News
Appliance maker Miele selects Alabama for its first U.S. production hub
OPELIKA, Alabama — Miele, the world’s leading manufacturer of premium domestic appliances, has selected Opelika as the location for a U.S. manufacturing hub that will employ hundreds of workers, according to an announcement today by Governor Kay Ivey. Germany-based Miele is launching a long-term growth project in the East Alabama city that ultimately will create…
Sec. Canfield to join Birmingham law firm after Commerce departure
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — Greg Canfield, who is stepping down as Alabama’s Secretary of Commerce after 12 years, will join Burr & Forman as the Birmingham law firm’s managing director of economic development on Jan. 2, 2024. During his tenure at the Alabama Department of Commerce, the state secured more than $70 billion in new investment…
Trade mission connects Alabama firms to Nordic bioscience ecosystem
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield is leading a delegation of Alabama bioscience businesses on a trade mission to this week’s Nordic Life Sciences Days (NLSDays), the largest Scandinavian partnering conference dedicated to the life sciences industry. The Alabama team, which includes representatives from six bioscience firms, arrived in Copenhagen today and was scheduled…
New $30 million EV training center will support auto industry growth
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Governor Kay Ivey announced today that Alabama is building a $30 million workforce training center in Decatur that will focus on electric vehicles and emerging technologies in order to position the state’s auto industry for the next chapter of its growth. The facility will be located on the campus of the Alabama Robotics…
Nucor plans $280 million investment project at Tuscaloosa steel mill
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama — Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa plans to invest $280 million to support current and future operations at the Tuscaloosa County rolling mill, the Tuscaloosa County Economic Development Authority announced today. The investment will expand current product lines and add a new product line to Nucor’s steel coil and plate offerings in Tuscaloosa County, where…
Digital health startup Acclinate plans to add 25 workers in Birmingham expansion
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — Acclinate, a digital health company that’s confronting the problems posed by the underrepresentation of people of color in clinical research, plans to launch a growth project in Birmingham that will add 25 new full-time workers, according to the Alabama Department of Commerce. Birmingham-based Acclinate couples community engagement with data analysis to assist biopharmaceutical…
Long-standing Alabama-Japan bonds on full display at celebration
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — Six Japanese companies embarking on investment projects in Alabama were recognized Thursday night at a ceremony that highlighted the deep economic and cultural connections that link the Southeastern state and the Asian nation. The Japan-America Society of Alabama (JASA) dinner at the Renaissance Birmingham Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa brought together…
Commerce teams in free mental health training for businesses
Business supervisors across Alabama can now receive free training on recognizing and responding to mental health issues among their employees. The 8-hour training session is provided by the University of Alabama’s ViTAL partnership, which uses education and training to help improve mental health in the state. The training is held at the business, or virtually.…
Gov. Ivey: Alabama’s rural developers making ‘remarkable’ progress
PRATTVILLE, Alabama — Economic developers from rural communities across Alabama were urged Wednesday to keep their winning streak going at the 2023 RurAL Summit sponsored by the Alabama Department of Commerce and held at the Central Alabama Community College. Since 2020, the state’s rural counties have attracted over $4 billion in new capital investment through…
BASF marks 2 major milestones at Huntsville catalyst plant
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — BASF Environmental Catalyst and Metal Solutions (ECMS) representatives joined local and state officials today to celebrate a pair of milestones for the company’s Huntsville facility — its 50th anniversary and the production of the 500 millionth catalyst at the site. “Since the Huntsville site’s inception in 1973, we’ve continuously invested in innovative…