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Shoals Economic Development Authority |
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Shoals Economic Development Authority |
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SEDAupdate |
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| April 2008 | Archived Newsletters | |||||||||||||||||
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| Southwire Company to Expand in Florence | ||||||||||||||||||
Southwire
Company announced in March that it will expand its
operations in the Florence-Lauderdale Industrial Park.
The company has purchased a 75,000-square-foot building just
south of its existing facility as part of its $9.5 million
investment. This expansion will add metal-clad cable
and flexible conduit to its Florence production
capabilities, which currently feature building wire products
such as 600-volt copper, NM, UF, and THHN. It will
mean as many as 50 jobs for the The Shoals.“Through the expansion of our manufacturing facilities in Florence, Southwire continues to take advantage of key growth opportunities that allow us to better serve our customers,” said Richard Miller, Southwire’s vice president of electrical manufacturing. “This added capacity across several product lines will allow Southwire to build upon our position as the leader in our core wire and cable markets.” Why did Southwire choose to expand in The Shoals? “The plant, with its proximity to Southwire’s headquarters in Carrollton, Ga., fits perfectly into our company’s manufacturing and distribution network,” Miller added. “That fact, along with the strong commitment of our workforce in Florence, weighed heavily in our decision to expand there.” SEDA and the City of Florence welcomed the expansion, which strengthens Southwire's position in the community. "This expansion speaks well for their commitment to our area," said Florence Mayor Bobby Irons. "It's an encouraging sign of commitment to the Shoals when a company makes such a significant investment within its first two years in the community and a great testimonial of the company's dedicated work force," said Susie Heird, vice president of the Shoals Economic Development Authority. |
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SEDA Hosts Annual Appreciation Luncheon in Montgomery |
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The Shoals Economic Development Authority hosted its annual luncheon in Montgomery on March 7, 2008. The luncheon gives representatives from The Shoals the opportunity to visit with state personnel whose work impacts The Shoals economy. The Shoals Chamber of Commerce and the Florence-Lauderdale Port Authority co-hosted this year's luncheon with SEDA. |
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| Roy Rudolph, SEDA | Mayor Bobby Irons, City of Florence | David Jones, SEDA and Shoals Chamber of Commerce | ||||||||||||||||
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| Jim Loew, Florence-Lauderdale Port Authority | (l to r) Forrest Wright, SEDA; David Echols, Alabama Development Office | (l to r) Mayor Bobby Irons, City of Florence; Susie Heird, SEDA | ||||||||||||||||
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| Brad Holmes, SEDA | (l to r) Bob Smith, Alabama Development Office; Craig Linhoss, Tennessee Valley Authority | (l to r) Bret McGill, Northwest-Shoals Community College; Dr. Glenda Colagross, Northwest-Shoals Community College | ||||||||||||||||
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| (l to r) Kelly Graham, Alabama Department of Revenue; Forrest Wright, SEDA; Angela Till, Alabama Department of Revenue | (l to r) David Jones, SEDA and Shoals Chamber of Commerce; Bill Morrison, Alabama Department of Revenue; Jim Loew, Florence-Lauderdale Port Authority | (l to r) Amy Jones, Shoals Chamber of Commerce; Dr. Sandra Sockwell, Shoals Chamber of Commerce; Sheila Raney, Shoals Chamber of Commerce | ||||||||||||||||
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| (l to r) Dr. Joan Parris, SEDA; Valicia Jones, Alabama Development Office | (l to r) Dr. Steve Smith, SEDA; Hilda Lockhart, Alabama Development Office | (l to r) Cindy Burns, North Alabama Industrial Development Association; April Gray, Alabama Development Office | ||||||||||||||||
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| (l to r) Harold Lewis, SEDA; Bud Ward, Shoals Chamber of Commerce | (l to r) Buster Smith, SEDA; Gary Faulkner, Alabama Development Office; Dusty Brown, Alabama Industrial Development Training | (l to r) David Thorn, SEDA; Bill Howard, City of Muscle Shoals | ||||||||||||||||
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| National Alabama Corporation Erects First Structural Steel | ||||||||||||||||||
An enthusiastic group of invited guests gathered at the Barton Riverfront
Industrial Park on February 15, 2008, to mark an important milestone in the
construction of National Alabama Corporation's state-of-the-art railcar
manufacturing facility: the erection of the first structural steel at
the site.Greg Aziz, chairman and CEO of National Alabama Corporation, shared his enthusiasm for the significance of the event: "Today we are here to witness the raising of the first steel. Steel that will become the spine and shape of National Alabama--housing our equipment and our technology, certainly...but, most importantly, it will be our home where our skills and sense of team will help National Alabama achieve the excellence that is our dream." Governor Bob Riley and Congressman Bud Cramer, who both worked to bring National Alabama Corporation to The Shoals, spoke at the event. They emphasized the teamwork needed to make this project happen, as well as the tremendous success Alabama has had in economic development in recent years. The construction of the National Alabama facility will continue on a very fast pace. The first rail car is expected to roll off the line in December 2008. To view an up-to-date aerial photo of the National Alabama Corporation site, click here. |
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| (l to r) Greg Aziz, National Alabama Corporation; Governor Bob Riley | (l to r) Governor Bob Riley; Greg Aziz, National Alabama Corporation | (l to r) Congressman Bud Cramer; Mayor Bobby Irons, City of Florence | ||||||||||||||||
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| Governor Bob Riley | Congressman Bud Cramer | Mayor Bobby Irons, City of Florence | ||||||||||||||||
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| Troy Woodis, Colbert County Commission | Greg Aziz, National Alabama Corporation | (l to r) Tony Burns, North Alabama Gas District; Albert Kerstiens, Sheffield Utilities | ||||||||||||||||
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| (l to r) Howard Keeton, Colbert County Commission; Governor Bob Riley | (l to r) Greg Aziz, National Alabama Corporation; Congressman Bud Cramer; Troy Woodis, Colbert County Commission | (l to r) Mayor Bobby Irons, City of Florence; Mike Curtis, Alabama State Representative; Forrest Wright, SEDA | ||||||||||||||||
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| (l to r) Jona Thorn; David Thorn, SEDA; Dr. Humphrey Lee, Northwest-Shoals Community College and Shoals Chamber of Commerce | (l to r) Forrest Wright, SEDA; Lee Hansen, The Staubach Company | (l to r) Paul Panelli, Yates Construction; Governor Bob Riley | ||||||||||||||||
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| (l to r) Linda Swann, Alabama Development Office; Warren Aziz, National Alabama Corporation | Frank Jalsevac, National Alabama Corporation | Peter Earle, National Alabama Corporation | ||||||||||||||||
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| (l to r) Susie Heird, SEDA; Richard Coates, Tuscumbia City Council | (l to r) Steve Holt, Shoals Chamber of Commerce; Dr. Alan Medders, University of North Alabama | (l to r) John Newman, Burr & Forman; Keith Bush, National Alabama Corporation | ||||||||||||||||
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| Empire Electronics Locates in Shoals Entrepreneurial Center | ||||||||||||||||||
The Shoals welcomed a new
industry to the area in March: Empire Electronics, Inc., the leading
North American automotive supplier of exterior lighting harnesses and
components.
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Electronics selected the Shoals Entrepreneurial Center's Sheffield facility
for its new location.Based in Troy, Michigan, Empire Electronics sought a location close to the North American Lighting (NAL) facility in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. SEDA worked with the company to examine options for its operations in The Shoals. "We were pleased to submit several business opportunities for Empire’s consideration, one being space in the Shoals Entrepreneurial Center’s Sheffield facility," said Susie Heird, vice president of SEDA. "The proximity of the Center to the North American Lighting facility in the Shoals Research Airpark should prove advantageous for Empire, and the location of Empire in The Shoals valuable to the community.” |
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| Shoals Training Alliance Holds Supervisor Training Classes | ||||||||||||||||||
 The Shoals Industry-Education Training Alliance's
supervisor training classes were a big hit with local companies. The
response for the classes was quite strong, as 61 people from 18
companies received leadership skills training.Alabama Industrial Development Training provided the instructors for each of the classes, which were held January 15-16, February 5-6, and March 18-19. The class  es
are specifically designed for first-line, team leads and/or new supervisors."Hopefully, they will apply what they learn," said Kendall Haywood, AIDT instructor. "The key is involving your people and not being a traditional, old world manager that knows everything and makes all the decisions." The Training Alliance, with support from the Shoals Economic Development Authority, brings together companies and educators to provide training classes to meet the current needs of local industry. For more information on the Training Alliance, contact Lesley Cox at 256-764-0351. |
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