Reno, NV -- The Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN) announced that Mary’s Gone Crackers®, a manufacturer of organic and gluten-free healthy snacks will be opening a manufacturing and R&D facility in Reno, Nevada. The company headquarters will also be relocated to this site with plans to be operational by this fall. Mary’s Gone Crackers intends to hire over 200 employees by the end of 2017. They were awarded business incentives in March 2016.

Mary’s Gone Crackers was founded in 2004 and today is the #1 selling organic and gluten free cracker brand in the United States with exports to Canada, Mexico, UK, EU and Australia. Their products are available nationally at natural, specialty and mainstream grocery and club stores. The company was founded and inspired by a shortage of nutritious, gluten free options that taste good. They have become popular not only with those affected by celiac disease but also with consumers eager for delicious snacks that they can feel good about eating.  The company received the Sofi Gold award for the most outstanding cracker at the New York Fancy Food Show.

Suffolf, VA -- Panattoni Development Company, one of the largest privately held full-service real estate development companies in the world, announced plans to develop its first industrial project in Virginia, at Virginia Regional Commerce Park in Suffolk. The 300,000 SF Class A industrial building will begin construction later this summer and is anticipated to be ready for tenant occupancy in spring 2017.

The new project will be the first speculative industrial development in Hampton Roads since 2007, and the second building at Virginia Regional Commerce Park. Virginia Regional Commerce Park is strategically located at the major cross roads of Route 460 and Route 58, approximately 20 miles from Port of Virginia facilities and 45 miles from Interstate 95. The new building will be divisible for industrial tenants and will feature 32’ ceiling heights, 50’ X 50’ column spacing and an ESFR sprinkler system with ample trailer storage.

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf announced that Amazon will expand its presence in Pennsylvania and has committed to the creation of at least 5,000 new, full-time jobs statewide.

“Pennsylvania’s strategic location, as well as its skilled workforce, continue to be extremely valued assets to companies large and small,” Governor Wolf said. “Amazon, a worldwide logistics leader, has chosen Pennsylvania to further support its ‘Prime’ initiative creating 5,000 new jobs across the state.”

Amazon will expand its fulfillment and distribution operations in Pennsylvania at multiple new sites throughout the commonwealth, marking the first with a recent lease agreement in Palmer Township, Northampton County.

The world’s largest online marketplace to buy and sell women’s and kids’ secondhand clothing grows operations with Grand Opening of Fourth Distribution Center in Duluth, Georgia

Duluth, GA -- thredup.com, the leading online marketplace to buy and sell secondhand women’s and kids’ clothing, celebrated the Grand Opening of its new distribution center 2670 Breckinridge Blvd. in Duluth, Georgia with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce and attended by state and local officials. Speakers at the event included thredUP COO, John Voris and SVP, Gwinnett Chamber Economic Development, Nick Masino.

“thredUP’s decision to grow its business here in Georgia is a direct reflection of our first-rate workforce and the ease of access we provide to the company’s online customer base.”

“Being number one in new commercial investment is always an achievement. But being number one in back-to-back years is proof that Loudoun County has become a premier business location in the Commonwealth of Virginia,” says Buddy Rizer, Loudoun Economic Development’s executive director. SmartAsset, a New York-based financial technology company, has ranked Loudoun County #1 in investment in Virginia for the second year in a row.

The annual study ranked counties in four areas: (1) the growth in the number of businesses established in the county over a three-year time frame; (2) GDP growth in the local economy; (3) the number of new building permits per 1,000 homes, and (4) the total municipal bond debt raised by the county over the past five years, divided by the number of residents.

Last week, Port of South Louisiana Executive Director Paul G. Aucoin along with Commission President D. Paul Robichaux, Commission Treasurer P. Joey Murray, III, and Commission Secretary Stanley Bazile returned from a 94-member trade mission to Cuba led by Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture, Mike Strain. The trade mission delegation was comprised of representatives from Louisiana export facilities, rice growers, shipping businesses, and bankers, plus members of the State of Louisiana Legislature and Louisiana Economic Development.

During the week-long visit, trade mission delegates toured the new Port of Mariel, located on the western part of Cuba. This state-of-the art container port began operations a year-and-a-half ago and it is equipped with top-of-the line computers, equipment, and technology. Port of Mariel officials offered their expertise and assistance to the Port of South Louisiana when it moves forward with establishing a container facility within its jurisdiction. They also met with Cuban government and trade officials in an effort to find opportunities to export agricultural products and other commodities to the island nation, which presently imports from the Far East. ​

Port of Savannah tops 3.6M TEUs for second year

Savannah, GA -- At its July board meeting, the Georgia Ports Authority approved a spending package of $19.7 million to construct the Appalachian Regional Port in Chatsworth, Murray County, Georgia.
 
The funds consist of $10 million from the state of Georgia and $9.7 million from the GPA. In addition, CSX is making off-site improvements to facilitate the new inland port. Murray County purchased the land at a cost of $700,000 and deeded the site to GPA. For the land purchase, $500,000 came from a state economic development grant and $200,000 from the Murray County Economic Development Authority.
 
"We would like to thank our Board of Directors, Governor Deal, the state of Georgia, Murray County and CSX Transportation for making this incredible partnership possible," said Executive Director Griff Lynch. "The Appalachian Regional Port (ARP) will create a new gateway to the Port of Savannah for our customers serving Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and beyond.

Port of South Louisiana -- On Monday, July 18th, the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) announced the recipients of the 2016 AAPA Communication Awards Program. The Port of South Louisiana (PSL) received two Awards of Merit from the organization: one for the quarterly PortLog journal and the other for website re-design.

After much encouragement and deep consideration, the Port of South Louisiana contracted Renaissance Publishing Company to implement quarterly editions of its PortLog, which is distributed to over 3,000 companies around the U.S. In the past, the Port of South Louisiana seemed to have a lack of name recognition even though it is the largest tonnage port in the Western Hemisphere. 

Company investing $32 million to establish operations in Holly Hill, S.C.

Columbia, SC --  Carolina Chips, Inc., a subsidiary of The Price Companies, Inc., is establishing new operations in Orangeburg County. A leader in wood processing, the company is investing more than $32 million in the facility, creating 15 new jobs. The operation will produce wood chips and processed bark for the KapStone paper mill in North Charleston, S.C.

Based in Monticello, Arkansas, The Price Companies, Inc. has more than 50 years of forestry-related operations experience. The company currently operates 25 wood processing operations across 11 states that provide a variety of services, including chipping, wood storage and trucking.

225 employees to be located in new corporate headquarters by end of 2016

Trenton, NJ -- World Business Lenders (WBL), a provider of short-term business loans, celebrated the new location of its corporate headquarters in Jersey City with a ribbon cutting ceremony.  The company’s new 35,040-square-foot offices at 101 Hudson Street will be home to 225 employees by the end of the year.

WBL’s decision to locate in New Jersey was supported by a Grow New Jersey (Grow NJ) award approved by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) in February. Grow NJ tax credits of up to $16.8 million over ten years encouraged the company to choose to locate in Jersey City rather than a competing location in Queens, New York. The project is expected to have a net benefit to the State of more than $85 million over 20 years.

Trenton, NJ -- Stressing the importance of keeping critical infrastructures operational during natural disasters, the Board of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) today awarded preliminary approval for the funding of two projects under the Energy Resilience Bank (ERB). One project is a combined heat and power (CHP) system at Cooper University Hospital (CUH) and the other is a resiliency project at the Bergen County Utilities Authority (BCUA), which provides wastewater treatment and solid waste management for more than 500,000 people.
 
Created by the Christie Administration in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, the ERB is the first public infrastructure bank in the nation to focus on energy resilience. Administered by the EDA, the ERB is utilizing $200 million from New Jersey’s second Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) allocation to support the development of distributed energy resources (DER) at critical facilities throughout the state that will enable them to remain operational during future outages.

Lubbock, TX -- The Lubbock Economic Development Alliance (LEDA) and Market Lubbock, Inc. announced the creation of 580 new jobs and a $9.92 million capital investment at a press conference Wednesday afternoon. The additional jobs come as a result of the expansion of one local business and the expansion of another new business to the Lubbock community.
 
Severn Peanut Company, a division of Meherrin Agriculture, is expanding its operations by opening a new food processing facility in Lubbock, which is scheduled to open at the end of 2016. The expansion will create 80 new jobs, and the company will make an initial $8.75 million capital investment.
 
“We’re excited to come to western Texas,” Dallas Barnes, president of Severn Peanut Company, said. “Our 70 year heritage is steeped in communities based in the agriculture industry. The values at the core of our company, those of integrity and caring for each other, are shared in farming areas. Lubbock fits that profile perfectly, and we look forward to being a great corporate citizen.”

Port Everglades, St. John’s Port Authority and Port of Grays Harbor each to receive Overall Excellence trophy for submitting top-scoring entry

Alexandria, VA -- The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA)… the unified and recognized voice of seaports in the Americas…will recognize 25 seaports for exemplary communications projects and programs at its annual convention and awards luncheon this fall. Winning entrants in AAPA’s 50th annual Communications Awards Program will be recognized at an Oct. 26 awards luncheon in conjunction with AAPA’s 105th Annual Convention and Expo in New Orleans, which runs Oct. 23-26.

The recipients of the 2016 Overall Award of Communications Excellence trophies - the top awards in AAPA's Communications Awards Program - are Port Everglades in Florida (Category 3); St. John's Port Authority in Newfoundland and Labrador (Category 2); and the Port of Grays Harbor in Washington (Category 3).  Each of the three categories of ports is based on the size of the port's public relations/advertising/marketing budget.

• Expansion of Costa Rica Center highlights company growth
• Building expected to be completed towards end of 2016

Pavas, Costa Rica -- Concentrix, a global high value business services company, is expanding its operations in Costa Rica. The company will add 700 talented employees and has begun construction of its fourth building located in Pavas. The construction of the new building was announced last June 2015 and the building is expected to be fully operational by the end of this year.

With the addition of the new building, Concentrix will add more than 11,000 square meters for a total of 28,816 square meters with the ability to accommodate 1,600 total staff. This state-of-the-art building combines the latest technology with modern features to promote a more creative, relaxed and innovative work space. The site design observes environmental efficiency aspects in response to the social and environmental philosophy of the company. ​

Corpus Christi, TX -- Port Corpus Christi and Martin Midstream Partners announced the construction of Oil Dock 15 on the Northside of the Inner Harbor. A groundbreaking ceremony will be held Thursday, July 14 at 10:00 a.m. 
 
In 2012, long time Port customer, Martin Midstream, began increasing its presence by adding new crude oil storage tanks and trans-loading capabilities.  These efforts have resulted in Martin Midstream being named one of the Port’s top five customers in 2015.  
 
Now, just as the United States Government’s ban prohibiting the exportation of crude oil has been lifted, the Port and Martin Midstream have finalized negotiations for the construction of the new crude oil dock.  Oil Dock 15 will accommodate trans-loading through a new 24” pipeline originating from Martin’s 900,000 barrel POCC crude oil terminal. 

Lansing, MI -- Denso Manufacturing Michigan Inc., a manufacturer of automotive air conditioning and engine cooling systems, is expanding in Battle Creek.

The company plans to add new manufacturing capabilities at its Battle Creek facility to support additional sales with its North American customers, investing more than $37 million and creating 125 jobs, it said Wednesday.

The project was been awarded a $687,500 Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant. The city of Battle Creek and/or Battle Creek Unlimited will support the project through training and relocation assistance, the Michigan Economic Development Corp. said Wednesday.

Montgomery, AL -- At a groundbreaking ceremony, German auto supplier Gerhardi Kuntstofftechnik announced plans to invest $37.9 million and create 235 jobs in Montgomery to create its first North American manufacturing facility.

“This is a great opportunity for Gerhardi, and we are very excited,” Gerhardi Managing Director Reinhard Hoffman said. “Montgomery Industrial Park offers a great infrastructure, attractive support and is located close to many OEMs (original equipment manufacturers).

“These benefits convinced us that this is the best place for our new facility.”

Cornelius Schnitzler to promote Arkansas to European-based companies

Berlin, Germany -- Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson today officially opened Arkansas’ new European office in Berlin, Germany. The opening of the Arkansas office was celebrated with a reception at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin hosted by U.S. Ambassador to Germany John B. Emerson. Cornelius Schnitzler, a German national with a background in economics and trade, will run the new Arkansas office and work closely with Lenka Horakova, the Arkansas Economic Development Commission’s (AEDC) Director of Business Development for Europe.

This is Arkansas’ third international office. The state has maintained offices in Japan and China for several years.

Schnitzler was chosen because of his established business relationships in Europe. He is fluent in German, English and French. Germany is the largest foreign direct investor in Arkansas with more than 30 German subsidiaries located in the state.

Global tech leader part of growing technological manufacturing trend seen in Orlando region

Orlando, FL -- Thales, a global technology leader for the aerospace, transport, defense and security markets based in Paris, France, will expand in Orlando, adding 173 new jobs in the region and investing $6.5 million in the local community.

Thales’ InFlyt Experience unit has rapidly grown to become a world leader in the in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) market. Thales provides in-flight entertainment and connectivity products to 100 major international airlines.

Thales’ expansion in Orlando adds to the growing trend of companies who provide technology manufacturing for transportation-related products in the region. Similar to VOXX International, a company that engineers and assembles entertainment units for automobiles, Thales repairs and refurbishes in-flight entertainment units for the aviation industry.

The MOL Benefactor is also the highest capacity vessel to ever call at the Port of Savannah

Savannah, GA -- The MOL Benefactor is the first vessel to call on Savannah through the new locks of the expanded Panama Canal. At a capacity of 10,100 twenty-foot equivalent container units, the Benefactor is also the largest ship ever to call the Port of Savannah.
 
The massive container ship, scheduled to move over 3,000 containers at GPA's Garden City terminal, is also the first Savannah call of the G6 Alliance's new NYX service. The East Coast rotation of the new service includes the ports of New York/New Jersey, Virginia and Savannah, exclusively deploying vessels in the 10,000-TEU range. 

Brownsville, TX -- International Shipbreaking, LLC. Vice President Robert Berry has been appointed to the Marine Transportation System National Advisory Council (MTSNAC) by U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administrator Paul N. Jaenichen.

Mr. Berry has more than 30 years of experience in the marine recycling industry, including managing the dismantling/recycling of Navy and commercial ships, drilling rigs and other maritime equipment.
 
“Serving on this advisory council will allow me to bring the needs of our community and the Port of Brownsville to the attention of the U.S. Department of Transportation, as well as have a voice on matters associated to transportation as it relates to the Martine Transportation System,” said Mr. Berry. “It’s an honor and a privilege to represent South Texas.”

Agriculture Transportation Coalition presents first-time award to port leader

Charleston, SC -- The Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTC) recently named Jim Newsome, SCPA president and CEO, the first Person of the Year award recipient in the Coalition's 28-year history. 

"Never has an individual so distinguished himself in a manner that will have such a positive impact on all participants in ocean shipping, shippers, carriers, ports and terminals," said Peter Friedmann, Executive Director, AgTC. "We applaud Jim Newsome for his pivotal, groundbreaking leadership to find a solution to the SOLAS container weight threat."

Project will add 40 new direct jobs while retaining 35 jobs for Lecompte company

Alexandria, LA -- Gov. John Bel Edwards and SolScapes owner Iviana Stewart announced today that the company will make a $2 million capital investment and create 40 new direct jobs to expand its utility rights-of-way maintenance operation in Rapides Parish. The company, based in Lecompte, Louisiana, performs a range of contracted services for utility and pipeline companies.

With the expansion, SolScapes will add 40 new direct jobs with an average annual salary of $28,000, plus benefits, while retaining 35 existing jobs. Louisiana Economic Development estimates that the project also will result in 14 new indirect jobs, for a total of nearly 50 new jobs in Rapides Parish and Central Louisiana.

Antarctica -- At the end of February 2016, mechatronics lead Kevin Bass of Intuitive Machines and contracted pilot Mike Laible set off on a planned excursion to Antarctica. In cooperation with the UTIG (University of Texas Institute for Geophysics) and ICECAP (Investigating the Cryospheric Evolution of the Central Antarctic Plate) Intuitive Machines successfully flew multiple runs with a 3W-powered unmanned aerial vehicle platform, Tiburon Jr., on the coast of Antarctica.

ICECAP currently uses an upgraded World War II era DC-3 with a suite of geophysical instruments to map the thickness of the ice sheet and measure the texture, composition, density and topography of rocks below the ice.

Intuitive Machines uses a Tiburon Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), which provides the rapid delivery of dense yet meaningful aerial-based information about activities at or below the surface to enable you to make informed decisions about your business. By combining sensor technologies, employing sophisticated data analysis algorithms, and using cost-efficient unmanned aircraft, we can provide a complete aerial inspection solution that has greater cost-benefit than the systems currently employed.

Birmingham, AL -- Motion Industries, Inc., a leading distributor of maintenance, repair, and operation replacement parts and a wholly owned subsidiary of Genuine Parts Company (NYSE: GPC), is pleased to announce the building of a new, expanded distribution center (DC) near Dallas, TX. The facility is scheduled to open in March 2017, and will be managed by Dan Krska.

The new address of the building site, on which Motion has just broken ground, will be 200 W. Trinity Boulevard, Grand Prairie, Texas.

"The new facility will provide excellent proximity for our current market and employee base," said Joe Limbaugh, Motion Industries Vice President, Operations. "The larger space will allow us to grow our industrial supply segment, and adequately fill customer demand in this region. As well, Motion's 5-star processes and technologies will be implemented as part of the new design, which will accelerate our speed to market."

Rail expansion to improve capacity, traffic

Savannah, GA -- The Georgia Ports Authority has received a $44 million Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to increase rail capacity at the Port of Savannah.
 
"I would like to thank the Georgia Congressional delegation, including Congressmen Buddy Carter and Rob Woodall, and Senators Johnny Isakson and David Perdue, for their dedicated support of this program," said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. "As the nation's fourth busiest container port, Savannah's continued rail expansion is a key component to freight mobility in this country.  This transformative project will not only increase rail capacity and velocity at the Garden City Container Terminal, but will also provide substantial benefits to surrounding communities by improving public safety, reducing environmental impacts and avoiding commuter traffic."
 

Manufacturing Facility in Burley, Idaho

Midland, MI -- The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW) announced its plans to construct a new manufacturing facility to be located in Burley, Idaho. The new facility will be operated by Dow Building Solution (DBS), a business unit within Dow, and produce STYROFOAM™ Brand Extruded Polystyrene (XPS) Insulation – a leading thermal insulation solution facilitating sustainability, innovation and community success in the building and construction industry since its discovery in 1941.

Building upon its 75 years of innovation, the STYROFOAM™ Brand Insulation facility will come on-line utilizing DOW BLUEDGE™ Polymeric Flame Retardant Technology – an invention that is transforming the market as the next generation industry standard flame retardant for use in polystyrene foam insulation, as it meets the demands of global energy efficiency regulations and sustainable building design.

Company investing nearly $1 million in expansion

Columbia, SC -- Central Packaging and Crating, Inc., a manufacturer of wooden heat-treated pallets, is expanding its operations in Greenwood County. The expansion will result in a new capital investment of almost $1 million.

Launched in 1998, Central Packaging and Crating is one of the largest wooden pallet manufacturers in South Carolina by volume. In an effort to meet increased customer demand, the company is investing in new in-house machinery at its Greenwood County facility such as upgraded automated nailers and gang saws. Once installed, the facility will be capable of producing up to 250 pallets per hour and almost 3,000 pallets per day.