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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

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.
Projects Supported by a State and/or Local Sponsor
TriEnda Chooses Grant County, Indiana

TriEnda, LLC, a privately held manufacturer of thermoformed plastics, will invest over $20 million in a 200,000-square-foot facility in Marion, creating 342 jobs. State and local officials pulled the deal together in a mere two months, meeting the company's accelerated timeline and providing $2.7 million in incentives and credits.

New Chinese Joint Venture in Columbus, Indiana

Columbus-based LHP Technologies has partnered with the Chinese company Techtop Industries to created Techtop LHP, which is building a $7.3 million logistics and manufacturing facility in Columbus that will employ 62 workers when it's fully operational in 2012. The company is located in the 150-acre Woodside Northwest Industrial Park, which opened officially in the spring of 2008. All told, LHP is creating 325 new jobs in Columbus.

Cummins Inc. Expands in Columbus, Indiana

Cummins Inc. will add approximately 500 professional employees to its work force during the next two years and will occupy an office facility being built as part of a downtown Columbus redevelopment project to meet the expected growth. The four-story, 100,000-square-foot building is scheduled to be completed in early 2009. The project also includes a parking garage for Cummins employees; both structures are located just south of the Cummins worldwide headquarters.

Muncie-Delaware County, Indiana, Focuses on Alternative Energy

Muncie-Delaware County and the state of Indiana's ideal location, superior infrastructure, and aggressive $8+ million incentive package help land the North American headquarters and manufacturing center of Brevini USA and Brevini Wind. The county has a strategic focus on alternative energy and is committed to be the premier location and community of choice for these types of companies.

Michigan Committed to Industrial Diversification

Michigan's success in attracting new investment and high-tech jobs by leading companies in alternative energy, defense, state-of-the-art manufacturing, information technology, and life sciences reflects our strong commitment to diversification through innovation and development of 21st century technologies, an unparalleled technical work force, and incentives creating a business-friendly climate fostering opportunity and growth.

SAIC's Shared Services Headquarters in Oak Ridge, Tennessee

The functions of Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) shared services headquarters are being relocated from San Diego, Calif., and McLean, Virginia, to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where SAIC has had a presence for more than 30 years. As a result, 150 new jobs will be created in Oak Ridge. Leo Hazlewood, an SAIC senior executive, says the company was drawn to Oak Ridge because of its stable work force, modern telecom infrastructure, pro-business environment, and attractive quality of life.

Arkansas Is Truly a Natural for Business

Arkansas is home to several homegrown Fortune 500 companies including the world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart. Our central location, pro-business environment, quality of life, and diversified economy make Arkansas the choice for business location and expansion.

Coffee-Maker Project Brewing in Knoxville, TN

Green Mountain Coffee purchased an existing 334,000-square-foot distribution center in Knox County's Forks of the River Industrial Park and has committed to creating 360 jobs and investing $56 million in new machinery and equipment. The new Knoxville plant, an expansion of the company's Vermont-based operations, will provide coffee roasting, packaging, and distribution operations.

RTI International Locating to Martinsville-Henry County, Virginia

RTI International Metals, Inc., a leading producer of titanium mill products and fabricated metal components, is opening a manufacturing facility in Martinsville-Henry County, Virginia. The company will manufacture titanium for the aerospace industry, creating 150 new jobs. An available shell building met all the company's needs.

ElectriCities Serves Multi-State Area Projects

ElectriCities is a not-for-profit government service organization representing cities, towns, and universities that own and operate electric distribution systems: 70 North Carolina cities serve 500,000 customers, with one million customers served in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. ElectriCities provides customer service/safety training, emergency/technical assistance, economic development, communications, government affairs, and legal services.

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