News
Alabama claims Silver Shovel Award for 2015 projects
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – Alabama’s economic development team earned a Silver Shovel Award from Area Development magazine for its strong performance in 2015, keeping alive a winning streak that dates back a decade. The publication, which targets economic developers and site selection experts, announced the award today, noting that Alabama secured 2015 projects involving $7.1 billion…
Brenda Tuck joins Commerce as liaison to Regional Workforce Councils
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – The Alabama Department of Commerce announced today that Brenda Tuck will join its Workforce Development Division as a liaison to the state’s Regional Workforce Councils. Tuck brings years of experience in economic development to this new role at Commerce. Since 2012, she has served as executive director of the Marengo County Economic…
Commerce joins Alabama team at major biotech convention
A key recruitment official from the Alabama Department of Commerce is joining a delegation of state bioscience leaders at the BIO International Convention, the biotech sector’s largest annual conference, attracting more than 15,000 high-level industry figures from around the globe. BIO 2016 begins today at San Francisco’s Moscone Center and runs through Thursday. While there,…
Panasonic Avionics to join growing Mobile aerospace cluster
MOBILE, Alabama – The Mobile Airport Authority announced today that Panasonic Avionics Corp. will open an office at Mobile Aeroplex, adding another prominent industry player to the aerospace cluster growing around the Airbus final assembly plant. Panasonic Avionics is a leading supplier of inflight entertainment and communication systems in passenger aircraft. A unit of the…
Innovation Fund grant speeds rollout of AIMTech treadmill
The Alabama Innovation Fund helped speed the development of a revolutionary treadmill designed to allow people with neurological or physical disorders to exercise in a safe manner. The device, called the ResistX, is the first product from the Alliance for Innovative Medical Technology (AIMTech), a partnership between two Birmingham research powerhouses – Southern Research and…
Walmart Alabama veteran hires top 3,900 in ‘Welcome Home’ program
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – As Memorial Day approaches, retail giant Walmart said it has hired more than 3,900 veterans in Alabama as part of a company initiative called the Veterans Welcome Home Commitment. Across the nation, Walmart has hired nearly 131,000 veterans under the program, which was announced on Memorial Day 2013. In Alabama, the total…
Buckle Up: Alabama auto industry accelerates growth (Video)
Alabama’s auto industry is on a hot streak, with record production numbers, rising investment, expanded hiring, and redesigned models rolling off the assembly lines. Last year alone, the auto industry added around 6,500 jobs and $3 billion in new investment in the state, according to a preliminary analysis of data in the Alabama Department of…
Farmers Home Furniture plans $10M Alabama distribution hub
RUSSELLVILLE, Alabama – Farmers Home Furniture announced plans today to invest $10 million in a new distribution center in northwest Alabama, creating up to 80 jobs and strengthening its expanding retail presence in the Southeast. At a media briefing in Franklin County today, Farmers outlined plans for the hub, which will be located in a…
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,…
Appetite for Growth: Alabama food companies expanding operations
Companies across Alabama are investing millions of dollars in new and expanded specialty food processing operations that tap into growing national trends. From pickled okra and salsa in Pike County to dehydrated fruits and vegetables in Foley, the projects were part of a record year of economic development for the state in 2015, with overall…