SET Enterprises, Inc. ("SET") a leading provider of steel processing services with operations in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois, announced in May plans to build a new state-of-the art steel processing and service center in Jackson, Alabama. Read more in our

featured article!

SET Enterprises, Inc. ("SET") a leading provider of steel processing services with operations in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois, announced in May plans to build a new state-of-the art steel processing and service center in Jackson, Alabama.

At full operating levels, this new facility will be capable of processing 360,000 tons of material to support new steel production coming on-line at ThyssenKrupp Steel USA in Calvert, Alabama, as well as supporting the growth of other steel manufacturers and producers in the Southeastern United States market.  

This first phase of SET's investment is slated to be nearly $12 million for building construction and equipment and these initial operations will consist of two slitting lines, including one line with the capability of processing heavy gauge material up to .500", in a 65,000 sq. ft. climate-controlled building with ample storage space and on-site truck and rail access with barge access nearby.  The facility is scheduled to be on-line early in 2012 and will create up to 40 new jobs. 

A planned second phase of the project would double the size of the facility, increase the processing capacity and services offered and expand the workforce to accommodate the anticipated growth of steel processing requirements in the region.

Located 65 miles north of Mobile, Alabama, on a key Norfolk-Southern rail corridor, the Jackson, Alabama site will offer critical Just-In-Time access to ThyssenKrupp's operations in Calvert as well as areas throughout Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and the remainder of the Southeast United States. 

This project is being undertaken thanks in-part to the extraordinary efforts and support of the City of Jackson and Mayor Richard Long; the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce; the Clarke County Economic Development Partnership; the State of Alabama Development Office; Cooper Bros. Construction and our business allies at ThyssenKrupp Steel USA. 

Jackson Mayor Richard Long commenting on SET's announcement stated "On behalf of the city council and all of the citizens we welcome CEO Sid E. Taylor and SET Enterprises to our community and we appreciate their commitment to invest in Clarke County and the State of Alabama."

"We appreciate the decision that SET Enterprises has made to provide up to 40 new jobs for the residents of the Jackson area and the investment they are making in Alabama," said Alabama Development Office Director Seth Hammett. "Our mission is to bring new and better jobs to the people of this great state and announcements such as this one are going to bring us closer to that goal."

Sid E. Taylor, Chairman/CEO of SET Enterprises, Inc. on SET's new Alabama processing center noted, "SET's expansion into Alabama is further representation of our team's execution of our "Way Forward" initiative which includes expanding into new markets, driving improvements & new technologies within our core competencies and diversifying beyond our Midwest-based automotive roots.  In 2010, we launched two new businesses, adding jobs and opportunities in the City of Detroit and we are proud to be able to offer similar opportunities to our new Southern Alabama community.  We are grateful for the efforts of Mayor Long, the State and Regional development officials and of course ThyssenKrupp for allowing us to execute our vision in what continues to be a challenging economic environment."

SET Enterprises, Inc., led by Sid E. Taylor, a Vietnam combat veteran and former Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year recipient, has been a provider of steel processing services since 1989.  SET has a long-standing reputation as a leader in providing high-quality, cost effective solutions to its automotive OEM customer base and their Tier I and Tier II suppliers.  In 2010, those capabilities were expanded to include commercial construction through their SET Duct Manufacturing and SET Construction subsidiaries.  SET Enterprises is Veteran owned and is a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) as certified by the Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council (MMSDC) and is committed to various community-oriented initiatives.  Sid E. Taylor is the Founder and Chairman of the Real Life 101 Scholarship Fund established in 2000.  This national program awards scholarships, laptop computers and mentoring to at-risk college-bound high school graduates.  More information about the Real Life 101 program can be found at www.reallife101.org.  

Additional information on SET Enterprises, Inc. and its commercial construction industry subsidiaries SET Duct Manufacturing, Inc. and SET Construction, Inc. can be found by visiting our web sites at www.setenterprises.com, www.setductmanufacturing.com, or www.setconstructioninc.com, or contacting Antoinette Turner at (586) 834-3028.

A plaque was presented to resigning charter Board Member Peggie Byrd at the June 24^th Board of Directors Meeting. The plaque is a Testimonial of Recognition for her outstanding service to Coastal Gateway Regional Economic Development Alliance (CGEDA).

During her time of service on the CGEDA Board, Byrd acted as Secretary on the Executive Board and was highly instrumental in developing the Alliance Bylaws.

"The presentation of the Testimonial of Recognition plaque at the June 24th, 2011 Board of Directors Meeting was a humbling experience for me.  My voluntary services to the Coastal Gateway Regional Economic Development Alliance and our communities were what I enjoyed doing. I was privileged to spend time with great community Mayors and leaders who like myself have a passion and drive to help our communities with economic development growth.  It also gave me an opportunity to serve where the need is great. I want to thank everyone for this plaque of recognition" said Byrd.

The Coastal Gateway Regional Economic Development Alliance (CGEDA) is governed by a dedicated group of community and business leaders who believe in the importance in regional economic development for Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia and Monroe Counties. The 21-member (and growing) board is comprised of investors of the private and public sector who are active in our communities as ambassadors of our programs and priorities.

The strength of CGEDA's Board of Directors is evident due to their involvement and commitment in supporting economic development initiatives throughout the region. It is an active and diverse Board that has expertise in the areas of business, timber, labor, manufacturing, agriculture, finance, real estate, municipal government and the community-at-large.

In efforts to introduce you to the Board of Directors, CGEDA will spotlight a member of the board periodically in the Gateway News.  We would like to introduce you to Vice-Chairman Dr. John Johnson.

For a full listing and photos of the current Coastal Gateway Board of Directors, please visit: http://www.cgeda.net/board.htm.

For a full listing of the current Coastal Gateway investors, please visit: http://www.cgeda.net/investors.htm.

Also among his many societal contributions, Mr. Landegger served as Chairman of Reading Alabama, which provided interactive computer reading education to 70% of the students in all public school kindergartens and first grades in the State of Alabama, a contribution for which he was honored, together with Martin Luther King Jr. and Booker T. Washington, as one of twelve most outstanding individuals for the advancement of education and commerce in Alabama's history.  Additionally, he is the founder and primary supporter of Destin Harvest, a charitable organization established to provide perishable food to soup kitchens and other recipients which serve the needy; he is the primary support of Karuna Niwas, a home for unwed mothers in Bangalore, India, which is now celebrating its 25^th year; and he financed and established a K through 12^th grade school for girls in Midwest Pakistan.

Mr. Landegger remains profoundly committed to community and economic development in Monroe County, Alabama. He founded and supports Our Place Community Center for youth recreation and entertainment and a weekly foodbank for the needy. He has recently committed to fund a Wi-Fi network throughout downtown Monroeville and supports many other community projects.

Dr. John Johnson facilitated the partnership between Coastal Gateway Regional Economic Development Alliance (CGEDA) and the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA). CGEDA is one of seventeen EDPA Community Partners throughout the state of Alabama. "This partnership between Coastal Gateway and EDPA will allow more efficient use of resources when addressing issues related to marketing, workforce development, and the establishment of an effective existing business initiative," said Dr. Johnson.

One of the first projects undertaken as a result of this partnership was a survey of the current CGEDA Board of Directors to determine regional priorities and gain insights into the expectations of the Board.

The survey revealed three top ranking priorities in order: Existing Business Support, Marketing Activities, and Networking with State Allies and other Economic Development Allies.  These priorities are reflected in the strategy of CGEDA going forward.  CGEDA has held an initial "CGEDA Allies Meeting" and plans to conduct these meetings quarterly.  The initial meeting held in April produced meaningful dialog between regional developers and also allowed for the exchange of "best practices" and effective strategies for economic development in southwest Alabama.  The first meeting facilitated an approach to establishing a regional existing business and industry program utilizing a consistent survey instrument.  To date, CGEDA has visited with some leading industrial operations in the region and will accelerate those activities in the coming months.  A critical factor in conducting an effective regional effort will be training, in the use of the Synchronist instrument.  This training, for interested volunteers is scheduled for mid-July.

Marketing activities were identified as a high priority.  CGEDA's Community Partner status will facilitate a strategy that maintains relationships that currently exist with state economic development partners.  Additionally, the Alliance will work diligently to strengthen the region by supporting and including our local economic development allies in these efforts and coordinating the benefits of the EDPA Community Partner program to the benefit of all of the counties in our region.

The survey was the initial step in the construction of a strategic plan that will focus on results and a sustainable regional economic development effort.  By working with the EDPA, the strategic plan for CGEDA can be aligned with the State's economic development strategic plan. 

One of the most beneficial aspects of this partnership is the availability of resources that can be directed to local economic development efforts. Jim Searcy, Executive Director of the CGEDA said, "This partnership is an important step in creating a more cohesive region with common goals that also reflect the uncommon diversity that is ultimately the strength of the Coastal Gateway Region."

EDPA Community Partner Reports

EDPA provides it's Community Partners with reports that track how often a property is accessed by public web users of the Buildings, Sites, and Communities database at www.edpa.org . Please see the attached documents to view these reports.

Lakeside Steel Inc., a leading North American producer of OCTG casing and tubing, announced April 28^th that it will expand its previously announced new USD $7.5 million state of the art tubular end-finishing and heat treatment facility in Thomasville, Alabama, to add end-finishing and heat treatment processing capabilities for casing products.

On March 23, 2011, Lakeside announced that it is constructing a new tubular end-finishing and heat treatment facility located on a 60 acre site approximately five miles from the Company's new casing mill that is currently being constructed in Thomasville.

The Company announced April 28th that it will expand the new end-finishing facility, at an additional capital cost of approximately USD $10 million, to enable Lakeside to end-finish and heat treat casing products in addition to the previously announced tubular product finishing capabilities. The expansion will enable Lakeside Steel to upgrade casing to high value-added products including L80, N80 and P110 products used in the most demanding onshore drilling applications in North America.

With this latest announcement, Lakeside's investment in Thomasville is nearly $60 million with a total of 280 new jobs.

When in operation, Lakeside expects that the expansion will employ approximately 80 people, bringing total employment of the end-finishing and heat treatment facility to approximately 160 people. The facility will be capable of processing 4.5" to 5.5" diameter casing pipe, with a capacity of up to 100,000 tons per year. The expansion project remains subject to customary conditions and the execution and delivery of definitive agreements.

Ron Bedard, President and Chief Operating Officer commented, "The new end-finishing and heat treatment facilities, when online, will provide increased security of supply to our customer base and will significantly enhance the Company's EBITDA margin."

About Lakeside Steel Inc.

Lakeside Steel is a 2011 TSX Venture Exchange 50 company and the parent company of Lakeside Steel Corporation ("Lakeside"). Lakeside, located in Welland, Ontario, is a diversified steel pipe and tubing manufacturer with a focus on manufacturing and upgrading Oil Country Tubular Goods. Lakeside's list of customers includes large oil and gas end users as well as distributors across North America.

The Coastal Gateway Regional Economic Development Alliance Facebook Page is another good opportunity to help us keep in touch with you. Here you can view photos, happenings of the Alliance throughout the year and regional events as they relate to economic development.

There over sixty members on our page so far.  We encourage you to join in and help spread the news about the Facebook Page.  If you would like us to post specific information or include pictures from your region please contact info@cgeda.net.

To visit or join the page: click here.

CGEDA is now on Twitter! We encourage you to follow us on Twitter to keep up to date on news in the region! To follow us on Twitter: click here.