News
Mercedes decision lifted Alabama international business profile
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – When automaker Mercedes-Benz announced in 1993 that it had picked a 966-acre tract of land near Vance, Ala. – population 300 – to house its first assembly facility outside of Germany, the news instantly raised Alabama’s profile in the international business community, according to economic developers. “It was clearly Day One for…
Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield: Mercedes-Benz launched new era for Alabama
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Twenty years ago, on Sept. 30, 1993, Mercedes-Benz announced plans to build its first U.S. factory in Vance, Ala. In just two decades, Alabama has transformed from a state with virtually no experience in auto production into the country’s fourth largest auto producer, churning out nearly 900,000 vehicles a year. Mercedes has done…
Mercedes-Benz set foundation for Alabama auto industry growth
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – The three-pointed star of Mercedes-Benz is still casting a glow over Alabama 20 years after the global automotive giant picked the state for its first U.S. passenger car factory. Mercedes’ decision, announced in Tuscaloosa on Sept. 30, 1993, represents the moment the foundation was laid for an auto industry that continues to…
Alabama used teamwork, training and trust to win landmark Mercedes-Benz plant
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Alabama’s pursuit of Mercedes-Benz’s first U.S. auto plant featured code names, clandestine meetings and plenty of behind-the-scenes drama, but it was teamwork, training and trust that landed the groundbreaking project, according to leaders who were involved in the recruitment. Next week, Mercedes and Alabama will celebrate 20 years since the company announced…
Auto supplier Bolta Werke will create more than 350 jobs at new Tuscaloosa plant
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – Governor Robert Bentley said today that Bolta Werke GmbH, a member of the Purico Group, will build its first U.S. production facility in Tuscaloosa, expanding the state’s vast network of auto suppliers serving major assembly plants in the region. During a news conference in Tuscaloosa today, Bolta and Purico said they will…
Ted Koppel: “Alabama has taken its place among the great states”
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — Nearly 50 years after walking alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and thousands of others while reporting on the civil rights march in Selma, veteran journalist Ted Koppel says the Alabama of today is a “totally different place” than the Alabama of 50 years ago. “Alabama has taken its place among the great states,”…
Area Development ranks Alabama a top state for business, touts labor force
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Leading site consultants from around the nation again picked Alabama as a top state for business, citing its competitive labor costs and ranking it highly in numerous other categories that are key to economic developers, according to a survey in Area Development magazine. For the fourth consecutive year, Alabama ranks among the…
Alabama market briefings to promote exports to Southeast Asia
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — The Alabama Department of Commerce and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Export Assistance Center along with other Export Alabama Trade Alliance members will present a series of market briefings on Southeast Asia, featuring speaker Wanwemol Charukultharvatch, senior commercial specialist at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand. Events are scheduled for Sept. 26 at…
NASA tests 3-D printed rocket part at Alabama’s Marshall Space Flight Center
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — NASA‘s largest 3-D printed rocket engine component generated a record 20,000 pounds of thrust during a test at Huntsville’s Marshall Space Flight Center, which has long played a vital role in the U.S. space program. According to the space agency, the Aug. 22 test in Alabama represented a “milestone” for reducing the…
Alabama gets high marks in economic development magazine’s rankings
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA – Alabama ranked in the Top 10 in six different categories in Business Facilities‘ 2013 Rankings Report, an annual report card of how U.S. states are performing in economic development. The publication targets site consultants and economic developers. This year, the magazine took a close look at states’ energy rankings. Alabama ranked No.…