BASF-YPC Co. Ltd. is a 50-50 joint venture between BASF and SINOPEC. The integrated complex operates a steam cracker (600,000 metric tons ethylene per year) and nine downstream plants on its 544-acre (220-hectare) site in Nanjing on the Yangtze River. BASF-YPC Co. Ltd. will produce about 1.7 million metric tons of high quality chemicals and polymers per year.

The $2.9-billion BASF and SINOPEC Verbund site in Nanjing, China, documented in the July 2004 issue of Site Selection, officially opened in late September. The site is BASF's largest single investment in its 140-year history. The opening came five years after the joint venture agreement and four years after groundbreaking. "By 2010 we want to achieve 20 percent of our sales and earnings in the chemical business in Asia," said BASF Chairman of the Board Dr. J ürgen Hambrecht, with roughly half of that coming from China. With that end in mind, BASF has budgeted another $1.2 billion to be invested in Asia through 2009.

The Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction is more than halfway home in its quest to honor projects with significant prize money awarded in five global regions. After announcing winners in Europe and Asia, the foundation in late September honored North American projects at a ceremony in Boston. Subsequent ceremonies will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, and in Brazil, to be followed by the presentation of the global award prizes next spring in Bangkok. Watch SiteNet for further information about the awards program and winning projects.

The new California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, Calif. (left), principally designed by Renzo Piano, earned the Holcim Awards silver prize for North America and a check for $50,000. The Gold Prize Winner, an affordable housing renovation project called "Greening the Infrastructure at Benny Farm" in Montreal, took home $100,000.

Late September saw the opening of a new $34-million FedEx Ground hub in Hutchins, Texas, near Dallas. The 325,000-sq-ft. facility is one of nine hubs to open as part of a network expansion plan that will include the relocation or expansion of more than 290 pickup and delivery terminals through 2010.

The new 325,000-sq.-ft. (30,193-sq.-m.) FedEx Ground hub in Hutchins, Texas, has added 700 new positions and is capable of processing up to 22,500 packages an hour. (Graphic: Business Wire)

In late September, Alcoa confirmed it would invest $1.6 billion in Brazil, in three major projects: a 2.1 million metric ton per year (mtpy) expansion of the Alumar consortium alumina refinery in Sao Luis, state of Maranhao; the creation of a bauxite mine in Juruti, in the state of Para, which will initially produce 2.6 million mtpy; and the modernization of the Pocos de Caldas aluminum smelter, in the state of Minas Gerais. "Our Brazilian operations are among the lowest cost facilities in our system as well as in the world," said Alain Belda, Alcoa chairman and CEO. "These investments, coupled with the ongoing expansion of captive energy production in Brazil, will further strengthen Alcoa's position on the global cost curve and allow us to meet growing global demand needs."

Kimberly-Clark announced in July it would consolidated six North American and European adult and feminine care operations into three strategic sites, resulting in production expansions at facilities in Conway, Ark., and Neenah, Wis., and closings at another plant in Neenah as well as two plants in Germany and Quebec. Conway was selected as a strategic site because of management's confidence in the facility's ability to deliver consistently strong performance in production and cost efficiencies and because of the quality and scale of its existing assets and its strategic location for efficient product distribution. "We are excited by the opportunities this decision represents for us," said John Pownall, Conway Facility Manager. "We will increase the scope and scale of our operations, and we plan to hire approximately 50 additional hourly and salaried employees by the end of 2006, bringing our total work force to approximately 500. "

The railroad member companies of IAMC have seen significant developments in the past two months. Most recently, on the economic development side, Michele (Mike) Keller, CEcD, regional manager, BNSF Economic Development located in Minneapolis, Minn., was presented with the 2005 International Economic Development Council Chairman's Lifetime Achievement Award on September 26, 2005. "As a railroad economic development expert, Mike has worked with communities and cities in more than 20 states. She has helped site more than $1 billion dollars worth of capital investment in economic development related projects during her 39-year career at BNSF," said Steven Budd, president, CityWide Development Corporation and chair, IEDC.

NOT STOPPING: Michele "Mike" Keller of BNSF, honored for lifetime achievement in economic development by the IEDC, still manages more than 100 ED projects annually for BNSF's Agricultural Products Business Unit, in addition to now serving as incoming Dean for the University of Oklahoma's Economic Development Institute and also assisting with the establishment of an economic development education program in Mexico.

On the capacity side, CN announced in August it would increase intermodal train capacity between Vancouver and Montreal and Toronto by more than 20 percent, while also increasing container moves from those eastern hubs to western Canada by 10 percent. One week earlier, CSX announced it would expand capacity between Chicago and Florida and between Albany, N.Y., and New York City. In all, CSX Surface Transportation will invest between $1.3 billion and $1.4 billion in the next two years, compared to average annual expenditures of $1 billion over the past three years.

Robert Assoian

CB Richard Ellis has agreed to acquire all outstanding shares of its 10-percent-owned Irish affiliate, CB Richard Ellis Gunne, for $24.6 million in cash. "Taking full ownership of CB Richard Ellis Gunne fits well with our growth strategy in Europe," said Brett White, President and CEO of CB Richard Ellis. "Ireland has assumed a significant role in the global economy. With a domestic economy growing at more than 5 percent per year, Ireland has one of the healthiest leasing and investment markets in Europe, says the firm. Irish investors are among the most active in Europe, having acquired nearly $6 billion of property in the 15 European Union countries in 2004, according to CB Richard Ellis Gunne research.