Economic Futures Group
Spartansburg, SC
www.economicfuturesgroup.com
There has been a lot of activity in the automotive industry in Spartansburg County, SC. In August, 2011, Gov. Nikki Haley, the South Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Futures Group of Spartanburg County made two major announcements.
The Fehrer Automotive North America LLC will expand its production operations to a site in Spartanburg County. The company expects to make a capital investment exceeding $14 million and to generate 130 new jobs over the next five years.
Fehrer Automotive’s strategic successes over the last several years have resulted in the company outgrowing its current 80,000 square feet of combined manufacturing and warehouse facilities in Fountain Inn, South Carolina. The new Duncan site has 100,000 square feet with room to expand.
“Fehrer Automotive is very excited to partner with state and county agencies and its advisors on this project. The Duncan site is a good fit and allows us to position ourselves for future business opportunities,” said company spokeswoman Robin Mathis. “We are excited to become part of the Spartanburg County business community and look forward to continued growth, as well as our ability to add additional jobs in the local community.”
Additionally, BMW announced that the company will further increase its workforce in South Carolina, creating 100 new jobs at the Spartanburg plant. The company is also creating two new workforce programs at the facility along with the additional jobs. Harold Krueger, BMW Group Board Member responsible for Human Resources confirmed the company's intention to hire 100 professional employees. The workforce programs include a new manufacturing recruitment program: BMW Scholars, and a $5 million Associate Family Health Center.
To launch the BMW Scholars program the company is partnering with three area technical colleges: Spartanburg Community College, Greenville Technical College and Tri-County Technical College, to provide work experience to students interested in pursuing a career in skilled manufacturing.
“These innovative programs and new jobs serve to exemplify how much we care about current and future generations. This is part of our long-term approach to sustainability,” said Krueger. “For us, sustainability is not just about building the most efficient vehicles in the most productive facilities. It’s also about accepting responsibility for decisions that affect the future development of our associates.”
El Paso Regional Economic Development Corporation (REDCO)
El Paso, TX
www.elpasoredco.org
The El Paso Regional Economic Development Corporation (REDCo) and its partners have proactively developed a strategy for recruiting the automotive industry to the region. McCallum Sweeney Consulting (MSC), a leading site-location and economic-development company with more than 50 years of experience in relocation evaluation and site certification for the automotive industry, has certified a shovel-ready 1,042-acre site in El Paso.
With more than a quarter-million workers, this region is one of the largest manufacturing centers in North America. More than 90,000 of these workers are already employed in the automotive industry. Six of the top 10 global OEM suppliers are located in the region. Delphi operates one of its largest technical centers in Ciudad Juárez, México, employing more than 2,000 engineers. MSD Ignitions, a leading manufacturer of high-performance engine parts, is headquartered in El Paso.
The automotive industry benefits from an expanding, educated, skilled labor pool. Several technical schools contribute to this growing resource, graduating a continuous stream of educated workers. The El Paso Community College and Western Technical College offer two-year degree programs in automotive technology, plus a variety of certificate programs in automated manufacturing, robotics, welding, precision machining and electronics. The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) has more than 21,000 students and has been named the top engineering graduate school for Hispanics.
The W.M. Keck Lab at UTEP is the largest rapid-prototyping facility located on a university campus in the U.S. Plus, the Engine and Alternative Fuels Research Lab, located within the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department, provides opportunities for faculty and students to pursue fundamental and applied investigations and advanced technology in internal-combustion engines and alternative fuels. UTEP and NMSU graduate more than 750 engineers annually.
NETWORKS-Sullivan Partnership
Blountville, TN
www.networkstn.com
Recently, European auto parts manufacturer C&F Group and Ohio-based plastics auto parts supplier DLH Industries announced plans to locate facilities in Kingsport and Bristol, Tennessee, respectively. C&F Automotive, a division of C&F Group of Galway Ireland, is moving into the former Magneti Marelli building in Kingsport. At the 110,000 sq. ft. facility, the company will invest $12.5 million and create 450 new jobs over the next four-year period. The company will manufacture decorative and functional trim for the automotive industry, racking for the data management industry and possibly small wind turbines at its new facility. The C&F Group operates locations in Ireland, Germany, the Czech Republic, the Philippines, China and now the United States.
DLH Industries of Canton, Ohio is locating its newest manufacturing facility in a 64,000 sq. ft. building in Bristol. The company will hire 25 initially and increase that number to at least 75 within a year. DLH is a global supplier of engineered plastic solutions in the automotive industry and other markets. DLH recently received the General Motors 2010 Global Supplier of the Year award for its significant contributions to GM’s global product and performance achievements. This marks the fourth consecutive year DLH has earned the award. This award is granted to only 82 of GM’s nearly 20,000 suppliers worldwide.
Richard Venable, CEO, NETWORKS Sullivan Partnership, whose business development group played a key role in luring both companies to Sullivan County, said the companies were not only swayed by Tennessee’s business-friendly environment and low taxes but also by the high percentage of area workers with manufacturing experience.
Greater Kokomo Economic Development Alliance
Greater Kokomo, IN
www.greaterkokomo.com
Maybe it's something good in the water. Or the quality of the air. Whatever accounts for it, the same pioneering spirit that drove settlers here in the early 1800s has stayed with the Greater Kokomo area, inspiring a host of technological discoveries down through the decades. They owe their rich automotive heritage and community growth to the curiosity and inventiveness of their forebears.
In today's Kokomo you’ll find a remarkably complimentary blend of traditional values and progressive thinking. It's still a city of vision - a city doing everything in its power to encourage the entrepreneurial innovation and economic activity that sustains its families and enriches all its citzens' lives.
As you explore their website, you'll discover, a commitment to education, easy access to multiple modes of transportation, the operational affordability offered to companies, the various aspects contributing to their quality of place, etc. And, one notices that their family-friendly atmosphere, strong work ethic, and progressive vision make Kokomo a great place to raise a family and start or grow a business.
Union County Development Association
New Albany, MS
www.ucda-newalbany.com
When Toyota Motor Corporation announced in February 2007 that it was locating an automotive assembly plant in north Mississippi, it committed to creating 2,000 direct jobs.
However, in 2008 the company announced a delay in its plans to start producing vehicles in Blue Springs due to market conditions and a weak economy. Toyota completed construction at the north Mississippi facility and retained its existing workforce there. And recently, the company announced its plans to resume preparations for production at the plant, where it will begin producing the best-selling Corolla model in the fall of 2011. The company has now resumed hiring at its Blue Springs, MS plant.
“Toyota is moving forward to equip and begin production at its Mississippi plant. We’re delighted, but we’re not surprised,” Governor Barbour said. “We’ve had good reason to keep our faith in them. Through a global economic crisis, Toyota kept its financial commitments to the state and local schools proving they are not just an employer but a valuable community partner. We eagerly look forward to the opening of the Blue Springs plant and are proud that the Toyota Corolla, one of the best-selling vehicles of all time, will be manufactured here in Mississippi.”
“We sincerely appreciate the patience and understanding shown by Governor Barbour and the people of Mississippi,” said Yoshimi Inaba, president and chief operating officer of Toyota Motor North America. “With the economic downturn, we had a commitment to our team members and communities worldwide to make sure all of our existing plants were stable. With the return of stability to our existing operations in North America, it is time to fulfill Toyota’s promise in Mississippi.”
“We have looked forward with great anticipation to the day when Toyota was ready to fully staff its Blue Springs facility, and that day has come,” Governor Haley Barbour said. “I am so pleased that Toyota is moving forward with its hiring process and is creating so many high-quality jobs for the residents of Mississippi.”
