Major investments in film production, chemicals, jets and off-road equipment top the week’s site selection and job creation announcements:
In Kentucky, Westlake Chemical Corp. is increasing investment at its Calvert City operations by as much as $210 to $240 million. Westlake Chemical is an international manufacturer and supplier of petrochemicals, polymers and building products for use in making everyday items such as packaging, plastic wrap, tires, and PVC pipes, windows and fencing. The company will expand ethylene production capacity and convert its feedstock from propane to ethane to leverage low cost ethane being developed in regional shale gas areas.
In Utah, a joint venture between real estate developer Woodbury Corp. and film production supplier Redman Movies and Stories that will turn the historic Granite High School campus into a film and television production facility. The $40 million project includes construction of 90,000 square feet of new motion picture sound stages, along with office and retail space for the entertainment industry.
Off-road vehicle manufacturer Polaris Industries Inc. is making investments for manufacturing and research and development. The company has begun construction on a 144,000-square-foot expansion that will more than double the size of its Product Development Center research facility in Wyoming, MN, creating capacity for up to 350 additional workers. The company is also investing $22.6 million to expand its production center in Spirit Lake, IA, where it plans to add 79 jobs.
In North Carolina, Honda Aircraft Co. has selected Greensboro as the location for its new HondaJet Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility. The company will invest an additional $20 million to build the new MRO facility, bringing its total capital investment for construction of its North Carolina facilities to more than $120 million. The MRO facility will be an expansion of the company’s world headquarters campus, where its research, manufacturing and headquarter buildings encompass more than 500,000 square feet of space.
In Michigan, a company that manufactures a wheelchair-accessible van is moving its headquarters to Allen Park from Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Vehicle Production Group will add 50 workers in its move to Michigan. The company said the move puts it closer to its supplier base.
In South Carolina, automotive components manufacturer South Carolina Plastics plans to establish its new facility in Greenville County. The $12 million investment is expected to generate 119 new jobs. The company is a subsidiary of Carolina Technical Plastics Corp. The company creates complex automotive components such as door modules, door handles, cable drum housings and covers for seat belts, among other components for the automotive industry as well as the home appliance, medical and rail industries.
