Above: Inspecting a Rivian R1T door panel prior to final assembly on the trim line. Photo courtesy of Rivian.
U.S. manufacturers are closing out the year strong, with a number of new and expanded facilities announced this month. The EV market continues to heat up, with three major multi-billion enterprises unveiled in December, while new operations in furniture, building products, plastics and more were announced.
Let’s explore some of the most exciting announcements made this month in manufacturing.
The state of Georgia received some welcome news this month with electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian’s big announcement of its plans to establish a major adventure vehicle manufacturing operation outside of Atlanta. Representing an investment of $5 billion, the new facility will employ 7,500 and occupy just under 2,000 acres in the East Atlanta Megasite. Once operational, the facility will churn out up to 400,000 vehicles per year.
“We’re happy to partner with Georgia on our next manufacturing site, which will allow us to meet demand for Rivian products and to scale our business rapidly," said Rivian Chief People Officer Helen Russell
Meanwhile, Toyota announced it has chosen North Carolina for a major battery manufacturing operation. The facility represents Toyota’s first foray into automotive battery manufacturing as the company shifts its focus to the EV market. Located at the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite, the new plant, termed Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina, represents an investment of $1.2 billion and will produce lithium-ion batteries for up to 1.2 million vehicles per year once fully operational in 2025.
“The future of mobility is electrification and the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite is the ideal location to make that future a reality,” said Ted Ogawa, CEO of Toyota Motor North America in a press statement. “North Carolina offers the right conditions for this investment, including the infrastructure, high-quality education system, access to a diverse and skilled workforce, and a welcoming environment for doing business.”
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And in other EV battery news, Proterra, Inc. provider of vehicle electrification technology, unveiled plans this month to establish a new EV battery systems manufacturing facility in South Carolina. The new plant will produce battery systems for commercial electric vehicles, including delivery and work trucks, buses, industrial equipment and more. Representing an investment of $76 million, Proterra’s new enterprise will create 200 jobs in the city of Greer once launched in 2022.
“Electric vehicle technology is an opportunity to create clean energy jobs, strengthen American manufacturing, and advance the U.S.’s climate leadership on a global scale. Through opening our new battery system production plant, Proterra is proud to help realize these important goals while driving the transition to clean, quiet transportation with our EV technology,” said Gareth Joyce, President of Proterra.
Meanwhile, Ashley Furniture continues to expand in the U.S., this month announcing a new upholstery facility in Tolleson, Arizona. The new 225,000 square-foot plant adds to the company’s 13 existing facilities across the U.S. and will bring 200 new jobs to the area.
Nashville-based LP Building Solutions this month announced plans to establish a new building products facility in New York. The new plant will be located in the town of Bath and will produce its popular ExpertFinish prefinished siding product, which has seen rapid growth since launching in 2020.
Said LP Executive Vice President, Siding Neil Sherman. "To support strong customer demand, LP is aggressively pursuing prefinishing capacity expansion plans both within our existing facilities as well through this greenfield facility in Steuben County, New York."
The new plant is expected to open in the third quarter of 2023 and is expected to add more than 60 jobs once fully operational.
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Israel-based plastics manufacturer Starplast announced plans to establish a $17.7 million manufacturing facility in Chesterfield, Virginia. Starplast USA, founded in 2005, manufacturers a wide rage of items such as plastic housewares and toys. The new Virginia site is expected to create 300 jobs over five years.
Virginia successfully competed with Ohio and Pennsylvania for the new project.
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“Starplast chose Chesterfield County for its new manufacturing operation because the geographic location is very attractive, especially given its proximity to the East Coast and the Port of Virginia,” said Starplast Chief Executive Officer Danny Schwartz. “Additionally, Virginia – and in particular the Richmond area – has a strong workforce with readily-available talent.”
In California, FormFactor, Inc., a provider of semiconductor test and measurements, announced it has opened a new facility, expanding its existing footprint in the town of Livermore. The new 90,000-square foot plant will help the company ramp up production of equipment for testing semiconductor chips and advanced packaging.
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Heading over to Wyoming, sporting goods manufacturer Eagle Claw Fishing Tackle announced plans to establish a new manufacturing plant in Cheyenne. Eagle Claw plans to establish a state-of-the-art facility on 60 acres, allowing the company to re-shore some operations from overseas.
Meanwhile, several existing operations announced expansions this month. These included:
• General Mills announced a $65 million expansion of its Murfreesboro, TN facility.
• Egger Wood Products unveiled plans to expand its Lexington, NC particleboard and thermal-fused laminate plant.
• BorgWarner Thermal Products announced plans to expand assembly at its Cadillac, Michigan facility.
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