Florida is continually listed as one of the top 10 states for manufacturing according to Global Trade Magazine. And with two recent advanced manufacturing announcements totaling $11 million in capital investment, Jacksonville is adding to the state’s reputation for excellence in this area.
West Virginia-based plastics manufacturer, Flying W Plastics, announced its plans for a new facility in Northwest Jacksonville. The company, which makes piping products for water, gas, sewer and geothermal uses, will invest $8 million in the facility and create 28 new jobs.
The company primarily sells its product along the Eastern Seaboard and was looking for a second location to supply markets in Florida and the Southeast.
Finding the need to expand in the Southeast as well, Ohio-based H&M Metal Processing invested $3 million in real estate, renovations and custom-built processing equipment for a 35,000-square-foot-manufacturing facility in downtown Jacksonville. The provider of thermal chemical heat treating coatings to hydraulic, fire arm and locomotive engine components specializes in Blacknitride+™ and other heat treatment processes for the defense, medical, oil and gas, hydraulic, aerospace and locomotive industries. It will employ 25 at full production capacity and began production at the facility in June 2020.
“When advanced manufacturers are looking for a place to serve their customers in the Southeast, more and more are choosing to invest in Jacksonville,” JAXUSA Partnership President Aundra Wallace said. “They can get their product to customers in both South Florida and Atlanta in the same day and know we have the skilled workforce they’ll need to get the job done.”
The Jacksonville region has seen significant growth in the advanced manufacturing industry in the first half of 2020 with 80 percent of the region’s announced projects being in the industry. The announced projects, including Eagle LNG, Made In Space’s new headquarters and Collins Aerospace, make up more than 300 jobs and $555 million in private capital investment.