December 2019 Group Watch: News & Views from the State House
Economic development wins keep making positive news across the state, making for some happy holidays.
- Montgomery Factory Plans $25M Expansion: A 40-year-old door hinge factory along the outskirts of Montgomery is pouring $25 million into upgrades and expects to hire 51 more people. Family-owned, St. Louis-based Hager Companies uses the facility to build and ship commercial hinges as well as several other products, including door closures, locks and even security systems. The current operation employs more than 240 people. As part of the expansion, a new warehouse will be built with an automated storage and retrieval system. The new warehouse should be completed in about a year; the entire upgrade is expected to take about three years.
- Carpenter Technology Opens AL Additive Manufacturing Center: Carpenter Technology announced the opening of its newest advanced additive manufacturing facility and Emerging Technology Center at its production campus in Athens. The company has invested approximately $40 million to date and is expected create approximately 60 jobs over the next five years, as well as help further the region’s position as an advanced manufacturing technology center. The Emerging Technology Center investment complements Carpenter Technology’s 500,000-square-foot A facility, which began operations in 2014. The facility produces high-end specialty alloy products, primarily for the aerospace and energy markets.
- Samuel Associated Tube Group Plans $29 Million Alabama Expansion: Samuel Associated Tube Group will invest $29 million to build a new manufacturing facility in Jefferson County, an expansion project that will create new jobs and prepare for future growth. The company, which manufactures small diameter, electric resistance-welded and fabricated carbon steel tubing, is teaming with a developer to build a new 284,000-square-foot facility. The company has had a presence in Jefferson County since 1993 and currently employs 190. The expansion will add 50 new employees and is expected to be fully operational before the end of 2020.
