READY FOR DATA CENTER INDUSTRY DEMAND
Last week, energy and digital connections solutions company Prysmian North America announced a massive over $1 billion investment into three of its U.S. sites. The company is aiming to double its domestic optical cable and fiber capacity, pinpointing operations in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee to support its goal. The majority of the investment is heading into Prysmian’s Claremont Fiber Operations plant in North Carolina, as $1.02 billion will be used double the size of its fiber optic manufacturing facility. An additional $48 million will go toward scaling optical cable manufacturing production capacity at the Claremont campus, creating a combined 385 new jobs at the site. The company is investing $100 million to double its facility’s footprint in Jackson, Tennessee, increasing production of loose-tube and drop optical fiber cables and creating 100 new jobs. In Lexington, South Carolina, Prysmian is allocating $80 million to expand its FlexRibbon™ fiber optic cable production capacity, creating 130 new jobs in the region.
Photo courtesy of Siemens
SIEMENS EXPANDS IN GEORGIA AND TEXAS
A combined $200 million investment will deliver two new manufacturing facilities to global technology company Siemens’ robust portfolio. In the northeastern Georgia city of Pendergrass, Siemens plans to construct a new $185 million manufacturing facility dedicated to critical low-voltage electrical infrastructure products and systems for data centers. Construction on the 550,000-sq.-ft. plant will roll into the next year with operations anticipated to begin in 2027. The remaining $19 million investment will introduce a new 96,000-sq.-ft. facility in Grand Prairie, Texas, to handle factory acceptance testing and warehousing for the company’s Electrical Products business. This facility is strategically located near the company’s flagship switchgear facility in Texas (which last received its own expansion investment in 2023, according to the Conway Projects Database) and will support increased capacity for these operations upon opening later this year. “Georgia and Texas were a natural choice for our next manufacturing investments. These states offer strong business environments, access to a highly skilled workforce, and close proximity to our existing operations and supply chain network across the South,” said Siemens Electrical Products North American President Barry Powell.
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A CRISP REINVESTMENT IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA
In order to modernize and expand its Louisiana-based warehouse and distribution operations, the Coca-Cola Bottling Company has announced a fresh $106 million investment. The project lands at the company’s existing site in Alexandria, located in Rapides Parish. Funds will be used to integrate advanced warehouse automation at its Coca-Cola UNITED facility, which aids in modernizing operations, increasing efficiency and improving order fulfillment. “Our Alexandria operation has served Central Louisiana for 120 years,” said Coca-Cola UNITED West Region Vice President Scott McCallister. “This expansion reflects our long-term commitment to Louisiana, our associates and our customers. By investing, we can better serve the region while creating quality jobs and strengthening our distribution network.” The state supported the project with an incentive package including $1 million from its Economic Development Award Program and workforce development aid through LED FastStart. Construction is set to begin in February 2027 with completion slated for late 2028.
Reports compiled and written by Alexis Elmore
