1. Thousands of Jobs Possible With New Aerospace Alliance
BAY MINETTE -- The governors of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana launched The Aerospace Alliance on Monday in an effort to establish the Gulf Coast as a premier aerospace corridor.
Gov. Bob Riley of Alabama, Gov. Haley Barbour of Mississippi and Gov. Bobby Jindal said the alliance’s first priority was to secure the highly competitive KC-45 aerial tanker program for Mobile, which would bring 48,000 direct and indirect jobs to the country and thousands to the Gulf Coast region, said a news release.
Members of the alliance - a nonprofit organization - include business leaders, economic development professionals and government officials and are charged with promoting the Gulf Coast to become “a world class aerospace, space and aviation corridor.”
"Last year taught us something: While we all know about our long tradition of aerospace excellence and the quality and skillsets of our work force, obviously some parts of the country (Kansas and Washington State), might not be aware,” said Gov. Riley at an event Monday in Bay Minette. “We are going to educate them and you are going to help us. We will work together to promote our region's many assets. We will work together to advocate for policies, programs and specific aerospace projects on the local, state and national level. The programs we attract will in turn attract suppliers, bringing even more jobs and development.”
2. Governor Riley To Lead Economic Development Mission to India
Gov. Bob Riley announced Tuesday a trade mission to India next year, following a meeting with Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the former president of India. Riley said he will lead a delegation of state and business leaders on the economic development trip in May. "When an Alabama company finds a customer in a growing market like India, they create jobs in Alabama through exports," Riley said. Before the announcement, Riley and Kalam met to discuss strengthening trade and investment ties between Alabama and India.
Exports from Alabama to India are on the rise. From January to August this year, the value of those exports totaled $95 million, according to the governor's office. That's already approaching the $99 million posted in all of 2008 and tops $75 million in 2007.
3. New York Times Highlights Bronner, State’s Development Success
Donald Epley, a professor of real estate and the director of the Mitchell College of Business Center for Real Estate Studies at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, said the retirement system’s investments in Mobile — and its even larger investments upstate in Alabama’s state capital, Montgomery — reflected a bet not just on the individual projects but also on the state’s economy.
“If you are going to talk about office space, you have to talk about employment, because that is what drives office space,” Mr. Epley said. “So the story is one also of economic development success here.”
The pension fund’s initiatives have inspired small local banks and other lenders to back business development here, Mr. Epley said.
For more of the story: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/28/realestate/commercial/28alabama.html?_r=1
4. Mohawk To Add 35 Jobs in Roanoke Expansion
Mohawk Industries has announced plans to expand production at its Roanoke carpet backing manufacturing facility. The company will invest in state-of-the-art extrusion technology and relocate a significant amount of manufacturing equipment to the facility. The expansion will initially create 35 new positions at the facility while more jobs are anticipated as the economy recovers.
Jamie Welborn, Mohawk's vice president of Residential Manufacturing, said Mohawk's decision to invest in the Roanoke facility was based on quality and cost. "We are committed to delivering quality products to our customers," said Welborn. "The people at Roanoke share that commitment. The expansion will also increase manufacturing efficiencies at the location, which will help to contain costs
5. Deal May Signal Maturation of Birmingham Biotech Industry
A South Korean firm’s $3 million Vaxin Inc. investment represents an incremental yet significant milestone for Birmingham’s burgeoning biotech community, industry experts said.
Vaxin recently announced a joint venture with AnC Bio Group giving the Innovation Depot-based company access to research and manufacturing operations in South Korea. Vaxin will receive $2 million in cash and an additional $1 million to launch the joint venture.The partnership expands Vaxin’s Asian market presence. It has a licensing agreement with another Korean firm for its flu vaccines.
The funding and manufacturing components are a major step toward Vaxin’s goal of developing commercial vaccines. It’s also a monumental victory for Birmingham’s biotech community because it publicizes the city’s assets on a global scale, according to Biotechnology Association of Alabama Executive Director Kathy Nugent.
Nugent said these types of deals give validity and credibility to Birmingham’s tech sector. It’s a necessary step in the effort to build a critical mass of biotech research, development and manufacturing of commercial products. The publicity generated by Vaxin’s announcement gives Birmingham a platform to attract venture capital and more startups, Nugent said.
“If we do more deals like that it will be easier for venture capitalists to be willing to go outside traditional hubs to build their companies and manufacturing plants,” Nugent said.
6. ThyssenKrupp Still Actively Seeking Job Applicants
They're ThyssenKrupp numbers, so they're big: 34,774 people have filled out online applications seeking production or maintenance jobs at the $4.65 billion steel complex.
3,540 people have already completed pre-employment training offered by Alabama Industrial Development Training as part of the state's incentive for the German company.
The plant is ultimately supposed to employ 2,700 people. ThyssenKrupp hiring officials and state leaders are still actively encouraging people to apply for production and maintenance positions. They plan more job fairs, despite the ballooning number of applicants for those slots, saying the best-qualified will rise to the top of the pool.
"The jobs are more in reach today than they ever have been," said Andy Ritter, vice president of human resources for ThyssenKrupp's carbon steel division, which shares the site with a smaller stainless steel unit.
7. Speedy U.S. Warship Built in Alabama
BATH, Maine — The Navy’s need for speed is being answered by a pair of warships that have reached freeway speeds during testing at sea.
Independence, a 418-foot warship built in Alabama, boasts a top speed in excess of 45 knots, or about 52 mph, and sustained 44 knots for four hours during builder trials that wrapped up this month off the Gulf Coast. The 378-foot Freedom, a ship built in Wisconsin by a competing defense contractor, has put up similar numbers.
Both versions of the Littoral Combat Ship use powerful diesel engines, as well as gas turbines for extra speed. They use steerable water jets instead of propellers and rudders and have shallower drafts than conventional warships, letting them zoom close to shore.
8. Global Logistics Names Huntsville as U.S. Headquarters
HUNTSVILLE -- Agility Defense & Government Services, a worldwide provider of logistics and support services, is joining the list of companies making Huntsville their headquarters.
They want to be near key, potential government customers located at Redstone Arsenal, such as the Army Materiel Command, U.S. Army Security Assistance Command and NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, said retired Army Lt. Gen. Joseph Cosumano Jr.
He also cited the "super" work force and quality of life here as reasons for the decision. "We are setting the course for our future growth by moving U.S. operations to Huntsville," Cosumano said Wednesday. "We think it's the place to grow"
9. CNN Names Auburn One of Top Places To Launch Business
Taking care of business, or in this case launching one — either way Auburn is an ideal location, according to an article published this week on the CNNMoney.com Web site naming the city one of the top 50 places in the U.S. to launch a small business.
The article cites factors such as a “positive town-gown relationship, muted recession ills and an active local chamber” as reasons for the ranking.
“We have a thriving, growing business community here in Auburn, and we are doing everything in our power to nurture that growth,” said Lolly Steiner, president of the Auburn Chamber of Commerce.
10. New Kia Plant Begins Production along Georgia-Alabama Border
The newly completed Kia Motors plant in West Point is open for business and planning to hire more workers as production increases.
Production began Friday and the first new Sorento will be put on display as work continues to ramp up at the factory built near the Alabama state line.
The plant is the South Korean company's first U.S. manufacturing plant. It cost $1 billion to build and created about 1,200 jobs.
Kia plans to hold a ceremonial first car rollout Nov. 16 and Kia has plans to hire 1,200 more workers next year as production increases.
On top of the jobs created at the Kia plant, Georgia Tech estimates 20,000 new jobs will be created by 2012 at Kia suppliers in several counties along the Georgia-Alabama border.