Hitachi Energy to invest $528 million in Copiah County transformer plant, adding 654 jobs
Hitachi Energy will expand its transformer factory in Copiah County with a $528 million investment that the company says is its largest to date in the United States, state officials announced Tuesday. The project is expected to create 654 jobs.
Hitachi Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of Japan’s Hitachi, Ltd., manufactures transformers and other grid equipment. Its existing Copiah County facility produces small power transformers and employs 475 people.
The expansion includes the purchase of a 45-acre site at the Copiah County Industrial Park in Gallman, construction of a new facility, new manufacturing equipment and infrastructure improvements. According to the Mississippi Development Authority, it will increase the company’s production capacity and widen the range of small power transformers made domestically, at a time of growing demand across North America.
The Mississippi Development Authority is assisting through the Mississippi Flexible Tax Incentive, or MFLEX, program, and with site development and infrastructure improvements. Copiah County is also assisting with the project. The value of the state and county assistance was not disclosed.
Construction is expected to begin later this year, with transformer production scheduled to start in 2029.
“Hitachi Energy could’ve made its largest investment in America anywhere in the country – but the company chose Mississippi,” Gov. Tate Reeves said. “This $528 million investment will create over 650 new jobs while expanding the domestic manufacturing capacity our country needs to meet growing demand.”
Hitachi Energy CEO Andreas Schierenbeck said demand for electricity is growing rapidly and “the grid must grow with it.” He said the investment “reflects our long-term commitment to American manufacturing” and that the company was pleased to work with the Trump administration and Gov. Reeves “at a pivotal time for U.S. energy security.”
MDA Executive Director Bill Cork said reliable energy infrastructure “has become one of the most important factors in economic growth,” adding that the expansion “puts Copiah County at the center of an industry that is increasingly critical to economic development.”
Copiah County Economic Development District Executive Director Arthur L. Evans, Jr. thanked MDA for its support and said the project would “strengthen Hitachi Energy’s operation, create new jobs and assist with continued economic growth of our community.”
AccelerateMS Executive Director Courtney Taylor said the state workforce agency would work with the company and education partners to prepare Mississippians for the roles. “This expansion is about more than adding 654 jobs. It will create new career pathways and generational opportunity across Copiah County and the surrounding region,” Taylor said.
Hitachi Energy has announced a series of U.S. transformer investments in recent years, including a facility for large power transformers in South Boston, Virginia, and expansions in Tennessee and Missouri.