Southern Metro Welcomes Manufacturing

If you’ve been noticing a lot of interest in manufacturing in the South, you’re onto something.

Manufacturing momentum in the South looks promising. A recent Oxford Economics report, “Made in America—Investments Favor Southern Metros” (September 2025), states that “Decision-makers tend to favor the South for new construction due to tax incentives and lower regulations.”

Quality spoke to Barbara Denham of Oxford Economics about the report. Denham says she wasn’t surprised by the data in the report since she’d been studying it for a while. She noted that several industries were experiencing strong growth, particularly in batteries and electric vehicles.

The report states, “Austin (Tesla), Spartanburg (BMW), San Antonio (Toyota), Lansing (GM), and Tennessee (Ford's Blue Oval) are just a few metros seeing new EV or other auto manufacturing construction. Ford’s new battery plant in Glendale, KY, along with similar projects across the Southeast, has led to the region being dubbed “the battery belt.”

Denham agrees.

“Nashville is way ahead of a lot of places,” she said. “Everybody wants to be the in the South. The Rust Belt is primed for new manufacturing but not seeing it like other parts of the country.”

As the report states, “In battery manufacturing, Nashville and Albany have seen rapid growth since 2019, albeit from a relatively low base. In EV and auto manufacturing, Chattanooga—home to Volkswagen and its all-electric ID.4—has seen strong growth.”

One of those electric vehicle plants is located in Canton, MS.

Victor Taylor is the vice president of manufacturing at the award-winning Nissan Canton vehicle assembly plant with more than 20 years of engineering and manufacturing expertise. He's also written for Quality about his EV journey.

Quality spoke with Taylor to discuss his work in EV manufacturing:

What’s Driving Manufacturing at Nissan Canton

To meet more manufacturing leaders, quality professionals can head to Nashville next March. The inaugural Manufacturing & Automation Exchange (MAX) will take place March 25-26. For more information, visit https://themaxevent.com.