Duke Energy seeks ’26 construction start for Catawba County, N.C. gas plant

Posted on by Michael Randle

Duke Energy is firming up plans to add a large natural gas plant at Lake Norman in Catawba County, with construction expected to start in 2026 if approved by regulators.

The two combustion turbines fired by natural gas would produce as much as 900 megawatts, capable of powering more than 700,000 homes. It would also enable Duke to retire the oldest two units, producing 760-megawatts, at the Marshall Steam Station plant, which started in 1965. It has two other units expected to operate through 2031.

The new plant would go into service in 2028, pending approval by the N.C. Utilities Commission. A decision is expected later this year.

The Environmental Defense Fund and other environmental groups are pressing Duke to expand alternative energy generation rather than investing in more natural gas-powered plants. But the third-largest U.S. electric utility, based on stock market value, views natural gas as an essential bridge to meet its promise to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the next few decades.

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Canadian pet food company to spend $85 million to expand NC plant

Posted on by Michael Randle

A Canadian pet food company said Thursday that it would spend $85 million to expand its manufacturing plant in Nashville, slightly more than a year after it began production at the facility.

The Crump Group said the expansion would allow it to expand its ability to produce dog treats for major retailers across North America, including Costco, PetSmart, Pet Valu, Walmart, Loblaws, Publix and Target.

Crump originally acquired the facility in 2021, and it spend more than $40 million to procure the property, manufacturing facility, and equipment. A company spokesman said that the latest expansion will add approximately 80,000 square feet and is expected to be completed by Jan. 30, 2025.

“With heightened customer demand, we stand poised to aggressively expand our operations while maintaining unmatched value to our customers,” said Margot Crump, co-founder and CEO of The Crump Group, in a statement.

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Conservative groups sue to stop Dominion’s Virginia wind farm

Posted on by Michael Randle

A nonprofit conservative watchdog group based in Falls Church filed a lawsuit Monday against Dominion Energy, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the U.S. Department of the Interior and other government bodies, aiming to stop construction of Dominion’s offshore wind farm expected to begin this spring 27 miles off the Virginia Beach coast.

The National Legal and Policy Center and its co-plaintiffs seek a preliminary injunction against the federal government’s approval of Dominion’s $9.8 billion, 176-turbine Commercial Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project, claiming the massive wind turbines pose a risk to North American right whales under the Endangered Species Act. The lawsuit also claims that the BOEM and other agencies illegally overlooked risks to the endangered whales in approving the wind farm — while also criticizing President Joe Biden’s January 2021 executive order mandating an increase in clean energy production, including offshore wind energy.

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Tucker Door & Trim enters Va. with $10M Henrico, Va. plant

Posted on by Michael Randle

Tucker Door & Trim, a Georgia-based distributor and manufacturer of doors, windows and specialty millwork for the construction industry, will soon open its first facility in Virginia, creating 50 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Wednesday.

Tucker Door & Trim will invest $10 million in a Henrico County manufacturing and assembly facility for fiberboard and fiberglass doors and windows, aimed at increasing production for clients in the Northeastern United States, according to a news release. The Henrico facility, which plans to open April 1, is at 2700 Distribution Drive.

Founded in 1967, Tucker Door & Trim has two existing facilities in Georgia serving wholesale customers throughout the Southeast.

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$11 million investment will create 78 new jobs in rural SC

Posted on by Michael Randle

COLUMBIA, S.C. – DCC Metal Recycling (DCC), a metal shredding and recycling company, today announced it is growing its South Carolina footprint with a new operation in Dillon County. The company’s $11 million investment will create 78 new jobs. 

Founded in Hemingway in 1943, DCC purchases, shreds and recycles scrap metals. This process significantly reduces the cost and environmental impact of the company’s products which include aluminum, stainless steel and copper.

The new 48-acre site located at 1324 Smith St. in Dillon will be the company’s seventh South Carolina operation.

Operations will be online in the first quarter of 2025. Individuals interested in joining the DCC team should visit the company’s careers page.

The Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved job development credits related to the project.

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Antitrust probe of Nippon’s Alabama assets threatens $14.9 billion US Steel takeover

Posted on by Michael Randle

An antitrust probe by the Department of Justice of Nippon Steel’s assets in Alabama is adding to the pressure on the Japanese company’s takeover of U.S. Steel.

The DOJ inquiry, according to Politico, appears to be focused on Nippon’s joint stake in a large Calvert, Alabama plant, operated with ArcelorMittal, which competes directly with U.S. Steel to supply metal for the automotive sector. It comes as a separate federal body is investigating the potential national security risks of a foreign takeover.

The DOJ declined to comment. President Biden said last week that U.S. Steel should remain domestically owned.

In response, Nippon promised that it would not cut jobs, close facilities or move production overseas as part of its $14.9 billion takeover of the Pittsburgh steelmaker. Nippon, which owns other steel mills in West Virginia and Pennsylvania, added in a weekend statement that it will move its existing U.S. headquarters from Houston to Pittsburgh as a show of its commitment to the state.

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Schott Pharma expanding with 400 jobs in Wilson, N.C.

Posted on by Michael Randle

Germany-based Schott Phama is investing $371 million in Wilson to build a pharmaceutical production facility that will create 401 jobs, officials announced Monday. 

It will be the first U.S. facility to manufacture pre-fillable polymer syringes, while adding to the nation’s supply of pre-fillable glass syringes, the company said in a release.

Schott Pharma has six U.S. manufacturing facilities producing drug containment solutions and delivery systems for biotech and pharmaceutical companies. 

The Carl Zeiss Foundation in Jena, Germany, owns the company, which is a subsidiary of glass and glass ceramics producer Schott AG. 

The average salary for jobs at the new Wilson facility is expected to be $57,868, about $5,600 more than the average wage in Wilson County. Wilson is 50 miles east of Raleigh.

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