First Quality to Expand Georgia Facility with $418M Investment

Posted on by Michael Randle

First Quality Baby Products, LLC announced it would invest $418 million to expand its footprint in Macon-Bibb County, creating 600 new jobs and increasing capacity for diapers and training pants by 50%.

First Quality Baby Products, LLC and its affiliates manufacture baby diapers, youth and training pants, a full line of adult incontinence, feminine hygiene and wipes products; paper towels and bath tissue, while also packaging products for healthcare, retail and commercial channels.

First Quality’s expanded facilities will be located at 2108 Avondale Mill Road, adjacent to its current location in Macon. The company has been in Macon since 2008, following its acquisition of Covidien Retail Products.

This expansion comes on the heels of two recent manufacturing expansions in Georgia during May 2024. GF Casting Solutions AG, which produces lightweight components for the mobility and energy industries, announced a more than $184 million investment in a new manufacturing facility in Augusta. The project will create 350 new jobs for Richmond County. 

Additionally, StandardAero, a provider of business aircraft MRO services, began work on a $33 million expansion of their operations in Augusta. The expansion will create 90 new jobs in Richmond County.

Manufacturing.net

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Gov. Beshear: Rip Technologies Investing $4.3 Million in Mt. Sterling Facility, Creating 46 New Full-Time Jobs

Posted on by Michael Randle

FRANKFORT, Ky. (May 23, 2024) – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear highlighted Rip Technologies, a manufacturer specializing in the printing and production of art pieces and picture frames, on its new $4.3 million Mt. Sterling facility creating 46 full-time positions.

“I’d like to welcome Rip Technologies to Montgomery County and the commonwealth, as well as the 46 quality jobs the company will create with this investment,” said Gov. Beshear. “This is the latest company to recognize the value of locating in Kentucky and the many strengths our state offers to ensure their business thrives. Rip Technologies will be a great addition to our manufacturing sector, which continues to diversify and grow.”

Rip Technologies, which currently operates in Miami, Florida, will relocate operations from Florida to Kentucky to further expand its manufacturing and e-commerce endeavors by acquiring additional space that is strategically located closer to the company’s customer base.

“We are incredibly enthusiastic about the opportunities Central Kentucky offers our business,” said Rip Technologies Co-CEO Ophir Rahimi. “We firmly believe that Kentucky’s growing industrial landscape will evolve into a thriving manufacturing epicenter, further fueled by the ongoing trend of onshoring. With exceptional governance and a talented workforce, Kentucky stands out as an exceptional choice for business.”

Rip Technologies is a company that owns several Amazon-focused e-commerce brands, including Haus and Hues, The Carefree Bee and Daylight, which were established by brothers Ophir and Uri Rahimi. In 2018, the company introduced its flagship brand, Haus and Hues, specializing in printing, manufacturing and selling a multitude of art pieces and picture frames. Today, Rip Technologies is a 40-person e-commerce company, headquartered in Miami, Florida. The company has experienced strong growth in recent years and is launching a print-on-demand service called Artelo. They’ve hired a new CTO, Jake Leventhal, to lead this project. Artelo will service American-based artists with a suite of wall art drop shipping services slated to launch in 2024.

Mt. Sterling Mayor Al Botts highlighted the jobs that the project is creating: “Rip Technologies is a thriving company with a good track record of providing quality jobs and opportunities for their workforce. We are proud to hear that they have chosen our community to make this significant investment. Rip Technologies offers good-paying jobs with benefits, and the addition of 46 full-time jobs will provide a lot of great opportunities for our labor force. We are incredibly pleased to see a company that wishes to grow with us, and we are excited to see them do so.”

Mt. Sterling/Montgomery County Industrial Authority Executive Director Jason Rainey shared his excitement for the new company moving to Mt. Sterling: “We are grateful that Mr. Ophir Rahimi and his team with Rip Technologies chose Mt. Sterling as the community to locate this new operation. This is a great addition to our thriving manufacturing space and diverse industry clusters. We highly appreciate the opportunity.”

Rip Technologies’ investment and job creation build on the best four-year period for economic growth in state history.

Since the beginning of his administration, Gov. Beshear has announced more than 1,000 private-sector new-location and expansion projects totaling over $30.6 billion in announced investments, creating more than 52,700 jobs. This is the highest investment figure secured during the tenure of any governor in the commonwealth’s history.

The robust job creation has been accompanied by rising wages across the commonwealth. The average incentivized hourly wage in 2022 and 2023 topped $26 in consecutive years for the first time.

Gov. Beshear has announced some of the largest economic development projects in state history, which have solidified Kentucky as the electric vehicle battery production capital of the United States: Ford Motor Co. and SK On’s transformative $5.8 billion, 5,000-job BlueOval SK Battery Park in Hardin County; AESC’s $2 billion, 2,000-job gigafactory project in Warren County; Toyota’s $1.3 billion investment in Scott County; and INFAC North America’s $53 million investment in Taylor County, among others.

The Governor’s administration also secured the largest General Fund budget surplus and Rainy Day Fund, as well as the most jobs filled in state history. Last year, Kentucky set the record for the longest period with the lowest unemployment rates in state history.

Kentucky also secured rating increases from major credit rating agencies Fitch Ratings and S&P Global Ratings, and Moody’s Investors Service upgraded Kentucky’s credit outlook from stable to positive.

In March, Site Selection magazine ranked Kentucky third nationally and first in the South Central economic development projects per capita in its 2023 Governor’s Cup rankings. In April, Site Selection placed Kentucky second in the South Central region and top 10 nationally in its 2024 Prosperity Cup ranking, which recognizes state-level economic development agencies for their success in landing capital investment projects.

Gov. Beshear announced a “Supply Kentucky” initiative with the goal of boosting job growth, reducing costs and providing more security in the supply chains of our Kentucky companies.  

To encourage investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) in March preliminarily approved a 15-year incentive agreement with the company under the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based agreement can provide up to $650,000 in tax incentives based on the company’s investment of $4.3 million and annual targets of:

  • Creation and maintenance of 46 Kentucky-resident, full-time jobs across 15 years; and
  • Paying an average hourly wage of $26, including benefits, across those jobs.

By meeting its annual targets over the agreement term, the company can be eligible to keep a portion of the new tax revenue it generates. The company may claim eligible incentives against its income tax liability and/or wage assessments.

In addition, Rip Technologies can receive resources from Kentucky’s workforce service providers. Those include no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost customized training and job-training incentives.

For more information on Rip Technologies, visit RipTechnologies.com.

A detailed community profile for Montgomery County can be viewed here.

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Advocates see missed opportunities as Virginia lags its neighbors in clean energy manufacturing

Posted on by Michael Randle

When the nonprofit Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) began tracking where financial incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act were spurring clean energy manufacturing growth and jobs nationwide, Zach Amittay figured Virginia would snag the top slot in the Southeast.

So he was startled that the state has consistently lagged behind South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia since E2 began its research after the IRA became law in August 2022.

“Overall, Virginia pales in comparison to its neighbors, especially those farther South,” said Amittay, Southeast advocate for E2. “And that’s kind of an irony considering how Virginia’s framework for clean energy policies is driving demand for solar, electric vehicles, battery storage and offshore wind.”

Through April, companies have announced at least 305 major clean energy projects in 40 states and Puerto Rico, according to data E2 has gathered. Those projects are tied to 105,400-plus jobs and more than $123 billion in capital investments.

Of those 305 projects, just four — two connected to offshore wind, one to hydrogen and one to modernizing the electrical grid — have Virginia connections. 

Meanwhile, Georgia has lured 27 projects, South Carolina, 24, and North Carolina, 19. 

Energy News Network

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