News
Next-gen Mercedes GLE SUV rolls from Alabama toward showroom debut
The latest version of the vehicle that launched Alabama’s auto industry is expected to arrive in dealer showrooms this spring. The redesigned 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE SUV is yet another key milestone for the automaker’s Tuscaloosa County factory, which has been in near continuous expansion mode since it began producing vehicles more than 20 years ago.…
Record level of film activity puts Alabama in industry spotlight
Building on a record-setting year for film projects in Alabama, the stage appears set for a sequel, with a string of movie productions already filming in the state or getting the cameras and crews ready for action. Since Oct. 1, more than a dozen movie and TV productions have qualified for state incentives available to…
Utility-scale solar projects brighten Alabama’s tech recruitment efforts
Massive new utility-scale solar farm projects are poised to dramatically expand Alabama’s solar power capacity as major technology companies make their first significant investments in the state. In the last three months alone, the Tennessee Valley Authority has announced plans for large solar installations in North Alabama tied to data centers being constructed by Google…
New leaders to steer growth at Alabama operations of Mercedes, Honda
There are new faces at the top of Alabama’s auto industry, as both Mercedes-Benz and Honda plan leadership changes in the coming months. Tetsuya Endo will become the new president of Honda Manufacturing of Alabama, effective April 1, the company said last week. Endo, who comes to HMA from Honda’s Marysville, Ohio, plant, is replacing…
$215M U.S. Steel project provides spark for Alabama steel industry
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – United States Steel Corp.’s plans to invest $215 million to install a technologically advanced electric arc furnace at Fairfield Works is expected to provide a boost to Alabama’s steelmaking industry in its historic home. U.S. Steel had initiated construction of the EAF at its Tubular Operations in Fairfield in March 2015 but…
Kemira investing $70 million to expand Alabama operation, creating 20 jobs
MOBILE, ALABAMA — Finland-based Kemira announced this morning that it is investing $70.8 million to expand production at its Mobile facility. The company is a polymer producer serving the pulp and paper, oil and gas, and water treatment industries. The project will create an additional 20 jobs, growing Kemira’s Mobile workforce by 32 percent, to…
Decatur’s Jeremy Nails wins top Alabama economic development award
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – Jeremy Nails of Morgan County was named the recipient of the David R. Echols Distinguished Service Award, the top honor for economic development professionals in Alabama. Nails, president and CEO of the Morgan County Economic Development Association, was selected by the Alabama Department of Commerce for the award that is presented annually…
Blue Origin launches construction of $200M Alabama rocket engine plant
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama – Space flight company Blue Origin this morning kicked off construction on a $200 million plant in Huntsville that will produce the BE-4 rocket engine for future national security and other missions. The 200,000-square-foot facility will be built on 46 acres at the corner of Explorer Boulevard and Pegasus Drive in Cummings Research Park.…
Alabama workers built 1.6M engines in 2018 to add auto horsepower
Alabama’s auto workers built nearly 1.6 million engines last year, as the state industry continues to carve out a place in global markets with innovative, high-performance parts, systems and finished vehicles. Last year also saw major new developments in engine manufacturing among the state’s key players, and more advanced infrastructure is on the way in…
Airbus kicks off construction on A220 assembly line in Mobile
MOBILE, Alabama – Governor Kay Ivey joined leaders of Airbus, top local officials and others at the Mobile Aeroplex today for a groundbreaking ceremony to launch construction of the company’s new A220 aircraft manufacturing facility. The assembly line will satisfy the strong and growing U.S. demand for the A220 aircraft, the newest offering in Airbus’…