” said John Budd, CEO of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.