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Top Job Creation and Investment Projects 2008

June/July 09
Volkswagen Group of America
Chattanooga, Tennessee

Volkswagen Group of America's $1 billion automotive production facility in Chattanooga will create 2,000 good-paying jobs and generate more than $12 billion of economic growth in related sectors. The plant will start producing a midsize sedan designed specifically for the North American consumer in 2011.

"Volkswagen Group is committed to the North American market," said Stefan Jacoby, CEO of Volkswagen Group of America. "Chattanooga is an excellent fit for the Volkswagen culture, with an exceptional quality of life and a long manufacturing tradition."


Amazon.com Dedc Llc
Hazleton, Pennsylvania

Amazon.com will hire about 1,100 workers over the next three years at its new distribution center in Hazleton. The $20 million facility will occupy more than 600,000 square feet in the Humboldt Industrial Park.

"The center will help us serve our customers in the Northeast more efficiently," said Mike McKenna, Amazon's vice president of North American fulfillment. Pennsylvania offered Amazon.com a $1.25 million opportunity grant and $500,000 in job training programs.


Spirit AeroSystems
Lenoir County, North Carolina

Spirit AeroSystems is building a $570 million plant in Kinston to manufacture components for the Airbus 350 XWB, an extra-wide passenger jet. The company expects to employ about 1,000 people over the next five to seven years.

Eighteen months of negotiations were required to close the deal between Spirit and the state of North Carolina. A major reason Spirit chose North Carolina was its closer location to Airbus operations in Europe compared to Spirit's other facilities in Kansas.


Hewlett-Packard
Conway, Arkansas

Meadows Office & Technology Park in southern Conway will be home to Hewlett-Packard's 150,000-square-foot, $38 million customer service and technical support center. Total payroll for the 1,200 new jobs is about $60 million a year, with an average salary of $50,000.  

Economic incentives from the state included $10 million for infrastructure improvements. "The commitment by the state's political, business and educational leadership is one of the reasons Arkansas earned its way to the top of the list for HP investment," said Gary Fazzino, Hewlett-Packard's vice president of government and public affairs.

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