Alabama
Space Force general picked to lead Huntsville, Ala.’s new U.S. Space Command
Space Force Lt. Gen. David Miller has been nominated to replace retiring Gen. Stephen Whiting as the head for the U.S. Space Command. Miller will oversee the command as it is in transition from its current home in Colorado Springs to Huntsville’s Redstone Arsenal. He will also be directly responsible to the Secretary of the Air Force and the Chief of Space Operations for the strategies and concepts, requirements, and budget of the United States Space Force. About half of 1,800 workers set for the new Space Command will be on site in Huntsville by 2028. Space Command is expected to break ground on the purpose-built command and control center on a 64-acre site in the arsenal in 2027. It is currently working out of four buildings on the arsenal in addition to multiple buildings in Colorado Springs.
PPG to expand its aerospace coatings division in Huntsville, Ala.
PPG is growing its coatings and specialty materials plant in Huntsville by expanding cockpit and passenger window manufacturing for military, general aviation and commercial airliner usage. The plant has been operating in Huntsville for over 50 years. The investment in the newly leased 112,000-square-foot plant is set at $70 million.
Georgia
Hyundai investing $560 million to add third plant in Georgia
Hyundai Transys is spending about $560 million to expand its West Point, Ga. manufacturing capacity. The deal, announced in October, will create 320 new jobs.
Plans include building a third manufacturing plant at Kia’s massive facilities in West Point, Ga., located on the Alabama-Georgia border. Hyundai is Kia’s parent company (both South Korean-based) as it owns over 35 percent of Kia.
The expansion is designed to increase production capacity for electrified powertrains used in hybrid vehicles made by both Kia and Hyundai at their plants near Savannah, (2,000 jobs currently with plans for 8,000 at build out); LaGrange, Ga. (3,000 employees); and in Montgomery, Ala. (4,200 employees).
Duracell opens new $56 million Global Innovation Center and Georgia Tech gets another win in Atlanta
Duracell has opened its new Science Square Labs in Atlanta, located adjacent to Georgia Institute of Technology. The new project is functioning as the company’s R&D headquarters. The project unites scientists, engineers and cross-functional teams to advance battery innovations. Duracell has a manufacturing plant in LaGrange, Ga. And its distribution center for the Southeast is in Fairburn, Ga. The $56 million deal will create 120 jobs.
Milwaukee manufacturer to build new metals plant near Augusta, Ga.
Mayville Engineering Company announced in the fall it plans to invest $26 million to open a new metal fabrication plant near Thomson, Ga. The company’s products are used in automotive, power generation and in data center buildouts. The deal will create 140 jobs, according to a company spokesperson.
North Carolina
Charlotte to be winner in American Airlines hiring 2,000
American Airlines is hiring 2,000 flight attendants next year and most of those will be based on Charlotte. Charlotte is already home to over 3,000 local flight attendants. American operates U.S. hubs in Charlotte, Dallas-Fort Worth, Miami and Chicago.
Chinese automotive parts manufacturer brings first U.S. plant to Charlotte area
Xingyu Automotive Lighting is locating its first Southern Automotive Corridor plant in Rowan County, which is located in the Charlotte metro. The company plans invest $50 million in the first phase and hiring at least 300 workers in the deal.
Daimler Truck opens Charlotte HQ
In the fall quarter, Daimler Truck Financial Services opened its $8 million headquarters operations in Charlotte. The truck maker is consolidating its Detroit and Fort Worth, Texas operations to the Queen City and hiring 350 in the deal.
Texas
Solar parts maker hiring near Austin at new facility
Protect PV, a Delaware-based maker of solar industry parts, has leased an 82,000-square-foot building in Georgetown, Texas. The company makes encapsulants that are used to protect solar panels. The deal starts off with 200 jobs generated.
Blue Origin finally announces massive Hutto, Texas deal
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space launch firm announced what many have been expecting; a massive investment and job generating deal in Hutto, Texas, an Austin suburb.
The new manufacturing complex for the aerospace and defense company will produce satellites and ground equipment for TeraWave, Blue Origin’s satellite communications network.
It is Blue Origin’s first plant in Texas and the Austin area, where competitor and collaborator Elon Musk’s SpaceX has invested billions. The $550 million deal ($100 million less than the amount filed with Williamson County officials in August) in a new 1.3 million-square-foot, multi-building complex that is expected to create over 2,000 jobs.
Doodle Labs (great name!) moving HQ from Los Angeles to Austin
Doodle Labs, a company that designs and builds long-range connectivity equipment for unmanned drone systems, is leaving Los Angeles and relocating its headquarters to Austin. It is one of the latest defense/data center/space companies to locate in the Texas capital. Doodle is also headquartered in Singapore.
Doodle adds to a growing cluster of defense tech firms in the Austin area, such as Allen Control Systems, a drone-hunting startup, Aeon Industrial, a massive, new Blue Origin project and Firefly Aerospace. Doodle said head count at its new Austin digs will grow five times compared to its former headquarters and manufacturing plant in LA.
Another California tech company relocates to Texas
Solidion Technology, a manufacturer of advanced battery technology, has relocated its headquarters to Dallas from California. The project will result in about 80 jobs. The company also acquired California-based Flux Power and will consolidate the two companies in Dallas. Flux makes lithium ion batteries for heavy machinery and robotics.
Tech firm plans 300 jobs in North Texas
New York tech firm Kyndryl Holdings will operate a new A.I. innovation lab in Frisco, Texas that will generate 300 new jobs. The company is investing $40 million in the deal.
McKinney becomes third commercial airport in North Texas
The McKinney, Texas National Airport is about to begin commercial airline service, joining Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Dallas Love Field (DAL) providing service in North Texas. Avelo Airlines will start serving the airport with a small fleet of two 737-800 aircraft. Initial flights from McKinney in Avelo’s network include Las Vegas, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando and Tampa.
