1. Carpenter Electronics To Build $500 Million Facility, Create 241 Jobs
A $500 million steel facility will be constructed in Limestone will create 241 jobs in its first phase with more to come, officials of Carpenter Technology Corp. have announced.
The Reading, Pa.-based company soon will begin construction of a 400,000-square-foot premium steel plant on 230 acres about five miles north of downtown Decatur in Limestone County.
“Carl Anderson, director and chairman of the company’s operations committee, and other company officials joined Gov. Robert Bentley and a host of elected officials at the Alabama Robotics Technology Park. The facility will produce high-grade steel bars in 30 months.
Once completed, the factory will receive steel ingots — poured in a vacuum at other Carpenter plants — by truck. It will re-melt the ingots and forge them into specialty steel alloys, including stainless steel and titanium. Carpenter will ship the end product by truck, after finishing and testing. It will leave the plant as steel bars four to 18 inches in diameter and up to 50 feet long.
Most of the 27,000 tons the plant will produce per year will end up in aerospace and energy applications, including engine components for the Boeing Dreamliner passenger jet and for deep oil-drilling equipment that must withstand extreme heat.
In three years, officials said, Carpenter will install furnaces at the Limestone County site to produce the ingots used as a raw material. That will require an additional $100 million investment and the hiring of another 60 employees. The expansion will be operational by 2017.
2. Mercedes To Add Fifth Model and 400 Jobs
Mercedes-Benz will make a completely new model vehicle starting in early 2015 at its automotive assembly plant in Vance. The German luxury automaker will invest an additional $350 million in the Vance plant to prepare for the new vehicle's production, which will be the fifth model that will be made at the plant.
About 400 new jobs will be added when the model's production begins, although hiring won't start for several years.
The new model, which has not been given a name, also is expected to bring several thousand more jobs to manufacturers in the automotive parts industry. Those automotive suppliers tend to locate near the automotive plants they serve.
3. Alabama Steel Exports Growing, Thyssenkrupp Take Lead
Alabama’s steel producers are staying busy exporting to countries like Mexico, South America, Egypt and India. With domestic demand slacking and the weak U.S. dollar, American steel is more attractive to foreign countries right now.
ThyssenKrupp Steel USA is taking advantage of current market conditions, as "Export is part of our business plan," said Bob Holt, vice president of sales for ThyssenKrupp Steel USA, which processes carbon steel in Calvert. "It fluctuates based on the opportunities that are out there."
The push into exports is driven by excess supply in the domestic market, which is pushing domestic prices down. Steel mills are trying to get more money for their products, making the export business the more lucrative market.
This doesn’t mean steel imports are nonexistent as over 20% of steel used is still imported. However, exports have grown, up 17% in July from last year according to the Commerce Department.
“Excluding the semi-finished slabs that ThyssenKrupp is importing from Brazil for the Calvert plant, the Port of Mobile is now exporting more steel than it is importing, said Jimmy Lyons, director of the Alabama State Port Authority.”
The port is expecting to double the tons of steel it will handle this year, from 500,000 tons of steel in a typical year to more than 1 million tons this year. Census Bureau figures show Mobile exported 16,190 metric tons of flat-rolled carbon steel in July, making it the nation's No. 1 exporting port for that variety of steel.
4. Jobs, Economy Remain Governor Bentley’s Focus
BIRMINGHAM -- The economy and job growth remain the top priorities of Governor Robert Bentley, he said Monday. Economic development projects on the horizon along with those already announced could give the state a total of 10,000 new or future jobs this year, he added.
Bentley spoke at the annual Birmingham Business Alliance luncheon where he touched on a number of hot-button issues along with the less polarizing need to improve the economy and create jobs.
He said UAB will be the key in Birmingham, as its research and science become commercialized and are turned into companies that create jobs. It will also help attract new professionals and industry to the area, he said.
5. GE Aviation Breaks Ground on $50 Million Plant
GE Aviation broke ground for its new $50 million jet engine components factory in Auburn this afternoon in late October. Gov. Robert Bentley; U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Saks; Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn; and Auburn Mayor Bill Ham Jr. joined GE Aviation executives at the event.
The 300,000 square-foot advanced manufacturing plant will produce precision, super-alloy machined parts for GE jet engines that will power future commercial and military aircraft, and also to support the vast fleet of GE jet engines already in service. The plant is set to complete construction late next year and production will start in 2013.
Some hiring will take place in 2012 with more jobs filled as production increases to eventually employ 300 to 400 people over the next six or seven years.
GE Aviation said it chose Auburn largely due to its access to a skilled workforce and its proximity to universities. The GE plant plans to develop collaborative relationships with Auburn University and Tuskegee University.
"GE Aviation has enjoyed significant success establishing 'Centers of Excellence' that focus on specific aviation components and processes within our supply chain," said Colleen Athans, vice president and general manager of GE Aviation. "We are very excited to add Auburn to our network of manufacturing operations."
The new Alabama facility underscores the growth of GE Aviation, where deliveries of commercial engines for GE and its partner companies will grow in 2012 to near-record levels. GE Aviation employs approximately 17,000 workers in more than 30 manufacturing operations in the U.S.
Greg Canfield, director of the Alabama Development Office, said getting GE Aviation to the state is a major feather in the state's cap is it looks to expand in the aerospace industry. "GE Aviation is an important part of Alabama's aviation and aeronautics strategy as we move forward to build the aerospace industry in the state of Alabama," he said. "Securing GE Aviation and the project that we will have here will open the door for not only job opportunities for Alabamians, but it will also solidify our presence internationally as a state with a solid base from which to build. The supply chain this will bring will also be significant over time."
6. Pharmavite Breaks Ground on $76.5 Million Opelika Facility
Pharmavite formally broke ground in Opelika in late October on its $76.5 million, 330,000-square-foot manufacturing and distribution facility in the Northeast Opelika Industrial Park. The facility, which was announced Sept. 13, is expected to create 280 jobs.
While Pharmavite may not be a household name, its products are widely known. "Pharmavite will bring two internationally known brands -- Nature Made vitamins and dietary supplements and their SoyJoy products," said Greg Canfield, director of the Alabama Development Office. "The company is very well known nationally and internationally and they're the No. 1 seller of dietary supplements around the world." The Opelika plant will produce Nature Made soft gels and tablets.
"We are honored to officially join the Opelika and greater Alabama community and we're looking forward to accomplishing many great things together," said Mark Walsh, chief operating officer of Pharmavite. "This new facility represents a significant step in the growth of Pharmavite and will serve as a model manufacturing facility for the entire vitamin and supplement industry."
Canfield said Pharmavite's new plant opens the state up to the multi-billion-dollar vitamin manufacturing industry. "What's great for Alabama in this is it's a brand new industry entrant into the state," he said. "We're always excited when we have an opportunity to bring in a brand new industry to the state because that opens up other opportunities with suppliers and their supply chain."
The plant is expected to be open in early 2013, and should have a few managerial positions filled this year with the full 280 jobs coming in the first year of operations. The company said it hopes to have most of the hires completed by June 2012. Those jobs are needed, Canfield said. "We're just happy to have them in Lee County, which is so close to Chambers County, which has one of the highest unemployment rates in the state."
7. Alabama, Germany Sign Cooperation Agreement
BIRMINGHAM-- Officials said Alabama and the German state of Bremen have signed an agreement that aims to promote investment, trade, and continued economic development. The signing took place at the North River Yacht Club in Tuscaloosa, the Alabama Development Office said last week.
"We have 68 German companies who have invested more than $5.8 billion in Alabama. Since 2000, these companies have been responsible for 10,305 announced jobs in our state," ADO Director Greg Canfield said in a statement.
"Some of our German neighbors are among the most respected companies in the world. We value their presence in Alabama and want to work diligently to increase German investment in our state as well as trade opportunities."
The agreement recognizes that the states share many industries, including aerospace, automotive and logistics, and it outlines joint efforts to recruit and promote new and existing companies.
8. Stevenson To Produce Jack Daniels Whiskey Barrels
Brown-Forman Cooperage, a subsidiary of Brown-Forman Corporation, producers of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, plan on opening a new mill in Stevenson. The mill will produce white oak stave and heading material to be used to produce whiskey barrels.
With the continued long-term growth of the Jack Daniel’s Family of brands, including recently introduced Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, Brown-Forman Cooperage is expanding its supply chain capacity for white oak material to meet growing production demand. When fully operational, the mill will employ over 30 people. Brown-Forman Cooperage currently operates mills in Jackson, Ohio and Clifton, Tennessee.
Dus Rogers, president and CEO of the Jackson County Economic Development Agency, said, “This project, known as Project Magnolia, initially visited in July and visited numerous times and considered many sites in the county before selecting a privately owned 55-acre site north of Stevenson. This is a great utilization of a renewable natural resource and a great fit for Jackson County. The Jack Daniel’s name, owned by Brown-Forman, is world-renowned and they are a terrific company. They have a significant investment in Lynchburg, TN and we are delighted they have chosen to locate their next manufacturing facility here, and we welcome them to Jackson County.”
Rogers thanked Tate Godfrey, president & CEO, North Alabama Industrial Development Association (NAIDA) and Gary Faulkner, senior project manager, Alabama Development Office for working closely with JCEDA on this project. He also thanked Lynn Washington, Alabama Forestry Commission, for sharing his forestry expertise and knowledge of the local timber business with a company representative.
9. HudsonAlpha Icell App Among Top Ten Dowloaded Free Apps
HUNTSVILLE -- The HudsonAlpha iCell, a free education app, has taken its creators to an "unbelievable" height. the app has been downloaded more than 8,000 times since Apple featured it Thursday as a "new and noteworthy" education app.
In fact, it was No. 8 on the iTunes Top 10 downloaded free education apps."It's pretty exciting for us - a small nonprofit in Huntsville to be recognized by someone with millions of apps to choose from," said Dr. Adam Hott, the coordinator of educational outreach at HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology. "This is nice frosting on the cake."
Hott said editors from Apple marketing called saying they were interested in featuring the app.” They said they liked what they saw," Hott said. Then, they said they needed it by Thursday of last week.
So, Hott went downstairs to the offices of Digital Radiance, who helped him with the creation of the app and also its first version. He told Ron Phillips, the president of Digital Radiance, and graphic designer David Showalter what was needed and when."They dropped what they were doing and went to work," Hott said. "That's what I like about (HudsonAlpha), everyone is there to help."
The app teaches students the parts of plant, animal and bacterial cells using images the students can explore, rotate and zoom. The level of explanation can be adjusted for elementary, middle or high school audiences. It runs on all the Mac platforms (laptop, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch) and a version is also available to run online from the HudsonAlpha website (www.hudsonalpha.org). There is also a version for Android users.
"It's like the American dream," Phillips said. "You do your best and work hard and you can realize your dream." The recognition could prove to be a boon to funding for future projects, Hott said.
10. Alabama Reading Scores Catch Up To National Average
MONTGOMERY -- Alabama's fourth-graders caught up to the rest of the nation in reading scores for the first time in the state's history on the National Assessment of Education Progress, known as The Nation's Report Card, but still trail the nation in math.
According to NAEP results, released by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics, Alabama is one of four states to show significant gains in fourth-grade reading, and over the past eight years has shown a greater increase in scale than any other state, moving from 207 in 2003 to the national average of 220 on a 500-point scale in 2011.
Alabama also showed improvement in eighth-grade reading and fourth-grade math, but still lagged the nation in those categories. Eighth-grade math scores remained stagnant, following a national trend.
State officials attributed the reading success to the Alabama Reading Initiative, which began in 1999 and is now in every kindergarten through third-grade school in Alabama.
A little more than one-third of students were proficient or higher in reading, according to the results, and in math, 40 percent of the fourth graders and 35 percent of eighth graders had reached that level.
"This is a great day in Alabama, and a great day for public education," said Tommy Bice, deputy state superintendent in charge of curriculum and instruction. "We have focused ARI on K-3, and you can see from these scores that this had a significant return on investment. But as we move forward, we need to continue our focus in reading and shift the focus to the higher grades."