Regions Financial CEO Grayson Hall to chair SEUS Japan joint forum
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Grayson Hall, who leads Alabama’s only Fortune 500 company, has been named the 2015-16 private sector chairman for the Southeast U.S.-Japan Association as the group prepares for a joint meeting in Alabama with its Japanese counterpart. Hall, who serves as chairman, president and chief executive officer of Regions Financial Corp., will lead…
Governor’s Trade Excellence Awards honors export success
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Governor Robert Bentley today honored eight homegrown companies with Trade Excellence Awards for their accomplishments in exporting Alabama-made products and services to customers around the globe, reflecting a key priority of his administration’s economic growth strategy. The companies receiving the award at a ceremony this morning in the Old House Chamber at the state Capitol demonstrate capabilities…
Alabama exports climb to near record in 2014
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – Alabama exports climbed in 2014 to a near-record level, powered by shipments of Alabama-made automobiles to almost 100 countries, as well as rising overseas sales of products such as industrial machines, plastics, and iron and steel. Alabama’s exports totaled $19.518 billion last year, a gain of nearly 1.2 percent from 2013’s figure,…
Alabama, Peru strengthen economic ties with agreement
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — A trade memorandum signed today will strengthen economic ties between Alabama and Peru, setting the stage for increased cooperation between the state and the South American nation. Alabama Governor Robert Bentley and Peru’s Ambassador to the United States, Harold Forsyth, formalized the agreement when they signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) during a…
Alabama trade mission shifts focus to building ties in Uruguay
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay – Secretary of Commerce Greg Canfield met with high-level officials in Uruguay’s capital Thursday to discuss ways to advance mutually beneficial opportunities as an Alabama trade and business development mission moved into its final phase. Secretary Canfield, who is leading an Alabama delegation that includes eight businesses, said Thursday’s talks in Montevideo were…
Alabama trade mission targets opportunities in Peru, Uruguay
LIMA, Peru – Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield is leading an Alabama delegation that includes eight homegrown businesses on a week-long trade and business development mission that seeks to build commercial ties in Peru and Uruguay. The Alabama team made its first stop in Lima, Peru’s industrial and financial center, where on Monday, June 2, it…
Robert Stackpole: The Global Appeal of Alabama’s Southern Charm
By: Robert Stackpole, director of the International Trade Administration’s Export Assistance Center in Birmingham, Ala. In a business sense, Alabama can’t be pointed out in one location on a map. As the Alabama Department of Commerce is proud to point out, Alabama is everywhere. Our Southern state is a global leader, exporting goods to…
Business development mission to South Korea and Taiwan targets trade, investment
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — A team from the Alabama Department of Commerce led a business development mission to South Korea and Taiwan that sought to strengthen the state’s commercial ties with the Asian economic powerhouses. The Commerce team was headed by Secretary Greg Canfield and included Hollie Pegg, assistant director of business development for the department,…
Southeast Asia trade mission fosters business connections in Singapore (video)
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – An Alabama delegation on a Southeast Asia trade mission headed home today after meetings in Singapore, capping a coordinated, 13-day overseas visit that also allowed the group to make business connections in Indonesia and Thailand. While in Singapore, one of the world’s major commercial hubs, the Alabama team received a briefing from…
Alabama scores high in Site Selection’s economic development success rankings
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – After landing a series of major projects in 2013, Alabama scored high in Site Selection’s economic development success rankings, claiming the No. 7 spot for the most new and expanded facilities per capita last year, according to an announcement today from the magazine. In addition, Site Selection ranked three Alabama cities –…
