Manufacturing

Johnson Controls, based in Milwaukee, Wisc., will open a 120,000-sf plant in Montgomery, Ala., in March 2005. The facility will produce interior components for Hyundai Motor Co.'s nearby manufacturing plant.  

Bridgestone Metalpha USA will expand its 690,000-sf production facility in the Clarksville-Montgomery County Corporate Business Park with the addition of 125,000 sf. The plant produces steel cord used as reinforcement in radial tires. Construction will begin on the $45-million project in February 2005 with increased production to begin in the first quarter of 2006. The expansion will include the addition of highly automated equipment, raising production capacity to 58,000 metric tons of steel cord annually.

Elcoteq Network Corp, the largest electronics manufacturing services provider in Europe , will initiate construction of a new $18.6-million plant in St. Petersburg , Russia, in the last quarter of 2004. The 14,700-sf facility will employ 1,500 workers when it becomes operational in fall 2005. Elcoteq’s U.S. headquarters is located in Irving , Texas .

St. Louis-based Spartech Corp. opened its new 30,000-sf product development center in Warsaw , Ind., in June 2004. The $8-million facility will accommodate the development of alloy plastics, thermoplastics, and advanced polymer products.

Joplin, Mo.-based Tamko Roofing Products and Canadian firm IKO Industries are partnering on a $100-million production facility in Clarksville , Tenn. Sited in the Clarksville-Montgomery County Corporate Business Park , the joint venture is called MW/MB LLC. The plant will manufacture wet chopped fiberglass strands to be used in roofing material.  Construction began in April 2004; an official groundbreaking ceremony will be celebrated in mid-August 2004. The plant will be operational by early 2006.

Bruno Independent Living Aids is planning a $5.65 million, 100,000-sf expansion of its Oconomowoc, Wisc., facility. Bruno produces power chairs, scooters, vehicle lifts, and physical disability aids.

Owens-Illinois broke ground on a 450,000-sf glass manufacturing plant in Windsor, Colo., in early June 2004. The $119-million plant will manufacture about 1 billion bottles annually for the Anheuser-Busch brewery in Fort Collins.

Plexus Corp. has purchased a 164,000-sf factory in Penang, Malaysia as part of a $12 million project to expand its operations there. The plant will nearly double Plexus’s current Asian manufacturing capacity, which it expects to outgrow by early fiscal 2005. Plexus, based in Neenah, Wisc., is a contract manufacturer of electronics.

Tysons Foods is working with Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum of St. Louis to design a new $40 million research, development, and training facility in Springdale, Ark. The Discovery Center will be sited on 16 acres at Tyson’s corporate campus and will accommodate Tyson’s research and development team, management training staff, and marketing group. The center will house 220 employees and will feature 20 product development kitchens; a USDA-inspected pilot plant; a consumer focus group area; a packaging design and development testing facilities; and a proprietary sensory testing lab.

EnPro Industries subsidiary GGB broke ground on a production facility in Martin, Slovakia, on March 31, 2004. By year-end the facility will begin production of metal-polymer bearings. The new facility will promote a strong presence in the emerging markets of Eastern Europe and will consolidate operations from facilities in Kilmarnock, Scotland, and Dolny Kubin, Slovakia.

BPB, a wall and ceiling products manufacturer, will construct a $100-million gypsum wallboard plant in Roxboro, N.C. Slated to open in 2007, the facility will produce 700 million-sf of gypsum wallboard annually.

Denver-based Gates Corp. is planning a $14-million customer solutions center in unincorporated Douglas County, Colo. The 69,800-sf facility will accommodate product research, development, and training. Designed by OZ Architecture of Boulder, Colo., the center will be developed by Opus Northwest LLC of Minneapolis. Hands-on customer training facilities will be complemented by secure vehicle testing bays for confidential research and development. Occupancy is expected in December 2004. Gates Corp.

High-tech instrumentation manufacturer Ruprecht & Patashnick is consolidating three Albany-area locations with a move to 50,000 sf in East Greenbush, N.Y. The facility will accommodate growth for the company’s commercial manufacturing and R&D operations.

Spectrum Astro, a designer and manufacturer of space mission satellites, has opened a new center in Gilbert, Ariz. Sited on 80 acres near Spectrum Astro’s corporate headquarters, the 135,000-sf factory accommodates assembly, integration, and test space. The facility can produce more than 20 satellites simultaneously. The facility features multiple cleanroom integration and test areas, including a 14,400-sf assembly bay.

Glenview, Ill.-based Illinois Tool Works will construct a $10-million manufacturing facility in Charlotte, N.C., for the production of commercial cooking equipment. The plant will be sited in Trinity Partners’ Westlake Industrial Park.