It’s just business: Manufacturing moves from Rockwell Automation, Zoetis, SDC Technologies and more

Manufacturers can only be as productive as their factories, and factories take up space. How manufacturers choose to expand — in what states and metro areas, how many people they hire, if they establish new locations or expand existing ones — are one of many key business decisions necessary to succeed in industry. Read on for a quick survey of recently-announced manufacturing expansions.

Expansion: Zoetis said it was nearing 70% completion of a new $590 million pet medicine plant in Douglasville, Georgia. According to local news reporting from 11 Alive, the factory west of Atlanta is expected to hire about 100 worker and start production in 2029, producing vaccine and antibody products for pets.

Expansion: Kratos Defense & Security Solutions announced November 13 it had opened a new Propulsion Manufacturing facility in Auburn Hills, Michigan. According to a company release, the new 22,500-square-foot factory has office, assembly and test areas for all four of the company’s Spartan turbojet engines.

Expansion: SDC Technologies announced November 14 that it would relocate its Irvine, California location to Rancho Santa Margarita, California. The new location will increase SDC’s overall footprint to 124,000 square feet and expand the headquarters’ office space, warehouse, production area and R&D lab. In a statement, Tokyo-based Mitsui Chemicals, Inc., SDC’s parent company, said the move would be completed October 2026 and may set the new site up as an innovation center for Mitsui Chemicals Group.

Expansion: Plastipak Packaging announced November 18 it would expand its Central Louisiana Manufacturing facility, spending $53.8 million to build a 200,000-square foot expansion. The expansion will add five new production lines for plastic packaging and creating 15 new factory jobs. The expansion is expected to be finished by the end of next year. In a statement, Plastipak Holdings CEO Ed Morgan thanked the state of Louisiana for its support for previous expansions at the site.

Expansion: Rockwell Automation will build a new greenfield manufacturing site in Southeastern Wisconsin, according to a November 18 release. The new site will include a million square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space, the industrial automation company said. Though the cost and specific location of the site are as-yet unannounced, Rockwell said the investment would be a step in the company’s plan to spend $2 billion on new investments through 2030.