1. Birmingham To Get 650 Jobs from Dollar General Distribution Center
The intersection of Lakeshore Parkway and Alabama 150 has been ripe with promise for years, but a major economic development project could bring that potential to fruition.
The boost is coming from the $60 million Dollar General distribution center set for more than 100 acres on the southeast corner of the intersection. The project will bring 650 jobs and supply the chain's retail outlets in Alabama, west Georgia, east Mississippi and the Florida panhandle.
2. Austal Wins $3.8 Billion Contact, Will Double Employment
Austal USA snagged a big prize Wednesday, winning a $3.8 billion contract to build 10 warships for the U.S. Navy by 2018.
It marks a graduation into the American defense establishment for what was once an obscure Australian ferry builder. Austal Ltd., which started its Mobile shipyard from scratch in 1999, has promised to more than double its current 1,800 employee roster with the new work.
In the quest to build littoral combat ships, Austal navigated budget pressures and politics, eventually shedding its understudy status to defense contracting behemoth General Dynamics Corp. and taking a lead role in a shipbuilding program critical to the future of the world’s largest navy.
“This contract has firmly established Austal as an international defense shipbuilder, is a strong vote of confidence in Austal’s aluminum trimaran design, and also reflects the strength and capability of our U.S.A. operations and highly skilled workforce,” said John Rothwell, chairman and founder of the Henderson, Australia, firm.
Littoral combat ships are meant for minesweeping, submarine-hunting, anti-piracy efforts and special forces operations. The small, speedy ships are also meant to be cheap, at least in relative terms, allowing the Navy to get from its current 287 ships to a goal of 313.
3. GE Brings High Tech Engine Parts Facility to Auburn
GE Aviation has announced plans to build a $50 million environmental coating facility that will bring a few hundred jobs to East Alabama and initially produce advanced engine components for the Joint Strike Fighter F-35 program.
"We intend to do something that doesn't exist anywhere," said Russ Sparks, vice president of military strategy for GE Aviation. "The manufacturing technologies that go into this system are some of the most high-tech in the world."
Sparks said the cutting-edge facility, expected to open in 2012, will begin by making parts for the GE/Rolls-Royce F136 jet engine, the performance of which will be enhanced with environmental coatings. The engine is part of the F-35 fighter program, a multi-role aircraft intended to begin replacing the U.S. military's current fleet of fighters.
Rick Kennedy, manager of media relations for GE Aviation, said the environmental coatings applied at the Auburn plant will allow the engines to perform better and longer in high-heat environments. Kennedy said some of the technology remains in the research-and-design phase, noting the facility would likely take a decade to fully ramp up.
The F-35 fighter is expected to be produced in the thousands during the next 30 years, Sparks said. Production of the F-35 is scheduled to begin in 2013.
4. New Industry for Phenix City Bringing 108 Jobs
Phenix City officials announced in December that it will now be the home of automotive supplier Iljin Alabama. The company will produce parts for Kia and Hyundai – bringing in $31 million and 108 jobs, initially.
Hiring at the new facility will begin on March 1st, 2011 and production should kick off in July.
A representative from the Korean company, state representative Lesley Vance, members of Alabama and Phenix City Economic Development and several citizens were present for the big announcement.
5. Huntsville’s Toyota Plant To Start Four-cylinder Engine Production
HUNTSVILLE -- Plans are still on track for the Toyota truck and SUV engine plant in Huntsville to start producing four-cylinder engines next summer. The plant, called Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama, now builds V6 and V8 engines for Tacoma and Tundra pickup trucks and Sequoia full-size sport utility vehicles. The expansion will bring its annual engine capacity to more than 500,000, according to plant executives.
TMMAL is in the process of hiring to fill an additional 250 production jobs, which will bring total employment at the plant to more than 1,000. The application deadline was in October, and the response was overwhelming.
6. Aerojet To Hire More Engineers for Huntsville Facility
HUNTSVILLE -- International aerospace and defense company Aerojet will hire 25 engineers here early next year to seek more Huntsville-based government contracts.
"Close proximity" to its customers is key to business success, Aerojet President/GenCorp President & CEO Scott Seymour said in explaining the expansion. Aerojet is a GenCorp company.
Seymour said the growing Department of Defense presence on Redstone Arsenal and the new heavy-lift rocket direction for NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center provide new opportunities.
"We believe we can do more," Seymour said when asked if more growth could follow.
The company is looking for engineering expertise in solid, liquid and gel propulsion; warheads; specialty metals and fire suppression systems.
Aerojet hopes to provide collaborative engineering experience, program management support and business development outreach.
The engineers will be hired here, not transferred from other Aerojet facilities, Seymour said. The company is based in Sacramento, Calif., and has facilities in seven states and offices in eight states as well as Washington, D.C., London, Tokyo and Moscow.
7. Mercedes-Benz Adds Green Features to Alabama Plant
VANCE — Fuel-efficiency and "greener" vehicles might be the trend in autos, but the technology is showing up in more than just the SUVs at Mercedes-Benz U.S. International. It also is being installed the sprawling auto plant's buildings.
The Vance plant recently installed solar panels on the roof of its Visitor Center and the adjoining Bill Taylor Institute that will be used to heat the building's water.
8. Montgomery’s Own Sonata Finalist for North American Car of the Year
A month after making its debut at an auto show in Los Angeles, the locally manufactured Hyundai Sonata was named one of three finalists for the 2011 North American Car of the Year at an Automotive Press Association luncheon in Detroit. The Sonata, along with the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf, were chosen by 49 North American automotive journalists as the top three contenders for the 2011 award.
9. Lenzing To Overhaul Axis Plant, Create 63 New Jobs
Lenzing AG said Tuesday that it's going ahead with a worldwide expansion program that includes a $30 million investment in its Axis plant.
The Austrian company had raised the possibility of the expansion in November, when it sought tax breaks from the Mobile County Industrial Development Authority. The authority granted the company $2.67 million worth of tax breaks on sales taxes and non-school property taxes at the north Mobile County site. The expansion could mean 63 new jobs.
10. SSAA To Open in Covington County, Hire 50 Employees
Support Systems Andalusia Alabama, LLC (SSAA) opened its doors to a new operation at the South Alabama Regional Airport this month. Designed to be local Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) organization, SSAA plans to hire approximately 50 employees to fill what is known as Hangar #1 (formerly used by EJM, Inc) located at the Andalusia airport. SSAA will perform aircraft engineering, design and modification at this facility.
Individuals with aviation, technical or support skills who might be interested in a career with SSAA should send their resumes to SSAA’s site General Manager, Mr. John Herman at jherman@S2A2.net or call the SSAA office at (334) 222-7755.