Manufacturers invest billions in facility expansions across the US

Caterpillar and Ultium Cells are among the manufacturers making significant facility investments to expand production and meet growing demand. Caterpillar announced a $1 billion investment to build a manufacturing facility in Sanford, North Carolina. The new facility will focus on producing compact construction equipment, including compact track loaders and telehandlers, using advanced manufacturing and automation technologies. No details were provided regarding job creation or construction incentives.

Ultium Cells, a joint venture between LG Energy Solution and General Motors, plans to invest $1 billion in retooling its battery cell manufacturing operations in Spring Hill, Tennessee. The modifications will enable the production of lithium manganese-rich prismatic battery cells, which offer 33% greater energy density than lithium iron phosphate at a comparable cost. This makes Ultium the first manufacturer to produce this technology commercially. The expansion is expected to create 500 jobs, with factory modifications beginning later this year and completion set for 2028.

Genentech, a biopharmaceutical company, broke ground on a $750 million expansion of its fill-finish operations in Hillsboro, Oregon. The expansion will double the size of the existing site, adding 211,000 square feet of space and creating 250 jobs. The new facility will enhance the manufacturing of medicines across oncology, neurology, and immunology, with operations set to begin in 2031.

Avio USA, a subsidiary of Italy-based aerospace company Avio, broke ground on a $500 million solid rocket motor manufacturing facility in Hurt, Virginia. The 900,000-square-foot plant will produce thousands of solid rocket motors annually to support the U.S. defense industry, creating about 1,500 jobs. Construction is scheduled to wrap by late 2028, with production beginning in early 2029.