Southwire Starts $256 Million Starkville Plant Expansion to Boost Wire Production

Southwire broke ground on a $256 million, 380,000‑sq‑ft expansion in Starkville, Mississippi, creating 130 jobs and targeting LEED Silver certification as data‑center and electrification demand rises.

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Southwire held a groundbreaking ceremony on October 1, 2026, officially launching a more than $256 million expansion of its Starkville, Mississippi, manufacturing campus.

The project will add about 380,000 sq ft of new manufacturing space, including a six‑story extrusion tower for copper‑wire production, and will first demolish two existing structures totaling roughly 40,000 sq ft.

Design‑build contractor Gray is responsible for demolition and construction, embedding sustainability measures such as rain‑water collection, provisions for future solar installations, and a target of LEED Silver certification.

Southwire expects the expanded facility to reach full operational capacity in 2028 while keeping its existing Starkville plant running throughout the construction phase.

The expansion will generate roughly 130 permanent jobs and will see a peak construction workforce of nearly 250 workers on site.

Mississippi officials, including the Mississippi Development Authority, describe the project as the largest single economic‑development initiative in Starkville, supported by state Flexible Tax Incentive assistance and local backing from Starkville and Oktibbeha County.

Southwire links the expansion to rising demand for electrical infrastructure driven by broader electrification, market growth and the rapid build‑out of data centers, which require extensive cabling and related components.

The Starkville project forms part of Southwire’s larger modernization program, which involves more than $2 billion of investment to upgrade its manufacturing footprint across the United States.