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Here is today's summary of economic development news, a free service of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama, representing Alabama's private sector investment in economic development. If you enjoy NewsFlash, thank an EDPA Partner.
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Lockheed Martin centralizes Targets and Countermeasures operations in Huntsville, bringing about 100 jobs
Published: Wednesday, September 26, 2012
By Budd McLaughlin, The Huntsville Times
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Lockheed Martin has completed the consolidation of its Targets and Countermeasures operations in Huntsville, creating about 100 jobs, the company announced today. "Centralizing our core program operations enables us to maintain our cost competitiveness," said Dr. Patricia Dare, director of Targets and Countermeasures, Lockheed Martin Space Systems. "This is one more way we are meeting the government's needs for affordability." Along with the 100 positions, Lockheed moved an integrated system development laboratory from the company's Denver facility to Huntsville, completing a process that began in 2007 with the move of the company's Targets and Countermeasures Program office from Arlington, Va., to here. Employees relocating from Denver are filling approximately 20 of the positions. The company is in the process of filling the remaining positions, which include software, systems, electrical and mechanical engineers, as well as specialists in a variety of support functions, such as finance, manufacturing and procurement. |
Gov. Bentley touts economic windfall for state 'more significant than Airbus' Published: Wednesday, September 26, 2012
By Paul Gattis, The Huntsville Times
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Gov. Robert Bentley is not running for re-election yet but, like an election-year politician, he's already promising a future that's brighter than the present.
Speaking Wednesday afternoon to the convention of the Alabama Retired State Employees' Association, Bentley hinted at an economic windfall for the state larger than the $600 million Airbus project that's expected to create more than 3,000 jobs in the Mobile area.
"We've got some projects I can't talk about," Bentley said. "We've got some major projects that will help this state that are truly significant -- more significant than Airbus, and that's pretty significant."
Bentley teased the projects while urging the retirees to vote for Amendment 2 on the ballot in November that will allow the state to borrow money that would be used to recruit industry to the state.
more...
[Huntsville Times]
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ACP Symposium: Alabama's success tied to foreign investment
Published: Wednesday, September 26, 2012
By Ellen Mitchell, Press-Register
MONROEVILLE, Alabama -- Foreign investment is the key to Alabama's economic success. That was the message today at the Alabama China Partnership Symposium in Monroeville as more than 200 people, including delegates representing more than 100 Chinese companies, filled the auditorium at Alabama Southern Community College. "Success breeds success," said David Bronner, CEO of Retirement Systems of Alabama, referring to Alabama's economic gains from such foreign companies as Hyundai, Mercedes Benz and Honda. "If you think about Alabama, we've demonstrated, more than many other states, that foreign investment is our key." The symposium featured Chinese companies from a broad group of manufacturing and financial industries, including automotive, bioscience, electronics, textile, insurance, professional services and retail. Many attended in hopes of finding opportunities to establish their businesses on Alabama soil. more...
[Press Register]
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Restore Act can shape future, Bonner says Published: Thursday, September 27, 2012
By Guy Busby Press-Register
FOLEY, Alabama -- The Restore Act can be a key to making south Alabama the center of a revitalized economic region extending from Panama City, Fla., to New Orleans, if leaders can cooperate and plan carefully how to spend the money, Rep. Jo Bonner said Wednesday.
Bonner, R-Mobile, told members of the South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce that even $1 billion won't be enough for all the ways proposed to spend the money. The act, signed into law July 7, directs fine money paid by BP and other responsible parties to the Gulf Coast states and the regions affected by the spill. In Alabama, the money will go to Mobile and Baldwin counties, Bonner said. "We've worked hard to make sure that the victims of Deepwater Horizon, which are the people who live here on the Gulf shores of America, have the opportunity to see that money come back where it belongs, to be invested like it can be to do really big things for generations to come," Bonner said. He said local officials will have to also work to keep the money from being diverted out of the area. more...
[ Press Register]
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Developer of NASCAR SAFER barrier to speak at Alabama Launchpad Innovation and Entrepreneurship Conference Published: September 26, 2012 By Doug Demmons - The Birmingham News NASCAR faces a bit of a dilemma when it comes to its Camping World Truck Series. When the series began in the mid-1990s it raced mostly at small short tracks. Very quickly, however, the truck series moved to the bigger tracks and became mostly a warm-up event for the bigger Sprint Cup races. NASCAR would like to nudge the series back toward its roots, to short tracks like Mobile International Speedway. But therein lies the dilemma. Ever since the advent of the SAFER barrier system that has been so successful in protecting drivers from violent impacts with walls, NASCAR's top national touring series have raced only at tracks with the protected walls. But short tracks like Mobile don't have SAFER systems and -- considering costs that can run in excess of $1 million a mile to install them -- cannot afford them. But NASCAR still wants to run at short tracks, so it has asked the developer of the SAFER system, Dean Sicking of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, to put together a study on whether NASCAR can safely compete at tracks of less than a half-mile without SAFER-protected walls. more... [Birmingham News]
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ONE DAY LEFT TO REGISTER! Website: www.innovatealabama.com Place: Wynfrey Hotel, Birmingham, Ala. $250.00 - Full Conference for October 2 & 3: $75.00 - Oct. 2 Dinner Event Only $175.00 - Oct. 3 Full Conference Day Only Click For: Registration Speakers Sponsors |
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Enjoy the day,
Val Walton
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