Project Bulletin: October 7, 2024

Lassonde will move its current Seabrook beverage operations (pictured) to a new facility by 2027.

Photo courtesy of Lassonde Industries Inc.

Canada-based food and beverage company Lassonde Industries is looking to increase its competitiveness in the U.S. market. To do so, the company announced a $200 million investment to grow its New Jersey base. By 2027, Lassonde will construct a new beverage manufacturing facility adjacent to its current Seabrook site in Upper Deerfield Township, which manufactures juices and packaged juice drinks. “Lassonde is proud to launch a major capital investment program to strengthen its position as one of North America’s leading juice and beverage manufacturers,” said Lassonde Industries CEO Vince Timpano. “Since entering the U.S. market, we have methodically expanded our manufacturing footprint and our initiatives will support the continued expansion of our beverage production operations, both for private labels and national brands, while improving our profitability. In the longer term, this investment program will provide the opportunity to increase production capacity and acquire new expertise to take advantage of market opportunities.” The 200,000-sq.-ft. facility will replace the current operations and allow the company to increase production volume and efficiency.

JLR aims to electrify all its brands by 2030.

Photo courtesy of Jaguar Land Rover

Sixty-one years after Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) produced its first Ford Anglia at its site in Halewood, England, the facility will now receive a critical transformation. The company now aims to begin production of EVs and will invest more than $656 million to accommodate their arrival. With $328 million already invested, the company has introduced new production lines, machinery and technology at the site. An additional $328 million will bring a new body shop, paint shop, automated painted body storage tower and more in years to come. “Halewood has been the heart and soul of JLR in the Northwest of England for well over two decades, producing vehicles such as the Range Rover Evoque and Discovery Sport,” said JLR Industrial Operations Executive Director Barbara Bergmeier. “Halewood will be our first all electric production facility, and it is a testament to the brilliant efforts by our teams and suppliers who have worked together to equip the plant with the technology needed to deliver our world-class luxury electric vehicles.” The move support the company’s goal of being an electric-first luxury carmaker by 2030.

PowerHouse Data Centers and Chirisa Technology Parks will create between 800 and 1,200 new roles with a new data center campus investment.

Getty Images

Upon acquiring 104 acres in Chesterfield, Virginia, a new partnership between PowerHouse Data Centers and hyperscale data center development platform Chirisa Technology Parks (CTP) will introduce a fresh data center campus in the state. The duo will bring five AI-ready facilities totaling 600,000 sq. ft. to the parcel adjacent to an existing CTP site. The partnership expects the first facility to be operational by 2026, with full buildout of the “Digital Drive” campus scheduled for 2028. The site will use CTP’s “direct-on-chip” liquid cooling design, more than twice as powerful as traditional air cooling systems, in addition to using the local reclaimed water system to power the campus. Over the next seven years, Digital Drive will create up to 1,200 news jobs in a variety of roles. “When completed, the campus will provide scalable, flexible infrastructure that accelerates time-to-market for hyperscalers and enterprises alike,” said PowerHouse Founder and CEO Doug Fleit. “As the market continues to shift towards higher-density, AI-ready workloads, Richmond is becoming a central hub for these types of developments, and we are proud to play a key role in that growth.”

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