Recent Anouncements

This was sent to me today by a friend. It is a very interesting list of area companies that are expanding there operations

Recent Announcements by Mobile Area Businesses that are expanding their operations


Hundreds of thousands of (still) displaced Katrina victims are only now receiving their insurance remittances for their homes following the hurricane. Many of these people are targeting points north and east for their new homesteads.

The ThyssenKrupp steel plant ($3.9 billion) which is currently being built will be paying its employees 50% more than the average wage for work of this type (from $22/hour on average to $33/hour). Additionally, middle and upper level Managers of the facility will be compensated at an average salary of $60,000 (and up) per year.

Some economists are projecting that up to 52,000 indirect jobs will be created, in addition to the ~3,000 direct jobs created, as a function of this new mill. When completed, it will be the largest, free standing, building in North America.

There is a $40 billion Airbus contract pending, for which Alabama is a primary candidate. If this contract is awarded, it will be fulfilled within existing and new facilities in Mobile County. The same, or greater, economic impact will be realized as we consider the $3.9 billion steel mill.
Mobile County is also home to a new $625 million NASCAR racetrack which is currently in the permitting process. This will be a 3 track facility and will include a 5 stage venue for concerts, retail, hotel and other mixed uses.

The median age in Mobile County in 2005 was 36.90 years.

RSA, developers of the new RSA Tower Skyscraper in downtown Mobile have already invested $650 million in Mobile and Baldwin Counties to promote infrastructure, culture and development in order to attract business to relocate to this area.
Interestingly, we are already seeing impact related to Item Number 6, above:

The Alabama State Port Authority has approved a new container terminal at Choctaw Point. Mobile Container Terminal, in a joint venture between APM Terminals North America, headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands will provide terminal customers with access to global networks covering all possible trade routes to and from the Port of Mobile. Operations are expected to begin in the second half of 2007. The container terminal is expected to create more than 300 permanent jobs. The overall project will represent a total investment of approximately $300 million.

Mobile Alabama's Brookley Industrial Complex has been selected by EADS North America as the site for the EADS KC-330 advanced tanker U.S. production facility. An Airbus Engineering Center will be co-located with the future production facility. Depending upon the size and pace of the Air Force order, the total facility investment could reach $600 million, and direct employment levels could be as high as 1,000 workers.

IPSCO Steel selected Mobile to locate its continuous plate heat treating operation, which will be one of the most modern facilities of its kind in the world. The 140,000 square feet, $45 million facility will produce 170,000 tons of steel per year. Additionally, IPSCO Steel opened a plate mini mill in Mobile County. The facility was a $425 million investment into the Mobile area.

The mini-mill will primarily serve the U.S. Gulf states, which have had the nation's highest growth rate in steel consumption in recent years, and employs approximately 450 people.
AustalShips Pty. Ltd., an Australian ship building company, has paired with a local company, Bender Shipbuilding to form Austal USA. Austal is the world’s leader in building high-speed catamaran ferry ships for passengers and autos. The yard opened with approximately 200 new jobs (with capacity to expand to 1,000 jobs) and has invested about $10 million in the Mobile area economy.

Additional companies who have announced expansion or business interests in Mobile County include:
Alabama Power – Barry Steam Plant
Baldwin Transfer Company
C & G Boatworks
Global Tel*
LinkKadant Black Clawson
Kvaerner Oilfield Products, Inc.
SPI Mobile Pulley Works, Inc.