News
New UAH wind tunnel ready for supersonic research
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama – A new $2 million wind tunnel system at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) is ready to undertake supersonic flow research with Mach numbers up to 3 — airspeeds topping 2,000 miles per hour. Built with support from the Alabama Innovation Fund, the SuperSonic/TranSonic/WindTunnel, or SS/TS/WT, resides in the Air Breathing Test Cell…
Four trends lifting Alabama aerospace industry to new altitudes
One day last month, a barge floated along the Tennessee River toward NASA’s Alabama hub, the Marshall Space Flight Center. On board was a key piece of hardware for the agency’s Space Launch System, its new deep space exploration rocket. The hardware – fabricated at the United Launch Alliance rocket plant a few miles away…
Wheels Up: New video captures Alabama aerospace ascent
Alabama’s aerospace industry is blasting to new heights. With Airbus ramping up passenger jet production in Mobile and companies such as GE Aviation and UTC Aerospace Systems expanding their presence in the state, Alabama is primed for growth in the sector. “Alabama has a long history in aerospace and aviation, but the future for this…
Southeast Alabama targets aerospace connections at Farnborough
Southeast Alabama has a long history of successful aerospace operations, and its business and government leaders hope to build on that legacy with new jobs and investments. Representatives from Dothan, Enterprise, Andalusia and elsewhere in the region are part of the Alabama economic development team that will court business prospects at the Farnborough International Airshow…
Gov. Bentley to head Alabama team at Farnborough Airshow
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Governor Robert Bentley is leading an Alabama delegation that includes top economic development specialists to the Farnborough International Airshow near London next week for meetings aimed at fueling additional growth in the state’s aerospace sector. Governor Bentley and a small working team from the Alabama Department of Commerce will join recruiters and government…
New Alabama-built Santa Fe Sport SUVs roll off Hyundai line
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – Hyundai’s Alabama auto plant successfully launched mass production of the Santa Fe Sport on Wednesday. Workers built about 50 of the SUVs on the first day, and they will ramp up to possibly 200 per day next week, said Robert Burns, spokesman for the automaker’s Montgomery operations. By the end of the year,…
Kronospan creating 160 jobs in Alabama with $362M expansion
OXFORD, Alabama — Austria-based Kronospan, a leading manufacturer of wood-based panel products, said today that it plans to invest $362 million to expand its operations in Calhoun County, adding 160 jobs to its Alabama workforce. Kronospan said the expansion consists of four separate projects: Two laminate flooring and decorative paper impregnation lines A particleboard and…
Toyota Alabama — ‘engine capital of the world’ — marks 15 years
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — Long known for rocket engine production, Huntsville is on its way to earning the title of “engine capital of the world,” thanks to the presence of Toyota over the past 15 years. During that time, the Japanese automaker’s Alabama workers have built more than 4.5 million engines at its Huntsville factory, which…
Auto supplier voestalpine to invest $11 million in Alabama facility
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Austrian automotive supplier voestalpine Automotive Body Parts Inc. announced plans today to open an $11.1 million Birmingham facility that’s expected to create 42 jobs. Voestalpine will produce a variety of automotive components, including stamped and hot formed parts, at an existing facility located at 260-A Lyon Lane, in Birmingham’s Oxmoor Valley, according…
Hyundai Alabama to launch Santa Fe Sport SUV after $52M project
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Hyundai’s Alabama plant will start mass production of the Santa Fe Sport SUV this week, adding a third vehicle to the automaker’s busy Montgomery assembly lines. The launch is set for Wednesday, and the move will allow Hyundai to meet growing demand for the vehicle amid a strong U.S. market for trucks…