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:
Viva Health renovating downtown headquarters in $7.3 million project, could add 400 jobs
Pair of Hondas up for one of the auto industry's most prestigious awards
The booming business of cyber security in Montgomery
Tomberlin's Take: If Airbus expands, aerospace becomes more like automotive in Alabama
Meet the advisory board of Bham's leading tech training initiative




Viva Health renovating downtown headquarters in $7.3 million project, could add 400 jobs
on December 08, 2015 
 
Viva Health's parent company is embarking on a $7.27 million renovation of its Birmingham headquarters that could bring up to 400 more jobs downtown.

The purpose of the renovation is to house the 300 to 400 workers who would help Viva administer its Medicaid regional care organizations, also known as RCOs. These organizations are allotted a set amount per month to manage the health of Medicaid recipients.

Last year, Gov. Robert Bentley announced the first six organizations certified on a probationary basis to provide managed care for specific regions of the state. Viva is managing three of the five regions, which include the areas surrounding Birmingham, Montgomery 


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Pair of Hondas up for one of the auto industry's most prestigious awards
Dan Eaton Staff reporter 
Dec 8, 2015

A pair of Hondas are up for one of the auto industry's most prestigious awards.
The North American Car & Truck/Utility of the Year awards Tuesday named its finalists for its two annual honors. 

The redesigned Honda Civic is one of the three remaining competitors in the car competition, while the Honda Pilot sport-utility vehicle made the cut for the truck/utility award.

The Honda Civic, which is made in Greensburg, Indiana, is facing off against the Chevrolet Malibu and the Mazda MX-5 Miata. Pilot, which is built in Lincoln, Alabama, is up against the Nissan Titan XD and the Volvo XC90.


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MONTGOMERY CO., AL (WSFA) -The Air Force is reinventing itself with the help of a booming business right in our own backyard, the business of cyber security.

Military leaders briefed the Montgomery Chamber about this ever-changing landscape during their 143rd annual meeting Tuesday.

City leaders say 'cyber' is the next generation of economic development and ground zero for this new wave of defeating our enemies is right here in Montgomery.


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Tomberlin's Take: If Airbus expands, aerospace becomes more like automotive in Alabama
By Michael Tomberlin
December 9, 2015
 
It's a pattern we've become used to in Alabama.

An international automaker chooses a site in the state for a new manufacturing plant. It produces a popular new model using some parts that are produced from suppliers that also located in Alabama. Its success leads to it expanding its plant, making it feasible for more suppliers to expand or set up plants here to supply other suppliers and the auto plant itself.

Mercedes-Benz introduced us to this accelerated, compounded growth with production at its Tuscaloosa County plant in 1997. Honda mirrored it when it began producing minivans in Talladega County in 2001. Hyundai joined the mix when its Montgomery plant began production a decade ago.

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Meet the advisory board of Bham's leading tech training initiative
Alan Alexander Reporter Birmingham Business Journal
Dec 9, 2015

The software development training course Depot/U that started at Innovation Depot earlier this year has created a 10-member advisory board of current and former business executives from around Birmingham.

The board's mission is to expand Depot/U, which recently graduated its first class of 16 students, into an educational platform with multiple locations teaching multiple courses. Matt Landers, CEO of Platypi and lead instructor at Depot/U, said i n a previous interview with the BBJ that the course could reach 100 students by the end of the year.

That will help fill the high demand for skilled tech employees in Birmingham.

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