Humminbird’s Alabama growth project will add 77 jobs in Eufaula
EUFAULA, Alabama — Humminbird, a leading maker of marine electronics products, announced Tuesday that it is creating over 75 jobs at its plant in Barbour County through an expansion project that will help the company meet strong consumer demand for its depth finders. “Humminbird has grown significantly over the last six years and we expect...
Lockheed Martin apprenticeship program in Courtland preps students for careers
COURTLAND, Alabama — Perla Chavez and Makayla Chambers took different paths to completing Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Manufacturing Technician Apprenticeship Program (AMTAP) in Lawrence County. Chavez is a recent high school graduate and “techie” who started taking part in robotics and rocketry competitions in middle school. Chambers was a full-time art student pursuing a graphic design...
Wellborn Cabinet launches $15M expansion, creating 200 jobs in Ashland
ASHLAND, Alabama – Governor Kay Ivey joined the leaders of Wellborn Cabinet Inc. today to formally announce a $15 million expansion project that will ultimately create over 200 jobs at the company’s plant in rural Clay County. Wellborn, a family-owned maker of kitchen and bath cabinets, said the project expands its manufacturing capabilities in Ashland...
Sweet Grown initiative connects Alabama farmers to local groceries
Sweet Grown Alabama has launched a new effort to help the state’s farmers sell more of their produce in local grocery stores. The nonprofit foundation, which promotes Alabama’s farming industry, is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries and five local grocers and distributors across the state. Sweet...
Westwater Resources plans first U.S. graphite processing plant in Alabama
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – Westwater Resources Inc. announced plans today to build a first-of-its-kind advanced graphite processing plant in Coosa County, putting Alabama at the forefront in the production of an essential material in batteries that power electrical vehicles, electronics and other green energy products and equipment. Westwater said its Alabama Graphite Products LLC subsidiary plans...
Ashland’s Williams Fire launches $1 million expansion as growth sparks
ASHLAND, Alabama – When the emergency call comes in, the fire trucks must be well-equipped and always ready to roll. For many communities in Alabama and Georgia, Matt Williams is the guy who helps make sure the fire rigs are prepared for the job. His family-owned company in Ashland, Williams Fire Apparatus, has long specialized...
Mohawk Industries plans to add 130 jobs, yarn production at Alabama plant
ROANOKE, Alabama — Mohawk Industries plans to introduce yarn production at its Roanoke manufacturing facility, creating 130 jobs in the Randolph County community and expanding the company’s investment in the region. “Our yarn facilities are very important, as they start our carpet manufacturing process,” Todd Shail, Mohawk’s senior vice president of manufacturing, said in an...
Trachte plans expansion at Alabama facility, creating 70 jobs in Vernon
VERNON, Alabama — Trachte Building Systems, an industry-leading manufacturer of steel self-storage systems, announced plans to expand its Roof Mart facility in Northwest Alabama with a project that will create 70 jobs in Vernon over the next three years. Sun Prairie, Wisconsin-based Trachte (pronounced Trock-tee) plans to invest over $11.5 million in building improvements and...
Andalusia airport gives lift to Southeast Alabama aerospace hub
ANDALUSIA, Alabama – Covington County’s South Alabama Regional Airport has become a busy hub for aviators traveling throughout the Southeastern U.S. The airport has a heliport that provides hot and cold refueling services to civilian and military helicopters, as well as an airfield café that brings in hundreds of pilots daily. In addition, the airport’s...
In rural Alabama’s workshops and plants, quality products spring to life
Alabama’s rural counties are the source of some of the state’s most distinctive products, from handcrafted, all-natural items for health and home to innovative technologies that are charting the future for business and industry. “Rural Alabama is making a remarkable impression both at home and beyond our state’s borders,” said Greg Canfield, Secretary of the...
CGI marks 10 years of growth at its IT Delivery Center in Troy
TROY, Alabama – Canada-based CGI is marking the 10th anniversary of the opening the company’s IT Delivery Center in Pike County, which through collaboration with state and local agencies and academic institutions has grown to employ 285 local professionals. In an announcement today, CGI said it selected the Troy location because of the area’s quality...
Bonnie Plants plans greenhouse projects, e-commerce upgrades in Alabama
UNION SPRINGS, Alabama — Bonnie Plants, the nation’s largest grower of vegetable and herb plants for home gardens, announced plans today to upgrade and expand its greenhouse facilities in Bullock County with a multimillion-dollar project that will improve production and strengthen its e-commerce operations. “This new operation will be one of the most state-of-the-art facilities...
Economic development report card shows $4.8 billion in 2020 investment
MONTGOMERY — Despite the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, economic development activity across Alabama in 2020 generated close to $5 billion in new capital investment and almost 10,000 job commitments, Governor Kay Ivey announced today. With significant growth projects recorded in key strategic industrial sectors, Governor Ivey said the activity will strengthen the foundations...
Alabama-grown: Chilton County farmer cultivates her dream
THORSBY, Alabama – Taylor Boozer Hatchett didn’t grow up on a farm, but she has a passion for tending the land and sharing its bounty like many who did. Her father, Bobby Boozer, worked with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and Auburn University and spent his 26-year career helping farmers throughout the state, particularly fruit...
Construction kicks off on Coastal Growers’ $87 million peanut shelling facility
ATMORE, Alabama – Governor Kay Ivey joined Escambia County officials in Atmore today to mark the start of construction on the Coastal Growers LLC peanut shelling facility, which will provide a major boost to peanut farmers in the region. The company — owned by a cooperative of farmers, most of them residing in Alabama –...
With roots in family farm, growth blooms for Moulton’s Red Land Cotton
MOULTON, Alabama – Red Land Cotton is expanding its home base in Lawrence County, as demand is surging for its heirloom-inspired linens. The company completed construction of a 25,000-square-foot warehouse, distribution center and storefront in December and officially began operations there earlier this year. The move follows a year of strong growth for Red Land...
Packaging Corp. of America plans $440 million project at Alabama mill
JACKSON, Alabama – Packaging Corp. of America (PCA) plans to launch a three-year, $440 million project to permanently convert a paper machine at its mill in Clarke County to produce linerboard used for corrugated packaging. Lake Forest, Illinois-based PCA announced that it discontinued the production of uncoated freesheet, used for copy paper and other applications,...
Department of Defense launches aerospace research center at Tuskegee University
TUSKEGEE, Alabama — The U.S. Department of Defense has launched an Aerospace Education Research and Innovation Center (AERIC) at Alabama’s Tuskegee University, enhancing research in critical areas and expanding the future technical talent pipeline for the industry. In an announcement, the DOD said Tuskegee’s AERIC will support two-year research projects in the areas of fatigue...
Developer: How rural Chambers County’s comeback offers lessons
Few people understand the mechanics of rural economic development better than Valerie Gray, the executive director of the Chambers County Development Authority. After all, she and her team helped engineer a reversal of the county’s fortunes after its traditional industry imploded. Gray has led the CCDA for over 22 years. During her tenure, she has...
Aircraft maintenance company plans operation at Selma’s Craig Field
SELMA, Alabama — Craig Field Executive Director Jim Corrigan announced that City Jet/Turbine Worx plans to open an aircraft maintenance operation and dispatch facility on Craig Field, a public airport and industrial facility. With the newly signed lease agreement, City Jet/Turbine Worx will operate on the flight line in Hangar 251 and create approximately 30...
SHOWA glove factory’s growth plans find perfect fit in Fayette
FAYETTE, Alabama – For Mike Kimple, director of manufacturing at the SHOWA Group factory in this northwest Alabama city, the mission is clear for the nation’s only domestic producer of single-use nitrile gloves. “We’re just trying to get every single glove we can out the door to fight this pandemic,” Kimple said. Every day, SHOWA’s...
Commerce launches ‘RurAL’ campaign to promote rural Alabama
The Alabama Department of Commerce is launching a new digital marketing campaign, including an online site, that focuses on rural Alabama as a great place for doing business and the source of valuable products in demand around the world. The centerpiece of the “RurAL” campaign is a content-rich website that showcases the business advantages of...
Foreign investment sparks growth in rural Alabama communities
Many folks may be unaware of the advantages of doing business in Alabama’s rural counties, but corporate decision-makers from around the world are fully tuned in to the possibilities. Foreign direct investment has been a vital ingredient in Alabama’s economic growth in recent years – and that is true for rural parts of the state...
Visionary industrial park spurs 1,300 new jobs in rural Bibb County
WOODSTOCK, Alabama – Bibb County is adding hundreds of new jobs, significant capital investment and next-generation automotive industry technology, thanks to the vision of a local timber magnate. More than a decade ago, Scott G. Davis began working to build the 564-acre industrial park near Woodstock that now bears his name. What was once hilly...
Resource Fiber plans groundbreaking bamboo products plant in Alabama
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – Governor Kay Ivey announced today that Resource Fiber, a national leader in efforts to manufacture commercial bamboo products, plans to establish its first full-scale production plant in Alabama as part of a project that will create 111 jobs in Sulligent. Resource Fiber plans to invest $3.6 million in the Lamar County facility,...
SteelFab Inc. to invest $23.6 million in Alabama growth plans
ROANOKE, Alabama – SteelFab Inc. plans to expand its structural steel facility in east Alabama with a $23.6 million project that will create over 30 jobs and position the plant for future growth, according to the Randolph County Economic Development Authority. The company, one of the nation’s leading fabricator of structural steel, selected the Roanoke...
With CARES funding, HomTex plans Selma PPE factory, creating 300 jobs
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — HomTex Inc. plans to open a manufacturing plant in Selma that will produce personal protective equipment and will create over 300 jobs, made possible by $10.5 million in funding from the CARES Act. In an announcement this morning, Governor Kay Ivey outlined HomTex’s plans for the Dallas County facility, which will produce...
Golden Boy Foods to expand Alabama manufacturing operation
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – Governor Kay Ivey announced today that Golden Boy Foods, a leading manufacturer of private label food products, plans to invest more than $13 million in an expansion project at its production facility in Troy, creating 67 full-time jobs. To expand peanut butter production, Golden Boy will modify its existing Alabama manufacturing facility...
Gunmaker Kimber relocates its corporate headquarters to Alabama
TROY, Alabama — Less than three years after selecting a site in Troy for a firearms manufacturing plant, Kimber Mfg Inc. announced plans to move its corporate headquarters to the Alabama city. Kimber also said it plans to hire aggressively in all departments as it completes its new facility in Pike County. The company’s new...
Coastal Growers plans $87 million peanut shelling facility in Atmore
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Governor Kay Ivey announced today that Coastal Growers LLC plans to build a peanut shelling plant in Atmore, bringing 100 or more jobs to the area and turning the Escambia County city into a hub for peanut shelling in southwest Alabama. The company — owned by a cooperative of farmers, most of...
High-tech utility pole manufacturer to locate in Tallapoosa County
DADEVILLE, Alabama – Dadeville Pole Co. plans to construct a new facility to manufacture and distribute power poles at the William Thweatt Industrial Park in Tallapoosa County, providing the rural region with an economic boost, according to the Lake Martin Area Economic Development Alliance. “We are extremely pleased that Dadeville Pole chose the Thweatt Park...
Geneva County targets manufacturers with new spec building
HARTFORD, Alabama – Officials in rural Geneva County believe their job-creation efforts will receive a major boost from a new 45,000-square-foot speculative building that’s ideal for a manufacturing operation. A ceremonial groundbreaking for the building in the Geneva County Industrial Park was held this month. Construction on the structure, located near to the Air Performance...
JELD-WEN adds product line at Alabama facility, creating 40 jobs
WEDOWEE, Alabama – Charlotte, North Carolina-based JELD-WEN Inc., one of the world’s largest door and window manufacturers, plans to expand production at its plant in Randolph County, creating up to 40 new jobs at the facility, officials announced today. The expansion at the Alabama facility stems from JELD-WEN’s decision to move the assembly of patio...
Pinnacle Renewable Energy plans $95 million wood pellet plant in Alabama
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – Governor Kay Ivey today announced that Alabama Pellets LLC, a subsidiary of Canada-based Pinnacle Renewable Energy Inc., plans to invest $95 million to construct a wood pellet production facility in Demopolis. The Alabama Pellets facility is expected to have an annual production volume of 360,000 metric tons and will start initial industrial wood...
Macon County organic farmer cultivates ambitions with ag startup
TUSKEGEE, Alabama – A startup, minority-owned organic farm in Macon County is expanding its crops and customer base, fueled by an ambitious vision to carry on the region’s rich history of agricultural innovation. Lifetime Natural Organic Farm, which includes about 25 acres of raised-bed bio-intensive organic vegetables, this year invested an additional $500,000 to increase...
Auto supplier Seoyon E-Hwa plans expansion, creating 60 jobs in Selma
SELMA, Alabama – Seoyon E-Hwa Interior Systems, a Tier 1 supplier to Alabama’s Hyundai assembly plant, announced plans Tuesday to invest more than $5 million to expand its industrial operation in Dallas County. Seoyon E-Hwa will add 60 jobs to its current workforce of 436 in Selma, which makes the company one of the county’s...
Chambers County’s Gray wins top Alabama economic development honor
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – Valerie Gray, executive director of the Chambers County Development Authority (CCDA), has been named the 2019 recipient of the David R. Echols Distinguished Service Award for exemplary service in economic development. The award, presented by the Alabama Department of Commerce, represents the highest recognition in the economic development field. It’s named after...
Medical Industries of the Americas to revive Alabama latex plant with growth project
EUFAULA, Alabama – Medical Industries of the Americas plans to re-launch latex production at a shuttered factory in Barbour County as part of a plan to expand the site into a comprehensive manufacturing complex for medical commodities, Alabama officials announced today. MI Americas plans to begin production at the former Ameritex Corp. facility in Eufaula...
2 industrial operations to open in Lawrence County, creating nearly 80 jobs
MOULTON, Alabama – An automotive supplier and a pipe fabricator will open new industrial facilities in Lawrence County, creating a combined 78 new jobs, according to the Lawrence County Industrial Development Board. CCI Manufacturing USA Corp., a Tier 1 auto supplier, will invest $21.5 million to construct an advanced production facility that will include a...
National Cement to build new kiln at Ragland facility with $250M+ investment
RAGLAND, Alabama – The National Cement Co. of Alabama announced plans to invest more than $250 million to construct a new kiln at its Ragland production plant, ensuring the St. Clair County facility’s competitiveness for decades to come. National Cement, which has been producing cement in Ragland since 1910, said construction on the project should...
Project agreement clears way for Enviva to build Sumter County wood pellet plant
LIVINGSTON, Alabama – Governor Kay Ivey joined executives with Enviva and local leaders today to announce that the company expects to invest approximately $175 million to construct a wood pellet production plant in Sumter County that would provide an economic boost to West Alabama. The proposed facility, to be located at the Port of Epes...
Officials mark opening of Henry County sawmill after $40 million investment
ABBEVILLE, Alabama — State and local leaders on Tuesday marked the official opening of Abbeville Fiber LLC, a state-of-the-art sawmill that will employ 115 people in Henry County once the facility is fully staffed. The project represents the largest economic development project in the county’s history, with $40 million invested to date. “What I have...
Commerce taps Brenda Tuck as first rural development manager
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce, today announced that Brenda Tuck has been hired as the department’s first rural development manager to assist rural counties and communities better compete for job-creating projects. Tuck previously served in Commerce’s Workforce Development Division as Regional Workforce Council Liaison, working closely with the...
Georgia-Pacific to invest $120 million in Choctaw County mill
NAHEOLA, Alabama — Georgia-Pacific today announced plans to invest more than $120 million to add a new tissue machine and roll storage building at its mill in Choctaw County, the latest substantial investment in the facility. The new projects continue Atlanta-based Georgia-Pacific’s modernization of the Naheola mill, which includes ongoing construction of a new biomass boiler...
Ag equipment maker AGCO expands in Alabama with 50 jobs at new line
BREMEN, Alabama – Agricultural equipment manufacturer AGCO Corp. announced plans today to invest $5.7 million to relocate production of its Farmer Automatic Aviary Systems to Cullman County as part of a project that will create 50 jobs. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey joined company officials and local leaders at AGCO’s facility in unincorporated Bremen for a...
GD Copper USA to add 40 jobs at Wilcox County manufacturing facility
PINE HILL, Alabama — GD Copper USA announced plans today to invest $3.5 million in its Alabama precision copper products manufacturing facility and create between 30 and 40 new jobs in Wilcox County. GD Copper USA, which operates a $100 million plant in the Thomasville/West Wilcox Industrial Park, said the new jobs will push total...
Commerce creating specialist post to assist rural Alabama on projects
The Alabama Department of Commerce is adding a rural development manager to work with rural communities and counties across the state to enhance their competitiveness in the economic development process and better prepare them for projects. Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce, said he hopes to have the newly created position filled...
Homecoming: Wickles Pickles returning production to Alabama
BRUNDIDGE, Alabama — Wickles Pickles, the tangy Southern treats produced by a pair of Alabama-born brothers, are returning to their roots. Sims Food Inc., the company behind the popular pickles that are sold across the U.S., is moving production from North Carolina back to Alabama. By the end of the year, Will and Trey Sims...
Westervelt Co. plans Clarke County lumber mill with 125 jobs
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – Governor Kay Ivey and officials of Tuscaloosa-based Westervelt Co. today announced that the company will build a new lumber mill in Clarke County, creating 125 jobs. The 134-year-old Alabama company is expanding its wood products manufacturing business through the construction of the new facility, which will produce Southern yellow pine lumber. The...
New Alabama lumber manufacturing facility will create 110 jobs
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Governor Kay Ivey announced today that Rex Lumber Co. plans to build a state-of-the-art lumber manufacturing facility in Pike County, creating more than 110 jobs and providing a significant economic boost to the region’s forest products industry. Rex Lumber projects the total capital cost of the new sawmill to be $110 million,...