News
Amid trade friction, Alabama exports approach record total in 2018
Despite global trade tensions, the value of Alabama exports topped $21 billion in 2018 on increased shipments of chemicals, paper products and aerospace parts to overseas markets, figures from the U.S. Commerce Department indicate. Still, U.S. trade disputes with China and other countries that are Alabama’s top export destinations took a toll on shipments from…
Auto supplier Yongsan locating first U.S. facility in Alabama, creating 150 jobs
OPELIKA, Alabama – Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller announced that Yongsan Automotive USA will invest more than $5.5 million to open a manufacturing facility in the city’s Fox Run Business Park that will employ 150 workers after three years. Fuller’s announcement came during an Opelika City County meeting on Tuesday night when Yongsan’s plans for its…
Sec. Canfield: ‘Rebuild Alabama’ will solidify economic development gains
Alabama Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield said today that infrastructure improvements financed by Governor Kay Ivey’s “Rebuild Alabama” plan would help the state’s economic development team sustain momentum as it seeks to recruit high-caliber jobs and companies. “I believe we need to focus on infrastructure as a key issue in Alabama at this critical time,” Secretary…
Next-gen Mercedes GLE SUV rolls from Alabama toward showroom debut
The latest version of the vehicle that launched Alabama’s auto industry is expected to arrive in dealer showrooms this spring. The redesigned 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE SUV is yet another key milestone for the automaker’s Tuscaloosa County factory, which has been in near continuous expansion mode since it began producing vehicles more than 20 years ago.…
Record level of film activity puts Alabama in industry spotlight
Building on a record-setting year for film projects in Alabama, the stage appears set for a sequel, with a string of movie productions already filming in the state or getting the cameras and crews ready for action. Since Oct. 1, more than a dozen movie and TV productions have qualified for state incentives available to…
Utility-scale solar projects brighten Alabama’s tech recruitment efforts
Massive new utility-scale solar farm projects are poised to dramatically expand Alabama’s solar power capacity as major technology companies make their first significant investments in the state. In the last three months alone, the Tennessee Valley Authority has announced plans for large solar installations in North Alabama tied to data centers being constructed by Google…
New leaders to steer growth at Alabama operations of Mercedes, Honda
There are new faces at the top of Alabama’s auto industry, as both Mercedes-Benz and Honda plan leadership changes in the coming months. Tetsuya Endo will become the new president of Honda Manufacturing of Alabama, effective April 1, the company said last week. Endo, who comes to HMA from Honda’s Marysville, Ohio, plant, is replacing…
$215M U.S. Steel project provides spark for Alabama steel industry
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – United States Steel Corp.’s plans to invest $215 million to install a technologically advanced electric arc furnace at Fairfield Works is expected to provide a boost to Alabama’s steelmaking industry in its historic home. U.S. Steel had initiated construction of the EAF at its Tubular Operations in Fairfield in March 2015 but…
Kemira investing $70 million to expand Alabama operation, creating 20 jobs
MOBILE, ALABAMA — Finland-based Kemira announced this morning that it is investing $70.8 million to expand production at its Mobile facility. The company is a polymer producer serving the pulp and paper, oil and gas, and water treatment industries. The project will create an additional 20 jobs, growing Kemira’s Mobile workforce by 32 percent, to…
Decatur’s Jeremy Nails wins top Alabama economic development award
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – Jeremy Nails of Morgan County was named the recipient of the David R. Echols Distinguished Service Award, the top honor for economic development professionals in Alabama. Nails, president and CEO of the Morgan County Economic Development Association, was selected by the Alabama Department of Commerce for the award that is presented annually…