Carolinas See More Than $1.2 Billion in Planned Project Starts in First-Quarter 2012

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--As we head into the final month of the first quarter of 2012, North Carolina and South Carolina have more than $1.2 billion in major industrial projects planned to kick off during the first three months of the year. While none of the projects are necessarily of the "blockbuster" sort, the 71 projects cover a diverse range of industries and geographies throughout the states.

Click on image at right for a breakdown by industry of planned 1Q12 project starts in the Carolinas.

The largest project set to get under way during the quarter is Bridgestone Firestone North America's plan to expand its tire production facility in Graniteville, South Carolina, which involves construction of a 483,000-square-foot building addition to the existing production building and a 9,400-square-foot addition to the existing powerhouse. The project is part of a larger, $1 billion-plus plan of Bridgestone to expand its Graniteville facility. For additional information, see January 24, 2012, article - U.S. Mid-Atlantic Region Has $1.7 Billion in Planned 2012 Plastics & Rubber Sector Construction Starts.

Following the Industrial Manufacturing Industry in terms of the value of 1Q12 project starts in the Carolinas is the Food & Beverage Industry. Mars Petcare US Incorporated (Columbia, South Carolina) is planning a $130 million expansion of its pet food plant in Columbia. In North Carolina, Smithfield Packing Company Incorporated (Smithfield, Virginia) is planning to add a 210,000-square-foot building addition with equipment at its ham processing and packing plant in Kinston, North Carolina.

Rounding out the top three industries in regard to the value of 1Q12 project starts in the two states is the Pulp & Paper Industry, largely due to the construction of a grassroot tissue mill in South Carolina.

Information on these and other projects is available in Industrial Info's North American Project Database.

View Project Report - 300046011 300053813 300050760 300023369

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, and eight offices outside of North America, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.