Report: 2021 growth projects bringing Alabama $7.7 billion in new investment
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Governor Kay Ivey announced today that economic development activity across Alabama surged during 2021, with a new report showing that projects launched during the year will inject $7.7 billion in capital investment and almost 10,200 jobs into the state’s strengthening economy. The project activity is outlined in the 2021 New & Expanding…
Macon County logistics park project preps for initial construction
TUSKEGEE, Alabama — Construction is scheduled to begin soon on the first building in a logistics park along Interstate 85 in Macon County that backers say could have a massive economic impact when its three phases are developed. The project, called the Regional East Alabama Logistics (REAL) Park, stems from a partnership between the Macon…
Nature’s Earth Products plans $10.8 million expansion at Pickens County plant
REFORM, Alabama — Nature’s Earth Products LLC plans to invest over $10.8 million in an expansion project that will double the manufacturing capacity of its environmentally friendly products at the company’s facility in Pickens County. The Alabama Department of Commerce announced today that the growth project will add 12 new jobs to the Nature’s Earth…
Project to build $202 million graphite processing plant in Alabama kicks off
KELLYTON, Alabama — Westwater Resources and its subsidiary, Alabama Graphite Products LLC, this morning officially launched construction of a first-of-its-kind graphite processing plant in Coosa County that will produce an essential material for electric vehicle batteries. The $202 million plant, which is being built in the Lake Martin Regional Industrial Park just off U.S. 280…
Mercedes gives first look at electric EQS SUV coming to its Alabama assembly line
Mercedes-Benz gave the world a first glimpse today of the 2023 EQS sport utility vehicle, an all-electric luxury ride that will be built at the automaker’s Alabama plant later this year. The world premiere of the EQS SUV comes amid preparations at the Mercedes campuses in Tuscaloosa County, where the EQS and sibling EQE SUVs…
Across rural Alabama, downtowns are making an energetic comeback
Cities in rural Alabama are seeing a rebirth in their downtowns, with a blitz of new business openings, property renovations and multimillion-dollar investments. Pop-up shops, green spaces, art festivals and social media buzz are among the trends that are helping drive the efforts to bring merchants, residents and visitors back to the heart of the…
Alabama researchers focus on peanut genome to improve harvests
Peanuts are an important part of rural Alabama’s economy, and the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology is doing innovative research aimed at producing healthier harvests. Scientists at the Huntsville facility have partnered with the state’s farmers and agricultural industry leaders on genomic projects involving peanuts. The work involves an integrated approach, with researchers using input from…
Tenax plans $1 million in upgrades, new jobs at rural Conecuh plant
EVERGREEN, Alabama — Tenax Corp. plans to invest $1 million on improvements and new production machinery at its manufacturing facility in Evergreen, where it has operated for three decades, according to Conecuh County Economic Development. In addition, Tenax will create eight to 12 additional jobs tied to a new initiative to make the Evergreen facility…
Mercedes-Benz opens battery factory for Alabama-built electric vehicles
WOODSTOCK, Alabama — Mercedes-Benz today officially opened a new battery plant on the automaker’s Bibb County campus, a few months before the start of production of all-electric Mercedes-EQ vehicles at its Alabama manufacturing center. Mercedes will produce the EQS SUV and EQE SUV in its plant in Alabama, as part of a global push to…
University programs put spotlight on rural Alabama communities
Universities across Alabama are engaged in a number of activities that offer promising developments for the state’s rural communities and the key industries that power their economies. For example, Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine is the site of a new program that will study diseases among livestock that pose a threat to public health,…
