Alabama plant stars in Mercedes Brand Experience
Alabama isn’t just the center of manufacturing for Mercedes-Benz in the U.S., it’s also become the destination for thousands of the company’s employees on a mission to learn more about the brand. The Mercedes-Benz Brand Immersion Experience kicked off in September 2014, and since then, nearly 9,000 employees of the German automaker’s dealer network have…
Alabama mom’s special needs shopping cart makes splash
Drew Ann Long, the Alabama mom who created a shopping cart for children with special needs that has captured the attention of Target, Walmart and other major retailers, has no plans to slow down. Long and her invention, Caroline’s Cart, have been in the media spotlight in recent months, since Target said it was putting…
Alabama Robotics Park Phase 3 center readies for training
TANNER, Alabama — There’s a new state-of-the-art tool in Alabama’s worker training effor. Gov. Robert Bentley and other officials today are cutting the ribbon on Phase 3 of the Robotics Technology Park, an $80 million, 85-acre campus in Limestone County where employees from Alabama companies receive training on the latest equipment from top industrial robot…
Alabama blacksmiths lend talents to Belgium war memorial
A group of Alabama blacksmiths is helping to create a war memorial that will be erected in Ypres, Belgium, later this year. Athens Forge is made up of professional blacksmiths, hobbyists and other people who are interested in the ancient craft. The 45-member group, one of nine across the state that comprise the nonprofit Alabama…
Alabama trade team finds opportunities in Spain, Morocco
Spain and Morocco put out the welcome mat this week for Alabama business leaders, who visited the countries in an effort to strengthen trade ties. The 16-member state delegation is nearing the end of the trade mission, which kicked off in Spain with business-to-business meetings, networking opportunities and visits to several companies with a major…
Canadian auto supplier Kobay Enstel plans Alabama factory
OXFORD, Alabama — Canadian automotive supplier Kobay Enstel announced plans today to create at least 75 jobs over three years at a new facility in Calhoun County. The Calhoun County Economic Development Council said Kobay Enstel, which stamps metal parts for auto seats, is leasing a 60,000-square-foot speculative building on McIntosh Road in Oxford under…
Huntsville to become ‘Gig City’ with Google Fiber
Huntsville leaders announced plans today for a new fiber network that will bring ultra-fast Internet service to residents and businesses in Alabama’s Rocket City. Mayor Tommy Battle and Huntsville Utilities CEO Jay Stowe were joined by the director of expansion for Google Fiber, Jill Szuchmacher, who announced that the technology company is bringing its high-speed…
Alabama Workforce System brand unifies job services
The Alabama Workforce Council has presented a new set of recommendations to Governor Robert Bentley, including the creation and implementation of a new unified and universal brand for the Alabama Workforce System. The idea goes beyond just a logo, said Ed Castile, deputy secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce, director of the worker training…
Honda shows off Alabama-made Ridgeline in Detroit
DETROIT – The next Alabama-made vehicle made its debut today at the North American International Auto Show – the all-new 2017 Honda Ridgeline pickup, which is joining the production lineup at the automaker’s Lincoln assembly plant. Appearing in dealer showrooms in the spring, the second-generation Ridgeline is arriving on the market at a time when…
NASA’s Alabama hub moves closer to 3-D printed rocket engine
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — A team at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama test fired a demonstrator engine made mostly with 3-D printed parts, moving them a step closer to building a high-performance rocket engine using additive manufacturing. Over the past three years, Marshall has worked with several companies to produce and test complex 3-D…
