News

Austal launches USS Manchester (LCS 14) at Alabama shipyard
MOBILE, Alabama – Austal USA launched the future USS Manchester – an advanced, high-speed aluminum warship – at its Alabama shipyard today, documenting the milestone with a series of images on social media. The tri-hull Manchester (LCS 14) is the fifth littoral combat ship produced by Austal’s Mobile shipyard in an 11-ship contract, which worth…

Alabama plant stars in Mercedes Brand Experience
Alabama isn’t just the center of manufacturing for Mercedes-Benz in the U.S., it’s also become the destination for thousands of the company’s employees on a mission to learn more about the brand. The Mercedes-Benz Brand Immersion Experience kicked off in September 2014, and since then, nearly 9,000 employees of the German automaker’s dealer network have…

Launch Party: Honda starts Ridgeline mass production
LINCOLN, Alabama — The redesigned, Alabama-built Honda Ridgeline pickup is now rolling on the automaker’s Talladega County assembly lines. The 4,500-worker plant today officially marked the start of production for the 2017 model, with a lineoff celebration that featured more than 1,500 cheering employees. “Today we celebrate the dedication of our Alabama team in bringing…

UTC Aerospace Systems to add 260 jobs with Alabama expansion
FOLEY, Alabama – UTC Aerospace Systems announced plans today to expand its Baldwin County aerostructures plant with a new $30 million facility that will supply jet engine systems to the Airbus A320 Family assembly line in Mobile, creating 260 jobs. At a groundbreaking ceremony today at its Foley site, UTC revealed plans to construct a…

World Stage: 2015 foreign investment reaches $3.4 billion
Foreign direct investment in Alabama topped $3.4 billion in 2015, as companies based in 18 different countries extended their reach into the state. The vast majority of the 95 FDI projects were expansions, including a major addition to the Mercedes-Benz plant in Tuscaloosa County. Other auto industry investments were growth at Hyundai’s Montgomery factory and…

First Alabama-made Airbus A321 ‘BluesMobile’ goes to JetBlue
MOBILE, Alabama – Airbus marked a major milestone at its new Alabama manufacturing facility today as the aviation giant delivered its first U.S.-made A321 passenger jet to customer JetBlue. The plane, which flew for first time on March 21, was nicknamed “BluesMobile.” Workers from the Alabama final assembly line joined the plane on the tarmac…

Honda powers Alabama’s workforce with Barber racetrack event
Alabama students got a hands-on look at the high-tech operations of the state’s manufacturers over the weekend, while Indy racecars sped by in the background. Honda Manufacturing of Alabama, along with many of its suppliers, area staffing firms, colleges and universities came together to put on Honda’s “Gear Up Your Career” event, held during the…

Alabama 2015 scorecard: Project investment tops $7 billion
Alabama attracted more than $7 billion in capital investment in 2015, along with nearly 20,000 new and future jobs, as the state’s economic development team secured high-caliber projects in key growth sectors such as technology, aerospace and automotive. At a press conference at the Mercedes-Benz manufacturing facility in Vance today, Governor Robert Bentley released the…

World-famous Barber Motorsports Park gears up for Indy races
Barber Motorsports Park is preparing to welcome about 80,000 visitors this weekend for the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, the annual three-day event that showcases the Birmingham racing venue. Many will take in the sights at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, which houses the world’s largest collection of motorcycles and is undergoing a major…



