BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – The seven-county Birmingham region gained more than 3,800 new jobs through economic development projects and business expansions in 2012, the Birmingham Business Alliance announced today.
Capital investment associated with the projects topped $843 million last year, the organization said at this morning’s Blueprint Birmingham Summit at the Cahaba Grand Conference Center. Blueprint Birmingham is the BBA’s strategic economic growth plan for the state’s largest metropolitan region.
“Work on Blueprint Birmingham has kept job creation and capital investment a top priority,” said BBA Chairman Fred McCallum, who also is president of AT&T Alabama. “Through a number of accomplishments – both big and small – our community is feeling the effects from the work of hundreds of public and private sector leaders, pulling together to help us prosper.”
BBA President Brian Hilson said the growth in 2012 was broad-based and should pay considerable long-term benefits. “I think it encourages more growth,” he said. “Success breeds success.”
As part of its 2013 Regional Economic Growth Report, the BBA highlighted progress in economic development, workforce development and other realms:
>>>70 companies announced 3,831 new jobs and $843.4 million in capital investment in the Birmingham region’s primary business sectors in 2012.
>>>The commercialization partnership between the BBA and the University of Alabama at Birmingham known as i2i resulted in the launch of five technology startups. (Read a story about the initiative.)
>>>Collaboration between workforce development officials and industry leaders from around the region helped identify and close workforce gaps.
>>>The BBA’s Business Retention and Expansion Program made 136 company visits in 2012, identifying needs and growth plans. The BBA also launched a new web site and a new magazine, Alliance.
“It is vital to our community’s prosperity that we recognize our most immediate needs and to respond to those needs through collaboration,” McCallum said. “The Blueprint plan has proven that when we respond as one, great things can happen for Birmingham.”
