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Greetings!

 

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. 

 

In this issue:
Auto Sales Maintain Momentum, Led By Pickups
Huntsville's DynCorp, Sierra Nevada announce alliance, new fixed-wing aircraft center
NACC expands job-search assistance with grant
Country Entertainers Hit the Beach - Blue Collar Destinations
Program prepares grads to find jobs

 

 

Auto Sales Maintain Momentum, Led By Pickups

by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

DETROIT (AP) - U.S. buyers snapped up new cars and trucks in June at a pace not seen since before the recession.

 

Continuing demand for big pickups helped boost sales for Detroit's automakers. Ford said Tuesday that its sales rose 14 percent, while Chrysler's gained 8 percent and General Motors' rose 6.5 percent.

 

Japanese automakers reported solid gains as well. Nissan's sales jumped 13 percent, while Toyota's were up 10 percent. But Volkswagen's sales dropped 3 percent, the third straight monthly decline for the German car company.

 

Other automakers will report sales later Tuesday



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[NPR]

 

 

 

 

Huntsville's DynCorp, Sierra Nevada announce alliance, new fixed-wing aircraft center

on July 01, 2013 

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - As part of a new alliance between DynCorp International and Sierra Nevada Corporation, a jointly-established Fixed-Wing Aircraft Center of Excellence will be established in Huntsville to provide maintenance, repair, overhaul, modification and other aircraft services to customers.

 

The news came late last week after DynCorp and Sierra Nevada announced a strategic partnership to provide mission critical services to customers across the globe.

 

The alliance will focus on unmanned aerial systems and commercial, domestic and international fixed-wing, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems.



more...

[al.com]

 

 

 

NACC expands job-search assistance with grant

Staff Report

July 2, 2013 

 

MONTGOMERY-Students at Northeast Alabama Community College in Rainsville who are entering the workforce will receive extra assistance thanks in part to a $50,000 grant announced by Gov. Robert Bentley.

 

With the Appalachian Regional Commission grant, the school will expand its College and Career Planning Center by creating a job placement office and hiring a coordinator to assist current and former students with job searches and interview skills. 

 

more...

 

[Daily Sentinel]

 

 

 

 

 

Country Entertainers Hit the Beach - Blue Collar Destinations
By Nedra Bloom
July 2013

Plans for a major Blue Collar Destinations entertainment project that kicked off this summer in Foley have sparked hopes for a tourism boost in south Baldwin County.

 

A mix of rides reminiscent of a country fair, an interactive Nascar museum, celebrity restaurants, hotels, a Class A RV park and plenty of entertainment in the style of Blue Collar headliners Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy are planned for the development that's slated to open in 2015, says Jeff Rouzie, Foley's director of economic development.

 

Foley, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach - reeling from a loss of tourist dollars after the BP oil spill in 2010 - started searching for something that was more reliable even than the beach for drawing visitors.


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Program prepares grads to find jobs
By Jennifer Edwards

Staff Writer

July 1, 2013

 

FLORENCE - All Jerome Gafford had to do was look at the statistics to realize the University of North Alabama was missing a chance to prepare students for a crucial segment of the workforce.

 

Gafford, director of the Center for Professional Selling at UNA, saw that only 43 percent of college graduates were immediately finding work within the field they studied.

 

But Gafford also saw the percentage is much higher for students who completed a sales program in college.

"Students that studied professional selling had a 90 percent placement rate," Gafford said. "Obviously, that showed me the chances of getting a job after graduation was much higher."

 

Gafford quickly began working to establish the now two-year-old Center for Professional Selling at UNA. The professional selling concentration is embedded in the bachelor of business administration degree and also can be a minor for other degree programs.



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