News
BOCAR targets construction start for $115 million Alabama parts plant
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama – Executives from global auto supplier BOCAR Group said Tuesday that construction on a new $115 million manufacturing facility in Alabama will begin in spring 2018, with production launching at the site two years later. The 350,000-square-foot plant, located on Bibb Garrett Road just off Interstate 65 in the Limestone County portion of…
Video: How T-100 trainer jets would be manufactured in Alabama
Curious about how global aerospace company Leonardo’s Alabama workforce would manufacture the U.S. Air Force’s next-generation trainer aircraft if it’s picked for the role? Leonardo announced plans in March for an advanced manufacturing center in Tuskegee for its T-100 trainer jet, one of the contenders in an Air Force competition to replace its aging fleet…
SAS Automotive Systems to support Mercedes production in Alabama
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama — Global auto supplier SAS Automotive Systems is launching an operation in Tuscaloosa County to support the production of Mercedes-Benz’s next-generation sport utility vehicles in Alabama, adding 170 jobs to the state’s expanding auto sector. Germany-based SAS is the world’s leading module assembler, producing nearly 5 million cockpit modules each year on 33…
Alabama ranks high in Site Selection’s 2017 Business Climate rankings
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – Site Selection, an economic development-focused publication, ranked Alabama No. 6 in its annual State Business Climate survey, a healthy improvement over rankings in the previous two years. The magazine’s closely watched rankings are based largely on feedback from site selection consultants and corporate real estate executives, as well as the level of…
Auto supplier BOCAR to invest $115M in Alabama plant with 300-plus jobs
HUNTSVILE, Alabama — BOCAR, a Tier 1 automotive supplier, announced plans today to invest $115 million in a new plant in Alabama, creating more than 300 jobs in a project that adds to the state’s booming automotive manufacturing sector. BOCAR leaders made the announcement today at the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber, along with representatives of the…
Alabama Launchpad selects 2 innovative startups for funding
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Two Birmingham firms prevailed in the latest round of the Alabama startup competition that has pumped millions of dollars into innovative ideas across the state. The Alabama Launchpad Startup Competition Finale, held Wednesday night at Iron City, featured six teams that made pitches in front of a panel of judges and a…
Leonardo: Preparations for Alabama T-100 aircraft factory on track
VENEGONO, Italy — Executives of aerospace company Leonardo told an Alabama delegation touring an aircraft facility in Italy that preparations for a manufacturing operation in Tuskegee are on track to provide the T-100 next-generation jet trainer for the U.S. Air Force. Leonardo invited the Alabama team, led by Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield, to the Venegono…
Alabama aerospace industry gains velocity with new investment
Alabama’s aerospace and aviation industry is recording a landmark year, with a major haul of project announcements that bring the promise of international prominence to communities and workers across the state. So far this year, aerospace companies have unveiled plans to invest at least $500 million and bring more than 2,200 jobs to Alabama in…
Tuskegee Mayor Haygood: T-100 manufacturing facility will lift region
TUSKEGEE, Alabama – Sitting in the back seat of an F-16 jet on a flight over Tuskegee, Mayor Tony Haygood looked down at Moton Field and envisioned the historic airfield’s future as the production site of the U.S. Air Force’s next jet training aircraft. “From that height, it is amazing how you can see the…
Alabama team to tour Leonardo aircraft factory to advance T-100 project
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield is leading an Alabama delegation traveling today to Italy, where the group will meet with executives of aerospace giant Leonardo and tour a factory where the company manufactures a jet trainer aircraft that could one day be produced in Alabama. Earlier this year, Leonardo announced plans to build a…