Columbus chamber names top two economic projects of the year
Pratt & Whitney’s expansion projects and the filling of a major employer hole by Convergys were named the top projects of the year at the 2017 State of Economic Development luncheon Tuesday in Columbus.
The awards for the two companies were presented by the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce, which holds the regional luncheon each year at the Columbus Convention and Trade Center. Pratt & Whitney was honored in the category of manufacturing and Convergys in the office category.
(Pratt & Whitney adding 500 jobs in Columbus with $386 million expansion)
It was in February that Pratt & Whitney announced a $386 million expansion of its Columbus operation, with it pledging to create 500 jobs over five years. The jobs are to be across the board at the facility, which includes engine repair and overhauls and blade forging on Macon Road. The plant employs about 1,200 already at two locations in the city.
Those capital investments were on top of a $65 million announced investment by the firm in 2016, preceded by a $22 million investment in late 2015. Pratt & Whitney, which came to Columbus in 1984, was hailed by Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal in February for its creation of “high-quality manufacturing jobs” and for “making a significant investment in the Columbus community.”
(Convergys celebrates six months in Columbus)
(Convergys to hire more than 150 employees for Columbus center)
While much more modest, the $2.2 million investment by Convergys to retrofit a Victory Drive call center building vacated by Road America represented a critical moment for south Columbus. Not only was the national call center operator filling the 200 positions lost by Road America, it pledged to employ 460 people within two years. Cincinnati-based Convergys provides back-office support for a variety of companies, hiring customer service representatives, management, human resources and recruiting staffers.
Smaller projects from which the city looks to benefit long term include Hammett Steel’s relocation from its longtime home in Phenix City to a 184,000-square-foot building on Northside Industrial Boulevard, with plans to employ more than 20 people. That move was announced last fall.
Firearms manufacturer Heckler & Koch also announced in January that it is pumping $28.5 million into its existing facility off Macon Road in Columbus, generating 84 jobs over two years. That project includes a 50,000 square-foot facility in Corporate Ridge Business Park slated to be ready this summer, with H&K expected to consolidate its New Hampshire operations to Columbus.
The speaker for the economic luncheon was Scott Kupperman, whose focus is on site selection trends in the food and beverage sectors, and the possibilities for Columbus. Kupperman is founder of Kupperman Location Solutions, a Chicago-based management consulting firm.
Tuesday’s event comes with the unemployment rate in the Columbus metro area at 5.8 percent in March. The Georgia Department of Labor will release April’s figure next week.
This story was originally published May 16, 2017 at 1:49 PM with the headline "Columbus chamber names top two economic projects of the year."