Above: A look inside a Hyundai smart factory. Hyundai announced it officially broke ground this month on its massive electric vehicle plant in the state of Georgia. (Image source: Hyundai)
October is shaping up to be a standout month for the U.S. manufacturing sector. Beginning with the largest private investment in New York's history to new enterprises making everything from EV technology to construction materials, manufacturing wins for October represented billions in investments and tens of thousands of jobs.
Let’s explore some of the most exciting new manufacturing companies announced this month.
First up, a major announcement from chipmaker Micron Technology, which unveiled plans this month to establish the largest semiconductor fabrication facility in the U.S. To be located in the town of Clay, New York, the new “megafab” facility will increase the supply of leading-edge memory chips and create 50,000 jobs in the region, including 9,000 Micron jobs.
Representing a $100 billion investment, the massive semiconductor facility stands as the largest private investment in New York’s history.
Hyundai officially broke ground on the new electric car plant in Georgia the company had announced just five months ago. The massive $5.5 billion plant near Savannah, is expected to produce up to 300,000 vehicles per year once operational in 2025. With plans to employ at least 8,100 workers, it is the largest economic development project in Georgia’s history.
“This is transformational for the region, not just for people’s children now, but for their grandchildren,” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said. “This is going to be a project that will resonate for generations to come.”
And in another boost to the U.S. automotive industry, Germany-based automotive parts and technology provider Continental announced it has officially opened its first U.S. automotive greenfield location in the U.S., establishing a $100 million plant in the town of New Braunfels, Texas.
The new, 215,000 square-foot facility will manufacture ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) including radars and sensors used in assisted and automated driving. The state-of-the art facility expects to employ 500 workers once fully operational.
Said Frank Petznick, member of the Automotive Board and Head of Business Area Autonomous Mobility, Continental. “At Continental, we’re always seeking new opportunities to make drivers safer. New Braunfels will play a critical role as we continue to grow our ADAS business in North America and support our goal of vision zero - zero traffic fatalities, injuries and crashes on our roadways.”
In an effort to lead U.S. efforts in developing a sustainable supply chain for energy storage solutions, Israel-based specialty minerals manufacturer ICL announced plans to establish a $400 million lithium iron phosphate (LFP) material manufacturing facility in St. Louis. Expected the be the first large-scale LFP plant in the United States, the new 120,000 square-foot facility will produce high-quality LFP material for the global lithium battery industry once fully operational in 2024.
“LFP is a critical solution for the U.S. energy-storage, mobility and infrastructure market,” said Phil Brown, president of Phosphate Specialties and managing director of North America for ICL.
Medical technology company Enovis celebrated the grand opening of its new manufacturing facility in Austin, Texas late month, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony held on September 27th. Launched in response to demand for the company’s joint replacement products, the new 40,000 square foot state of the art facility joins another 40,000 square feet of existing manufacturing place.
“For the past 30 years, our Surgical business and employees have thrived in the wonderful city of Austin,” said Louis Vogt, President of Enovis Surgical. “Now that our company is poised to become one of the world’s leading medical technology innovators, we are thrilled to expand our Austin footprint and support this global growth with a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility that provides great jobs while helping us accelerate our positive patient impact – the ultimate goal as Enovis.”
The new facility brings jobs supporting roles such as CNC machining, metal finishing, and clean room operations.
In West Virginia, the Clorox Company celebrated the grand opening of its long-awaited cat litter manufacturing facility in Martinsburg. Producing familiar brands such as Fresh Step ® and Scoop Away ® , the new facility is expected to bring an estimated $190 million to the local economy.
“Clorox is proud to continue manufacturing in the great state of West Virginia,” said Michael Holly, vice president of product supply services at The Clorox Company. “Our third facility in the state, this world-class operation will allow us to move faster and work smarter to meet consumer needs, all while operating with our purpose to champion people to be well and thrive at the forefront and having a positive impact on the local economy.”
The new 547,000 square -foot plant will create 100 new jobs once the operation is up to capacity in 2023.
Daifuku North America Holding Company announced the grand opening of its new, 225,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in Boyne City, Michigan. Representing an investment of $26 million, the new facility will be producing airport baggage handling products and automatic guided vehicles.
Todd Alderman, President of Jervis B. Webb Company, said, “After 58 years, we built this new plant to reflect the commitment to our quality team members and communities in this area while increasing our production capacity to support our growth. With all manufacturing under one roof, this is an excellent opportunity to streamline our processes and eliminate inefficiencies.
Meanwhile, in Louisiana, Merck Animal Health officially opened its animal intelligence products manufacturing facility in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, spurred by heightened demand for livestock ear tags. Opened in a former veterinarian medicine facility, the new plant is currently printing, producing, and distributing the company’s line of Allflex Livestock Intelligence identification ear tags. Once at full capacity, the facility will add 30 jobs
“We are pleased about the opportunity to bring capital improvements, expansion in our manufacturing capacity and capabilities, new equipment and enhanced technology to our Baton Rouge facility, thereby increasing our ability to fulfill customer demand for our portfolio of Animal Health Intelligence products,” said Glenda Fefee, site director, Merck Animal Health in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
In Missouri, construction materials manufacturer, Simcote announced it is expanding its U.S presence, adding a new manufacturing facility in the town of Sedalia. Representing an investment of $17 million, the new operation will create 35 jobs in the region. The new facility will help Simcote expand production of its epoxy-coated rebar.
"We are a family business that values our employees, customers, vendors, and the communities we operate in," said Adam Simmet, President of Simcote. "When we explored locations that support our core values and assist in delivering the highest quality products to our customers, Sedalia became the obvious choice. We look forward to growing our business in this great community."
Meanwhile, in North Carolina, Cavco Industries, Inc., the nation’s third-largest builder of manufactured homes, announced it has officially opened a new manufacturing facility in the town of Hamlet. The new, 184,000 square-foot plant will produce pre-fabricated homes, joining Cavco Industries’ network of 27 manufacturing facilities throughout the nation.
"At Cavco we are intensely driven to provide solutions to the pressing need for affordable homes,” said Bill Boor, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cavco. “The addition of the Hamlet facility to our growing network of 27 plants across the country is a step forward on that path.
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