Southern Economic Development Council Newsletter – Fall 2023
Southern Economic Development Council Newsletter – Fall 2023
Record-Breaking News
Great news comes from around the region about Business Retention & Expansion (BR&E). Read spotlights of success stories within our SEDC network.
FLORIDA
BAE Systems announced a $200 million expansion at their Jacksonville site to support the repair of Naval Station Mayport-based ships and commercial vessels. The complex will include A Pearlson Shiplift and Transfer System to improve shipyard efficiency. There are 650 employees at the site. The expansion is expected to add another 500 jobs.
A $65 million investment by Danone North America will add 40 jobs to their Jacksonville facility supporting a new bottle production line for the company’s sustainable coffee and creamer brands.
CertainTeed Interior Products in Palatka, FL is underway with a $235 million expansion that will provide 115 new jobs to the area. The construction of a 400,000-sf facility will allow the company to double its production and bring much needed new revenue to Putnam County. The Putnam County Chamber of Commerce believes that the increase in output by the drywall manufacturing company will place it within the top five expansions in the state of Florida. Another plus is that training for new employees will be at the St. Johns River State College, continuing the connection between business and education in the region.
LOUISIANA
CF Industries announced three decarbonization projects to accelerate the world's transition to clean energy. The total investment is $2 billion.
Pumping in an additional $780 million, BASF will double the capacity of its chemical manufacturing plant in Geismer.
Prolec GE is investing more than $28 million in its Shreveport facility, where electrical transformers are manufactured for wind farms.
The Port Allen plant of Shell Catalysts & Technologies is undergoing a $121 million upgrade, adding nearly 100 jobs.
Louisiana Economic Development has competitive incentives, unparalleled access to global and domestic markets, customized workforce training and recruitment, and an extensive inventory of certified sites to attract an impressive array of manufacturing expansion projects to the state’s business portfolio.
ALABAMA
Shaw Industries completed a $250 million expansion at its plant in Andalusia. Employing more than 1,000 workers, the plant creates fiber for use in carpet. The expansion improves ergonomics, safety, and energy efficiency for the facility.
KANSAS
Zephyr Products in Leavenworth, KS purchased two vacated buildings for operations expansion, Zephyr moved into one of the buildings, with its sister company LPF High Performance Coating relocating to Kansas to take the second. The Leavenworth County Development Corporation, working with the Kansas Department of Commerce, were intimately involved in the expansion and relocation.
As a result of the state and county incentives, the decision was made to merge LPF into Zephyr as a division of the company. With the newly formed merger, an investment of $12 million brought 45 new jobs to the area in June 2023. A ribbon cutting for a new welding facility is scheduled for October 2023.