Projects of the Year

ThyssenKrupp Steel and Stainless USA
Mobile, Alabama
After a rigorous site-selection process, German industrial conglomerate ThyssenKrupp AG decided to build its world-class, $3.7 billion steel processing plant on 3,500 acres near Mt. Vernon, Alabama, about 30 miles north of Mobile. Key factors in the decision included logistical considerations of the company’s supply chain to its projected customers, operating costs, and site-specific capital expenditures. When operations begin in 2010, the complex will produce 5.1 million metric tons of high-quality products from steel slabs delivered from ThyssenKrupp’s steel mill in Brazil. The plant will ultimately be staffed by 2,700 workers and create a very sizeable ripple of up to 35,000 ancillary jobs.

Honda
Greensburg, Indiana
Honda selected Greensburg, Indiana, as the site for its sixth North American assembly plant. State sources say more than 2,000 people will eventually work at the $550 million facility, producing some 200,000 vehicles annually. The Greensburg plant will increase Honda’s annual production capacity from about 1.4 million to 1.6 million vehicles. U.S. production plays an increasingly important role in Honda’s global supply network. By investing nearly $25 million to extend reliable and low-cost electricity to Honda’s new Greensburg facility, Hoosier Energy and Decatur County REMC were pleased to have assisted the City of Greensburg, Indiana, locate Honda in their community. It’s another example of the “Hoosier” can-do-spirit!

Other Notable Projects:

Goodyear in Akron, Ohio
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company worked with the Industrial Realty Group (IRG), the state of Ohio, the city of Akron, and Summit County to collaborate on a plan to construct new world and North American Tire headquarters buildings and improve its technical center and research facilities. LeBron James aside, collaboration is king in Akron!

General Dynamics in Allen County, Ohio
The Joint Systems Manufacturing Center (JSMC) is a GoCo (government-owned, contractor-operated) facility owned by the U.S. Army and operated by General Dynamics Land Systems. Because of “an aggressive effort by the community and the unions at General Dynamics and others, the JSMC not only stayed off the BRAC list, but has increased employment over the past several years from 400 to over 1,000 employees.

Frito-Lay and Alorica in Topeka, Kansas
Frito-Lay expanded its Topeka plant 40,000 square feet for a new production line for SunChips, generating 50 new jobs and $40 million in capital investment. Alorica Inc., a leading customer service management firm, opened an in-bound customer service call center in Topeka, creating 700 positions and generating $3 million in capital investment.

Southwest Indiana
On April 16, 2007, AT&T announced that Evansville, Indiana, and Southwest Indiana were selected as the location for their newest customer service call center serving business wireless customers. Originally slated to employ 425 workers, the $23 million center employs 750 workers due to the quantity and quality of the work force.