News
Alabama auto industry provides backdrop for regional conference
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – For the Alabama auto industry, the needle has been moving toward rapid growth, with production gains, new and redesigned models, job growth, and additional investment. Consider these facts: More than new 6,600 jobs in Alabama’s auto industry have been announced since the beginning of 2013 New auto-related investment topping $1.5 billion has…
‘Bike No. 1’ goes to Barber museum as Motus Motorcycles begins production
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Motus Motorcycles founders Lee Conn and Brian Case spent nearly six years developing a dream bike that shredded speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats in August. Now, they’re ready to power through a production ramp-up that will prompt the company to expand its Birmingham operations. But first, Motus’ Bike No. 1…
GKN Aerospace launches Alabama engineering design center
TALLASSEE, Alabama – GKN Aerospace’s Alabama leadership joined state and local officials today to officially break ground on an addition to the company’s Tallassee facility that will house an engineering design center. U.K.-based GKN Aerospace announced the Alabama engineering design center at the Farnborough International Airshow in July. Today’s event signified the beginning of construction…
Alabama-Japan partnership grows with new investment, jobs
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – Alabama is attracting new investment and job-creating projects from Japanese manufacturers as the relationship between the Asian economic powerhouse and the state continues to grow. This week, Japan-based Asahi Kasei, which operates manufacturing facilities around the globe, held a groundbreaking ceremonyfor a $30 million plant in Athens that will produce plastic pellets…
Alabama Launchpad awards $250,000 to promising startups
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Five promising Alabama startups will split $250,000 in Alabama Launchpad funding after impressing judges in a “Shark Tank”-style contest staged this week by the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA). Gov. Robert Bentley was on hand to help pass out checks to the winners at today’s Alabama Innovation and Entrepreneurship Conference at…
Intermodal hub positions Alabama in Norfolk Southern’s future
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — You can almost gauge the state of the economy by watching the train and truck traffic at Norfolk Southern Corp.’s Birmingham Regional Intermodal Facility (BRIMF). Shipping containers packed with everything from retail goods bound for stores to auto parts bound for factories move in and out of the $97.5 million, 316-acre facility in…
Curse Inc. CEO: Why our tech firm moved its headquarters to Alabama
By Hubert Thieblot, CEO of online game portal Curse Inc. HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — Things at Curse Inc. have never been better. As an organization, we have several rapidly growing products, we have just obtained the funding needed to take our company to the next level and we have created a technical infrastructure that will scale…
Consultants rank Alabama a top state for business, Area Development says
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – Site selection consultants surveyed by national economic development publication Area Development ranked Alabama a top state for doing business and gave high marks to the state for its labor climate and business environment. Alabama placed No. 4 in Area Development’s 2014 survey of the “Top States for Doing Business,” the fifth consecutive…
SharkBite maker to expand Alabama manufacturing base, create 130 jobs
CULLMAN, Alabama – Reliance Worldwide Corp., a leading maker of products for the plumbing and heating industries, announced plans today to open a new manufacturing facility in Cullman to launch U.S. production of its innovative SharkBite plumbing connection system, creating 130 jobs over five years. Atlanta-based Reliance Worldwide (RWC), operating in Cullman as Cash Acme,…
Mercedes-Benz to boost annual Alabama output to 300,000 vehicles
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – Mercedes-Benz, which launched Alabama’s auto industry nearly two decades ago, plans to sharply increase production at its Tuscaloosa County plant over the next two years, boosting annual capacity to 300,000 vehicles from the 185,000 produced there in 2013. Daimler AG and Mercedes executives said at the Vance plant today that the automaker…