August 2012 Group Watch: Alabama & Austal Agreement
Governor Robert Bentley announced a $5 million agreement between the state and Austal USA that will help the shipbuilder add up to 1,000 full-time jobs in Mobile. The agreement is a five-year project that will help the shipbuilder continue its workforce expansion with training assistance services from the Alabama Industrial Training program. Austal currently employs about 3,000 people to build Joint High Speed Vessels and littoral combat ships for the U. S. Navy. Under the current project agreement, that number is expected to grow by an additional 600. Once the new agreement is complete, the company expects to employ 4,600 in Mobile. Last month, Austal completed three buildings that total more than a half million square feet of additional manufacturing and office space as part of a $200 million investment.
