
Business Facilities gives high rankings to Alabama, cities
Business Facilities magazine gives Alabama high rankings for its workforce training programs, auto manufacturing strength and overall manufacturing employment, while touting the economic growth potential of Mobile and Huntsville. In its 13th annual ranking report, the economic development-focused publication singled out Huntsville as the nation’s top metro area in aerospace/defense, citing its large concentration of…

Gateway Tire to invest $11 million in Alabama distribution center
DOTHAN, Alabama – Officials with Gateway Tire announced plans today to invest $11 million to open a 200,000-square-foot tire distribution center in Dothan’s Westgate Industrial Park, adding heft to the area’s strong distribution/logistics sector. The project will create 30 jobs initially, with more possible in the future. Governor Kay Ivey, who attended a groundbreaking ceremony…

Updated Alabama Launchpad competition spotlights entrepreneurs
AUBURN, Alabama – Alabama’s entrepreneurs have a growing list of opportunities to showcase their innovative ideas. The Economic Development Partnership of Alabama is expanding its successful startup competition, and the newest site is Auburn. EDPA is partnering with the City of Auburn, Auburn University’s Raymond J. Harbert College of Business and the Auburn Research and Technology…

North Alabama aviation firm upgrading Austrian Air Force helicopters
GUNTERSVILLE, Alabama – An aviation company that upgrades Black Hawk helicopters is deepening its roots in North Alabama while expanding its customer base around the world, starting with an order for the Austrian Air Force. Huntsville-based Ace Aeronautics, which does business as Global Aviation Solutions (GAS), has about 50 employees and plans to add another…

Recruiters to showcase Alabama craft beer at investment summit
Alabama’s craft beer boom will be showcased next week at a conference that is expected to attract investors from across the globe. State business recruiters will be working the SelectUSA Investment Summit, which promotes foreign direct investment in the U.S. During the summit, held in the Washington D.C. area, they plan to serve several varieties…

Alabama wins Silver Shovel award for economic development
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – Area Development, an economic development-focused publication, awarded Alabama a Silver Shovel for solid business recruitment and support in 2016, keeping alive a winning streak stretching back a decade. In announcing the award, Area Development noted that Alabama’s economic development team continues to build on a proven track record of success. “It’s almost…

Amazon to open $30 million Alabama ‘sortation center’
Amazon plans to invest nearly $30 million to open a 362,000-square-foot “sortation center” in Mobile, a facility that allows the Internet retail giant to accelerate deliveries of products purchased online. The Amazon center in west Mobile off Interstate 10 will ultimately employ more than 360 part-time employees, though that number could rise by 1,000 in…

Alabama foreign investment tops $1.5 billion in 2016, creating 3,250 jobs
Businesses based in countries around the globe continue to find a welcoming home in Alabama, as the state’s foreign direct investment (FDI) reached $1.57 billion last year, driving job growth in several industries. Expansions accounted for the vast majority of the 79 FDI projects announced by companies in 17 different countries. But there were notable…

Alabama team embarks on Canada trade mission
Alabama Secretary of Commerce Greg Canfield is leading a trade mission to Canada this week that aims to build on already strong ties with the state’s strongest international trade partner. The Alabama trade and business development mission kicks off Wednesday in Montréal, then shifts to Toronto for the 10th annual Southeast U.S.-Canadian Provinces (SEUS-CP) Conference,…

Scorecard: Alabama recruited more than 14,700 jobs in 2016
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Companies announced plans for more than 14,700 new jobs and nearly $4.2 billion in capital investment in Alabama during 2016, according to an analysis prepared by the Alabama Department of Commerce that chronicles wide-ranging economic development activity across the state last year. The 2016 New & Expanding Industry Report released today by Governor…


