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Amendment 2 will provide about $150 million for incentives within 6 to 9 months
By Evan Belanger | ebelanger@al.com
November 08, 2012
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama --Tuesday's passage of Amendment 2 will provide an estimated $150 million to support economic development projects in the state within six to nine months, Alabama Secretary of Commerce Greg Canfield said today.
After speaking as part of the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Leader to Leader Breakfast Series, Canfield said the amendment will allow the state to immediately refinance an existing bond series to achieve an estimated savings of roughly $30 million, depending on interest rates.
As other debt become eligible within six to nine months, he said the state will be able to refinance that for an estimated savings of $120 million to $130 million.
"These numbers are all estimates, because until we do it, we don't know what we're going to get," said Canfield, a former legislator who is also chairman of the Alabama Economic Development Alliance.
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Birmingham auto supplier Kamtek poised for another expansion
Published: Thursday, November 08, 2012
By Dawn Kent | dkent@al.com
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Auto stamper Kamtek has purchased a 293,000-square-foot facility on Sterilite Drive in Pinson Valley that was previously slated to become a manufacturing plant for Isuzu trucks.
Commercial real estate firm Graham & Co. announced the deal today. Officials with Kamtek, a division of international auto supplier Magna International, declined to comment on their plans for the building.
Graham & Co. originally developed the facility, which sits on 36 acres, for Del Monte in 1993 as its Southeast distribution center. Then the firm represented Del Monte in Isuzu's purchase of it in 2006.
Isuzu, which had planned to assemble light duty work trucks there, scrapped the project after the economy soured.
In 2011, it was put on the market.
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Airbus posts first employment ad for $600 million Mobile plant
Published: Thursday, November 08, 2012
By Kelli Dugan | kdugan@al.com
MOBILE, Alabama - Airbus Americas is seeking a director of human resources, the first job posting to date for its $600 million final assembly plant at Mobile's Brookley Aeroplex.
Allan McArtor, Airbus Americas' chairman, said Thursday's posting is the first step toward answering a lot of questions regarding the facility, expected to employ 1,000 directly at full production.
"From the day we announced our intent to build an assembly line in Mobile, Alabama, we've been inundated with requests for information about how to work there. I'm so pleased to say we're beginning the process with this first job posting. It's just one more significant step towards the reality of a U.S.-based Airbus manufacturing site McArtor said in a press release.
The announcement was released in cooperation with Alabama Industrial Development Training, Airbus' Alabama-based recruiting partner.
The full job description and directions for submitting resumés through AIDT can be found athttp://www.airbus.com/work/experienced-candidates/opportunities-in-the-usa/manufacturing-in-mobile/ or www.aidt.edu/jobs.
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[al.com]
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Wyle announces $18.75 million building in Cummings Research Park
Published: Thursday, November 08, 2012
By Martin Swant | mswant@al.com
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Copter Properties is building an $18.75 million facility in Huntsville'sCummings Research Park, which will be built for and leased by Wyle's CAS Group.
The 120,000 square foot, three-story building will house more than 350 employees of the Huntsville group, with extra space for as much as 30 percent growth, according to CAS group president George Prueitt. The company plans to move in August 2013. The building was designed by Fuqua and Partners Architects, a Huntsville firm that has designed buildings for a number of other Research Park companies including Dynetics, Digiumand the master plan for HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology. Plenty of ground has already been moved, but the ceremony took place today with remarks from Mayor Tommy Battle, Madison Mayor Troy Trulock and outgoing Madison County Commission Chairman Mike Gillespie.
"Any day you can put a 120,000 square foot building on the ground is a good day," Battle said.
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Birmingham and Lake Guntersville reel in "big catch" -- 2014 Bassmaster Classic
By Solomon Crenshaw Jr. | screnshawjr@al.com
on November 08, 2012 at 1:15 PM,
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - Calling it "a big catch for our state," Gov. Robert Bentley was on hand this morning to help announce that Birmingham and Lake Guntersville will host the 2014 Bassmaster Classic, the world championship of bass fishing.
Lake Guntersville will provide the venue for competition on Feb. 21-23, 2014. Birmingham will host daily weigh-ins and the Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex.
This is the eighth time Birmingham has been named to host the Classic. It will be the 12th time the event has come to Alabama, twice as many as any other state.
"Tourism is very important to the state. It's an economic engine for the state," Bentley said. "We're going to showcase Birmingham and let the rest of the world know what a wonderful place Birmingham is."
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[al.com]
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Alabama industry report: State exports on the rise this year, led by autos, iron and steel
Published: Friday
November 09, 2012
By Dawn Kent | dkent@al.com
MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama exports are up 11 percent so far this year, buoyed by continued growth in autos, as well as a jump in iron and steel shipments.Through August, the latest data available, the value of 2012 exports totaled nearly $13 billion, according to data provided by the Alabama Department of Commerce.
U.S. exports were up 5.6 percent over the same time period.
Autos have long been the state's top export, and that continues. Auto exports totaled $4.2 billion, a 22 percent improvement over the same time period last year.
Luxury SUVs produced at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Tuscaloosa County account for the vast majority of that total. The plant exports about two-thirds of its output to markets around the world.
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[al.com]
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