1. Auburn Auto Supplier To Add 100 Jobs to Workforce
Korean auto supplier Pyongsan America Inc. is expanding its Auburn operations. The company has outgrown its facility in Auburn Technology Park North and plans to lease a second manufacturing facility. Pyongsan plans to invest $5 million in the expansion, and create 100 additional jobs over the next two years, according to the city.
“Under the leadership of Chairman Bang Soo Lee and President Francis Yoon, Pyongsan has grown to employ over 100 employees, and plans to double the number of jobs over the next few years,” Auburn Mayor Bill Ham said.
Pyongsan America’s current focus is on air conditioning and heater core pipe assemblies, the release states. Pyongsan serves customers in Asia, North America and Europe.
2. Gov. Riley Celebrates 200 New Jobs at Faurecia North America
Gov. Bob Riley joined local officials and leaders of an automotive supplier on Thursday to celebrate the company’s announcement that it is building a $15 million plant in Tuscaloosa County.
The company, Faurecia North America, will supply complete seats to Mercedes-Benz and is expected to employ about 200 workers. Faurecia’s facility in Tuscaloosa County will be 105,000 square feet and located in Cedar Cove Technology Park in Cottondale.
Gov. Riley said the decision the company made to locate its newest plant in Alabama is “a vote of confidence in Alabama’s future and a confirmation of the quality of our workforce”“It’s great to be back in Tuscaloosa County to celebrate new jobs for Alabama!” he said. The Governor also praised the partnership of state and local agencies and the private sector that helped recruit Faurecia to Alabama. “All of us work together as partners to recruit industry. We know that when companies succeed, then our communities and our state prosper,” Governor Riley said.
Faurecia is based in Nanterre, France and operates in 32 countries. It has 29 manufacturing facilities in North America. Its Tuscaloosa County facility will produce more than 500 seats per day at peak volume. The celebration event on Thursday took place at the Mercedes-Benz Bill Taylor Institute.
3. Group Seizes Opportunity for Economic Development at Indy Race
The Birmingham Business Alliance will host more than two dozen economic development prospects, corporate decision makers, and site selection consultants during the Indy Grand Prix of Alabama this weekend.
Birmingham has exclusive rights to the Indy Racing League event in the Deep South for the next three years, starting with Sunday's inaugural race
An Alabama-themed dinner with Gov. Bob Riley, Birmingham Mayor William Bell, and corporate leaders inside the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum also is on the agenda.
Gene Hallman, chief executive of Zoom Motorsports, which organizes and manages events at the Barber Motorsports Park, said the Indy race is a perfect fit for economic development efforts. "I think this will help us in an image and branding standpoint relative to automotive economic development effort because it will be televised in 184 countries around the world," Hallman said.
4. Griffon Aerospace Rolls Out Production of Unmanned Aircraft for Army
MADISON - Dozens of Griffon Aerospace employees this week marked the rollout of the first production unit of their MQM-171A BroadSword Unmanned Aircraft System for the Army.
BroadSword will be used primarily as a target for troops testing weapons and learning to defend against an enemy's Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, according to Larry French, Griffon's president and chief technical officer. “It’s of similar size, similar capabilities to tactical UAVs that are being deployed around the world," he said.
But the relatively inexpensive BroadSword - each of the craft costs under $100,000 - is also large enough to be used as a platform to develop cameras and other UAS equipment. “It’s kind of a flying truck to carry things in it to develop new sensors," French said.
Griffon, also maker of the smaller Outlaw UAS for the Army, was awarded a five-year initial production contract for the BroadSword in August of 2009 valued at about $1.9 million, but could be worth much more if the government exercises all its options.
5. Mobile Company Wins Contract To Install Internet for Alaskan Airlines
Star Aviation aid Monday that it has won a contract to help install wireless Internet systems on 105 planes owned by Alaskan Airlines.
It's the second contract for Star with Aircell LLC Star, which has about 100 employees between its Brookley Field Industrial Complex headquarters and an office in Everett, Wash., will design and make wiring harnesses and the racks to hold them, as well as gain Federal Aviation Administration approval for its work.
Spokeswoman Sara Clark said Star tested its system on an Alaska Airlines plane in California last month. The work is supposed to be completed by the end of the year.
6. Business Leaders Say Alabama Poised for Economic Rebound
Alabama's economy is projected to show slight improvement in the second quarter, according to a report released by the University of Alabama Center for Business Education and Research.
The Alabama Business Confidence Index reached 49.5, close to the mark of 50 that would indicate a broad-based recovery is under way.
The report says executives in manufacturing, transportation, finance, insurance and real estate feel their industries will rebound in the second quarter. The index found negative sentiment in the construction, health care and retail trade sectors.
"Although the economic climate in both the nation and the state will continue to present challenges in the second quarter of 2010, the performance of Alabama's businesses is expected to improve," the report said.
MONTGOMERY -- Montgomery's Hyundai plant reports that it produced more vehicles in March than ever before in a single month. A preliminary report says the plant produced more than 28,000 vehicles last month. That broke the plant record of 27,157 set in May 2007.
Hyundai sold 28,483 Montgomery-made vehicles in March and 47,002 overall across the U.S. That was the company's best March for U.S. sales, and it set another record with 111,509 vehicles sold in the first three months of the year.
8. Two Automakers Unveil New Vehicles To Be Built in Alabama
Two new vehicles that will be built in Alabama made their global debutes Wednesday at the New York International Auto Show.
Hyundai showed off hybrid and turbocharged versions of its redesigned 2011 Sonata sedan, which is produced at the Korean automaker's Montgomery plant.
The Sonata turbo, expected to hit dealer lots in late summer or early fall, will join Hyundai's Alabama assembly lines, while the Sonata hybrid is slated to be built in Korea.
Meanwhile, Mercedes revealed more details about the update of its state-made R-Class crossover. The latest restyling efforts include a completely redesigned front end that gives it a bolder look.
For Hyundai, the auto show was another chapter in the months-long coming-out party for the next-generation Sonata. The base model made its U.S. debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show in December. The Montgomery facility has been ramping up production of the new vehicle, which has a much sleeker look and better fuel economy than its predecessor. It's powered by a four-cylinder gasoline direct-injection engine.
Hyundai has high expectations for the Sonata, making it the centerpiece of TV spots during the Super Bowl and the Academy Awards. "We view it as a game changer for sure," Dave Zuchowski, vice president of national sales for Hyundai Motor America, said during a Web cast from New York.
9. Cullman Firm May Add Up To 40 Jobs
A sleep wear and clothing manufacturer has announced plans to add up to 40 new jobs in Cullman County this year. Performance Health Care Products, of Tennessee, is looking for a larger facility to expand its Cullman manufacturing operation. Once a new location is found, the company plans to add up to 30 manufacturing jobs and approximately 10 sales positions.
Founder and CEO Kirby Best said more room is needed because the company has outgrown it’s current 5,500-square-foot space. After a year at the current site, Best said additional manpower is needed to accommodate an upcoming product launch: A new line of medical scrubs.“We’re looking to double or triple our space,” Best said. “We want to get into a larger building as soon as possible and we are actively searching for a location.”
Over the past year, Best said sales have continued to increase as word has spread about his company’s products. With the new scrubs line launching, he hopes that trend will continue.“By April or May, we expect to equal our total sales from last year,” he said. “The scrubs line will hopefully create a new commodity that keeps on going.”
With the economy down, Cullman County Industrial Development Board Chairman Raymond Williams said this announcement serves as a much-needed catalyst for the local job market. “An industrial announcement or expansion is great news at any time, but it is even more important when you have high unemployment like what exists in Cullman County today,” he said. “This will give some people the opportunity to go back to work.”
10. Opp Firm To Add 15 Employees To Its Workforce
Nothing could be farther from the truth for an Opp company whose slogan claims “it has gone to the dogs” after getting a boost from a $150,000 grant awarded by Gov. Bob Riley.
The funding announcement will help Custom Collars to relocate, expand and add 15 employees to its six-member workforce. The company manufacturers numerous items for hunting dogs and pets and is diversifying its line of products to reach other types of markets.
The award to the City of Opp will help provide water and sewer service to the company’s new industrial park location. The infrastructure improvements also could help the city attract additional businesses to its industrial park.
Custom Collars, which has been in Opp since 2000, will relocate to a new 10,000-square-foot building being constructed by the city at Opp East Industrial Park .