1. Large Scale Green Vehicle Plant Planned for Baldwin County
MONTGOMERY – Hybrid Kinetic Motors (HK Motors) announced plans to construct a new green-vehicle manufacturing plant in Baldwin County during a press conference held jointly with Governor Bob Riley, the Alabama Development Office and key members of the state legislature on Thursday.
HK Motors Chairman Yung (Benjamin) Yeung cited the strength of Alabama’s economy and the quality of its workforce as the main reasons for the board’s decision to locate its primary manufacturing operations in Alabama. Initial production of all model lines is expected to begin in 2013, with Phase 1 capacity of 300,000 vehicles, while creating more than 5,000 direct jobs.
HK Motors aims to be the first large-scale manufacturer of environmentally-friendly vehicles, which will help revitalize the American automotive industry while protecting the environment and stimulating the local and national economy. Utilizing a unique hybrid engine that employs compressed natural gas (CNG), electricity, and gasoline, the company’s vehicles will provide unprecedented efficiency at affordable prices to consumers, while bringing thousands of environmentally-friendly new jobs to American workers.
2. ThyssenKrupp Melt Shop Work Begins, Training Center Opened
CALVERT - ThyssenKrupp AG wants the world to know: The company has started work on the stainless steel melt shop. Workers were digging around previously poured concrete columns on the site of the melt shop last week, beginning to lay rebar to support the foundation for the expensive component, which would turn scrap metal into new stainless steel. ThyssenKrupp Steel USA, ThyssenKrupp Stainless USA and AIDT also held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Erich Heine Learning Center.Among other uses, the new Center will provide operational, maintenance and administrative training for the team members of ThyssenKrupp’s new multi-billion dollar steel and stainless steel processing facilities currently under construction in Calvert.
3. CGI Group To Bring 300 Jobs to Pike County
Alabama Governor Bob Riley announced Friday that CGI Group Inc. would be Troy’s newest industry, but for Pike County it’s really so much more than just a business.
Troy Mayor Jimmy Lunsford said CGI, a company that leads in information technology and business process services, essentially is the city’s missing puzzle piece.“We’ve got fabulous jobs at KW. We’ve got great jobs at Sanders. We’ve got skilled jobs at Sikorsky and Lockheed. We’ve got highly skilled jobs in Troy,” Lunsford said. “You can work anywhere you want using your hands. If you’re not in education or something else, there’s not a lot of opportunity to work with your brain. “But we think (CGI) is the missing link.”
And, right from the start, the company that will bring with it at least 300 jobs to Pike County, felt the same.“At the first meeting in Troy, Dr. Hawkins was there, and the mayor’s personal relationship and Marsha’s (impressed us) — they immediately brought the community to meet and greet us,” said CGI’s Vice President of Human Resources and Onshore Delivery Stacey Martin.“We just felt Troy had the right business and political relationship. “After the first visit, it became clear Troy was right.”
CGI has plans to hire at least 300 people within the next three years, 100 of those by the end of 2010.Martin said the business will seek a variety of positions, from software testing to design to business processing.
4. Sawmill To Open in Butler County, Employ 265 People
GEORGIANA -- Officials with Coastal Forest Products LLC say they plan to locate a new sawmill and plywood manufacturing facility on the site of a closed forest products facility in the Chapman community. Officials with the New Hampshire company say the new Butler County facility will employ about 265 workers. Coastal officials say the company will invest about $10 million in the facility.
The chairman of the Butler County Commission, Jesse McWilliams, said the closing of the old International Paper/Chapman Forest Products facility had hurt the economy of the area. He said the opening of the new facility would answer a lot of prayers.
5. G-1 Mechanical Hiring in McIntosh
G-1 Mechanical Inc. has hired about 60 workers for its new McIntosh facility and is looking to add 40 more. The minority-owned contractor, based in Moncks Corner, S.C., three weeks ago landed a multimillion-dollar deal with ThyssenKrupp to fabricate pipe for the $4.65 billion steel mill taking shape nearby in Calvert. That project is expected to last eight months to a year, but company officials said it G-1 would land additional work with other industries located along the U.S. 43 corridor.
"This is only the beginning," said Floyd Gant, vice president of operations. "We're continuously bidding work, and we're talking to potential clients and the local chambers right now."
6. Huntsville Near Top for High Tech Jobs
Huntsville has been named one of the country's "10 Best Places for Tech Jobs" according to U.S. News & World Report, adding to the list of impressive lists the area has made in the past year.
In an article posted on the magazine's Web page, Liz Wolgemuth writes that, while no city is exactly thriving during these times, "within the tech industry, some cities clearly have more job opportunities."
Huntsville is the smallest city on the list, which includes Atlanta, Boston, Houston, New York, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.
But the magazine points out that Cummings Research Park - the second largest in the country with more than 225 companies and 23,000 employees - is here, along with the Army's Redstone Arsenal, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and hundreds of aerospace, electronic and other high-tech companies.
7. Huge Gamble Pays Off For Wise Metals
Wise Metals Group officials clearly had everything on the line when they began pursuing a contract with Anheuser-Busch InBev in 2008.
With business continuing a downward spiral and the company limited in its ability to compete for major contracts because of equipment restrictions, David D'Addario and his Wise team decided to go all in on a major gamble.
It's a gamble that has paid off for the company and the Shoals community with a multi-year contract that is expected to provide security to the Wise Alloys operation in Colbert County for several years.
8. BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Gets $77.2 Million Contract Boost
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals said its contract with the government to complete Phase 3 development of its flu drug Peramivir has been boosted by $77.2 million. CEO Jon Stonehouse says BioCryst aims to save lives with flu drug. The contract is with U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, which is working with the Birmingham company to develop intravenous Peramivir for the treatment of complicated influenza.
"Peramivir is being developed with HHS to treat seriously ill and hospitalized patients, with the goal of saving lives,” Stonehouse. “This contract modification supports Peramivir's Phase 3 clinical development with the aim of gaining U.S. regulatory approval."
Dr. William P. Sheridan, BioCryst’s chief medical officer, said the company plans to start the Phase 3 studies as soon as possible. BioCryst was awarded a $102.6 million, four-year contract from the HHS in January 2007. The contract modification brings the total award to $179.9 million and extends the contract term to five years.
9. Alabama Again Scores High on Inbound Moves
Alabama fell in a national survey of inbound moves by St. Louis-based Mayflower Transit, but it still received high marks as a destination state.
Alabama ranked 15th highest among the states, with 55.3 percent of shipments handled by the firm between January and August being inbound moves, the 2009 Mayflower Customer Relocation Study found.
Alabama had the fifth-highest percentage of inbound moves during the same period last year, a Mayflower spokeswoman said. At that time, nearly 60 percent of Mayflower’s moves involving Alabama were inbound. Moving company surveys are being viewed as an indicator of economic vitality.
10. Milestone: 1 Million Alabama- Made Vehicles Celebrated
The 1 millionth Alabama-built Mercedes-Benz M-Class sport utility rolled off the automaker's assembly line in Vance this month, a significant milestone for the vehicle that birthed the state's auto industry.
Employees gathered around the vehicle for a photo opportunity this afternoon as officials reminisced about the first M-Class built at the plant 12½ years ago.
"It feels like yesterday, and here we are at 1 million vehicles," said Ola Kaellenius, head of Mercedes' Alabama operations.