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Here is today's summary of economic development news, presented by the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama.
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Alabama wins second Hyundai plant
Published: Friday, July 16, 2010, 5:30 AM Updated: Friday, July 16, 2010, 10:01 AM
Michael Tomberlin -- The Birmingham News
Montgomery has won another Hyundai plant. This one will create 480 jobs and bring a $90 million investment but will make electric transformers instead of cars.
Hyundai Electric Systems Alabama Inc. is expected to announce today it will build a 220,000-square-foot plant on a 100-acre site in Montgomery's Interstate Industrial Park.
Alabama beat out four other Southeastern states for the project, which will have jobs paying an average of $18 per hour and further diversifies Montgomery's manufacturing work force.
"We're always excited to attract world-class companies and Hyundai Electrical is certainly one of those," said Neal Wade, director of the Alabama Development Office. Hollie Pegg, senior project manager at ADO, has been working with Hyundai Electrical for a year to convince the company that just like its automotive company found Montgomery to be the best fit for its $1.4 billion U.S. plant, it would also be ideal for sister company Hyundai Heavy Industries and its new transformer plant. more... Birmingham News link |
Facility's expansion to create 30 jobs
BLG Logistics Inc. in Vance provides services for Mercedes-Benz
By Patrick Rupinski Staff Writer
Published: Friday, July 16, 2010 at 3:30 a.m.
BLG Logistics Inc. is expanding its operations in Vance and will provide sub-assembly and sequencing of parts services for the nearby Mercedes-Benz automotive assembly starting in late June 2011.
Expansion The Tuscaloosa County Industrial Development Authority board granted BLG Logistics Inc. about $119,000 in tax abatements and a $32,000 site preparation grant. BLG will invest about $3.2 million in the expansion which it said would create about 30 jobs.
Work on the expansion already is under way and construction is expected to be completed by early November, according to the Tuscaloosa County Industrial Development Authority.
The authority's board granted the German-based company about $119,000 in tax abatements over 20 years and a $32,000 site preparation grant. BLG will invest about $3.2 million in the expansion and indicated it would create about 30 jobs when the facility is placed in service.
Founded in 1877 and based in Bremen, BLG started its logistic service operation in Vance in 2004. Bill Lambiase, vice president of the company's U.S. operations, said the Vance operation will be the showcase facility for the company in America.
"This will be the foundation for our future growth in the United States," he said.
more... Tuscaloosa News link |
Retail recruiting in Alabama becomes a priority with bigger cities
Published: Friday, July 16, 2010, 7:15 AM
Michael Tomberlin -- The Birmingham News
POINT CLEAR -- With industrial prospects few and far between, economic developers are more often turning to recruiting retail projects as a way of adding jobs and expanding the local tax base. The Economic Development Association of Alabama's summer conference devoted two hours to retail economic development, the most emphasis the professional organization has given the topic.
Once thought to be the domain of small, rural communities in need of boosting sales tax revenues, retail recruitment has become a primary focus for larger communities, including the largest city in the state.
"It's a major focus for us right now and it has been for several years," said Griffin Lassiter, senior project manager for Birmingham's economic development office. "I'm very glad to see that the economic development community is starting to pay more attention to it."
Perhaps the reason why it has not received a statewide focus is because there have not always been statewide economic development incentives for retail development.
more...
Birmingham News link |
Norris Cylinder celebrates grand opening of Huntsville production plantPublished: Wednesday, July 14, 2010, 4:47 PM Updated: Wednesday, July 14, 2010, 4:52 PM
Marian Accardi, The Huntsville Times
HUNTSVILLE, AL -- Norris Cylinder marked the grand opening of its Huntsville production plant with a ribbon-cutting ceremony today, and its president said he anticipates a "great future here."
The company, based in Longview, Texas, supplies high-pressure and low-pressure gas cylinders to store, transport and dispense compressed industrial gases. Norris acquired some assets of Taylor-Wharton International's high- and low-pressure cylinder business through the bankruptcy process last month. As part of the transaction, Norris also acquired the Huntsville plant at 521 Green Cove Road.
"Everyone who was here (as a Taylor-Wharton employee) was rehired as a Norris employee," said Jerry VanAuken, president of Norris Cylinder. Norris now has about 80 employees in Huntsville, with about 120 in Longview, VanAuken said, adding that the Huntsville employees have an average of 18 years of service at the plant.
"We are the only manufacturer of products made here, in the United States," said VanAuken. Products include acetylene cylinders, small high-pressure gas cylinders and specialty cylinders.
more... Huntsville Times link |
City likely can't match Caterpillar incentives
By Cosby Woodruff · July 15, 2010
Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange said he does not expect the city's financial offer to be able to match a North Carolina city's offer to attract a Caterpillar manufacturing plant, but he said Montgomery will try to sell Caterpillar on some of the area's other advantages. Caterpillar has named Montgomery, Spartanburg, S.C., and Winston-Salem, N.C., as finalists for a new Caterpillar plant, and expects to announce the site next month after reviewing incentives from each of the cities. Because state law in the North Carolina city requires incentive offers to be made public, Montgomery and Spartanburg were able to get a peek at Winston-Salem's economic development playbook. Financially, it's an impressive package -- one with an economic incentive offer of about $75 million. Winston-Salem officials voted to offer $13.4 million, and Forsyth County officials are chipping in $10.2 million to lure Caterpillar to their area. The state of North Carolina will put up the rest of the financial package. State law does not require Alabama and South Carolina to make a public disclosure of the incentives they are going to offer, and the states -- believing that not showing their cards gives them an edge -- are not disclosing them. So it is unclear exactly how the Winston-Salem offer compares to the offers from Montgomery and Spartanburg, S.C. Strange said he doesn't believe Montgomery's offer for the Caterpillar plant can match the North Carolina offer dollar-for-dollar, but he hopes other factors may more than balance the scales. Economic experts have said they believe Alabama may have the edge in other areas, such as lower energy costs and lower taxes.
more... Montgomery Advertiser link |
Intellectual Property Rights Seminar To Help Companies Safeguard Assets
MONTGOMERY - Does your company know how to disclose and leverage its intellectual property while preserving rights and keeping competitors and infringers at bay? The Export Alabama Alliance along with the AlabamaStateUniversity will present an Intellectual Property Rights seminar from 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.Thursday, July 29th, 2010. The seminar will be held in the Dunn-Oliver Academe Banquet Room at AlabamaStateUniversity in Montgomery. Not only will the seminar benefit companies experienced in exporting,but will also serve firms looking to expand into international trade. July's seminar will feature topics such as discovering the characteristics and differences among the different areas of intellectual property, how to identify intellectual property in a business, tools and resources for small to medium companies from the U.S. government, Intellectual Property and the internet, as well as protecting companies' intellectual property in China. "Being well informed and aware of intellectual property rights in foreign nations is an integral part of international trade and enables small to medium enterprises to have better protection of the rights to their products, "said Hilda Lockhart, director of international trade for the Alabama Development Office. Speakers for the seminar will include Gregory Jones, Hand Arendall, LLC (Mobile), Kenneth Mouradian, U.S. Department of Commerce, (Orlando), Andrea Cornwell, Office of International Property Rights, United States Chamber of Commerce, (Washington D.C.), and Kurt Miller, Johnston Barton Proctor & Rose L.L.P, (Birmingham). There is no charge to attend and registration is encouraged. To register or to request further information, please contact Pamela DeFleron, ADO, 334-353-0299 or email Pamela.defleron@ado.alabama.gov for more information. |
J. Tate Godfrey named President of EDAA
J. Tate Godfrey, CEcD, President/CEO of the North Alabama Industrial Development Association has been elected President of the Economic Developers Association of Alabama during the organization's annual meeting on July 14.
The Economic Development Association (EDAA) is a network of Alabama economic development professionals with over 500 members. These members include directors and staff members from local economic development associations, as well as other individuals involved in economic growth in Alabama. EDAA was formed in the early 1960s by a group of Alabama industrial developers, who recognized the need for an organized effort to support economic growth in Alabama. Mr. Godfrey previously held the offices of Secretary-Treasurer, Second Vice-President and First Vice President of EDAA.
Mr. Godfrey joined the North Alabama Industrial Development Association in May of 2004. He has almost 30 years experience in economic development and is a Certified Economic Developer as designated by the International Economic Development Council. Mr. Godfrey is a member of the Southern Economic Development Council and is a member of the Leadership Alabama Class XXI.
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