Project Bulletin: January 16, 2024

Hollister Incorporated has experienced unprecedented growth in Kaunas, Lithuania.

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Advanced medical product manufacturer Hollister Incorporated announced a $25 million upgrade to its five-year-old site in Kaunas, Lithuania. In order to increase production capacity, the company plans to incorporate advanced manufacturing technologies to streamline the development process of its ostomy care products. “Since its inception, the Kaunas site team has been outstanding in its performance,” said Hollister Lietuva General Manager Saulius Bitinas. “We are highly valued for our competences, we are entrusted with new and increasingly complex tasks, and we are implementing global projects, which guarantees consistent growth.” Since opening the facility in 2019, Hollister Incorporated has created more than double its anticipated job offerings, resulting in over 600 roles to date. The expansion will be complete by the end of 2024 and will introduce 70 new jobs.

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Cummins’ 40-year-old North Carolina facility prepares for production of next-generation products.

Photo courtesy of Cummins Inc

Upon receiving approval for tax incentives from Nash County Commissioners in North Carolina, Indiana-based engine manufacturer Cummins Inc. plans to move forward with a $580 million expansion project. The 1.3-million-sq.-ft. Rocky Mount Engine Plant (RMEP), which produced its 5 millionth engine last May, will upgrade its current assembly line, integrate new equipment and add 80 new jobs. The move is in line with Cummins’ Destination Zero Strategy, which aims to achieve zero emissions through its products. One step to achieving this is through its fuel-agnostic engine platform that enable a series of engines to be capable of supporting alternative fuel options. “When we receive engagement from local partners like this, it helps us move faster toward a more sustainable future,” said Cummins Rocky Mount Engine Plant Manager Steve Pinkston.

The January 8 announcement came 17 days after Cummins “reached an agreement in principle with the United States and State of California to pay a $1.675 billion penalty to settle claims that it violated the Clean Air Act by installing emissions defeat devices on hundreds of thousands of engines,” said the U.S. Justice Department. It would be the largest fine ever levied for a Clean Air Act violation and comes after a four-year review process. A subsequent detail requires a $325 million investment to remedy the violations, including a RAM pickup recall program that Cummins already has begun. A Cummins spokesperson confirmed to Site Selection this morning that RMEP’s engine products are not part of that recall, which applies only to engines made at at the Columbus Midrange Engine Plant in Indiana. “We are looking forward to obtaining certainty as we conclude this lengthy matter and continue to deliver on our mission of powering a more prosperous world,” confirmed the spokesperson. “We remain committed to advancing our Destination Zero strategy — Cummins’ vision for achieving a zero-emissions future — which is driven by decarbonization and aimed at promoting economic growth while using fewer of the world’s resources.”

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After beginning production of EVs in 2021, VinFast has had a goal of expanding to overseas markets.

Photo courtesy of VinFast

To kick off 2024, automotive company VinFast announced that it would construct $500 million worth of EV and battery manufacturing plants in India, with the potential to scale investment up to $2 billion. This move represents the company’s first facilities in the country, where the company aims to introduce a first-class EV production hub. The first of the planned locations will be located in the southern state of Tamil Nadu in Thoothukudi, where VinFast plans to produce EV batteries. Data show that EVs accounted for 2% of car sales in India. As the government aims to increase that to 30% by 2030, this investment supports a mutual goal. Construction will begin this year, creating up to 3,500 new jobs.

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