1. Mercedes To Invest $2 Billion in Alabama Plant
The head of Mercedes-Benz flew into Tuscaloosa recently and gave Alabama an economic shot in the arm, announcing that the luxury automaker would invest $2 billion in its Vance auto plant during the next few years.
The amount is one of the largest single manufacturing investments in the state's history, and it will equal Mercedes' current $2 billion investment at the Vance plant, which was made over the past 17 years.
Dieter Zetsche, chairman of Daimler AG, Mercedes' parent company, said the money would be spent between now and 2014, when Mercedes will be in full production of its C-Class sedans in Vance.
Mercedes announced in late 2009 that it would move its C-Class production for most of the Western hemisphere to Vance starting with the 2014 models. Production of those models will start in 2013. The C-Class is consistently one of Mercedes' top-selling models.
“The $2 billion in new investment is for the M-Class, GL-Class and the C-Class expansion,” Zetsche said. But he added that Mercedes is looking at some other things that could be added to production at the Vance plant
2. Export of Alabama-made Vehicles Up 28 Percent
From the bustling population centers of the Far East to the laid-back tropical locales of the Caribbean, Alabama-built vehicles are on the road.
SUVs, sedans, minivans and other rides produced in the state's three auto assembly plants also are popping up across the arid climates of Middle Eastern nations, as well as countries surrounding the South American rainforests.
Alabama's automakers -- Mercedes-Benz, Honda and Hyundai -- export their products to far-flung spots around the globe, and those numbers are rebounding in 2011 amid an overall industry recovery.
The value of vehicles exported from the state this year totaled $1.4 billion through April, a 28 percent improvement over last year, according to the latest data from the Alabama Development Office.
The luxury models made by Mercedes at its Tuscaloosa County plant represent the lion's share of the exports, said Hilda Lockhart, director of ADO's International Trade Division.
"I continue to be amazed that these cars are going to some countries where larger vehicles are not so easy to move about," she said, citing the limited infrastructure in developing areas and congestion in the fast-growing markets of China and India.
"The growth in the exports of vehicles -- and high-end cars -- gives a good indication that the global economy is improving," she added.
So far this year, Canada is the state's largest auto export market, followed by Germany, China, the United Kingdom and Mexico.
But that's only part of the story, as much smaller numbers of vehicles end up in dozens of scattered countries.
Among the current export markets are West Africa's Benin, New Caledonia in the South Pacific and conflict-scarred Libya. Other markets are coming on strong, Lockhart said.
3. Hyundai Expansion To Bring More Money, Jobs To Capital City
The process to find and train the more than 200 employees for Hyundai Motor Manufacturing's expanded engine plant could begin as early as this summer. Renovation work is well under way inside one of HMMA's two engine shops. Contractors last week were working on the foundation and floor of the building that formerly housed Hyundai's Lambda engine production.
The machines that made those engines are on their way out, making room for the $173 million capital investment project that will allow for the local production of the four-cylinder, 1.8 liter Nu engine, used in the Montgomery-made Elantra. Currently, all Elantra engines are imported from Korea. "It is to bring that capacity here, instead of importing it," Hyundai spokesman Robert Burns said on a recent tour.
4. Raytheon Breaks Ground for New Missile Plant
HUNTSVILLE -- Raytheon broke ground recently at Redstone Arsenal on a new missile plant that is expected to bring about 300 jobs to Huntsville and is a key to future missile defense plans for the United States and Europe.
The $70 million, 70,000-square-foot Raytheon Redstone Missile Integration Facility will be where the propulsion and other components of the company's Standard Missile 3 and SM-6 missiles come together and are tested before going to Missile Defense Agency, Navy or other customers, said Dr. Taylor Lawrence, president of Raytheon's Missile Systems business.
5. C and J To Bring 150 Jobs to Alexander City Area
ALEXANDER CITY-- A new manufacturing facility in Alexander City will bring more than 150 jobs to the area by 2013. The Lake Martin Area Economic Development Alliance and Gov. Robert Bentley made the announcement that plastic injection molding company, C and J Alabama, will soon set up shop in Alexander City.
The company will be housed in a facility vacated by the Russell Athletic Corporation plant in 2009, when the company moved their production overseas after almost 100 years of business in the central Alabama town. The company will supply parts for the Hyundai plant in Montgomery and the Kia plant in West Point, Ga.
6. Golden Boy Foods To Hire 130 in Troy
TROY - Golden Boy Foods Ltd. announced plans recently to open a new peanut butter plant in the City of Troy which will add 130 new jobs. Golden Boy Foods is a Canadian company which is among the leading suppliers of organic and conventional, store brand peanut butter and nut butter, as well as a premier supplier of all kinds of nut and dried fruit products for snacking and baking.
The company supplies 20 of the top 30 retailers in North America, as well as leading foodservice organizations and major food processors. Other Golden Boy Foods locations are in Washington State, Ontario, Canada and British Columbia, Canada. The company is owned by Tricor Pacific Capital Inc.
Richard Harris, President and CEO of Golden Boy Foods said, “We are delighted to be joining the successful community of Troy businesses and families. In comparison with other locations we reviewed across Alabama and Georgia, Troy stood out as the most favorable climate for our business, and the place in which we received the warmest welcome.’’
7. Birmingham Reels In Bass Corporate Headquarters
BIRMINGHAM -- BASS LLC will move its corporate headquarters from Orlando to Birmingham, bringing with it around 50 employees with plans to add more.
Co-owner Don Logan said factors for the move include access to the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, the central location to the Southeast's fishing lakes and the number of fisherman in the BASS Elite series.
“We decided that Birmingham is the best location for the business," Logan said. "There are people there with a media background and a sales background, so that would give us good access to a talent pool."
"There are more Elite anglers that live in the Birmingham metro area than any other metropolitan population around," he continued.
8. Polyplex To Build $185 Million Plant in Decatur
DECATUR — An international company that makes high performance plastic films has decided to open a new $185 million manufacturing plant in Decatur.
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley and Polyplex Corp. chairman Sanjiv Saraf announced recently that the new plant would create 150 jobs. The company has its headquarters in India and has operations in India, Thailand and Turkey. The first phase of the project is expected to be completed by fall of 2012.
Saraf said Decatur was chosen as the site of the new plant partly because of the trained workers in the area and the availability of raw materials. The Decatur plant will be the first operation in the U.S. for Polyplex.
9. Huntsville High-Tech Firm To Produce Underwater Gliders
HUNTSVILLE-- A Huntsville high tech firm, known for its aerospace engineering, will be producing underwater craft for the Navy. Teledyne Brown will produce the Littoral Battlespace Sensing-Glider in the first ocean glider FRP decision ever made in the history of the Navy.
The company will provide a fleet of 150 marine gliders for a total contract value of $53.1 million if all options are exercised. The gliders are about the size of a torpedo, said Teledyne Brown President Rex Geveden. "The gliders are unpowered. They surface and dive by changing buoyancy." They are about 6 to 7 feet long and also use their wings and tail-fin steering to move through the water."They have the ability to 'fly' underwater," Geveden said. "They're analogous to the UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), but there's no propulsion."
10. Amsted To Hire Up to 130 People in Bessemer
A Chicago company has announced plans to hire as many as 130 people as it prepares to reopen a long-shuttered railroad wheel plant near Bessemer. Amsted spokesman Brad Myers said the company will slowly ramp up operations at the Jefferson County plant but has big plans for it in the future. "The expectation is by the end of this year into the first quarter of next year, we will actually begin doing processing work on wheels," Myers said. "The expectation is by the end to middle of next year, we will be into full-blown production where we will pour and produce wheels."