Machinery Keeps On Churning

he numbers from the Conway Projects Database for 2022 showed decided jumps in projects in the machinery, equipment & construction sector (up by 147 projects over 2021) and in the food & beverage sector (up by 126 projects) to lead the way among top industries around the world.

The results come from a year of data collection by the Conway Data research team across global news sources, corporate and government documents to find corporate end-user facility investments involving new construction that meet at least one of the database’s three criteria to qualify for inclusion: a minimum of $1 million invested; a minimum of 20 new jobs created; or a minimum of 20,000 new sq. ft. of space.

The transport & logistics sector, after booming like never before during an e-commerce explosion that was only accentuated by the pandemic, dropped back by 65 projects vs. 2021 totals.

Among the largest projects by investment in the machinery, equipment and construction sector is a $750 million project from Grupo Cementos (GCC) in Odessa, Texas, that will increase annual cement production capacity by over 1 million metric tons. GCC said it “will execute the project at the Odessa plant since the market is developing faster in the U.S. and represents large freight savings, compared to the plant located in Chihuahua, Mexico. This expansion will optimize the cost structure and GCC’s cement network by relocating cement shipped today to this region from Samalayuca, Chihuahua and Pueblo plants to other markets the company serves with optimized freight cost. In addition, the capacity expansion will allow GCC to prepare and participate in the upcoming growth associated with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.”

Among the largest food & beverage projects are a number of alcoholic beverage plants. To support the expected future growth of its high-end Mexican beer portfolio, Constellation Brands plans to invest between $5 billion and $5.5 billion over the next four fiscal years for an additional 25 million to 30 million hectoliters of total capacity that includes construction of a new $1.3 billion brewery in Southeast Mexico in the state of Veracruz, the company said. The site will be joined by continued expansion and optimization at the company’s existing sites in Nava and Obregon.

Other large beverage projects are coming from Sazerac Co. (Indiana and Kentucky); Jim Beam Brands (Kentucky); Frucor Suntory in Queensland, Australia; and Manna Capital Partners in Montgomery, Alabama, where the Kentucky-based firm owned by former NBA player Ulysses L. “Junior” Bridgeman and Kevin Attkisson will construct a massive “beverage park” for production, packaging, distribution and R&D related to both non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages.