Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance
Bay Minette, AL
www.baldwineda.com
A hybrid car plant announced plans to construct a $1.5 billion plant on a Baldwin County megasite in Sept. 2009. The company intends to employ more than 5,000 people and churn out 300,000 cars in its first year of production. The plant, located on a 3,000-acre megasite south of Interstate 65, would be operational in three to five years. HK Motors is a developer of "green" hybrid cars powered by a new technology and is led by Chinese businessman Benjamin Yeung. "(Yeung) had a dream of building the best high-tech, green auto in the world,” said Robert Ingram, director of the Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance. “He chose Baldwin County as the place to do that.” Charles Huang, vice chairman of HK Motors, said the plant will employ cutting-edge technology in production of its environmentally conscious vehicles.
Unlike many hybrids that are economy size, HK's cars will be mid-size to luxury size, comparable to a Mercedes S-Class. "We will start with cars, producing about 300,000 each year,” he said. “The cars are multi-fuel and battery. They get 45 miles per gallon on gas, but the principle fuel is natural gas. Using that it will get a much higher MPG. "It also has the lowest CO2 emmission," he said.
HK Motors’ plans are preliminary, and the company must raise more money before the state will negotiate business incentives. The timetable for the plant would have production beginning by 2014 if the plans are realized.
(Source: www.BaldwinCountyNow.com)
Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce Office of Economic Development
Chattanooga, TN
www.ChattanoogaChamber.com
Expansion Solutions Magazine's selection of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce as a "Top 5 Pick" in "Automotive" acknowledges efforts of the Chamber and partners to attract the plum U.S. automotive manufacturing project of 2008 -- the Volkswagen manufacturing facility. The billion dollar facility, which will employ 2,000 people, will produce 150,000 vehicles a year initially. The University of Tennessee predicts that VW's business operations will support an additional 9,477 jobs. Businesses of all sizes will benefit as the people who hold these new jobs take home a combined total of $511 million in income every year.
But Chattanooga isn't a "one horsepower town." New projects or expansions under construction in Chattanooga represent an investment of over $1.4 billion and the creation of more than 3,000 new jobs. The city's "Can Do" spirit that turned a once sleepy, southern town into what U.S. News and World Report calls one of the best cities in the world and one that attracts companies due to expanded incentives for business, low utility rates, workforce of half a million within a 50-mile radius and a "hub" location that places Chattanooga within 150 miles of 11 million people and a one-day drive from 70% of the U.S. population.
Chattanooga offers excellent transportation via I-75, I-24 and I-59, dual-rail transport with Norfolk Southern and CSX and local ports leading to 16,000 miles of navigable waterways. The town is also home to the National Center for Computational Engineering and just two hours from major R & D centers like Oak Ridge National Laboratories and the NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville. Businesses also like the scenic beauty, abundant outdoor sporting opportunities and the town's "Big City" amenities with "Small Town" ease of living.
Columbus-Lowndes Development Link
Columbus, MS
www.cldlink.org
Lowndes County is situated in Northeast Mississippi 10 miles west of the Alabama state line and is a prime area for an automotive plant. Columbus is the major city of the "Golden Triangle." Two U. S. Highways, both built to interstate standards, and four state highways serve the area. Service by six railroad companies makes the area a key rail center in Mississippi. The 235-mile long Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway provides excellent economical water transportation for the entire area with port facilities and a marina located in Columbus. The Golden Triangle Regional Airport, Mississippi's third largest commercial airport is nine miles west of Columbus and is adjacent to the west side of The Crossroads, a planned automotive megasite in Columbus. This site has 15000+ developable acres. It currently has access to U.S. 82 to U.S. 45 South and U.S. 45 Alternate. The Tenn-Tom Waterway is 8 rail miles with barging facilities. Kansas City Southern serves the site as does the Lowndes County Port.
Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development
Hendersonville, NC
www.strategiclocation.com
Henderson County, NC lies at the intersection of logistics and workforce advantages for the automotive sector. Recent announcements by Continental Teves, Borg Warner and ArvinMeritor underline the emphasis on western North Carolina as an ideal location for the automotive industry. Continental’s decision to locate a globally-competitive project of 338 new jobs and $30+ million investment in July 2009 reinforces the strength of Henderson County’s offering.
With 17% of the workforce engaged in manufacturing, and customizable training programs available through Blue Ridge Community College, a skilled and ready workforce is in place. North Carolina is a right-to-work state and Henderson County has no unionized manufacturing labor. The Rapid Prototyping Center at Western Carolina University provides concept to manufacturing capabilities for research and design. Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research is an advanced-technology collaborative between industry, government and academia.
Located at the intersection of Interstate 26 and Interstate 40, many component suppliers enjoy convenient access to the BMW facility, and look forward to opportunities at the emerging Volkswagen facility. Component manufacturers in Henderson County enjoy access to these and other final assembly facilities without bearing the expense of competing for labor and wage levels of final assembly locations.
Ferncliff Industrial Park recently completed the requirements for the newly revamped North Carolina Certified Sites Program. With 220+ risk-mitigated, developable acres, and industrial-quality infrastructure from partners at Duke Energy and PSNC Energy, Ferncliff represents an attractive new construction opportunity to complement quality existing buildings in the area.
The Henderson County Partnership for Economic places organizational priority on retention and expansion projects. Their foundation in the automotive sector, in addition to logistic and workforce advantages, has led to their progress and positions them for exceptional potential.
North Louisiana Economic Partnership
Monroe, LA
www.nlep.org
In June 2009, V-Vehicle Company, headquartered in San Diego, CA, announced it will produce a high-quality, environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient car in Monroe, LA. This will create 1,400 jobs at an average salary of nearly $40,000. Total capital investment will be at least $248 million.
Gov. Jindal said, "What we are here to officially announce today is not a typical economic development project. Most business recruitment projects for the state involve large, long-established companies building another plant similar to one they already have - similar to facilities that other companies in their industry already have. Those are great projects and we appreciate the jobs they provide, but today's announcement is different.
"Today, we are here to announce that through quick, aggressive action to pursue a transformative opportunity, we have a chance here in Louisiana to re-energize the entire U.S. auto industry. Indeed, this project also has the potential to transform the entire Monroe area, and this project could be a game changer for the economy of Northeast Louisiana.
V-Vehicle will produce a high-quality, environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient car for the U.S. market. The goal of the company is to provide the American car buyer greater product value and a superior automotive experience.
V-Vehicle will assemble the cars at the former Guide Corp. plant in Ouachita Parish, which has been closed for years. The 425,000-square-foot plant currently occupies 189 acres of land; this project will increase the size of the facility to approximately 750,000 square feet.
"The Monroe facility was chosen because it has the ideal infrastructure for this type of industry, combined with the strong work ethic of the people of North Louisiana," said James Davison, owner of the former Guide Corp. plant.
