< Previous46 MAY 2025 SITE SELECTION COMPANY CITY STATE COUNTRY INVESTMENT JOBS Ford Motor Company Oakville Ontario Canada $2.3 billion N/A Rivian Automotive McLean Illinois United States $1.5 billion 550 Toyota Motor Company Princeton Indiana United States $1.4 billion 340 Toyota Motor Company Georgetown Kentucky United States $1.3 billion 700 Toyota Motor Company Georgetown Kentucky United States $922 million N/A Toyota Motor Company Georgetown Kentucky United States $709 million N/A Toyota Motor Company San Antonio Texas United States $531.7 million 411 Ford Motor Company Shelbyville Kentucky United States $400 million 260 Cellink Corporation Georgetown Texas United States $362 million 1,200 Detroit Diesel Corporation Redford Michigan United States $285 million 436 Toyota Motor Corporation Huntsville Alabama United States $282 million 350 Isuzu Motors Piedmont South Carolina United States $280 million 700 Stellantis Sterling Heights Michigan United States $235 million N/A Schaeffler AG Dover Ohio United States $230 million 450 Blue Bird Global Corporation Fort Valley Georgia United States $160 million 428 Southeast Toyota Distributors Jacksonville Florida United States $145 million N/A Gestamp North America Mason Michigan United States $136 million 100 Manac Inc Saint-Georges Quebec Canada $125 million N/A Topre America Corporation Springfield Ohio United States $102 million 157 Tier 1 suppliers throughout the state which employ about 55,000 in the supplier network. Their impact is not just in South Carolina, it’s in the Southeast. Without BMW there would be no Honda, no Kia, no Hyundai and no Volvo.” More than 11,000 employees are behind the production of those 1,500 vehicles per day, and BMW ensures its employees harness skills that continue to foster innovation. Aside from establishing its own $20 million, 68,000-sq.-ft. technical training center onsite, the company has been intent on building educational partnerships through programs like BMW Scholars, BMW Rising Scholars and BMW Fast Track. This includes tapping into local resources such as the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR). Pursuing research collaborations with CU- ICAR allows students and facility to interact with companies like BMW while exploring applications of new digital technologies, artificial intelligence, robotics, sustainable composite materials and more. This allows an innovative hands-on experience while students navigate their degree while unlocking industry-wide research potential. Wilson says BMW has hired several CU-ICAR graduates who earned their master’s in automotive engineering. “We are their sandbox. Students interested in manufacturing can find a lot of opportunities here,” says CU-ICAR Executive Director David Clayton. “We’re trying to educate students that can help the industry that is here grow, but then also innovate and create leaders for tomorrow.” SELECTED NORTH AMERICAN AUTOMOTIVE PROJECTS SINCE JANUARY 2024 Source: Conway Projects Database48 MAY 2025 SITE SELECTION Georgia In March , Hyundai Motor Group offi cially launched the opening of the new Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) just outside of Savannah in Bryan County, Georgia. e $. billion facility is the company’s fi rst dedicated EV mass-production operation, featuring its own $. billion battery cell manufacturing plant through a joint venture established with LG Energy Solutions. About four hours northwest of HMGMA, Hyundai and Korea-based SK On will additionally house a JV battery cell production facility in Bartow County, Georgia. e $ billion pursuit is set to begin production at the site in the latter half of , carrying an annual production capacity of gigawatt-hours or enough to power , EVs. e location of the facility is within proximity to HMGMA, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama in Montgomery and Kia Georgia in West Point near the Alabama state line. Hyundai Mobis will handle battery pack assembly using cells produced here and will distribute them among the company’s U.S. operations. e sheer power of HMGMA’s formation has translated into over $. billion in capital investment from suppliers making preparations across the state, creating , new jobs alone as of . is moment arrives just two and a half years since HMGMA was announced in June , marking the state’s largest economic development project to date. e facility will produce EV models for Hyundai, Genesis and Kia brands, and is geared up to manufacture hybrid models as well. “In collaboration with our trusted partner Hyundai Motor Group, this investment underscores our dedication to driving America’s EV transition The HMGMA metaplant in Georgia features 850 robots and nearly 300 Automated Guided Vehicles to assist workers throughout assembly processes. Images courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group The fi rst vehicle produced at HMGMA was a Hyundai IONIQ 5. HMGMA has now begun production of Hyundai’s IONIQ 9 SUV model, awaiting a new model projected to join the lineup by 2026.50 MAY 2025 SITE SELECTION while bolstering the local economy through the creation of quality jobs,” said LG Energy Solution President and Head of the Advanced Automotive Battery Division Dong-Myung Kim at the time of the JV’s announcement in . On-site production of battery cells will aid production of an initial , EVs per year. Proof- of-concept manufacturing technology has been integrated throughout the Metaplant and is boosted by AI and real-time data utilization, featuring robots and Automated Guided Vehicles designed to assist workers throughout vehicle assembly. In all, the site will have double the automation capabilities of any Hyundai production plant globally. HMGMA’s site also includes a .-megawatt solar parking lot, in which solar panels have been installed over , parking spaces, collecting % of the site’s energy needs while providing shade below. Construction is still ongoing for the company’s -acre ecological park that will supply trails, running tracks, sports fi elds and green space at the site. “Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America not only represents the Group’s advanced manufacturing capabilities and commitment to innovation, but also our investment in relationships with our partners and communities right here in Georgia,” said Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung. “With the rich history of craftsmanship and manufacturing in this community, together with the talented workforce at HMGMA we are building the future of mobility with America, in America.” In a move that deepens the company’s commitment to the U.S., Hyundai has announced a massive $ billion toward U.S. manufacturing growth by . A closer look at the funding’s breakdown shows that $ billion is dedicated to increasing nationwide production capacity to reach . million vehicles; $ billion to enhance Hyundai’s parts and logistics business, which includes a . million ton capacity electric arc furnace-based integrated steel mill in Louisiana; and $ billion to drive innovation and expand partnerships with U.S. companies within autonomous driving, robotics, AI and advanced air mobility. With the current path of painful tariff s and overly rigid regulations, the American and European car industries are being put at risk. at would be a tragedy as car manufacturing is a source of jobs, innovation and strong communities.” — John Elkann , Chairman, Stellantis, April 15, 202552 MAY 2025 SITE SELECTION Michigan While Stellantis North America has put a hold on operations in Canada and Mexico as of April , leading to U.S. employees being temporary laid off due to pending tariff s imposed by the Trump administration, the company will continue to improve U.S. production capabilities. Announced in September , Stellantis is ensuring its Michigan operations are set to roll out the company’s multi-energy strategy. Electrifi cation eff orts will allow three operations to fall directly in line with the company’s Dare Forward strategic plan, which aims to support a % passenger car battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales mix in Europe and a % passenger car and light-duty truck BEV Stellantis is investing in upgrades to three Michigan facilities as the company focuses on its multi-energy strategy. Image courtesy of Stellantis North America SITE SELECTION MAY 2025 53 sales mix in the U.S. within the next five years. To do so, Stellantis has distributed over $406 million amongst the company’s Sterling Heights Assembly Plant, Warren Truck Assembly Plant and the Dundee Engine Plant. The Sterling Heights Assembly Plant has received the majority of the planned investment, gaining $235.5 million as the facility prepares to manufacture the company’s first battery electric 2025 Ram 1500 REV light-duty truck. Project details include a new conveyor system, new automation for BEV-specific processes, retooling and rearrangement the general assembly line to cater to internal combustion engine, BEV and range-extended models on the same line. “Gearing up to build our first-ever Ram electric truck and the range- extended version in Michigan is a meaningful moment of pride for our teams,” said former Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares at the time of the investment announcement. “With these investments supporting both Jeep and Ram, we’re adding innovations to our Michigan manufacturing footprint to support a multi-energy approach that is laser-focused on customer demand.” At the Warren Truck Assembly Plant, $97.6 million will support manufacturing processes for a future Jeep Wagoneer EV, representing one of the four models Stellantis will introduce in 2025. The Dundee Engine Plant will use $73 million in funding to prepare to produce battery trays that will be housed in STLA Frames, which have 54 MAY 2025 SITE SELECTION been specifically designed to integrate the battery pack in the new Ram 1500 REV. The investment allows the facility to be upgraded to assemble, weld and test battery trays for STLA Frames and to machine the front and rear beams for STLA Large architecture by 2026. A few days following the announcement of paused manufacturing in Canada and Mexico, Stellantis announced it would be launching a new supplier support program, which is set to deliver financial assistance to qualifying suppliers to cover monthly tariff payments to the U.S. government. The short-term solution enables suppliers and the company to navigate the initial impact of the new tariff policy. At the company’s annual general meeting in mid-April in Amsterdam, Stellantis Chairman John Elkann brought a global perspective to the situation: “In Europe and the United States, policy and regulatory choices have put our industry under extreme pressure, while China is on another trajectory,” he told shareholders. “This year, the Chinese automobile market is set for the first time ever to be larger than the American and European markets combined. In the United States, the car industry is severely affected by tariffs. On top of the 25% tariff imposed on vehicles, we are impacted by layer upon layer of additional compounding tariffs including those on aluminum, steel, and parts.” Noting that CO2 regulations in Europe “have imposed an unrealistic path to electrification, disconnected from market realities,” he said, “With the current path of painful tariffs and overly rigid regulations, the American and European car industries are being put at risk. That would be a tragedy as car manufacturing is a source of jobs, innovation and strong communities. But it’s not too late if the U.S. and Europe take the necessary urgent actions to promote an orderly transition.” SITE SELECTION MAY 2025 55 W hile CBD-related products still command the greatest portion of the legal hemp market, industrial users are catching up. And no, should you go all environmental and insulate your home with carbon-sequestering hemp, it will not reek of weed, not in and of itself. “It actually smells a little like graham crackers,” says Tommy Gibbons, co- founder and chief innovation offi cer of Hempitecture, an organic materials company based in Jerome, Idaho. “For the most part,” he says, “it’s odorless.” Hempitecture is the fi rst U.S. manufacturer of hemp-based batt insulation and, according to Gibbons, the largest buyer of North American hemp fi ber, which it sources from Idaho and Montana. Gibbons and his fellow co-founder Matthew “Mattie” Mead hit upon HempWool, their trademarked hemp fi ber insulation product, after an early fl irtation with hempcrete as an alternative base building material. at seemed like a good idea at the time, but less so in practice than in theory, they learned along the way. “Hempcrete,” says Gibbons, “is overhyped. It has a lot of challenges and it’s not a great fi t for how homes are built. People like to talk about hempcrete, but they like to build with hemp wool. It’s just much simpler and more similar to how the construction industry typically insulates.” Down With Hemp in B.C. Residential developer Karin Eger- Blenk is trying out hemp insulation at Wilden, a ,-home project in Kelowna, British Columbia. She believes it’s a match for the development’s orientation toward sustainability. “Traditional fi berglass insulation has a very heavy carbon footprint, so I asked my construction team, ‘Is there anything we can do about it?’ ey came across someone who knew about hemp,” Eger-Blenk tells Site Selection, “and I just said, ‘Let’s do it.’ ” e added cost to a million-dollar model home was $, over traditional fi berglass. e potential appeal, Eger-Blenk believes, is worth the investment. “Among other things,” she says, “it’s healthier. ere’s less toxins being emitted from the walls versus rock wool or fi berglass. We had an open house, and people get it. We’ll be working with hemp a lot more in the future.” It’s for reasons such as these that Gibbons sees increasing potential in Hempitecture’s HempWool off ering. “People want to get away from plastics and synthetics,” he says, “and they’re worried about off -gassing from spray foams. If you had asked me why people are willing to pay more for our product, I fi rst would have predicted sustainability. But the data shows the majority is health focused.” Break on Through Hempitecture stood up its initial ,-sq.-ft. manufacturing facility in Jerome in . As a measure of both its success and potential, the company recently cut the ribbon on a ,-sq.- ft. expansion that runs on renewable energy. New equipment is arriving to fi re-proof the product to commercial standards. “At that point,” says Gibbons, “it’s game on. e commercial industry will be able to adopt us instantaneously, and it’s going to translate into a lot more volume.” e company is expanding into other applications. In addition to building materials and packaging insulation, Hempitecture is targeting furniture and upholstery and sees massive potential in automotive. In October, the company was awarded an $. million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to support a new facility in Rogersville, Tennessee, in the heart of the Southeast’s automotive sector. e grant has been paused by the Trump administration. Gibbons remains optimistic. “Honestly, I feel like we’ll make it through. It’s not like it’s a wind farm that’s trying to do something crazy. We are a domestic materials manufacturer that hopefully makes America more competitive. But,” he concedes, “that’s not for us to decide. Projects like ours need to match the current administration’s objectives.” by GARY DAUGHTERS gary.daughters@siteselection.com Idaho’s innovative Hempitecture isn’t just blowing smoke. ere’s Life Beyond CBD INDUSTRIAL HEMP Crafting insulation in Jerome, Idaho. Photo courtesy of Hempitecture Hemp insulation in a model home in Canada. Photo courtesy of the Wilden GroupNext >