An electric vehicle manufacturer to open facility in South Carolina, plans to bring in 180 jobs

Posted on by Michael Randle

A company that makes various types of electric vehicles will establish a manufacturing facility in Aiken County. Columbia Vehicle Group plans to make a $12 million investment and bring in 180 jobs with the upcoming facility, according to a news release from S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster’s office.

The company will purchase a 155,000-square-foot facility at 2063 University Parkway in Aiken and will upfit the building for its needs. Columbia Vehicles is relocating manufacturing operations from Florida and Wisconsin to Aiken “for closer proximity to customers and its supply chain,” the release said.

“We’ve been investing in great communities since 1947 with Aiken being a superb fit to our continued global expansion of the Tomberlin and Columbia brands,” Columbia Vehicles CEO Michael Tomberlin said in a statement. The company manufactures a host of products including golf carts, utility vehicles, maintenance vehicles and e-bikes. Operations are expected to be phased in during the next 18 months in Aiken.

The State

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Is Tennessee small business friendly? These are the best and worst cities to start one, Forbes Advisor says

Posted on by Michael Randle

Thinking of starting a small business in Tennessee? Forbes Advisor says you may want to think twice depending on where you live.

Forbes Advisor recently released an analysis of “The Most and Least Risky Cities for Small Businesses.” In this study, they looked at factors like the local growth development rate, commercial property prices, property crime rates, natural disasters, cyber crimes and more to determine which cities had the most or least risk factors involved.

Here is what the list had to say about cities in Tennessee and across the country.

The Tennessean

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Nucor Steel Berkeley County, S.C. breaks ground on $425 million expansion project

Posted on by Michael Randle

Nucor Steel Berkeley broke ground on the construction of a new galvanizing line on Thursday, May 2.

The $425 million investment will create more than 50 new full-time jobs, according to a news release. The new galvanizing line is expected to start up in mid-2025.

Adding a new galvanizing line at the South Carolina sheet steel mill supports Nucor’s strategy to expand the company’s capabilities and grow its participation in the automotive and consumer durables markets, the release stated. The mill in Berkeley County produces flat-rolled steel which has hundreds of everyday uses, including parts for cars, water heaters, lawnmowers, appliances and more.

Nucor Steel Berkeley also produces steel beams that are used as support structures in bridges and buildings.

“This capability broadens the mix of higher margin value-added products that Nucor can provide to our customers,” Rex Query, Nucor’s executive vice president of sheet products, said during a groundbreaking ceremony. “It also allows us to take advantage of the need our customers have for sustainable steel — sustainable steel being something that Nucor excels at producing.”

Charleston Business Journal

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Why these Nashville hotels are ranked among the best and most luxurious in the U.S.

Posted on by Michael Randle

Travelers looking to spend some time in the country music capital of the world have an abundance of options when it comes to choosing accommodations. From historic hotels to themed Airbnb’s, the choices on where to stay in Nashville are abundant.

But among the vast sea of hotels in Music City, three stand out among the rest. The Joseph, a Luxury Collection Hotel, 1 Hotel Nashville and JW Marriott Nashville have just been named as the “Best of The Best Hotels” in the United States by Tripadvisor, as part of their Travelers’ Choice Awards 2024.

Tripadvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards highlight travelers’ favorite destinations, hotels, restaurants, things to do, and more across the globe. Winners are chosen based on reviews and opinions left by Tripadvisor travelers over a 12-month period.

The Joseph, a Luxury Collection Hotel was named among one of the “Best of The Best Hotels” while 1 Hotel Nashville and JW Marriott Nashville were named among the “Most Luxurious.”

The Tennessean

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CEO Barry Harrison featured in Arkansas Business on the economic impact of the Arkansas Aeroplex

Posted on by Michael Randle

What is your ultimate vision for the Aeroplex?

The Arkansas Aeroplex has been an economic driver for Mississippi County for nearly 40 years. We have a unique blend of resources that allow for continued growth as a large transportation and distribution center, including an 11,600-foot runway, proximity to Interstate 55 and thousands of available acres in the middle of the United States. Combine those assets with limited traffic in our airspace, and we have ongoing interest from multiple e-commerce and distribution companies. We host military aircraft for training exercises and refueling stops, allowing us to stay top-of-mind should our facility be needed for longer-term national defense operations.

How has the Aeroplex helped the region’s economic development?

The authority was formed in 1987 and has since been responsible for the management and redevelopment of the former Eaker Air Force Base. Today, 40 businesses and nearly 250 workers operate here, with services ranging well beyond the expected aerospace and defense operations. We are also home to a 300-acre youth sports complex, Thunder Bayou Golf Links and Westminster Village, a retirement community on the National Register of Historic Places. The Arkansas Aeronautics Commission reported that the Arkansas Aeroplex is responsible for $16.3 million in economic impact to the state, compared with $5.7 million for average general aviation airports.

Is the Aeroplex seeing any momentum around the steel boom in northeast Arkansas?

We are a landing site of choice for company-owned aircraft, steel customers and steel industry suppliers. Time is money, and as a landing site in Mississippi County rather than Memphis, we are saving our customers countless hours. We have been able to grow the steel industry and Aeroplex in tandem, and as you often see in other regions, success in one industry is a catalyst for others.

What do people need to know about the site’s history?

The former Eaker Air Force Base has served our country and region since opening in 1942 as a training center for pilots. It closed in 1945 and was reactivated in 1951. Since the last aircraft assigned to Eaker left in March of 1992, Mississippi County has been an alternate landing site for NASA space shuttles and Air Force One and Air Force Two, as well as FedEx aircraft. It’s still used as a training and testing site for the military and aircraft manufacturers.

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Unions Take Aim at South After UAW Win

Posted on by Michael Randle

The United Auto Workers’ first-ever victory at a foreign automaker in the South marks a momentous gain for unions in a region that traditionally has been hostile to organized labor and is now in the midst of a manufacturing boom.

The win, in the face of stiff opposition from six Southern governors who said unionization would imperil jobs and future investments, is expected to trigger fiercer battles between organizers and elected officials and others resistant to their campaigns.

“The business community in right-to-work Southern states has largely been immune to sustained, well-funded organizing drives,” said Michael Lotito, co-chair of the Workplace Policy Institute at Littler, a law firm that advises employers on labor issues. “It seems those days may be coming to an end.” 

The UAW succeeded Friday in organizing about 4,300 workers at a Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., winning 73% of workers who cast ballots. Union officials said the win showed the UAW’s stronger position after securing pay raises in last year’s strike at the Big Three automakers, as well as greater receptivity to unions, especially among younger workers. 

The Wall Street Journal

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Linda McMahon set to be first CEO of Dallas Economic Development Corp.

Posted on by Michael Randle

Linda McMahon, longtime leader of The Real Estate Council in Dallas, is set to become the first CEO of the newly created Dallas Economic Development Corp.

The Dallas EDC announced May 3 that McMahon is the sole finalist for the leadership role and could begin the position in July. The board is scheduled to vote on her appointment on May 7.

McMahon would take over an organization aimed at supporting local businesses, promoting sustainable economic development and enhancing infrastructure in the heart of Texas’ largest metro area. The Dallas EDC is an independent nonprofit focused on strengthening and expanding the city’s economic growth by attracting business investments, supporting job creation and marketing the city’s competitive advantages.

Dallas Business Journal

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Hyundai’s Metaplant is in Georgia. Here’s why it’s buying Texas solar

Posted on by Michael Randle

When Hyundai Motor Group announced two years ago it would build a massive new electric vehicle “Metaplant” near the Georgia coast, the company committed to operate using 100% renewable energy from the start of mass production, expected later this year.

On Earth Day this year, Hyundai and key suppliers announced a huge power purchasing agreement, saying it would buy enough solar power to “support sustainable manufacturing” at the Metaplant and other U.S. factories.

But aside for a few solar panels on its Bryan County carpark, none of that renewable energy is being produced — or used — in Georgia.

Instead, Hyundai has a “virtual” power purchase agreement to buy 70% of the output from a new solar array in Bell County, Texas, and resell it on the local Texas market for points known as “renewable energy credits.” The company uses these credits to lower its calculated emissions.

Meanwhile, the Bryan County Metaplant will continue buying electricity from Georgia Power, which counts renewables as only about 7% of its energy mix. Recently, the utility won state regulators’ approval to build more fossil fuel-powered generators along with extra battery capacity to store electricity.

Atlanta Journal Constitution

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Atlanta EV company EnviroSpark raises millions from investment firm

Posted on by Michael Randle

EnviroSpark, an Atlanta-based electric vehicle charging company, announced on Thursday it received a $50 million investment from Basalt Infrastructure Partners.

The investment comes at a time when electric vehicle companies have faced challenges and venture capital deals remain low. Tesla has cut its EV charging business, done layoffs and reduced car prices.

Rivian Automotive Inc. has done two rounds of layoffs this year, lowered the starting price of its R2 model and delayed construction of its second manufacturing plant in Georgia.

Atlanta Business Chronicle

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Massive $3 billion Apex, N.C. development moves closer to breaking ground (renderings)

Posted on by Michael Randle

A massive master-planned community in Apex is getting ready to break ground.

RXR, the New York developers behind Veridea, a $3 billion mixed-use development, will start site and infrastructure work this fall with plans to go vertical with the first buildings in early 2025. But plans for phase one have changed slightly as the developer adjusts to the shifting commercial real estate market.

Rebecca D’Eloia, executive vice president and development project executive for RXR, said the first buildings to go up will be the multifamily with ground-floor retail. Following that will be the industrial space of which there will be 213,000 square feet in the first phase.

The Veridea development will be a multi-year, multi-phase project that will cover 1,200 acres along N.C. Highway 55. When complete, it will have 8,000 residential units; 3.5 million square feet of retail, hospitality and civic space; 12 million square feet of commercial space that includes life sciences and industrial; and public open space and walking trails.

Triangle Business Journal

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