”The Fiat Chrysler expansion should erase any doubt that Michigan remains the undisputed automotive champ of North America,” said BF Editor in Chief Jack Rogers. “Motown is putting the pedal to the metal on its impressive economic resurgence.”
BF’s Silver Award goes to Jackson County (GA) Area Chamber of Commerce for South Korea-based SK Group’s $1.67-billion SK Innovation lithium battery plant in Commerce, GA, a project that will create 7,403 direct new jobs over the next five years.
“Jackson County hit the trifecta with this project: a crown jewel for a high tech growth sector, a major FDI success and an anchor for regional development for years to come,” Rogers said.
City of Dallas Economic Development snared BF’s Bronze Award for Uber Technologies’ U.S. Administrative Hub, which is bringing 3,000 new jobs to the Texas city.
“Anyone who thinks Dallas is all hat and no cattle better take another look,” Rogers said. “Dallas is one of the nation’s fastest-growing data center hubs, and now it will be home to a coveted administrative HQ for an emerging tech giant.”
In one of its most competitive Deal of the Year contests to date, BF also awarded Honorable Mention Awards to:
- Virginia Economic Development Partnership for Morgan Olson LLC’s van assembly plant in Danville-Pittsylvania County, creating more than 700 direct new jobs.
- Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. for the Komatsu Mining Corp. HQ Campus, which will bring 1,100 new employees to Milwaukee in an HQ built on a former Solvay chemical facility, a Superfund site that has been dormant since the 1980s. The project features civic improvements including a public park and Riverwalk.
- Corpus Christi (TX) Regional EDC for Steel Dynamics $1.8-billion steel mill in the Coastal Bend Region.
- Greater Sacramento Economic Council for the Centene West Corporate Campus in Sacramento, creating more than 4,000 new jobs to the region.
- City of Henderson (NV) for Haas Automation’s CNC machine tool plant, which will create 2,500 direct new jobs and have an estimated economic impact of more than $4 billion on the region over the next 10 years.
- City of Charlotte (NC) and Mecklenburg County for Lowe’s Global Tech Hub, which is creating 1,612 direct new jobs with $100 million in new wages over the next 15 years.
- Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development for VW’s first U.S. electric vehicle production facility in Chattanooga, an $800-million investment that will bring 1,000 new jobs to VW’s auto assembly complex in Hamilton County, TN
- Empire State Development for Cree Inc.’s new silicon chip fab in Marcy, NY, a $1.96-billion project that will create 614 new high-tech jobs.
- State of Missouri for the retention of Bayer’s agtech business, which saved 4,400 jobs in St. Louis and added 500 more (at an average salary of $110k).
BF’s 2019 Deal of the Year judges were Howard Silverman, President and CEO, The CAI Global Group; Philip Anderson, President and CEO, P.W. Anderson & Partners; David Hickey, Managing Director, Hickey & Associates; Allea Newbold, Principal, Ryan LLC; Angelos Angelou, President of Angelou Economics; and Chief of Scouts Al Jones.
Business Facilities is a national publication that has been the leading location source for corporate site selectors and economic development professionals for more than 50 years.
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