Great Lakes Region to See Nearly $11 Billion in First-Quarter 2016 Project Starts

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Boosted by automobile manufacturers as well as developers of natural gas-fired power plants and pipelines, the Great Lakes region continues to see billions of dollars in new projects. Industrial Info is tracking $10.93 billion in projects in the region that are slated for construction kickoffs in first-quarter 2016. Four industry sectors, including industrial manufacturing, power, oil and gas pipelines and food and beverages, comprise roughly 80% of the project spend.

Click on the image at right for a graph detailing active projects scheduled to kick off in the first quarter of 2016 in the Great Lakes region by industry.

The Great Lakes region includes Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. Most of the region's total investment value ($8.59 billion) is tied to 158 projects that are now in the planning phases, where plenty of factors could increase, decrease or eliminate the expected spending. The region also has 185 projects, valued at $2.34 billion, which are in the engineering or early construction phases.

Industrial manufacturing leads in the region with 88 projects, worth $3.7 billion, that are slated for first-quarter kickoffs. Among them is Ford Motor Company's (NYSE:F) (Dearborn, Michigan) $900 million automotive transmission manufacturing plant equipment addition at Sharon, Ohio. Walbridge (Detroit, Michigan) is serving as general contractor. Located at Ford's 2.4 million-square-foot manufacturing site, the addition is scheduled for completion in late 2018. For more information see Industrial Info's project report.

With 50 projects valued at nearly $2.3 billion, the Power Industry comes in second place. Pure Energy Resources LLC's (Burlington, Massachusetts) 800-megawatt (MW) combined cycle generating station at Lordstown, Ohio has an estimated $800 million price tag. The plant will include two 240-MW Siemens gas turbine generators, two duct-fired heat recovery steam generators and a 320-MW Siemens condensing steam turbine. Tetra Tech (NASDAQ:TTEK) (Pasadena, California) is serving as environmental consultant for the project, which is expected to reach completion in second-quarter 2018. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report. For related information on power plant projects in Ohio, see October 26, 2015, article - Bechtel Begins Construction of 800-Megawatt, Gas-fired Generator in Ohio.

Oil and gas pipelines are in third place, with 32 projects valued at $1.9 billion. Energy Transfer Partners' (NYSE:ETP) (Dallas, Texas) $625 million pipeline will move 3.35 billion cubic feet per day of Utica and Marcellus shale gas from Cadiz, Ohio to a hub near Defiance, Ohio. Part of the 710-mile Rover pipeline project, it is slated for completion in early 2017. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

The Food & Beverage Industry places a distant fourth, with a still respectable 57 projects valued at $836 million. Clemens Food Group (Hatfield, Pennsylvania) is preparing for a $255.7 million pork processing plant at Coldwater, Michigan. The 640,000-square-foot facility will process as many as 10,000 hogs per day. Gray Construction (Lexington, Kentucky) will carry out the project, which is expected to see completion in second-quarter 2017. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

The six remaining highest-value projects set to kick off in the Great Lakes region in the first quarter are:

• $400 million: Patriot Energy of Ohio LLC's Trash-To-Ethanol Plant in Hudson, Ohio
  For related information, see Industrial Info's project report.
• $400 million: Ford Motor Company's Axle & Drive Shaft Manufacturing Plant Equipment Addition in Sterling Heights, Michigan
  For related information, see Industrial Info's project report.
• $345 million: Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company's 22-MW Walnut Ridge Windfarm in Walnut, Illinois
  For related information, see Industrial Info's project report.
• $303 million: Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd's 150-MW Deerfield Wind Energy Project in Kinde, Michigan
  For more details on this project, see Industrial Info's project report.
• $300 million: Energy Transfer Partners LP's Rover Natural Gas Pipeline (Michigan Market Zone) in Adrian, Michigan
  For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.
• $250 million: Ford Motor Company's Engine Manufacturing Plant Equipment Addition in Lima, Ohio
  For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, five offices in North America and 10 international offices, 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. Follow IIR on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn. For more information on our coverage, send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.com or visit us online at www.industrialinfo.com.