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A
Message from the President
Alabama closed 2004
with the year's largest capital investment and job-creating quarter yet,
confirming we are a state moving forward with strong momentum. If our
first quarter activity is evident of what's to come, we remain optimistic
that 2005 will prove yet another banner year for Alabama! I invite you to
browse this newsletter and see for yourself all of the exciting things
that are happening in our state.
James P. Hayes, Jr.
UAB
hits Top 25 in federal funds received for science &
engineering
The University of
Alabama at Birmingham has earned a place among the nation's top 25
research universities receiving federal funding for the advancement of
science and engineering, according to the National Science Foundation's
recently released report Federal Science and Engineering (S&E) Support to
Universities, Colleges and Nonprofit Institutions for Fiscal Year
2002.
While Federal S&E obligations include six
categories, more than 90 percent ($224,000-plus) of UAB's 2002 S&E
funding received was granted in research and development. Overall research
funding received by UAB has consistently doubled each decade and currently
totals more than $433 million.
Alabama continues to roll out the red carpet for new and
expanding industries

Alabama's final fiscal
quarter closed with more than $1.66 billion in collective capital
investments and more than 14,815 jobs created, bringing Alabama's 2004
capital investments total to more than $2.8 billion with more than 24,000
new jobs created throughout the year.
Take a look below at some of
Alabama's major expansions and new projects announced in the 2004 fourth
quarter:
4TH QUARTER EXPANSIONS
| Company |
County |
Investment* |
Jobs |
Product |
| Austal USA |
Mobile |
$22.0 |
500 |
High-speed aluminum vessels |
| The
Boeing Company |
Madison |
n.a. |
300 |
Space & Defense Systems |
| Cinram |
Madison |
n.a. |
950 |
VHS, DVDs |
| Dongwon Autopart Technology AL |
Crenshaw |
$50.0 |
40 |
Auto door frames & side impact bars |
| Drummond Company Inc. |
Walker |
n.a. |
257 |
Mining Bituminous Coal |
| Dynetics Inc. |
Madison |
$21.0 |
420 |
R&D/Analytical Studies |
| HB&G Building Products Inc. |
Pike |
n.a. |
230 |
Columns, Decorative Molding |
| Honda Manufacturing of Alabama LLC |
Talladega |
$70.0 |
100 |
Machined components for Honda V-6 engines |
| IPSCO Steel (Alabama) Inc. |
Mobile |
$45.0 |
18 |
Steel Plate |
| Kohler Company |
Madison |
$45.8 |
200 |
Plastics Plumbing Fixtures |
| LG
Electronics Alabama Inc. |
Madison |
n.a. |
350 |
Customer Service |
| Masland Carpets |
Mobile |
$15.0 |
150 |
Carpet & Rugs |
| Nektar Therapeutics |
Madison |
$25.9 |
18 |
Biotechnology |
| Northrop Grumman |
Madison |
n.a. |
500 |
Defense & Aerospace Electronics |
| Nucor Steel |
Morgan |
$82.0 |
50 |
Pickle Slit & Roll Steel Coils |
| Nucor Steel Decatur LLC |
Morgan |
$90.0 |
125 |
Steel Mini Mill |
| SCA |
Colbert |
$25.0 |
400 |
Sanitary Paper Products |
| Teksid Aluminum Components Inc. |
Talladega |
$43.0 |
93 |
V-6
cylinder blocks |
| Webster Industries |
Montgomery |
$6.0 |
300 |
Trash bags and plastic food-storage bags |
| Whitesell Corporation |
Colbert |
$46.0 |
150 |
Automotive & appliance fasteners |
| *in Millions; n.a.=information not available.
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| Sources: Economic development organizations, news stories
& other internet resources.
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4TH QUARTER NEW PROJECTS
| Company |
County |
Investment* |
Jobs |
Industry |
| AlaTrade Foods LLC |
Marshall |
$6.5 |
650 |
Further poultry processing |
| Analytical Services Inc. |
Madison |
$2.8 |
63 |
Engineering Services |
| Cullman Casting Corporation |
Cullman |
$60.0 |
300 |
Industrial gray iron castings |
| D&K Health Resources |
Jefferson |
$5.0 |
100 |
Pharmaceutical Warehouse & Distribution Center |
| EADS
CASA North America |
Mobile |
$1.0 |
10 |
Service and support center for transport aircraft |
| Foley Products Company |
Chilton |
$8.0 |
50 |
Concrete Products |
| Helispec LLC |
Crenshaw |
$3.5 |
125 |
Helicopter repair and overhaul services |
| Louisiana-Pacific Corporation |
Clarke |
$130.0 |
130 |
Oriented strand board |
| Marion Molding Division of Cavalier |
Marion |
$0.09 |
30 |
Residential Wood Molding |
| Mentor Graphics Corporation |
Mobile |
$15.0 |
50 |
Develops, Markets & Wholsesales Real-Time Operating
Systems |
| Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Parts Warehouse |
Tuscaloosa |
$22.5 |
20 |
Automotive Aftermarket Parts Distribution |
| Parco Medical |
Houston |
$0.06 |
20 |
Medical Products Distribution |
| Rockcreations LLC |
Butler |
$1.0 |
75 |
Decorative stone & brick siding |
| RusCorr LLC |
Cullman |
$7.0 |
40 |
Corrugated Sheets |
| Senators Coaches Inc. |
Lauderdale |
$2.4 |
20 |
Coaches |
| Southeastern Recycling |
Colbert |
$2.1 |
40 |
Recycling |
| Vimax Industries LLC |
Mobile |
$10.0 |
65 |
Amines (sodium hydrosulfites) |
| West
Asset Management |
Mobile |
n.a. |
200 |
n.a. |
| Winfield Rubber Manufacturing Company |
Marion |
$1.7 |
50 |
Industrial Rubber Products |
| *in Millions; n.a.=information not available.
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| Sources: Economic development organizations, news stories
& other internet resources.
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Mercedes R-Class makes Manhattan debut
The all-new Mercedes-Benz U.S. International R-Class, touted as
"Alabama's latest contribution to the automotive industry," made a
magnificent Manhattan debut at the 2005 New York International Auto Show.
A recently completed $600 million expansion at MBUSI's Vance plant paved
the way for production of both the R-Class and its redesigned sister
M-Class, which debuted in January at the North American International Auto
Show.
EDPA
News
Wier named to
TechBirmingham Board of Directors
EDPA Vice President Angela Wier has been
selected as a member of the 2005 Board of Directors for TechBirmingham, a
not-for-profit entity formed to lead, support, and coordinate the
start-up, attraction, growth, retention, and expansion of technology-based
businesses, investments, and jobs for the entire Birmingham metropolitan
region.

Are
you getting your Alabama economic development news?
To receive daily
digests of economic development news from on-line papers across Alabama,
sign up for a free subscription to EDPA Newsflash. Subscribe by clicking
below, and have news abstracts, along with links to the on-line article,
delivered to your mailbox.
Click
here to send an e-mail to request a free subscription.
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500 Beacon Parkway West Birmingham, AL 35209 205.943.4700
phone 205.943.4703 fax info@edpa.org http://www.edpa.org/
Rising Together: The Summit on the Rural
South June 12-14
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Join Southern
Growth Policies Board for a three-day summit to explore new
strategies and success stories in rural development in Point Clear,
Ala.
Keynote and panel presentations will address the future
of the rural workforce, the business of the rural South, financing
change and an opportunity to share success stories and best
practices from the South's rural regions.
The conference will
feature the release of the 2005 Report on the Future of the
South and an opportunity to network with leaders from across the
region.
Click here for online registration and to view the
complete conference agenda.
Register by April 8th and
save up to $75 on conference
fees!
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Regional web-based waste &
materials trade created
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The Waste Reduction and Technology Transfer (WRATT) Foundation
has established a free, regional waste and materials exchange online
known as "WasteTrade."
At no cost to users, the virtual
exchange aims to reduce waste handling and disposal costs for
Alabama's existing industry by offering a forum for listing no
longer needed old and surplus items, while simultaneously making
such raw materials and supplies avialable to searching industry at
lower costs.
In support of the exchange, the North Alabama
Industrial Development Association (NAIDA) and the Shoals Economic
Development Authority (SEDA) plan to help WRATT market "WasteTrade"
in north Alabama.
Since its inception in 1990, nonprofit corporation WRATT has
provided free waste and energy use reduction services to more than
1,300 Alabama businesses, industries, and public or private
institutions.
For more information on how the "WasteTrade" exchange works,
visit http://www.wastetrade.org/ or
http://www.wratt.org/.
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| Need INFORMATION?
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Whether you're a consultant or community, EDPA's Business
Information group is your source for proposal
assistance.
Working as a liaison between state and local
groups, EDPA's Business Information team provides one-stop, prompt,
confidential responses for your information needs. In addition to
assisting with a number of proposals, in the fourth quarter of 2004,
EDPA:
- Fulfilled more than 185 demographics requests for
nearly 50 clients.
- Fielded an average of 188.4 searches per day on its
statewide buildings, sites, and communities
database.
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For proposal
assistance or general information, contact EDPA: 205.943.4700 or
info@edpa.org
For
demographic requests, contact: Greg Sheek, 205.943.4724,
gsheek@edpa.org.
For
assistance on buildings and sites, contact: Tammy Radmard,
205.943.4720, tradmard@edpa.org.
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| WHERE TO FIND ALABAMA
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| Upcoming Events:
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SAE World Congress April 11-14 Detroit
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CoreNet April 17-20 Toronto |
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| ATTENTION: News Media
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Since our
inception in 1991, reporters from across the globe have turned to
EDPA for quick, accurate information relating to economic
development in Alabama.
We field requests daily regarding
Alabama's business climate, industries and economic growth. If we
can't answer your question, we can point you in the right direction
so you're never left wasting valuable time against your
deadline.
If you are a member of the news media, please
contact: Steve Sewell, 205.943.4742, ssewell@edpa.org.
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