NORTH AMERICAN AUTOMOTIVE: Snapshots from the Top 10 Vehicular States

What would happen if you took all 42 industry codes related to vehicles — not just OEMs and suppliers, but also used car dealers, tire company operations, transmission repair businesses, even car wash establishments — pumped them into the data engine that is Site Selection’s Conway Projects Database, set the navigation to track every project in North America since January 2025 and then stomped on the accelerator?

AUMOVIO has announced a $110 million, 100-job investment to expand its manufacturing facility by 65,000 sq. ft. in New Braunfels, Texas, on the northeast outskirts of San Antonio along I-35. The expansion is part of a multi-year strategic plan to increase production capacity for North American customer projects in advanced driver assistance systems, said the company, which spun off from Continental in September 2025. The company is headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, and has over 86,000 employees in more than 100 locations worldwide.

The expansion will more than double the existing production floor space and is expected to be fully operational by August 2027. Earlier this year, AUMOVIO announced a major series order for radar sensors from North American customers with a combined volume of approximately €1.5 billion ($1.5 billion). The company says the facility, which opened in 2022, is the company’s first-ever autonomous mobility greenfield plant in the U.S. “Along with producing lifesaving radar technology,” a release explained, “the location is expected to play a leading role in the future Aurora Driver hardware and fallback system as part of the company’s partnership with Aurora Innovation, which provides commercially scalable autonomous driving systems for trucking customers.”

“We are proud of the roots we’ve planted here,” said Brandon Lane, New Braunfels plant manager. “Since opening our original facility in 2022, we’ve employed nearly 500 people and produced around 13 million radars. That’s a huge impact not just to our local community but to the global automotive industry. We’re ready to continue that momentum.”

Company and area leaders broke ground in McAllen, Texas, in March for Valeo’s new $225 million, 500-job manufacturing facility that will help the company fulfill one of the biggest orders in its history from General Motors.

Images courtesy of Valeo

Another European company is investing in Texas at a location four hours south of New Braunfels in the Rio Grande Valley community of McAllen. Paris-based Valeo in March announced it is investing $225 million over the next five years in a 337,000-sq.-ft. facility that will create up to 500 new jobs in the region, with production slated to begin in late 2027. Valeo said the project stems directly from receiving one of the largest orders in the company’s history.

“Valeo McAllen will include production of General Motors’ central compute unit, which is a liquid-cooled system powered by next-generation processors,” said a company release. “These units process vast amounts of data from multiple sensors and systems to control essential functions.”

“A software-defined vehicle architecture is a key enabler to dramatically improve the customer experience through faster connectivity, richer entertainment options and more frequent updates,” said Kristin Toth, purchasing executive director, Electrical Systems, Software and Connectivity at General Motors. “Projects such as Valeo’s plant in Texas will play a crucial role as we bring our next-generation electrical architecture to market.”

“We’re proud to contribute technologies that enable the next generation of software-defined vehicles with this significant investment in the region and the future of automotive technology,” said Valeo North America President Jeffrey Shay. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to grow our business with GM in the state of Texas.”

The company, which saw €20.9 billion in sales in 2025, employs 100,000 worldwide across a portfolio of 149 production plants, 59 R&D centers and 19 distribution platforms.

Avison Young Senior Director of Industrial Corporate Services Carl Quesinberry, in a LinkedIn post following an engagement with regional economic development group COSTEP, saw the Valeo project as evidence that the region is becoming “more investable.”

“Hyundai chose the region not just for its infrastructure or resources, but for its people and community.”

— Brent Stubbs, Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America Chief Administrative Officer, at the unveiling of the new Hyundai EV Lab at Effingham College and Career Academy in southeastern Georgia

“From Brownsville to Laredo, the Rio South Texas corridor is showing more and more of what disciplined capital looks for,” he wrote in April. “Strategic trade position, logistics reach, improving infrastructure, workforce alignment, industrial readiness and partners committed to doing the hard work required to reduce execution risk. That is why I believe the region is evolving beyond a transportation and logistics story. It is accelerating into a broader industrial platform — one capable of supporting the next chapter of North American growth across advanced manufacturing, aerospace and SpaceX-adjacent activity, energy, and over time, data infrastructure.”

Another facet of the deep and wide automotive supply chain is attracting a $110-million, 48-job investment in Temple, Texas, from East Penn Manufacturing Co., where the company already employs 350 people to complete the final state of absorbed glass mat (AGM) battery production. AGM batteries are high-powered and, according to AAA, cost 40% to 100% more than traditional lead-acid vehicle batteries but can last longer (up to 10 years) and recharge faster. Founded 80 years ago, East Penn employs more than 10,000 full-time employees and produces over 515 battery types for transportation, industrial and standby power applications.

The 175,000-sq.-ft. expansion of the 393,000-sq.-ft. facility at Temple Industrial Park is expected to break ground in June 2026, with completion targeted for fall 2028. Batteries manufactured in Pennsylvania are shipped to Temple for finishing before being distributed across North America. The proposed expansion will increase finishing capacity by at least 3 million AGM SLI batteries annually.

“The workforce here is second-to-none,” said East Penn Chief Manufacturing Officer Larry Miksiewicz, “and the support that we receive from Temple EDC, our government partners at all levels and the overall community is truly remarkable.”

Learning Is Key for Next Stage of Hyundai’s Metaplant
In No. 2 state Georgia, the latest stage of development from the $12.6 billion Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) at its Bryan County site in Ellabell, outside of Savannah, is to continue beefing up its workforce.

In October 2025, Effingham County School District (ECSD) in partnership with HMGMA unveiled the new Hyundai EV Lab at Effingham College and Career Academy (ECCA), designed to provide students hands-on learning opportunities in electric vehicle technology. Located in Rincon, ECCA, which opened in the fall of 2010 as one of Georgia’s first college and career academies, in 2025 began offering a manufacturing pathway and welcomed its first 22 students with plans to expand the program in 2026 and beyond.

“Students aren’t just learning from a video or textbook — they’re assembling, taking apart, troubleshooting and problem-solving in real time,” said ECSD Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education Coordinator Todd Wall. “These are the authentic, work-based experiences that prepare them for future careers.”

“Hyundai chose the region not just for its infrastructure or resources, but for its people and community,” said HMGMA Chief Administrative Officer Brent Stubbs. “The partnership we have with Effingham County Schools and ECCA reflects that spirit — working together to build the future. This lab isn’t just about technology; it’s about opening doors of opportunity for local students and developing the talent that will drive the future of mobility right here in Effingham County.”

In November, HMGMA formally signed a new apprenticeship partnership with Savannah Technical College by having seven apprentices sign their enrollment agreements athlete signing-day style on a path toward Industrial Maintenance Systems Technology diplomas. Apprentices spend three days per week on-site at HMGMA and two days in the classroom. Their paid training begins at $20.40 an hour, with scheduled increases every six months. Upon completion next year, they will transition into full-time positions at HMGMA’s Equipment Maintenance Department, supporting technical operations at the plant’s Stamp, Weld, Paint and General Assembly shops. Application details for the company’s next apprenticeship program were expected to be announced this spring.

“At HMGMA, we are building more than cars, we are building Meta Pros,” said Stubbs. “The expanded partnership with Savannah Tech, utilizing the USDOL apprenticeship model, is helping us create the technical workforce we need with the robotics and automation skills necessary to support the renaissance of American manufacturing happening in Southeast Georgia.”

That renaissance keeps unfolding, with the latest HMGMA-related supply chain investment coming this spring from Dongwon Autopart Technology in Swainsboro with a $30 million, 200-job project. “Georgia’s thriving automotive industry is creating new opportunities for Georgians statewide, no matter their zip code,” said Governor Brian Kemp. Dongwan supplies components such as doorframes, seat frames and battery frames to automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The company supports more than 500 direct jobs in the Southeast, including in Hogansville, Georgia, at facilities that will remain operational.

In No. 3 state Ohio, one of the highest-impact automotive investments of the past year was the October 2025 news that Stellantis would invest $400 million and add 900 jobs to the more than 4,300 already employed at its Toledo Assembly Complex as the company adds a new midsized truck to its line. “One of the largest and most reliable workforces in the automotive industry, proximity to customers and suppliers, and the top infrastructure in the United States allow Stellantis to gain a competitive advantage in Ohio,” said JobsOhio President and CEO J.P. Nauseef.

The Ohio project is part of a $13 billion U.S. manufacturing commitment from Stellantis that includes 5,000 new jobs to be created alongside plant upgrades and expansions located in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and Illinois — all states included among the top 10 territories listed here.

Selected Top Projects in the Top 10 Vehicular States by Projects 2025-2026