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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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ThyssenKrupp AG says it has started second blast furnace in BrazilPublished: Tuesday, December 21, 2010, 6:58 AM Updated: Tuesday, December 21, 2010, 7:04 AM By Jeff Amy, Press-Register Courtesy ThyssenKruppThyssenKrupp AG said it had started its second blast furnace at its mill in Brazil. That location feeds raw slabs to the carbon steel part of ThyssenKrupp's complex in Calvert, Ala. ThyssenKrupp AG said Monday that it had started the second blast furnace at its steel mill in Santa Cruz, Brazil, west of Rio de Janeiro. The 5.2 billion euro ($6.8 billion) Brazilian mill feeds steel slabs to ThyssenKrupp's $5 billion Calvert mill north of Mobile. Edwin Eichler, the ThyssenKrupp AG executive board member responsible for steelmaking, said the steel being produced is of high quality for such an early stage of production. "I expect the ramp-up of our second blast furnace to be just as successful and that next fiscal year the plant will be able to operate at its full capacity," he said in a statement. The company said that Brazilian environmental authorities were "closely involved" in the startup and that no complaints were received. Brazilian authorities have filed charges against the company for graphite dust emissions associated with the July startup of the first furnace. ThyssenKrupp has said such emissions aren't harmful and are unavoidable. more... Press Register link
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New Dollar General warehouse promises 650 jobs for Bessemer
Published: Tuesday, December 21, 2010, 6:55 AM Updated: Tuesday, December 21, 2010, 8:24 AM
By Michael Tomberlin -- The Birmingham News
Dollar General Corp. plans to build a 1 million-square- foot distribution center in Bessemer, creating 650 jobs.
The company is seeking incentives from Bessemer and Jefferson County for the new $60 million facility to be built on a 106-acre site owned by USS Real Estate at Alabama 150 and Lakeshore Parkway. The facility, which promises to be a state-of-the-art distribution center, will have 550 jobs working in the large warehouse and offices with another 100 dedicated trucker jobs.
A spokeswoman with the Goodlettsville, Tenn.-based Dollar General said its 10th center is needed to support the retailer's rapid growth.
"We believe the Birmingham region is a great fit for our needs," said Tawn Earnest, senior director of corporate communications at Dollar General. "We already serve shoppers in this region with more than 100 neighborhood stores, and we have supported Alabama organizations and schools through grants totaling $380,000 in 2010 alone. " Sandra Little Brown, who heads the county commission's economic development committee, said the company has indicated the jobs will pay an average of $12.50 per hour and the facility will help supply stores in Alabama and neighboring states.
"We're doing all we can to make sure make sure everything is in place from our standpoint," she said.
more...
Birmingham News link |
Alabama, Michigan staging rapid job market recoveries
Published: Tuesday, December 21, 2010, 6:15 AM
By Martin Swant --- The Birmingham News
Two states whose jobs markets were hit by the auto industry's downturn -- Michigan and Alabama -- are now staging rapid recoveries.
The states registered the biggest unemployment rate declines in the 12 months ending in November, according to a report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Michigan was down 2 percentage points year-over-year, while Alabama trailed close behind as its jobless rate fell 1.9 points.
In September and October, Alabama had the most rapid jobless-rate decline in the nation, according to BLS data. Alabama was No. 2 in November even though its jobless rate rose to 9 percent from 8.9 percent in October. In November 2009, the state's unemployment rate was close to a quarter-century high, at 10.9 percent.
Alabama and Michigan both seem to be benefiting from a comeback in the auto sector.
In Alabama, several auto suppliers announced plans to expand in the third quarter, signaling their intentions to create hundreds of jobs. Figures from the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations show that employment in vehicle parts manufacturing increased by 200 jobs over the past year.
more...
Birmingham News link |
Census: Alabama not expected to enough change to gain or lose seat in Congress
By Associated Press 5:01 a.m. CST, December 21, 2010
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Alabama is not expected to gain or lose a congressional seat because of U.S. Census population figures.
The Census figures showing the population of the U.S. and the number of people living in each state are being released in Washington Tuesday morning.
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The figures will be used to determine how many members of Congress are allotted to each state.
The manager of the Alabama Data Center at the University of Alabama, Annette Watters, says Alabama is expected to keep it's seven congressional seats, but has not grown enough to get another seat in Congress.
The spokesman for the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, Larry Childers, says Alabama's growth has been in line with the national average.
WHNT link |
GE brings high-tech jet engine parts facility to Auburn
By Ed Enoch | Staff writer
Published: December 20, 2010
GE Aviation announced Monday plans to build a $50 million environmental coating facility that will bring a few hundred jobs to East Alabama and initially produce advanced engine components for the Joint Strike Fighter F-35 program.
"We intend to do something that doesn't exist anywhere," said Russ Sparks, vice president of military strategy for GE Aviation. "The manufacturing technologies that go into this system are some of the most high-tech in the world."
Sparks said the cutting-edge facility, expected to open in 2012, will begin by making parts for the GE/Rolls-Royce F136 jet engine, the performance of which will be enhanced with environmental coatings. The engine is part of the F-35 fighter program, a multi-role aircraft intended to begin replacing the U.S. military's current fleet of fighters.
Rick Kennedy, manager of media relations for GE Aviation, said the environmental coatings applied at the Auburn plant will allow the engines to perform better and longer in high-heat environments. Kennedy said some of the technology remains in the research-and-design phase, noting the facility would likely take a decade to fully ramp up.
The F-35 fighter is expected to be produced in the thousands during the next 30 years, Sparks said. Production of the F-35 is scheduled to begin in 2013.
"GE looks at this as a long-term relationship," he said.
more...
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