First Alabama-made Airbus A321 ‘BluesMobile’ goes to JetBlue
MOBILE, Alabama – Airbus marked a major milestone at its new Alabama manufacturing facility today as the aviation giant delivered its first U.S.-made A321 passenger jet to customer JetBlue. The plane, which flew for first time on March 21, was nicknamed “BluesMobile.” Workers from the Alabama final assembly line joined the plane on the tarmac…
Auto supplier Mando launching $19 million Alabama expansion
OPELIKA, Alabama – Mando America Corp. plans to invest $19 million in its Alabama manufacturing operation and hire 32 new workers to support the expansion, officials said Tuesday night. South Korea-based Mando, one of the world’s largest auto parts suppliers, has based its North American headquarters in Opelika, where it makes brake components, suspension modules…
Alabama firm unveils new high-performance pickups
A Trussville-based specialty vehicle manufacturer has debuted the latest versions of an off-road, high-performance pickup that’s a key part of its product lineup. SCA Performance is rolling out to dealers the redesigned 2016 Black Widow, which is built on both the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra platforms. Features of the new Black Widow include a…
Honda debuts redesigned Alabama-made Acura MDX
Honda debuted a redesigned 2017 Acura MDX luxury sport utility at the New York International Auto Show, making it the latest in a string of new or updated models joining production lines in Alabama. The all-new MDX, which will be built at Honda’s manufacturing plant in Talladega County, is expected to arrive in dealer showrooms…
Images: Airbus A321 completes test flight in Mobile
MOBILE, Alabama — The maiden flight of the first Alabama-made Airbus A321 lasted for less than four hours, but the dramatic images capturing the test mission will linger as a reminder of a pivotal moment in the future of the state’s aerospace sector. Monday’s test flight from Mobile Aeroplex was designed to test the aircraft’s…
First Alabama-made Airbus A321 makes initial test flight
MOBILE, Alabama – Airbus test pilots this morning completed the maiden flight of the company’s first Alabama-made A321 passenger jet, carrying out on a three-hour mission designed to evaluate the plane’s performance and systems. The flight began shortly after 9:30 this morning from the airstrip at the Mobile Aeroplex, the site of Airbus’ new $600…
First Alabama-made Airbus aircraft shows off JetBlue colors
MOBILE, Alabama — The first Alabama-made Airbus A321 is sporting JetBlue colors. Airbus said today that painting of its maiden U.S.-built passenger jet has been completed in its paintshop at the company’s new, $600 million facility at Mobile Aeroplex. The aircraft emerged wearing JetBlue livery. “This latest milestone shows that the first aircraft to be…
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…
Golden State Foods launches $63 million Alabama project
OPELIKA, Alabama – California-based Golden State Foods Corp. has launched construction of a $63 million state-of-the-art meat processing facility in Alabama, expanding its investment in the project announced a year ago. Company leaders joined state and local officials this morning at a groundbreaking ceremony for the new 165,000-square-foot facility in the Northeast Opelika Industrial Park.…
First Alabama-made Airbus moves from production to paint
MOBILE, Alabama – The Airbus assembly facility at Mobile Aeroplex reached another milestone this week when the first Alabama-made jetliner left the production floor at the new $600 million plant and entered the paint shop. Airbus announced the development at the Alabama facility on Wednesday with a message on Twitter: “1st aircraft now out of…
