Glovis America will establish a new inland distribution center for imported vehicles at the former General Motors plant in Shreveport, LA. The company will make a $1 million capital investment and create 150 new direct jobs, with an average salary of $31,760, plus benefits.
The company highlighted the ability to expand on-site as a key factor in selecting Shreveport, with additional phases planned for the future.
“We are very excited to be opening a state-of-the-art vehicle logistics and processing center in Shreveport, Louisiana,” said President Glenn Clift of Glovis America. “Shreveport has been chosen after a long search and due diligence process to replace Glovis’ long-term facility in Texas. A combination of existing infrastructure, strong labor force and competitive inbound-outbound rail and outbound trucking costs allowed Shreveport to beat the competition. We anticipate this facility will have a rapid ramp-up over the next few months and will handle over 75,000 new vehicles annually.”
The investment is the latest at the former GM plant in Shreveport, which the State of Louisiana and the North Louisiana Economic Partnership, or NLEP, have marketed extensively since GM’s departure in 2012.
“Glovis America’s announcement today signifies a new chapter in revitalizing the former GM plant and returning great jobs to Shreveport and the surrounding region,” said Gov. John Bel Edwards. “We congratulate Glovis on this exciting announcement. Upon the launch of operations, I know Glovis will find an abundance of highly skilled talent and an unrivaled infrastructure to receive and ship vehicles. We also want to thank our partners at the North Louisiana Economic Partnership for their role in attracting this project win to our state.”
Glovis America is a third-party, finished-vehicle logistics company for Kia Motor America and Hyundai Motor America, and a subsidiary of Hyundai GLOVIS Co., part of the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group. The new center will operate in a 125,000-square-foot facility and more than 90 adjoining acres at the former GM site in Shreveport, where Industrial Realty Group (IRG) is actively recruiting tenants for Caddo Parish’s Industrial Development Board, the site owner. Employees will outfit imported vehicles with equipment and exterior upgrades, as requested by local dealers. The first vehicles, built at Kia’s factory in Monterrey, Mexico, have already arrived in Shreveport by rail, with future shipments to arrive from South Korea and potentially from sites in the U.S.
“This is a great win for the region. North Louisiana’s logistical and transportation infrastructure is a major competitive advantage for our communities,” said NLEP President Scott Martinez. “NLEP and state and local partners will continue working with Glovis America for future growth in Caddo Parish.”
LED began discussing the project with the company, NLEP and IRG in April 2016. In addition to site selection assistance, Louisiana is offering use of its Enterprise Zone Program to Glovis.
“It is such a thrill to see vehicles moving in and out of this plant again,” said Shreveport Mayor Ollie Tyler. “This site, the former General Motors plant, will now return to the symbol of economic prosperity that it once held in our community.”
“The relocation of Glovis America to Caddo Parish is truly a win for our residents and this area,” said President Matthew Linn of the Caddo Parish Commission. “We look forward to the jobs that will be created and the economic development that will be spurred by this partnership.”
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