|
|
|
The U.S. manufacturing sector was in full swing in February, marked by a surge in construction and expansion of factories across various industries. From electric vehicle components to cell therapies, companies are investing heavily in domestic production, creating jobs and boosting local economies.
From coast to coast, these new manufacturing enterprises are poised to inject billions into the U.S. economy and create thousands of jobs. Let’s take a look at into the most promising ventures announced this month.
Schaeffler, a global motion technology company, announced plans to expand its operations in the U.S. with a new manufacturing facility focused on producing automotive electric mobility solutions. The company will invest over USD 230 million in building the new facility in Dover, Ohio, as well as future expansions in the state until 2032. The project is expected to create 650 jobs in the state, including 450 at the new facility.
The new facility will have roughly 130,000 square feet of advanced manufacturing space dedicated to electric mobility solutions for the automotive industry. Products manufactured at this site will include electric axles for light and medium-duty vehicles. The facility will also incorporate eco-friendly practices, aligning with the company’s commitment to be climate neutral by 2040.
“Our new plant will play a pivotal role in shaping our future in the Americas region,” said Marc McGrath, Chief Executive Officer of Schaeffler Americas. “Dedicated to advancing our innovative product offering, our new Dover, Ohio facility will feature state-of-the-art production processes so we can better serve our customers, while also adopting sustainable practices, as we continue to pioneer motion,” continued McGrath.
Cellares, a cell therapy manufacturing company, has announced a $255 million series C fundraise to launch its new location in Somerset County, New Jersey. The 118,000-sq. ft. manufacturing site in Bridgewater is expected to create up to 350 local jobs and produce 40,000 cell therapy batches per year using advanced robotics and software. Cellares is the first Integrated Development and Manufacturing Organization (IDMO) and aims to accelerate access to life-saving cell therapies for patients in need. The company will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, January 29th, to celebrate its new facility and its contributions to the local economy and the life sciences industry. “The opening of this facility marks a tremendous milestone towards Cellares’ mission of accelerating access to life-saving cell therapies to meet total global patient demand,” said John Tomtishen, Sr. Vice President and General Manager of the Bridgewater IDMO Smart Factory.
StatLab Medical Products, a global leader in medical diagnostic equipment and supplies, announced the opening of a new histology consumable manufacturing facility in Arlington, Texas. The new 35,000 square foot plant, with room for future expansion, will produce histology cassettes and other core histology consumables using state-of-the-art injection molding technology. The facility will also support blow molding and glass slide manufacturing in the near future.
The new plant is part of StatLab’s strategy to expand its in-house manufacturing network and enhance its supply chain reliability and efficiency. The company has six manufacturing sites across the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany, offering a wide range of products and solutions for anatomic pathology laboratories. The Arlington facility will also enable StatLab to meet the growing demand for its PiSmart Cassette printers, which require compatible cassettes produced by injection molding.
“As we expand sales of PiSmart Cassette printers here in the U.S. market, giving customers confidence in a readily-available supply of the consumable cassettes used with the printer is imperative,” said Dae Hong, StatLab CEO. "None of this would have been possible without the help of our Newtown, Wales operational and technical teams to support this key capability expansion."
StatLab invites the local business and laboratory community to join the celebration at a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house at the new facility on Thursday, February 15, 2024.
Austal USA, a leading shipbuilder for the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, announced the start of design for a new manufacturing facility that will significantly expand its Mobile, Ala. shipyard capabilitY. The project, which is planned to start construction in summer 2024, will include a new assembly building, waterfront improvements, and a new shiplift system.
The new facility will enable Austal USA to manufacture steel ships, such as the Constellation-class Frigates, TAGOS-25 class Ocean Surveillance Ships, and Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutters, as well as modules for submarine and other surface ship programs. The facility will occupy four and a half acres and provide over 192,000 square feet of covered manufacturing space. The shiplift system will feature an articulated lifting platform capable of lifting and launching vessels in excess of 18,000 long tons.
Austal USA acting President Michelle Kruger said, “This new facility is continuing evidence of the close relationship we have with our local community including our community leaders; local, state and federal political leaders; and, regional organizations such as the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce.” The project is expected to create hundreds of new jobs and boost the local economy.
EnerSys, the global leader in stored energy solutions for industrial applications, has announced its plans to develop a lithium-ion cell gigafactory in Greenville, South Carolina. The company will invest $500 million and create 500 new jobs in the state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, which will produce various forms of lithium-ion cells for commercial, industrial and defense applications. The factory will have a production capacity of four gigawatt hours (GWh) per year and will be the company’s second operation in South Carolina.
The company has applied for a comprehensive incentive package from South Carolina and Greenville County, valued at approximately $200 million, and expects to receive additional federal funding and tax benefits. The construction is expected to begin in early 2025 and the operations to be online in late 20274.
EnerSys President & CEO David M. Shaffer said, "EnerSys is accelerating the global clean energy transition by significantly expanding our production of lithium-ion batteries across a broad range of end markets and applications. With the support of South Carolina and Greenville County this factory will help us meet our customers’ needs, including those with specific manufacturing requirements for domestic sourced batteries."
Vulcanair North America, a subsidiary of the Italian aircraft manufacturer Vulcanair, announced that it will relocate its headquarters and production operations to Elizabethtown, North Carolina, by the third quarter of 2024. The company will invest $7 million in a new 36,000-square-foot facility at the Elizabethtown Corporate Airpark, creating 33 jobs with an average salary of $56,061. The facility will produce the Vulcanair V1.0, a four-seat trainer aircraft that has been in production since the late 1960s. The company has 26 orders for the aircraft, which costs around $450,000 each.
The relocation is a result of a collaboration with Ameravia Inc., the sole-source importer of Vulcanair aircraft into the United States, and the support of the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Rural Economic Development Division, and local officials. Ken Hadaway, COO of Sovereign Aerospace-Bladen, the parent company of Vulcanair North America, said: "The support and partnership with Ameravia, Inc., the sole-source importer for the Vulcanair aircraft has proven to be able to meet that demand and reduce the supply change logistical stress that is rampant within the aviation industry."
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky (TMMK) announced plans to increase its investment to $1.3 billion at its Georgetown facility, the company’s largest production site globally. The investment will support the production of the first U.S.-assembled battery electric vehicle (BEV), a three-row SUV, and add a battery pack assembly line. The project will retain up to 8,950 full-time jobs and bring the plant’s total investment to nearly $10 billion since it began operation in 1988.
Gov. Andy Beshear praised Toyota for its continued commitment to the state and its role as a leader in the automotive sector. “You cannot think of the Bluegrass region and Scott County without thinking of Toyota,” he said. "We are grateful that they continue to invest in our commonwealth and continue to set a standard for high-quality, well-paying jobs for our citizens."
Kerry Creech, president of Toyota Kentucky, said the announcement reflects the company’s vision for the future of mobility. “Today’s announcement reflects our commitment to vehicle electrification and further reinvesting in our U.S. operations,” he said. "Generations of our team members helped prepare for this opportunity, and we will continue leading the charge into the future by remaining true to who we are as a company and putting our people first for generations to come."
U.S. Boiler Company, a manufacturer of residential and light commercial heating products, is investing more than $3.2 million in its Lancaster headquarters with the help of the Commonwealth. The company’s expansion project will create at least 15 new jobs and retain 117 existing jobs. U.S. Boiler Company will construct a new 45,000-square-foot manufacturing facility that will house production lines for its low-emission, high-efficiency boilers, Alta. The company chose Pennsylvania over North Carolina for its latest expansion, citing the state’s support and commitment to the manufacturing industry. “Burnham Holdings and U.S. Boiler have been committed to Pennsylvania for decades,” said Christopher Drew, President and CEO of Burnham Holdings Inc., the parent company of U.S. Boiler Company. "The Commonwealth’s support of this project, which expands USB’s production capacity for its best-selling low emission, high-efficiency boiler product, the Alta, is a win for U.S. Boiler and a win for Pennsylvania."
GlobalFoundries (GF), a leading semiconductor manufacturer based in New York, announced that it will receive $1.5 billion in direct funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce as part of the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act. This investment will enable GF to expand and create new manufacturing capacity and capabilities to securely produce more essential chips for automotive, IoT, aerospace, defense, and other vital markets.
The funding will support three GF projects: the expansion of its existing Malta, NY, fab; the construction of a new state-of-art fab on the Malta campus; and the modernization of its Vermont facility. These projects are expected to create over 1,500 manufacturing jobs and about 9,000 construction jobs over the life of these projects. GF also plans to invest more than $12 billion over the next 10 plus years across its two U.S. sites through public-private partnerships.
Dr. Thomas Caulfield, president and CEO of GF, said: "These proposed investments, along with the investment tax credit (ITC) for semiconductor manufacturing, are central to the next chapter of the GlobalFoundries story and our industry. They will also play an important role in making the U.S. semiconductor ecosystem more globally competitive and resilient and cements the New York Capital Region as a global semiconductor hub."
Doowon Group, a South Korean company that specializes in designing and manufacturing automotive climate control systems, announced that it will invest more than $30 million in a new manufacturing facility in Metter, Georgia, creating 200 new jobs in Candler County. The facility will be located in the Metter-Candler County I-16 Industrial Park, and will produce climate control systems for use in traditional and electric vehicles. Operations are projected to begin in 2026.
Doowon Group is a key supplier for Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia and Hyundai Motor Group, and has achieved a notable sales revenue surpassing $1.9 billion in the fiscal year 2023. The company’s CEO, Ki Chun Sung, expressed optimism about the new venture, saying, "The company is optimistic that its technological expertise and industry experience will play a vital role in the growth of the local community."
SOLARCYCLE, a solar recycling company, announced plans to invest $344 million in a new solar glass manufacturing facility in Cedartown, Polk County, Georgia. The plant will create more than 600 full-time jobs and will be the first in the country to use recycled materials from retired solar panels to make new solar glass. The glass will be sold to domestic solar manufacturers, filling a critical gap in the U.S. solar supply chain.
The facility will be constructed at Cedartown North Business Park, a certified site in Cedartown, and will be operational in 2026. The plant will have the capacity to produce five to six gigawatts worth of solar glass every year, using SOLARCYCLE’s proprietary technology that can extract 95% of the value from used solar panels.
SOLARCYCLE’s CEO and Co-Founder, Suvi Sharma, expressed his excitement about the project, saying, "There is no question that solar panel manufacturing is booming in the State of Georgia. We are thrilled to join the team and build our recycled solar glass plant in Cedartown, which will bring hundreds of good-paying jobs to Georgia and help the industry in its goals to build fully American-made clean energy solutions."
AstraZeneca, a global biopharmaceutical company, announced a $300 million investment in a new facility in Rockville, MD, to launch its cell therapy platforms in the US. The facility will create more than 150 new highly skilled jobs and focus on manufacturing T-cell therapies for cancer trials and future commercial supply. The facility will also support the company’s growing cell therapy portfolio, which includes CAR-T and TCR-T therapies for solid tumors.
Pam Cheng, Executive Vice President of Global Operations & IT and Chief Sustainability Officer, AstraZeneca, said: “This new $300 million investment will accelerate our ambition to make next-generation cell therapy a reality, ensuring that we are ready to scale and meet the demands of patients.” The facility is located near one of the company’s global R&D centers and within the booming life sciences corridor in Maryland.
L4T Group, a European company that specializes in manufacturing sustainable commodities from waste tires, announced its plans to invest $46 million to establish its first U.S. processing facility on 10 acres at the Port of South Louisiana. The project is expected to create 46 direct new jobs and 151 indirect new jobs in the Southeast Region.
The recycling and manufacturing plant, L4T Louisiana LLC, will convert end-of-life tires into high-quality products such as advanced biofuel feedstock, recovered carbon black and scrap steel. The company says its patented technology reduces up to 90% of greenhouse gas emissions compared with conventional tire recycling processes.
L4T CEO Tilen Milicevic said, "A strong industrial ecosystem, the availability of qualified personnel and suppliers, excellent connectivity, abundance of feedstock and proximity of our final clients are just a few of the many reasons why L4T Group, following a thorough market study, decided for Louisiana to be home to our first investment in the U.S."
Lucid Motors, an American OEM of all-electric vehicles, announced plans to set up an engineering and R&D hub in the city of Southfield, Michigan. The company will invest $10 million and create 262 high-wage jobs over three years, with the support of a $6 million grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Lucid Motors is known for its award-winning luxury electric sedan, the Lucid Air, and its upcoming electric SUV, the Gravity. The company chose Michigan for its talent pool and supplier network in the mobility sector. “We are excited to expand our presence in Michigan and tap into the state’s rich automotive heritage and engineering expertise,” said Peter Rawlinson, CEO and CTO of Lucid Motors.
Corning Incorporated, a global leader in materials science, will construct a new facility in Richland Township, Saginaw County, where it will manufacture solar components. The project will generate an investment of up to $900 million and create more than 1,100 jobs, with the assistance of a $68 million grant and a $12.3 million tax exemption from the state. Corning will also benefit from a $29 million grant for infrastructure and road improvements. Corning’s project will advance Michigan’s leadership in clean energy and sustainability, as well as support the goal of expanding access to U.S. renewable energy solutions. “We are grateful for the strong leadership, collaboration and support from Governor Whitmer, the Michigan Legislature and the State of Michigan,” said Scott Forester, Corning division vice president and program executive, Solar.
If you’re looking for industrial sales leads for a particular industry, region, company size, and more, consider an IndustrySelect subscription. IndustrySelect gives you live access to MNI’s database of 460,000 industrial companies and one million executives, providing up to 30 data points to help you identify and pre-qualify the best leads. Click here to learn more or start your free demo.
Follow IndustrySelect on Google News