November 2021 Group Watch: Rural AL Sees Economic Development Increase

Economic development activity in Alabama’s rural counties ticked higher during the first half of 2021, building on growth projects that were launched in theses areas last year despite the challenges of a pandemic. Preliminary, year-to-date results show that projects locating in Alabama’s 40 “targeted” counties will generate at least $850 million in new capital investment in these areas. Projects already announced in 2021 will also bring close to 1,000 new jobs to these rural counties, which all have fewer than 50,000 residents. Combined with job creation from 2020, the total rises to almost 3,000 new jobs for rural communities across Alabama, along with around $1.5 billion in investment in that time frame.

November 2021 Group Watch: Shipshape Building Operations Center in Birmingham

Austin, Texas-based Shipshape Solutions Inc. is building a network operations center in Birmingham. The center will be housed off U.S. 280 near downtown Birmingham. Shipshape will occupy the top floor of the building, which will also feature Shipshape signage. The company plans to grow to more than 750 employees by 2025. Company officials say the Birmingham-based network operations center will bring high-tech, high-wage jobs to the regions, including “home assistants” who help homeowners nationwide save time and money while taking care of their homes. Shipshape uses smart home hardware sensors, data analytics and software to operate a first-of-its-kind, proprietary smart home predictive maintenance platform that offers solutions to homeowners to reduce the costs of home maintenance and operations.

November 2021 Group Watch: UAB Earns High Global Ranking

U.S. News and World Report recently ranked the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the top 10 percent of higher-education institutions globally. The ranking takes into account global and regional reputation alongside academic research performance. Performance metrics such as number of citations, publications and international collaboration are included in the determination. UAB ranked as the top institution in Alabama and No.147 out of 1,750 institutions ranked from more than 90 countries. UAB placed No. 56 for schools in the United States. In addition, U.S. News and World Report’s Best Global Universities listing used a separate methodology to publish the top global universities in 43 subject areas. The subject-specific rankings include 17 programs from UAB based on academic research performance. UAB has new or improved subject rankings in Infectious Diseases, Immunology, Oncology, Cell Biology, Neuroscience and Behavior, Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging, Pharmacology and Toxicology and Psychiatry/Psychology.

November 2021 Group Watch: Gary Palmer’s Infrastructure Vote – An Opinion

Alabama Congressman Gary Palmer invoked the ire of many on the left when he supported a funding provision in the recent federal infrastructure act for Birmingham’s Northern Beltline project and then, voted against the act itself. In a recent opinion piece for al.com, Cameron Smith, who once worked for Palmer, defended the move. Read it here.

November 2021 Group Watch: Cheery News

Alabamians can now receive limited quantities of beer, wine and spirits delivered to their homes after the first companies have received licenses. Earlier this year, Alabama lawmakers approved separate bills to allow alcohol deliveries from retailers to a person’s home and to allow wineries to ship directly to consumers in the state. According to the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, Shipt, Dippi, Pick Up My Things and Deerfoot Spirits are licensed to deliver alcohol, while Penrose Hill Winery, James Cole Winery, Winecub, Truth Teller and Robert Young are licensed for direct wine shipments. Alcohol delivery may not yet be available everywhere as companies ramp up operations.

October 2021 Group Watch: News & Views from the State House

The beginning and end of the first of two special legislative sessions called by Governor Kay Ivey dominates the political headlines this month.

Over just a few days, the Alabama Legislature addressed the construction of new prisons, how to pay for the new facilities as well as prison reform measures. A second special session was just announced. It will convene on October 28 and focus on reapportionment, which is usually a contested process, falling along party lines. You can read Governor Ivey’s letter to legislators, here, and more about what may transpire in the session, here.

But there’s other news too. Several positive economic development announcements have been made, as well as some promotions and personnel moves.

Read on to learn more.

October 2021 Group Watch: Tweet of the Month

@ALNewsNetwork Oct 15 Gov. Kay Ivey has announced that Gina Maiola will serve as communications director. Maiola is currently the governor’s press secretary. #alnews #alpolitics#alabamanewsnetwork

October 2021 Group Watch: Results of First 2021 Special Legislative Session

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey called the Alabama Legislature into the first of two special sessions; it convened on September 27 and ended on October 1. The purpose of the session was to address five bills that were aimed at prison reform and financing of the construction and renovation of specific facilities at certain locations. There were two reform bills to address sentencing reform and to require certain mandatory supervision of released inmates to include varying levels of electronic monitoring. There were three bills to: authorize a bond issue for prison construction and renovation; authorize the specific location for the construction of two 4,000-bed prisons and a process to determine which facilities will be renovated and which facilities will be closed and re-purposed; and authorize the appropriation of federal funds from the American Rescue Act that the state is eligible to access to replace loss revenue during the pandemic. Four of the five bills in the governor’s call passed during the five-day session. The bill to provide for sentencing reform failed to receive a favorable vote from the House Judiciary Committee, and thus never received a floor vote. All of the bills in the governor’s call originated in the House. Click here to view the bill summary from the first special session.

October 2021 Group Watch: Mazda Toyota Produces “Job 1” Vehicle at Alabama Plant

Mazda Toyota Manufacturing and its 2,000-plus team members celebrated the production of the first dealer-ready vehicle, a 2022 Corolla Cross,  to emerge from the partnership’s new factory in Huntsville. Mazda Toyota Manufacturing (MTM), the only North American facility to produce the Corolla Cross, is a joint venture partnership between Mazda Motor Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp. The plant will also produce a yet-to-be-announced Mazda vehicle. MTM is now hiring more than 1,700 additional employees to join its existing workforce, eventually reaching up to 4,000 once production is in full operation next year. The plant has the capacity to produce 300,000 vehicles a year, evenly split between the two nameplates. Already, a dozen suppliers and support companies have announced plans to launch operations in the region, meaning 2,000 additional jobs and a combined investment topping $725 million.

October 2021 Group Watch: Jo Bonnor A Finalist for President of University of South Alabama

The University of South Alabama in Mobile recently announced the shortlist of candidates to fill its presidential vacancy. According to the announcement, Governor Kay Ivey’s chief of staff Jo Bonner is among the finalists. In addition to Bonner, who is also a former congressman from Mobile,  Dr. Damon Andrew, dean of Florida State University’s College of Education, and Dr. Michael Tidwell, the immediate past president of the University of Texas at Tyler are on the list. Final interviews are scheduled over the next several weeks for each of the finalists in an open forum.