McWane Science Center looks to future as Itty Bitty Magic City turns 1
Birmingham’s McWane Science Center marked a milestone this month, when its popular children’s museum, Itty Bitty Magic City, turned a year old. The $5 million facility, the largest capital expenditure at McWane since its 1998 opening, welcomed more than 300,000 guests during the past year and put on 1,100 different programs. Covering 9,300 square feet,…
World Stage: 2015 foreign investment reaches $3.4 billion
Foreign direct investment in Alabama topped $3.4 billion in 2015, as companies based in 18 different countries extended their reach into the state. The vast majority of the 95 FDI projects were expansions, including a major addition to the Mercedes-Benz plant in Tuscaloosa County. Other auto industry investments were growth at Hyundai’s Montgomery factory and…
Alabama 2015 scorecard: Project investment tops $7 billion
Alabama attracted more than $7 billion in capital investment in 2015, along with nearly 20,000 new and future jobs, as the state’s economic development team secured high-caliber projects in key growth sectors such as technology, aerospace and automotive. At a press conference at the Mercedes-Benz manufacturing facility in Vance today, Governor Robert Bentley released the…
World-famous Barber Motorsports Park gears up for Indy races
Barber Motorsports Park is preparing to welcome about 80,000 visitors this weekend for the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, the annual three-day event that showcases the Birmingham racing venue. Many will take in the sights at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, which houses the world’s largest collection of motorcycles and is undergoing a major…
Alabama Renewal Act gives state new recruitment tools
MOBILE, Alabama – At a ceremony this morning at the Port of Mobile, Governor Robert Bentley signed the Alabama Renewal Act into law, giving the state’s economic development team new tools as they pursue new jobs and investment. “The signing of the Alabama Renewal Act is another clear signal that Alabama is serious about economic…
Birmingham region attracts $1.1 billion in 2015 investment
The Birmingham Business Alliance said today that economic development activity during 2015 in its seven-county region resulted in more than 3,500 new and future jobs, along with nearly $1.1 billion in capital investment. The BBA said significant project announcements in 2015 included: Auto supplier Kamtek’s $535 million expansion at its Birmingham manufacturing facility, which included…
Game-changing Alabama projects claim investment awards
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – A national trade publication selected three 2015 Alabama economic development projects, valued at a combined $2 billion, for its elite investment awards, reflecting the powerful impact of these collaborative recruitment efforts. Editors at Trade & Industry Development magazine evaluated hundreds of projects from across the U.S. before selecting the 30 winners of…
Huntsville high-tech startup RadioBro opens Germany office
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama – RadioBro Corp., a start-up firm that makes miniature electronics systems for airplanes and spacecraft, has opened an office in Bremen, Germany, as it targets connections in the European aerospace industry. Brothers Mark, Eric and Daniel Becnel founded RadioBro in Huntsville in March 2014. The firm’s products include MiniSatCom, a lightweight spacecraft radio,…
Mobile Chamber signs trade memo as gateway to Morocco
CASABLANCA, Morocco – The Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce this morning signed a memorandum of understanding with the American Chamber of Commerce in Morocco calling for the organizations to promote trade and build mutually beneficial business connections. The development comes on the third day of an Alabama trade and business development mission that began in Spain…
Alabama trade mission targets opportunities in Spain, Morocco
Business leaders from across Alabama will be in Europe and Africa next week, seeking new markets for their state-made goods and services. Alabama Department of Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield is leading a trade and business development mission to Spain and Morocco that kicks off today with the group’s departure. The 16-member delegation is made up…
