News
Alabama ranks among best states for small businesses
MONTGOMERY, Alabama –Alabama is among the best states for small businesses, according to a national survey by Thumbtack.com and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Alabama ranked No. 2 for overall small business friendliness in the 2013 survey, trailing only Utah. Alabama’s rank improved from No. 10 among the states in a 2012 survey. In the…
Honda shows off Alabama-made 2014 Acura MDX in New York
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — The first Alabama-made 2014 Acura MDX sport utility should move into production at Honda’s manufacturing plant in Lincoln at the end of April, plant officials said after the model debuted at the New York International Auto Show today. The redesigned Alabama-made 2014 Acura MDX is quicker, more aerodynamic and features a new…
Alabama Department of Commerce to conduct Canada export meetings
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — The Alabama Department of Commerce and the Alabama Export Alliance will conduct a series of seminars on April 9 and 10 in Huntsville, Birmingham and Mobile to help companies learn how Canada is a lucrative market for Alabama exports. Keynote speakers — Frank Carrico, Commercial Consul for the U.S. consulate General in Toronto, and…
Magazine taps Alabama Department of Commerce for award, citing Airbus
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — The Alabama Department of Commerce has received a “Top Five Award of Excellence” from Expansion Solutions Magazine for successfully recruiting, retaining and assisting growing companies in the aerospace and defense industries in 2012. The magazine, launched in 2002 and designed to inform key site selection consultants and corporate real estate brokers about…
Mercedes-Benz adding Alabama logistics facility with 500 jobs, Tuscaloosa News says
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – The Mercedes-Benz Alabama unit plans to build a 900,000-square-foot logistics facility at the German automaker’s assembly plant in Vance, creating 500 jobs, according to a report in The Tuscaloosa News. Site preparation already has begun, and Mercedes-Benz officials told the newspaper they expect to have the auto parts staging facility operational by…
Indorama Ventures to invest $190 million in new Alabama PET resin plant
DECATUR, Alabama – Governor Robert Bentley announced today that Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited, the world’s leading manufacturer of PET resins, will invest $190 million to build a new manufacturing plant adjacent to its current site near the Tennessee River in Decatur operated by its subsidiary, AlphaPet Inc. The new plant will be capable of…
Alabama’s Rescue ONE secures 75-boat order from Thai government
MADISON, Alabama — Rescue ONE, which makes specially designed police, fire and rescue boats, announced today that it has secured an order for 75 rescue boats for the government of Thailand, a country that has been plagued by deadly floods. Madison-based Rescue ONE said the boats will be shipped in phases over the next six…
Department of Commerce unveils Made in Alabama brand at press event
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — The Alabama Department of Commerce this morning launched a new branding campaign – Made in Alabama – designed to build on the economic development momentum that has created more than 38,000 jobs in the past two years. Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield unveiled the brand at a press event this morning, uncovering a…
Governor Bentley Comments on 2012 New & Expanding Industries
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Alabama Governor Robert Bentley today released details from the 2012 New and Expanding Industries Report, which showed a second year of steady growth for new jobs in Alabama and capital investment across the state. Companies establishing new operations in Alabama or expanding facilities already in the state announced capital investments exceeding $5.4…
Alabama bioscience industry targeted for growth
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – The Alabama bioscience industry already has strengths, but officials in the field have a strategy to expand the sector’s reach, just as state officials once did to nurture a fledgling automotive manufacturing industry into a top producer. Alabama’s current bioscience palette – according to BioAlabama, the state affiliate of the Biotechnology Industry…