New England on Track to Complete $1.2 Billion in New Plant Construction in 2007

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Reported by Annette Kreuger, Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas). The year, thus far, is proving to be a rocky economic road for virtually every industry group across North America. Consolidation, plant closures and layoffs, at times the news seems to go from bad to worse. Despite the negative press, there is a positive note in the New England region, which includes the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont, in the form of new plant construction. Nearly tripling the number of projects that were completed in 2006, the region has 42 new facilities carrying a total investment value (TIV) of $1.2 billion scheduled to be complete this year. When the plants become fully operational an estimated 4,000 jobs will added.

Click on the image at right to view a chart showing the breakdown of new plants by state.

Massachusetts continues to be the regional leader in garnering the majority of new plant activity. The state expects thirteen new plants to complete construction this year and adding nearly 1,800 jobs. Connecticut and Maine tied for second, with eight plants each. Connecticut will add over 1,000 jobs, while Maine expects nearly 700 after the new plants become operational. The remaining plants are located within the region’s other three states. Even tiny Rhode Island is expecting two plants that will employ 180 when open.

The new plant activity will add to the region’s existing 1,600 operational plants as found in Industrial Info’s New England Online Plant Directory. The existing plants provide employment for 360,000 people in the region. With all of the major industrial groups represented in the region, the majority of existing operational plants are claimed by the Industrial Manufacturing sector, which employs 214,000 in 583 plants. A distant second place falls to the Food and Beverage Industry with an existing 207 facilities employing nearly 34,000. The rest of the operational sites are distributed among other groups, including the Pharmaceutical – Biotech Industry with 146 sites employing over 50,000 people and the Pulp and Paper Industry is on board with 184 facilities and 27,000 jobs.

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