Project Bulletin: April 29, 2024

Brightmark’s recycling technology will be able to process plastics from residential waste to tougher plastics used in industrial settings.

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California-based waste solutions company Brightmark Energy has plans to invest $950 million an hour southwest of Atlanta, Georgia. The investment goes toward the construction of a 2.5-million-sq.-ft. plastics recycling facility in Thomaston, which will process 400,000 tons of plastic per year. When this project was first announced in 2021 and originally set to be located an hour east in Macon, community pushback on environmental concerns surrounding diesel fuel put the project on the backburner. As the project moves forward the company’s CEO Bob Powell ensured this plant will not produce any fuel or burn plastic. Construction will take place over two years beginning in 2025 and once operational will create 200 new jobs. Brightmark’s move will represent the company’s second U.S. location and will support four times more capacity than its facility in Ashley, Indiana.

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Honda plans to scale its vehicle production with two new models.

Photo courtesy of Honda Motor Company

Honda Motor Company moves forward with a $807.7 million upgrade to its site located in São Paulo, Brazil. The investment was made specifically to enhance production on the company’s flexible-fuel models, which can take both multiple fuel types like gasoline and ethanol. Upgrades to its Itirapina facility make room for future production on a new hybrid vehicle and entry-level SUV catered to the Brazilian market, according to Honda Brazil Vice President Roberto Akiyama. By 2030, this site will produce 150,000 vehicles per year and to support that goal this investment will create 1,700 new jobs in the region.

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This investment reflects the largest project investment in state history.

Photo courtesy of Amazon Web Services

Amazon’s $21.5 billion overall investment in Indiana just received an additional $11 billion boost, thanks to Amazon Web Services. Adding to its ever-growing roster of data center investments in the U.S. the company plans to construct new data centers in northern Indiana’s St. Joseph County. With 1,000 new jobs on the way the company brings a number of workforce training and STEAM education programs. Those interested in pursuing a role with AWS can participate in programs like the Fiber Optic Fusion Splicing Workshop, a free-two day workshop to earn a certificate and immediately be connected employers. In addition, the company will create the $100,000 AWS InCommunities St. Joseph County Community Fund, which is a grant program for community groups, schools and non-profit organizations to increase access to STEAM education.

Reports compiled and written by Alexis Elmore, edited by Adam Bruns