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…
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…
Southern Research Institute attacks cancer, environmental challenges and more
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – At Southern Research Institute, scientists are researching novel cancer therapies, testing advanced materials at temperatures up to 5,000 degrees and developing solutions to daunting environmental challenges. The not-for-profit research organization, whose main campus stands close to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, can offer clients a broad range of capabilities, according to…
Alabama STEM education initiative gets worldwide attention
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Six-year-old Blake examines three small wheat seeds under a magnifying glass and then documents what he has observed. He pinches together a piece of paper towel until it fits into a straw. The student deposits his seeds in the straw and the teacher places the straws in cups. The class discusses whether…
HudsonAlpha Institute builds base in Huntsville for biotech research
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — A biotechnology park – the brainchild of the successful Huntsville entrepreneurs behind the HudsonAlpha Institute – showcases the promise of biotechnology in Alabama. Entrepreneur Lonnie McMillian co-founded ADTRAN, the second largest supplier of telecommunications equipment in the U.S. Jim Hudson Jr. created Research Genetics, the world’s leader in genetic linkage products. Research Genetics…
AIDT training programs give Alabama advantage in industrial recruiting
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – In just about every corner of Alabama, AIDT, the state’s top-ranked job-training agency, is helping companies assemble workforces and upgrading worker skill sets. AIDT training programs are preparing workers to build “Made-in-Alabama” products such as next-generation warships for the U.S. Navy and luxury automobiles sold around the globe. The agency is teaching…
