News

Techstars Alabama EnergyTech accelerator announces first start-up class
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – The Techstars Alabama EnergyTech Accelerator announced its first class of startups today – 10 firms from seven states launching an intensive, 13-week endeavor beginning this week. Three of the companies already call Birmingham home. As a group, these startups specialize in technology and business models to enhance the future of energy, including…

Site consultants rank Alabama a top state in Area Development survey
Site selection professionals surveyed by national publication Area Development once again ranked Alabama among the top states for doing business, citing a range of factors that underpin a business-friendly environment. Alabama ranks No. 6 overall in the magazine’s 2020 “Top States for Doing Business” analysis, continuing a long run in the annual survey’s Top 10…

Reignite Alabama competition awards $150,000 to 4 promising startups
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Four Alabama businesses that have developed innovative ideas to combat challenges in the COVID-19 era have been awarded a share of $150,000 to bring their plans to life. The businesses, with ideas that range from an exposure notification app for COVID-19 and other viruses to a new concept to promote safety in…

DURA Automotive to produce EV battery trays at new Alabama facility
MUSCLE SHOALS, Alabama – Michigan-based DURA Automotive Systems announced plans today to invest $59 million to open a manufacturing facility in Muscle Shoals that will produce battery trays for electric vehicles. The project, which includes critical support from the Shoals Economic Development Authority, will create 279 direct jobs and expands the potential for Alabama’s auto…

Geneva County targets manufacturers with new spec building
HARTFORD, Alabama – Officials in rural Geneva County believe their job-creation efforts will receive a major boost from a new 45,000-square-foot speculative building that’s ideal for a manufacturing operation. A ceremonial groundbreaking for the building in the Geneva County Industrial Park was held this month. Construction on the structure, located near to the Air Performance…

JELD-WEN adds product line at Alabama facility, creating 40 jobs
WEDOWEE, Alabama – Charlotte, North Carolina-based JELD-WEN Inc., one of the world’s largest door and window manufacturers, plans to expand production at its plant in Randolph County, creating up to 40 new jobs at the facility, officials announced today. The expansion at the Alabama facility stems from JELD-WEN’s decision to move the assembly of patio…

Mazda Toyota Manufacturing to boost Alabama investment by $830 million
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama – Mazda Toyota Manufacturing (MTM), the joint venture between automakers Mazda Motor Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp., plans to make an additional $830 million investment in Alabama to incorporate new cutting-edge manufacturing technologies to its production lines and provide enhanced training to its workforce of up to 4,000 employees. “Toyota’s presence in Alabama…

FedEx Ground to build $40 million logistics facility in Jefferson County
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – FedEx Ground plans to build a $40.6 million facility in Jefferson County that would create 285 full- and part-time jobs within three years of the project’s completion, the Birmingham Business Alliance announced today. The 300,000-square-foot FedEx Ground facility will stand on a 46-acre site off Lakeshore Parkway, a growing logistics and distribution corridor…

Toyota Alabama installing 3.3-acre solar array in environmental push
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama – The Toyota engine plant in Huntsville is playing a key role in the automaker’s new solar energy plan, as part of a $9.3 million investment designed to cut the need for outside energy in its operations across three states. The company is adding nearly 11 acres of new solar arrays in Alabama,…



