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.
Airbus outlines its commitment to manufacturing in Alabama
By Allan McArtor, Chairman & CEO-Airbus Group, Inc.
on January 04, 2016
The American manufacturing economy got a boost when Airbus officially opened its first U.S. assembly plant in September.
At our founding, this company got its own boost from America. When Airbus released its first airplane into the market in 1974, the engines that powered the A300 were built in the United States.
That year, 18 million Americans were employed in manufacturing.
One of the state's largest employers is still seeking workers to fill its new off-road vehicle manufacturing facility in north Alabama.
Polaris Industries is working with Alabama Industrial Development Training (AIDT) to find employees for its plant near Greenbrier Road and Interstate 565 in Huntsville-annexed Limestone County. The 600,000-square-foot site will cover vehicle assembly, chassis and body painting, welding, fabrication and injection molding.
Randolph County Economic Development Authority hosted a media conference to announce a new county-wide brand on Tuesday morning at the Bank of Wedowee-Roanoke Branch.
The "Genuinely Different" logo created by award-winning community marketing firm, Red Sage Communications Inc., will become the icon for Randolph County defining the county as it is today and supporting the county as it continues to define its future.
The new brand and messaging for Randolph County reflects the genuine Southern experience found across the county. Few communities offer such an authentic spirit and wealth of preserved natural resources. This strength is now highlighted to capture the unique characteristics of each of the four towns and to bring attention to the intriguing history, wide-ranging industrial base, diversity of land and unspoiled beauty, such as Lake Wedowee, found throughout the county.
Alabama Launchpad boosted high-tech startups with nearly $650,000 in 2015
By Kelli M. Dugan
With a record-setting 14 startup companies sharing nearly $650,000 in pre-seed funding, Alabama's high-tech sector soared in 2015, courtesy of Alabama Launchpad.
From heart monitors that provide data to cardiologists while patients are home to an affordable Web-based brewery-management platform, Launchpad Programs Director Greg Sheek said the visible diversification in the initiative's 10th year surpassed all expectations.
"Not only did we fund more companies than ever in our startup competition history, but we also provided funding to 11 companies through our Alabama SBIR/STTR Support Program. We saw an uptick in participation across our programs, and we continued to see great diversity in terms of ownership and industry sectors that participated," Sheek said.
During the past decade, Alabama has turned itself into a hotbed of automotive manufacturing by attracting assembly plants from Daimler, Honda, Hyundai and Toyota. Now, the "heart of Dixie" hopes to also become a major player in the aerospace sector.
That dream became a reality in September, when Airbus SAS opened an assembly line in Mobile. It is the first new manufacturer of large commercial aircraft in the United States in four decades.
The state-of-the-art facility is producing the company's most popular airplane, the single-aisle A320. In fact, the A320 family, which includes the A318, A319 and A321 variants, is the world's best-selling commercial aircraft.