MONTGOMERY – Governor Robert Bentley on Thursday signed legislation that will help the state further its efforts to recruit additional jobs.
House Bill 151 renames the existing Alabama Development Office as the new Department of Commerce. The bill also renames the Alabama Development Office Director as the Secretary of Commerce.
“When prospective companies seek to do business with a state, they look for the state’s Commerce Department or the Secretary of Commerce. By renaming the ADO as the Department of Commerce, we are making a change that will better identify the department’s purpose to prospective companies,” Governor Bentley explained. “This is a change that will have an impact in the business community as we continue our job creation efforts.”
The Department of Commerce will continue the ADO’s mission of pursuing additional industries and jobs for Alabama. The name change will help open new doors for Alabama in the global marketplace.
“In some of the countries we visit, the function of the Alabama Development Office is not immediately recognized,” Secretary of Commerce Greg Canfield said. “Everyone recognizes the status and credibility of departments of commerce in other states, and by making a simple change, we are taking a step that can bring new opportunities for additional investment and trade in Alabama.”
As part of the Alabama Economic Development Alliance, the Alabama Department of Commerce will focus on recruitment of new industries, retention and expansion of existing industries, and programs that focus on job creation through innovation, entrepreneurship, research and development, and commercialization.
The Department of Commerce also seeks to increase exports from Alabama through its international trade division, film production through the Alabama Film Office, and small business growth through its small business division