News
INNOVATION: New UAB Accelerator to power startup growth
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – A new effort at the University of Alabama at Birmingham seeks to provide critical support for startups when they are in the earliest stages of development. The UAB Commercialization Accelerator will officially launch next week during Innovation Week Birmingham, an annual event that spotlights new technologies and inventions, along with the entrepreneurs…
World travelers: Alabama-made vehicles crisscross the globe as exports surge
From the deserts of the Middle East to urban centers across Asia and villages dotting the European countryside, vehicles made in Alabama are making a lasting impression. Exports of state-made automobiles continued to grow at an impressive rate in 2016, rising 13 percent to $7.9 billion. So far this year, the numbers are holding steady…
IT services firm Provalus to create 300 jobs at Alabama facility
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – Governor Kay Ivey announced that Provalus, a company specializing in business technology service and support, plans to invest $6.5 million to open a center in Brewton staffed with 300 workers. Atlanta-based Optomi, one of the nation’s fastest-growing tech-staff firms, launched Provalus to provide an alternative to overseas outsourcing of business functions. Provalus…
‘Minnie Van’: Redesigned Alabama-built Odyssey makes memorable debut
The latest transformation of the Alabama-made Honda Odyssey is turning heads. The redesigned, 2018 edition of the top-selling minivan hit dealer lots this summer and is already earning high marks from reviewers for its performance, technology and other new and improved features. Adding to the buzz, Honda also teamed up with Disney-ABC to create a…
Air Performance to add 18 jobs in Geneva County expansion
HARTFORD, Alabama – Air Performance, which fabricates a wide range of custom architectural products, announced plans today to invest more than $1 million to double the size of its Geneva County manufacturing operation. The project will initially create 18 jobs, with the potential for more in the future. Air Performance now operates a 40,000-square-foot manufacturing…
Alabama forest products industry poised for gains after strong year
After a banner year for the forest products industry in Alabama, the sector is primed for even more growth and innovation. Last year, Alabama recorded forest products industry projects involving $1.2 billion in new investment and more than 1,000 anticipated jobs, according to the Alabama Forestry Association and the 2016 New and Expanding Industry Report…
Secretary Canfield: Alabama in running for projects with 11,000 jobs
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Alabama Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield said the state is competing for economic development projects with more than 11,000 jobs in key industry sectors such as automotive, aerospace, forest products and technology. This promising pipeline of projects follows what has already been a strong year for economic development, Secretary Canfield told members of…
Business Facilities gives high rankings to Alabama, cities
Business Facilities magazine gives Alabama high rankings for its workforce training programs, auto manufacturing strength and overall manufacturing employment, while touting the economic growth potential of Mobile and Huntsville. In its 13th annual ranking report, the economic development-focused publication singled out Huntsville as the nation’s top metro area in aerospace/defense, citing its large concentration of…
Alabama auto sector primed for growth with $1 billion in new investment
Alabama’s auto industry continues to thrive, racking up new jobs and investments in communities across the state. Last year, there were at least 68 auto projects, for an estimated total of 3,848 jobs and $907.1 million in new capital investment, according to an analysis of the 2016 New & Expanding Industry Report. New projects announced…
Bolta marks opening of $49 million Alabama auto parts plant
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – Global auto parts supplier Bolta Group today announced the opening of its new $48.7 million production facility at the Tuscaloosa County Airport Industrial Park, which will employ 350 people by the end of 2018. State and local officials joined members of Bolta’s global management team at an on-site ceremony today to celebrate…