PLANT OPENINGS

A new office building, a new headquarters building, a new factory in a new city requiring hundreds of new employees; all of these are the essence of Plant Openings. But this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the economic impact of a new factory or business opening in a city.

Vance, Alabama, a town of 150 citizens five years ago, now has a population of 5,000 as a result of the construction of one of the first US-based BMW plants. What stemmed from a “one horse town” were emerging opportunities at the expanding business as well as at hundreds of supporting businesses. Few people became wealthy as a result of the California Gold Rush in the 1800s…but many were made rich by selling shovels and picks.

The astute job seeker should identify plant openings and contact the appropriate decision-maker with the proper correspondence and methodology. By knowing that new construction is eminent, the ideal situation is to get hired before the first brick is laid. Being hired before construction when there is no competition is preferable to standing in a long line after construction. Identification of plant openings is an important part of career management. See your consultant for details.

The following news releases announce plant openings. They are provided in reverse chronological order (most recent first).

Please click on “edit” and then “find” to locate specific companies, locations, dates, etc.

PLANT OPENINGS
FOR
SEPTEMBER, 2001

Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources Inc.; Houston, Texas) has confirmed that Pepsi Bottling Ventures LLC (Raleigh, N.C.), a joint venture company between Japanese beverage giant Suntory LTD (Osaka, Japan) and PepsiCo (NYSE:PEP) (Purchase, N.Y.) has begun a $40 million investment to construct a new beverage production plant at the site of an existing distribution facility in Garner, N.C. 

Site work began back in mid August 2001 on a 200,000 square foot production building that will involve the installation of five hi-speed processing lines. Two of the lines will be dedicated to the production of Pepsi soft drinks in bottles and cans. The remaining three lines will produce water, bag-in-box drinks and a pre-mix beverage line. 

Stahlman Engineering Corp (New London, N.H.), a leading designer of food and beverage facilities, is providing engineering services and Russell Corporation (Rutland, Vt.) is the general contractor. Plans are to begin beverage production by May of 2002 and utilize the existing distribution facility for product storage and customer distribution. 

Pepsi Bottling Ventures is one of the largest Pepsi bottlers in the U.S. The company was formed in 1999 when PepCom Industries (owned by Japanese Suntory) combined with five PepsiCo-owned bottlers, part of PepsiCo's plan to consolidate its bottling network around a handful of anchor bottlers. Pepsi Bottling Ventures distributes Pepsi soft-drink brands, Aquafina bottled water, Starbucks Frappuccino coffee drink and Lipton tea. Suntory owns 65% of the joint venture; PepsiCo owns 35%. 

CONTACT: Industrial Information Resources, Houston | Trey Hamblet, 713/783-5147

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LOUISVILLE, Ky., Sept. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Hydro Aluminum Metal Products -- North America, a division of Norsk Hydro (NYSE: NHY), Norway's largest public company, and the largest global supplier of billet, announced today that it will build its second state of the art aluminum recycling plant in the United States. The new aluminum remelt plant in Commerce, Texas will have a capacity of 90,000 metric tons of primary quality aluminum from scrap and will utilize the same state of the art technology as Hydro's first US remelt plant that officially opened in May of this year in Henderson, Kentucky. 

Hydro will invest $37 million in the new remelt plant in Commerce, which will be in operation in November 2002. Construction will start this fall. Hydro chose to build the plant in Commerce in order to better serve the demand of the Southwestern aluminum market. Customers will be from the transportation and building and construction sectors. 

Hydro's division, Hydro Aluminum Metal Products is the largest global supplier of billet. Recycling of aluminum is highly energy efficient, producing primary quality aluminum billet from scrap using only 5 % of the energy consumed in typical primary aluminum production. 

This concept has been proven by Hydro's network of remelt plants in Europe. Four plants are currently producing 250,000 metric tons of billet annually. A fifth remelt plant with an annual capacity of 60,000 metric tons will start operations in Spain late this year. The Henderson recycling plant, which officially opened in May of this year with an annual capacity of 90,000 metric tons, marked the first equity investment in primary metal production by Hydro for an aluminum production facility in North America. The Commerce, Texas plant marks the second. Through the acquisition of Wells Aluminum Hydro also got access to its remelt facility in Monett, Missouri, making Hydro's current remelting capacity in the United States over 175,000 metric tons annually. Hydro also operates Pianmeca, a company in Venezuela, supplying aluminum cast house products to the US market. 

"When we announced the first remelt plant in Henderson, it was part of a commitment we made to expand our remelter capacity in the United States in order to increase the supply of primary quality billet in a market that is not producing enough aluminum to meet expected demand," commented Jim Walters, President, Hydro Aluminum Metal Products, N.A. "Based on the success of the product quality from the Henderson plant, and the feedback we have gotten from our customers, we are confident that this new remelt plant in Commerce, Texas will achieve the same level of acceptance. We are committed to expanding our sources of supply to our customers in the U.S." 

"Eight years ago, Hydro's effort to improve the operational and technical quality of recycling became a core business. Now, Hydro is a leader in this remelt technology," commented Lars Narvestad, Senior Vice President of Hydro Aluminum Metal Products-NA. "As a result of this technology we have increased our aluminum remelting 10-fold. Today, one out of three tons of aluminum Hydro sells has been remelted. " 

The closing on the property in Commerce and construction will not commence until final negotiations are completed with the gas and electric utilities. 

Hydro Aluminum is in the process of recruiting for management positions in this new Texas facility. Those interested should forward their resume to Gina.Pertee@hydro.com for consideration. 

Since 1986, Norsk Hydro has been supplying aluminum to customers in the United States. In Louisville, Kentucky, Hydro Aluminum Metal Products -- North America handles sales from all internal and external sources. The Louisville office also operates Hydro's extensive trading activities in the United States. 

Hydro Aluminum Metal Products is the leading supplier of billet worldwide and a leading supplier of aluminum cast house products in Europe. Norsk Hydro's global aluminum activities extend to the entire material chain of aluminum, including the mining and refining of bauxite into alumina, the production of primary aluminum, semi-fabrication and fabrication of aluminum products and remelting and recycling. 

Contact: Millicent White, +1-212-593-6353, whitem@ruderfinn.com, or Anne Glauber, +1-212-593-6481, glaubera@ruderfinn.com, both of Ruder Finn; or Jim Walters of Hydro Aluminum Metal Products, NA, +1-502-426-7100, Jim.Walters@hydro.com 

SOURCE Hydro Aluminum Metal Products 

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The King County Housing Authority has issued $6.8 million in tax-exempt bonds on behalf of Vashon Island Community Care (VICC), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation, to finance the construction of a 56-unit (70 bed) assisted living and skilled nursing facility in North Vashon Island. 

The facility, which will be known as the Vashon Community Care Center, will replace an old 34-bed nursing home that now occupies the site. The new facility will be located on the Vashon Highway approximately two miles north of Vashon and will serve frail seniors, no matter what their economic level. 

"Vashon Community Care Center is the only assisted living and skilled nursing facility on Vashon," said Chuck Hawley, Vice President, Continuum Development and Long Term Care, Providence Health System. "Vashon Islanders are passionate about providing a care facility accessible by all their senior residents so they can remain near family and friends in their later years. Bond financing through the King County Housing Authority will ensure that this critical resource is provided and that rents will remain affordable to the community's seniors, many of whom have lived in the existing nursing home for a decade or longer." 

Formerly called Island Manor, the old nursing home was comprised of 40 beds. In November 1995, it was scheduled to be closed. The community expressed concerns about the decision and held several meetings to decide what to do. As a result their requests, the owner gave the community two weeks to raise $250,000 as a lease guarantee. Community leaders formed the nonprofit corporation Vashon Island Community Care after more than 30 individuals and groups promised to guarantee up to $10,000 each if needed to guarantee the lease. 

Subsequently, hundreds of Vashon Islanders supported the new organization through donations and volunteer efforts, and the effort culminated with VICC entering into a lease/purchase arrangement with the owner. They operated the facility on a shoestring, requesting consulting help from the Providence Health System in the summer of 1996. Because of the community's commitment and the definite need for the facility on the island, Providence Health System provided VICC with a line of credit and began a management arrangement with Providence Mount St. Vincent in West Seattle. 

The following year, VICC exercised its purchase option and acquired the aging facility with the intent of replacing the old nursing home with a larger, more modern assisted living/skilled nursing facility with space for a full service adult day health program. The new Vashon Community Center is the beneficiary of the single largest charitable fund-raising effort ever undertaken on Vashon Island: VICC raised more than $1 million in equity to support the construction and operation of the new facility. 

The Vashon Island Community Care Center will have 40 assisted living units and 30 skilled nursing beds in 16 additional units as well as space for a full service adult day health program. 

"KCHA is very pleased to have the opportunity to support the Vashon Island community in making this project a reality," said Stephen Norman, executive director of King County Housing Authority. "This is a critically needed housing resource and the response of Vashon Islanders is a wonderful example of a community stepping up to the plate." 

Vashon Island Community Care is a private, nonprofit corporation created solely for the purpose of preserving and expanding the availability of long-term elder care on Vashon Island. 

As part of its mission, Providence Health System offers support to community programs that serve people in need. 

KCHA administers a range of quality affordable rental housing programs for residents of King County, as well as providing homeownership opportunities to lower-income working families. The Authority serves more than 13,000 households, including families, the elderly, disabled persons, and other special-needs households. 

CONTACT: Providence Health System | Chuck Hawley, 206/464-4237 | or | King County Housing Authority | Rhonda Rosenberg, 206/574-1185 | or | Vashon Island Community Care | Susan Doerr, 206/567-4421

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Skanska's Norwegian subsidiary, Selmer Skanska, has been commissioned to build the new Tyin hydroelectric power plant in Norway. The contract is valued at NOK 512 M, excluding VAT, about SEK 628 M, making it one of the largest assignments ever carried out by Selmer Skanska. The customer is Norsk Hydro. 

The new Tyin plant, which is located in Övre Årdal in western Norway, will have two generators with a total capacity of 375 MW, designed to produce about 1,400 GWH of electricity annually. 

Selmer Skanska's contract covers all construction and plant work, including a subterranean power station, pumping facilities, shafts and 19 km of tunnels. The assignment also includes conversion of the process-water system for the Norsk Hydro metal production plant at Årdal. 

The new power plant, which is to replace an older facility, will use the existing Tyin reservoir that discharges into the Årdal water course. The expansion does not involve any modification of the reservoir. 

Preparatory work has commenced, and the power plant is due to be completed in October 2004. 

Selmer Skanska, which has annual sales of about SEK 8 billion, is the largest construction company in Norway and has been a market leader in the heavy construction sector for many years. Selmer Skanska has, for example, undertaken about 100 hydroelectric power projects in Norway. 

CONTACT: Selmer Skanska | Kai A Sørbråten, +47 22 03 07 51 | or | Shanska | Tor Krusell, +46 8 753 87 47

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MESQUITE, Texas, Sep 20, 2001 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Hillwood will add a 258,448-square-foot industrial building to its 112-acre Skyline Business Park in Mesquite, Texas. Gerard Roofing Technologies has leased 41,350 square feet of Skyline 4 to house its second manufacturing facility to meet the demand for Guardian, its highly successful roofing shingle launched late last year. 

Skyline 4, which will be completed this month, joins the 400,000-square-foot distribution center for ICON Fitness & Health and the 530,000-square-foot distribution center for Shippers Warehouse that were completed in January 2001 as part of the first phase of development for Skyline Business Park, which is the largest industrial development in Mesquite. 

"Hillwood has seen tremendous activity at Skyline Business Park due to the outstanding highway access and the nearby intermodal yard, as well as the tremendous business climate created by the city of Mesquite," said Tal Hicks, president of Hillwood Investment Properties. "We look forward to meeting the current and future needs of Gerard Roofing as the company becomes an industry leader in residential and light commercial roofing and siding products." 

"This new plant is an essential part of our growth strategy," said Gerard D. Papazian, president of Gerard Roofing Technologies. "Skyline Business Park is an excellent location because it is close to major highways and near the Building Products Division of Gerard's parent company, Metals USA." 

The new facility will feature a fully automated production line. "Stone-coating technology has developed significantly over the past 30 years and in building a new factory, we've been able to take advantage of the latest innovations," said Fred Seal, director of manufacturing for Gerard. "This sophisticated new line also allows for multi-stone applications, so we can change colors easily and quickly, and even create some custom roof finishes. 

"The Guardian Shingle sets a new standard in stone-coated steel roofing technology, delivering the durability, security, and beauty of steel at the price of composition. Guardian has already exceeded the company's sales expectations for 2001. With this sales growth, the Guardian shingle will utilize two-thirds of our total production capacity within two years." 

California-based Gerard Roofing Technologies (WWW.GERARDUSA.COM) is the pioneer in stone-coated steel roofing, with a 30-year history of commitment to the products they manufacture. Gerard Roofing Technologies is a division of Metals USA (NYSE: MUI), the second largest metals processor and distributor in North America, with revenues of more than $2 billion. 

One of the leading commercial developers in the United States, Hillwood has developed close to 10-million square feet in Dallas-Fort Worth over the past year. In addition to Skyline Business Park, Hillwood's current major projects in the area include Victory and American Airlines Center in downtown Dallas; the 15,000-acre AllianceTexas development in Tarrant and Denton county; GSW Gateway in Grand Prairie, Texas; and Pinnacle Park in Dallas. Hillwood also is one of the area's top residential developers with nine active communities throughout North Texas. 

Hillwood (WWW.HILLWOOD.COM), a Perot Company(SM), is one of the world's premier real estate investment and development companies using technology, innovation and an uncompromising focus on quality to stay one step ahead of a changing world. Hillwood's signature projects include the dynamic 70-acre Victory(SM) project anchored by American Airlines Center in downtown Dallas and AllianceTexas(SM), a 15,000-acre development in North Texas that includes Alliance(R), the world's preeminent logistics and commerce center, the high-end corporate campuses and residential communities of Circle T Ranch(SM) and the high-tech residential community of Heritage(SM). Hillwood is a leading national developer of industrial buildings with properties in markets coast to coast. Hillwood's other holdings include prestigious golf courses in Los Angeles, Houston and Frisco, Texas; residential communities in Dallas-Fort Worth, Maui and on the Kohala Coast of Hawaii; a resort shopping center in Maui and an entertainment mall in Tucson, Arizona. 

CONTACT: Hillwood
David Pelletier, 817/224-6044
dave.pelletier@hillwood.com

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