News
Magazine taps Alabama Department of Commerce for award, citing Airbus
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — The Alabama Department of Commerce has received a “Top Five Award of Excellence” from Expansion Solutions Magazine for successfully recruiting, retaining and assisting growing companies in the aerospace and defense industries in 2012. The magazine, launched in 2002 and designed to inform key site selection consultants and corporate real estate brokers about…
Mercedes-Benz adding Alabama logistics facility with 500 jobs, Tuscaloosa News says
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – The Mercedes-Benz Alabama unit plans to build a 900,000-square-foot logistics facility at the German automaker’s assembly plant in Vance, creating 500 jobs, according to a report in The Tuscaloosa News. Site preparation already has begun, and Mercedes-Benz officials told the newspaper they expect to have the auto parts staging facility operational by…
Indorama Ventures to invest $190 million in new Alabama PET resin plant
DECATUR, Alabama – Governor Robert Bentley announced today that Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited, the world’s leading manufacturer of PET resins, will invest $190 million to build a new manufacturing plant adjacent to its current site near the Tennessee River in Decatur operated by its subsidiary, AlphaPet Inc. The new plant will be capable of…
Alabama’s Rescue ONE secures 75-boat order from Thai government
MADISON, Alabama — Rescue ONE, which makes specially designed police, fire and rescue boats, announced today that it has secured an order for 75 rescue boats for the government of Thailand, a country that has been plagued by deadly floods. Madison-based Rescue ONE said the boats will be shipped in phases over the next six…
Department of Commerce unveils Made in Alabama brand at press event
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — The Alabama Department of Commerce this morning launched a new branding campaign – Made in Alabama – designed to build on the economic development momentum that has created more than 38,000 jobs in the past two years. Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield unveiled the brand at a press event this morning, uncovering a…
Governor Bentley Comments on 2012 New & Expanding Industries
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Alabama Governor Robert Bentley today released details from the 2012 New and Expanding Industries Report, which showed a second year of steady growth for new jobs in Alabama and capital investment across the state. Companies establishing new operations in Alabama or expanding facilities already in the state announced capital investments exceeding $5.4…
Alabama bioscience industry targeted for growth
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – The Alabama bioscience industry already has strengths, but officials in the field have a strategy to expand the sector’s reach, just as state officials once did to nurture a fledgling automotive manufacturing industry into a top producer. Alabama’s current bioscience palette – according to BioAlabama, the state affiliate of the Biotechnology Industry…
Southern Research Institute attacks cancer, environmental challenges and more
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – At Southern Research Institute, scientists are researching novel cancer therapies, testing advanced materials at temperatures up to 5,000 degrees and developing solutions to daunting environmental challenges. The not-for-profit research organization, whose main campus stands close to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, can offer clients a broad range of capabilities, according to…
How it will be made in Alabama: Airbus A320 production, from start to finish
MOBILE, Alabama — What will Airbus A320 production on the aviation giant’s final assembly line at Mobile Brookley Aeroplex look like? A video from Airbus paints a picture of how the A320 family of aircraft produced in Alabama could come together in the company’s new $600 million facility beginning in 2015. In the video, an A320 family jetliner is…
Alabama STEM education initiative gets worldwide attention
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Six-year-old Blake examines three small wheat seeds under a magnifying glass and then documents what he has observed. He pinches together a piece of paper towel until it fits into a straw. The student deposits his seeds in the straw and the teacher places the straws in cups. The class discusses whether…