FY 2010 First Edition

SEDA News
Available Building Highlights
Meeting Schedule
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SEDA News

SEDA Board of Directors Installs New Officers

     Installation of SEDA Board officers for FY 2010 was held October 13, 2009. New officers are:

        Chairman Buster Smith
        Vice Chair Dr. Joan Parris
        Treasurer Frank Patterson

     Chairman Buster Smith thanked outgoing Chairman Jack Johnson for his service to SEDA and presented him with a plaque and gavel.
     Jack Johnson and Roy Rudolph will serve on the SEDA Executive Committee along with the officers.


SEDA Welcomes New Board Member Ronnie Garner

     SEDA welcomes new Board Member Ronnie Garner, representing the City of Muscle Shoals for a three-year term.  Mr. Garner is a lifelong resident of the Shoals and a graduate of the University of North Alabama.  He has been employed at Jim Bishop Chevrolet for over 26 years.


SEDA President Forrest Wright Serves as Alabama Delegate to Japan

     SEDA President Forrest Wright attended the 33rd Annual Joint Meeting of the Japan-U.S. Southeast Association & SEUS/Japan Association in Tokyo as an Alabama delegate.

                          

      Look for an upcoming "International" web page to be added to SEDA's Web site.
                                

SEDA Board Members Tour Shoals Area Industrial Parks

     A bus tour was arranged to offer SEDA Board members an opportunity to view what prospects would see as they toured local industrial parks.  Transportation was provided by Northwest-Shoals Community College.
     "Usually our staff has only a short amount of time to present the Shoals' assets when the prospects are in town," said SEDA President Forrest Wright.  "With this in mind, we want to make sure we are presenting our best appearance of the area at all times." 
     The Board and SEDA staff were joined by Alabama Development Office Sr. Project Manager Dave Echols and North Alabama Industrial Development Association President Tate Godfrey.

     Industrial prospect Web sites:  Alabama Development Office, EDPA, North Alabama Industrial Development Association, SEDA, and TVASites. 


FLEXCO Grant for Waverlee Building Expansion

     Flexco, a subsidiary of Roppe Holding Company, has been awarded a State Industrial Development Grant for rehabilitation of the former Waverlee Homes manufacturing building.
     Flexco recently relocated its warehouse / distribution operations to its new 18 acre site in Tuscumbia.


WISE Metals Group Adds Major Contract 

     A multi-year agreement to supply Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-BI) was completed with Wise Metals Group to begin in 2010.  According to Chairman and CEO David D'Addario, "This agreement is a significant addition to the can sheet business at our Wise Alloys rolling mill in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and is a testament to the quality and reliability achievements of the entire Wise team."
     After installing a new wide slitter, Wise is now capable of producing 14-out can sheets.  "The completion of this significant capital project was key to being able to secure this additional business," according to D'Addario.
     Total Maintenance Center (TMC) President Chip Flournoy expressed appreciation for his employees' role in assisting with this project:  "I am very proud of our TMC teams and their significant role in the manufacturing of the new wide slitter used by Wise Metals."

                                  


Total Maintenance Center (TMC) Holds Open House

     TMC held its customer appreciation open house on September 18, 2009.  The open house showcased TMC's well-equipped, 250,000-square-foot facility and the extensive capabilities of their employees in machining, multicraft-electrical, turbine mechanics, certified welding, mobile crane operation, gas/diesel mechanics, and rigging/erecting.  It also gave visitors the opportunity to see a number of current projects TMC is working on, including one very unique project:  casting of new cylinders for the 1918 steam locomotive sponsored by Austin Steam Train Association of Austin, Texas.  This work is being coordinated on site and engineered by Scott Lindsay, president, Steam Operations Corporation of Birmingham, Alabama.

Total Maintenance Center Customer Appreciation Open House
(l to r) Chip Flournoy, TMC; Scott Lindsay, Steam Operations Corporation	(l to r) Ashley Poovey, TMC; Bart Jackson, SEDA
(l to r) Allen Eden, Jeff Williams, Tony Montgomery, Alabama Electric Motor Services	(l to r) Sheila Duncan, Emily Alcorn-Thornton, Bobby Painter, Pat Gean, Rodney Vaughn, Mike Whitsett, TMC

Major General James Myles Gives BRAC Update In The Shoals

     Major General James Myles, Commander of the US Army Aviation and Missile Life Cycle Management Command at Redstone Arsenal, spoke to a large crowd at the Marriott Shoals Conference Center and discussed the impact that BRAC is having on the Shoals and other Tennessee Valley communities.
     Various military organizations and personnel are transitioning to Redstone Arsenal from Washington D.C., Northern Virginia, and other areas of the country. There are already 1,787 BRAC jobs in place, with a total of 4,651 direct jobs expected by 2011.  Of the 1,787 direct jobs created thus far, 55% were filled by people from outside Redstone Arsenal.
     Major Myles also reported that 890 employees of Redstone Arsenal commute from the Shoals area.


TVA Valley Investment Initiative for Existing Customers

     The Tennessee Valley Authority and local power distributor providers launched a new existing industry program on October 1, 2009, to reward companies that make a long-term commitment to the economic development of the area.  The Valley Investment Initiative for Existing Customers (VII-E) rewards customers that make traditional economic investments in quality jobs created or retained, wages paid, and investments in their facilities.  The VII-E program will provide awards to qualifying customers that make a capital investment over a five-year period of 25% of its plant’s book value.  The award will be paid in installments over a five-year period as a monthly power bill credit.
     Existing customers with qualifying NAICS codes and who have a minimum of 250 kW peak monthly electricity demand, have 25 employees, and are financially sound can apply.  Award amounts are based on a customer’s industry multiplier, in addition to the following:   

 
SEDA Services Provided for Existing Industries

     SEDA serves both new industry locating in the Shoals and existing industries located in Colbert and Lauderdale Counties.  SEDA Existing Industry Coordinator Bart Jackson would like to meet with you to learn more about your business and see what assistance might be available to address your needs.  You can contact Bart at 764-0351 or by email at  bart.jackson@seda-shoals.com.


Shoals Industry Classic Golf Tournament

     SEDA hosted the 14th Annual Shoals Industry Classic Golf Tournament on September 28, 2009, at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail @ The Shoals.  The tournament brought together 108 golfers from local industries, corporate sponsors, government, and economic development offices.  SEDA would like to thank the Shoals Manufacturers' Association for providing lunch for the event.

Winners - 14th Annual Shoals Industry Classic Golf Tournament
Flight #1 Winners (l to r) Jason Henderson, Jones Tinsley, Sean Black, Jim Bishop	Flight #2 Winners (l to r) George Johnson, Mitch Dobbins, Jay Klos, Jerry Anglin
Flight #3 Winners (l to r) Chris Haddock, Chad Burleson, Mike Bishop, Chuck Rayburn	Flight #4 Winners (l to r) David Haygood, Doug Ruggles, Jeff Daniel, Marty Ferguson

SEDA would like to express its thanks to the corporate sponsors who made this year's tournament a success:

Silver-Level Sponsors                        Bronze-Level Sponsors
Bank Independent                                B Electric, Inc.
Bigbee Steel Buildings                          Independent Computer Services
First Metro Bank                                   Lawrence Colbert Gas District
First Southern Bank                              Muscle Shoals Electric Board
Helen Keller Hospital                             Nelson Service Group Inc.
Marriott Shoals Hotel & Spa                   North Alabama Gas District
Northwest Shoals Community College     Parkhurst & Norvell CPAs
Regions Bank                                       QORE Property Sciences
Sheffield Utilities                                   Shoals Chamber of Commerce
                                                           SunTrust Bank
                                                           University of North Alabama

Shoals Industry - Education Training Alliance Classes

     The Shoals Training Alliance held a one-day "Powered Industrial Truck--Train-the-Trainer" class at the Shoals Center for Business and Economic Development, followed by hands-on training at RSC Equipment Rental.  Eleven people from five manufacturing companies attended the class, which was provided by the National Apprenticeship Training Foundation (NATF).

Shoals Manufacturers' Association

Extending membership invitations to Shoals industries - Manufacturers with ten or more employees are invited to join the Shoals Manufacturers' Association (SMA).

November 5, 2009 - SMA will host its annual dinner at Cypress Lakes Golf & County Club.

SIGN-UP:  AIDT Leadership classes, Shoals Training Alliance, and SMA, please contact SEDA, at 764-0351 or by email to bart.jackson@seda-shoals.com.


NOTICE:  EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 31, 2009, SEDA will no longer maintain a post office box.  The new mailing address will be 20 Hightower Place, Suite 1, Florence, Alabama 35630.

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Available Building Highlights

	Heredia-Gann Blvd 208 Gann Blvd Tuscumbia, AL  35674 Colbert County 6,000 Square Feet
Click here for building form (.pdf) with details.

 

	Parkway Warehouse 4021 Parkway Drive Florence, AL  35630 Lauderdale County 50,800 Square Feet
Click here for building form (.pdf) with details.

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Meeting Schedule

SEDA Monthly Board of Directors Meetings
November 10, 2009
December 8, 2009

Shoals Manufacturers' Association
November 11, 2009
January 13, 2010

Shoals Industry - Education Training Alliance
January 20, 2010

Speculative Building Meeting
November 17, 2009

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