News
Cullman’s JELCO adds new dimension with health care PPE production
CULLMAN, Alabama – JELCO, a Cullman manufacturer that typically produces fall-protection gear for utility workers, is expanding its workforce and adding equipment as it ventures into a new product line – personal protective equipment for health care workers. Philip Clemmons, president and CEO of JELCO, said the move stems from his desire to make a…
Alabama automakers adopt COVID-19 safety measures as production ramps up
Alabama automakers have been ramping up production following the COVID-19 outbreak, with strict new protocols in place to prevent the spread of the virus. Toyota, Honda, Hyundai and Mercedes-Benz all are implementing similar measures as employees return to work, including temperature checks, staggered shifts, frequent sanitizing and additional protective gear. The restart of operations at…
5 ways Alabama is making a difference in the battle against COVID-19
The coronavirus crisis has brought unimagined challenges, but businesses across Alabama have answered the call to help health care workers and their communities through these difficult times. Alabama businesses, from large-scale manufacturers to small family-owned enterprises, have shown a willingness to go the extra mile to provide assistance during this unprecedented public health emergency. As…
Partnership to 3-D print face shields grows into network delivering impact
An impromptu mission to produce much-needed protective equipment for Alabama health care workers started with two 3-D printers in a home workshop running around the clock. It’s grown into a coordinated network of partners that includes motivated volunteers, three local high schools and companies wanting to help. This informal partnership has produced and delivered more…
Airbus launches A220 production on new Alabama assembly line
MOBILE, Alabama — Airbus said today that it has officially launched production of A220 aircraft at its newly constructed Final Assembly Line hangar at its Alabama manufacturing facility. Airbus also said its workforce in Mobile has begun production of the first U.S.-built A220 for U.S. airline company JetBlue. “The team is excited to start working…
Evonik opens advanced biomaterials facility in Birmingham with expansion
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — Evonik announced today that it has successfully commissioned an advanced biomaterials facility in Birmingham that will support global demand for the use of its RESOMER-brand bioresorbable polymers with implantable medical devices and parenteral drug products. The expansion will also allow Germany-based Evonik to provide contract manufacturing services to customers seeking to outsource…
BAMA task force targets PPE production for COVID-19 crisis and beyond
Alabama Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield says the state’s business community has stepped up during the COVID-19 pandemic by shifting output to produce badly needed personal protective equipment and medical gear for health care workers and ordinary citizens. While most of these moves have been temporary, Secretary Canfield glimpses a potential opening for Alabama to become…
Alabama PPE-maker Eastern Technologies ramps up in COVID-19 battle
A company in Alabama’s Wiregrass region is helping to fight the COVID-19 pandemic across the U.S. and in hard-hit regions around the world. Ashford-based Eastern Technologies Inc., a manufacturer of personal protective equipment serving a wide range of industries, provided coveralls that were used by hospitals and response groups in the early stages of the…
Warrior Met Coal plans Walker County barge facility amid major expansion
JASPER, Alabama – Warrior Met Coal Inc. plans to invest $50 million to construct a barge load-out facility in Walker County to support its expanding metallurgical coal mining operation near Tuscaloosa, a project that will add 12 new high-paying jobs. Warrior Met Coal is the state’s largest producer of met coal, used as a key…
Alabama researchers energize efforts to aid search for COVID-19 therapies
Alabama’s bioscience researchers and organizations have mobilized to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, helping to advance urgent work that could lead to new treatments and vaccines. This includes Birmingham-based TriAltus Bioscience LLC, which developed protein purification technology to support research into a new COVID-19 vaccine under development at the Earle A. Chiles Research Institute in Portland,…