What is Southern Research doing to develop new therapies and vaccines against COVID-19?

 As part of our long history with the identification of new medicines to treat life-threatening diseases such as cancer and HIV, we have channeled our resources to address the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, we are collaborating with several pharmaceutical companies to identify new research tools and vaccines. We recently announced a collaboration with Tonix, a biopharmaceutical firm, to test its vaccine candidate.

As part of a large consortium funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) involving our partnering institution, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), we are building upon our ongoing research on highly pathogenic coronaviruses to develop new therapies. We are also working in partnership with UAB to test compounds for antiviral activity against COVID-19.​

How did Southern Research begin its work?

 From the onset of the COVID-19 threat, Southern Research quickly worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other government agencies to obtain the virus for experimental testing. Due to the nature of the virus (i.e., ability to rapidly spread and cause infection), handling requires highly specialized facilities available at Southern Research. After having obtained the virus, intense research has been initiated and is ongoing which aims to identify effective therapies.

Has Southern Research activated an internal COVID-19 program?

 In addition to these activities, we established an internal research program to identify known drugs that will be effective against this new threat. In the case of combating COVID-19, speed is of the essence given wide-reaching consequences. It is well known that the development of new drugs is a costly endeavor and requires years of research. Southern Research has taken a non-traditional approach of drug discovery which could result in the identification of new therapies in a period of months rather than years.

What is Southern Research’s strategy in searching for new therapies?

 Our approach, referred to as ‘drug repurposing’, consists of developing a rapid method or screen to determine whether there are already FDA-approved drugs that would be effective against COVID-19. We’ve tested more than 3,500 drugs and have identified 12 which are highly active against the virus. An interesting fact is that those that have been identified were all originally developed not as antivirals but rather for a wide range of medical conditions.

What are the next steps in this process?

 Next, we need to further evaluate these drugs under several various conditions to identify those with clinical promise. Also, since all of these compounds are approved for use in people, clinical trials could be initiated very quickly.

Support Southern Research’s work against COVID-19. Donate today.

(Courtesy of Southern Research)

Large employers also got into the act. One example: Hyundai Alabama coordinated the delivery of 10,000 COVID-19 test kits from South Korea to expand testing in the Montgomery region.

“Alabama’s business community and the state’s people have shown an incredible resilience during this crisis,” said Greg Canfield, Secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce.

“These efforts really speak to the core of the Alabama spirit and will help us get moving forward on the road to recovery.”

Here are five ways that businesses and organizations in Alabama have made important contributions to the pandemic fight.

No. 1: INGENIOUS SOLUTIONS

Auburn University engineers developed a method to convert ordinary CPAP machines into emergency ventilators that could help patients stricken by the serious respiratory illness caused by coronavirus.

The device — called RE-InVENT – can be assembled in four hours using about $700 worth of parts in addition to a standard CPAP machine, compared to the typical hospital ventilator price tag of $25,000 and up.

“What started as pure intellectual curiosity quickly grew into an emotional race against time to potentially save lives,” said Michael Zabala, a faculty member in Auburn’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering and one of the project’s drivers.

The Alabama Productivity Center at the University of Alabama’s Culverhouse School of Business has been involved in the fight, along with partners at Alabama Power’s Technology Applications Center and UAB’s School of Engineering.

An impromptu effort to produce protective face shields using 3-D printers quickly grew into a network that included individuals, three local high schools and companies including Mercedes-Benz’s Alabama plant.

The network has now produced thousands of face shields for health care facilities and first responders in central and west Alabama.

“This is a no-fee project for us, but it is probably one of the most impactful we will do this year,” said Alan Hill, the APC’s executive director.

No. 2: PIVOTING PRODUCTION

Across Alabama, many businesses are finding ways to make a difference. A partnership between Birmingham wedding dress designer Heidi Elnora and Moulton’s Red Land Cotton produced face masks. In late March, Huntsville’s Yellowhammer Brewing converted its entire production line to hand sanitizer.

Cullman-based HomTex Inc. began producing reusable cotton face masks after orders for its traditional bed linens declined, turning out more than 1 million masks in short order.

With support from the Alabama Department of Commerce and others, the family firm now plans to invest $5 million to become a full-time domestic supplier of medical-grade surgical masks. (Read a story about its plans.)

“We are going to make hundreds of millions of these surgical masks,” HomTex President Jeremy Wootten said.  “The production capacity will be about 350 million of these annually.”

In Mobile, Calagaz Printing, which normally produces menus and other items for restaurants, shifted its line to produce protective face shields, ultimately making more than 150,000 of them.

“It’s been great for our employees, for them to hold their head high as they make an impact in these times, and also be able to have work to do,” said Calagaz’s Michael Cuesta.

No. 3: CONTRIBUTING BRAINPOWER

The state’s research institutions and universities were quick to join the effort against COVID-19, demonstrating their impressive capabilities.

Birmingham’s Southern Research is working with a New York biopharmaceutical firm to test a potential coronavirus vaccine and is collaborating with several pharmaceutical companies to develop new research tools.

In addition, Southern Research launched an internal program to identify drugs that are already FDA-approved that could be effective against COVID-19, repurposing them so they can be quickly incorporated into treatments.

Scientists at UAB, meanwhile, are active on many fronts.

UAB teamed with biopharmaceutical company Altimmune for pre-clinical trials of a vaccine candidate and participated in a global trial of the investigational drug remdesivir that has received emergency approval as a treatment for the coronavirus disease.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has showcased the vital importance of UAB to Alabama and the world,” UAB President Dr. Ray L. Watts said. “We continue to leverage research and innovation, community service, patient care, and education to make a big difference.”

No. 4: RETOOLING RESOURCES

As the crisis took hold, Boeing, Airbus and other major industrial employers in Alabama quickly redeployed their resources to produce personal protective equipment, or PPE.

Toyota’s Huntsville engine factory produced 7,500 protective face shields for local hospitals. Honda Alabama’s engineers also stepped up to utilize 3-D printers to manufacture face shields for health care workers.

Mercedes-Benz’s Alabama operation launched a comprehensive relief effort featuring donations of funds, goods and services valued at more than $500,000. Along with support for the located United Way, Mercedes workers sewed N100 face masks and provided the Alabama Productivity Center with 600 face shield headbands.

Mercedes also donated 100,000 surgical masks and 7,000 N95 washable masks to the Alabama Department of Public Health, with additional PPE donations to hospitals and emergency management agencies.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is placing an incredible amount of strain on families and on the non-profits and groups trying to assist them in making ends meet,” Mercedes Alabama President Michael Goebel said.

“We are all connected, and we have to pull together to help get this community through this crisis.”

No. 5: BIOSCIENCE ADVANCES

Alabama’s bioscience startups, meanwhile, have mobilized to combat COVID-19, helping to advance urgent work that could lead to new treatments and vaccines.

This includes Birmingham-based TriAltus Bioscience LLC, which developed protein purification technology to accelerate research into a new vaccine under development in Oregon.

“It’s rewarding to know that our product can help expedite the search for a COVID-19 vaccine,” TriAltus CEO Bob Shufflebarger said.

In Huntsville, a collaboration including iRepertoire, a diagnostic technology company, is seeking to learn how the human immune system responds to the virus that causes COVID-19. Partners are Huntsville Hospital and the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology.

“By understanding the immune system of patients that have effectively fought the pathogen, we can pinpoint the exact identity of cells that effectively eliminate the virus out of millions of possibilities,” said Dr. Jian Han of iRepertoire.

Another HudsonAlpha company, iCubate, has produced a test platform for COVID-19 that can produce results in less than six hours from sample collection.

(Courtesy of Made in Alabama)

“What we have been able to do just makes you feel good – there is just no other way to say it.”

The APC teamed with Alabama Power’s Technology Applications Center and the UAB School of Engineering to kick off the mission in late March.

For the APC, it began with two 3-D polymer printers redeployed to employee Jody Beck’s residence, where he worked with his wife, Sadie, to produce plastic headbands for the face shields. At first, the printers were running 24/7.

Workers at Alabama Power’s Technology Applications Center (TAC) also produced headbands and laser cut plastic shields for the medical masks. UAB helped with additional 3-D printing and final assembly.

In addition to 3-D printing headbands, the project evolved when the TAC started using its cutting capabilities to cut the headbands from acrylic. This allowed the production of more than 100 headbands a day, according to Scott Bishop, the TAC’s team leader.

Also, Alabama Power’s Print Shop started cutting the shield materials to allow the team to provide the medical workers with a complete face shield. To date, the TAC has produced more than 1,000 headbands, and the Print Shop has produced over 9,200 face shields, Bishop said.

NEW PARTNERS

The initial goals were modest, but after word got out about the effort, new partners jumped on board, and the campaign began to expand.

Hill said several retirees with 3-D printers joined the effort, as did the 9-year-old daughter of an UAB professor who owned a printer. Teachers at Briarwood Christian, Hoover and Thompson high schools got permission to use their printers. An anonymous donor gave 4,500 disposable face shields.

The game changed when workers at Mercedes-Benz’s Alabama assembly plant became involved, Hill said. Initially, the 3-D printers at the automaker’s sprawling facility were deployed but soon other manufacturing capabilities were also brought to bear.

“We had been 3-D printing the headbands, but they started cutting them out of acrylic using their water jet cutters,” Hill said. “We went from making one headband every two and a half hours to making 14 every hour. That increased our output tremendously.

“I can’t say enough about the support we received from Mercedes,” he added.

Thank you #MercedesBenzUSI for helping us with this project! Together we have delivered 405+ face shields to 7 locations including @dchsystem , Crimson Urgent Care, Northport Urgent Care and @Smiledesigncare #COVID19 #3DPrinted #faceshields pic.twitter.com/CknKZvAwhP

— AL Productivity Center (@APC_UofA) April 8, 2020

MAKING AN IMPACT

Hill said other companies also lined up to help.

ALG Labels + Graphics in Birmingham and FASTSIGNS, a printing company in Tuscaloosa, both donated face shield material. Pell City’s IPAK Alabama, a packaging supplier to Honda’s Alabama plant, provided foam bands that fit on the headband.

In a related effort, the CUBE, the 3-D printing lab operating UA’s College of Engineering, produced and delivered more than 1,700 protective face shields to health care facilities in West Alabama, Hill said. (More than $18,000 has been donated to this effort through an ongoing crowdfunding campaign.)

The broad support has allowed the APC to shift its 3-D printers to a new focus – producing ear relief straps for the plastic headbands on the protective face shields, which can become uncomfortable after lengthy wearing. These “ear savers” have also been given to workers at grocery stores and dental clinics who wear masks all day, Hill said.

“When all is said and done, this is really about keeping our first responders safe. If you keep just one of those people safe, it’s worth all the effort,” he said.

Greg Canfield, Secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce, said the effort illustrates how the state’s education and business communities can seamlessly align to make an impact in the fight against COVID-19.

“This collaborative effort, like others across the state, is not only producing results but also revealing the Alabama can-do spirit of innovation that helps us meet the most difficult of challenges,” Secretary Canfield said.

(Courtesy of Made in Alabama)

Today’s announcement means the 270,000-square-foot hangar, where both A220-100 and A220-300 aircraft can be assembled, is officially open for business after an 18-month construction project.

The facility houses five primary assembly stations where major airframe component assemblies come together for a completed aircraft in a flowline process.

Airbus initially began producing A220 aircraft in Mobile in August 2019 using space in an existing A320 Final Assembly Line hangar and new support hangars. With the completion of the new Final Assembly Line hangar, the Airbus production site in Alabama has now doubled in size.

“The expansion of our commercial aircraft production in Mobile to a second product line further solidifies Airbus’ standing as a truly global aircraft manufacturer and confirms that Airbus is an important part of the American manufacturing landscape,” Gaskell said.

“This A220 assembly line will help satisfy the U.S. demand for the A220 aircraft.”

 Airbus said another milestone was reached as the first component assemblies destined to become an A220 for JetBlue arrived at the new hangar.

JetBlue will be the second customer served by the Mobile team, with its first U.S.-made A220 scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter.

Airbus announced plans for A220 aircraft manufacturing in Mobile in October 2017.

“The opening of Airbus’ A220 Final Assembly Line in Mobile demonstrates the company’s commitment to aircraft production in the United States, and Alabama is proud to be the home of its growing U.S. manufacturing presence,” said Greg Canfield, Secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce.

“This marks another significant milestone for Airbus and its Mobile production center, and we look forward to seeing many others in the future.”

Big News! @AirbusInTheUS has just kicked off production in their newly-built A220 Final Assembly Line hangar & have started production of the first U.S.-built A220 for @JetBlue. We’re proud of these significant achievements! @MadeinAL #alpolitics

👉 https://t.co/NJpqUavkmk pic.twitter.com/hpLnX92wr6

— Governor Kay Ivey (@GovernorKayIvey) May 19, 2020

(Courtesy of Made in Alabama)

Researchers in the Alabama city played a pioneering role in the development of time-release drug delivery systems, and Birmingham remains a hub for activities in the field through Evonik and others, according to the Birmingham Business Alliance.

EXPANDING CAPABILITIES

Evonik’s new 30,000-square-foot facility in Jefferson County is equipped with multiple cleanrooms, numerous reactors, specialized purification and micronization systems and other equipment.

Together with an adjoining facility in Birmingham, Evonik can now provide an integrated range of biomaterial services at a single U.S. site to support projects from initial feasibility through to commercial production.

The adjacent contract development and manufacturing site also offers a range of formulation development and manufacturing services for parenteral drug products, and application development and scale-up services for implantable medical devices.

“Regardless of the tightness of a customer’s product specifications or batch volume requirements, we have the technical expertise, operational flexibility, and regulatory track record to deliver the highest levels of quality and supply security,” Daly said.

Evonik said it has harmonized the equipment and processes utilized in Birmingham with its other main biomaterials facility in Darmstadt, Germany, giving pharmaceutical and medical device customers a range of dual-sourcing options.

“With the commissioning of our new state-of-the-art biomaterials facility in Birmingham, medical device and pharmaceutical customers have even more flexibility in the supply of standard or custom RESOMER bioresorbable polymers at virtually any clinical or commercial scale,” said Dr. Andreas Karau, Global Head of Biomaterials for Evonik’s Health Care business line.

The Health Care business line serves more than 1,000 pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and medical device customers worldwide.

(Courtesy of Made In Alabama)

“We’re in a race to develop this vaccine as quickly as possible, so it’s important to have technology that helps us isolate and purify the S-protein for time-critical research,” said Dr. Hong-Ming Hu, a scientist at the Earle A. Chiles Research Institute at the Providence Cancer Institute.

Hu’s team is fast-tracking the development of the potential vaccine, with trials possibly beginning in May.

“It’s rewarding to know that our product can help expedite the search for a COVID-19 vaccine,” TriAltus CEO Bob Shufflebarger said.

The CL7 technology was invented by a team led by Dr. Dmitry Vassylyev, TriAltus co-founder and professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

TARGETING A TREATMENT

In Huntsville, a collaboration aims to learn how the human immune system responds to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, with hopes for developing an effective treatment for the disease.

Teaming in the effort are Huntsville Hospital, the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology and iRepetroire, a diagnostic technology company located on the HudsonAlpha campus.

“The most effective way to stop pandemics is with vaccines,” said Dr. Rick Myers, president and scientific director for HudsonAlpha. “However, the pipeline for vaccine production from development, to testing, to market can take years. A COVID-19 treatment is the best way to bridge the gap until a vaccine is widely available.”

Researchers at HudsonAlpha and iRepertoire hope the results of the study can be used to find and test possible treatments or cures for COVID-19 by using antibodies identified in patients diagnosed with COVID-19.

“The immune system is nature’s best doctor,” said Dr. Jian Han, founder and chief scientific officer of iRepertoire. “By understanding the immune system of patients that have effectively fought the pathogen, we can pinpoint the exact identity of cells that effectively eliminate the virus out of millions of possibilities.”

ACCELERATING TIMELINES

Involved in this battle on many fronts, UAB reported that it has raised more than $1.1 million for clinical and basic research focused on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19.

The money was dedicated to clinical research and basic research projects proposed by UAB faculty in the School of Medicine. Fifty-two proposals were submitted, with 14 basic science projects selected for funding, with help from UAB’s Hugh Kaul Precision Medicine Institute.

“Because of the urgency of this pandemic, one of the criteria was how quickly the research team could launch their study, and how quickly they could begin to see results,” said Dr. Etty (Tika) Benveniste, senior vice dean for Basic Sciences at UAB.

“We wanted research studies that could be reviewed at the three- and six-month time frames to determine their potential. That is a very accelerated timeline for research.”

UAB is also participating in a global clinical trial of potential COVID-19 treatments, including remdesivir, which has received emergency FDA approval as a therapeutic agent against the virus.

In addition, UAB and Birmingham’s Southern Research are collaborating with Scripps Research to test drugs that could be effective against COVID-19.

(Courtesy of Made in Alabama)

Since shortly after the COVID-19 outbreak occurred, Secretary Canfield has headed the Business and Manufacturing Alliance, or BAMA, a task force established by Governor Kay Ivey to locate and assist producers of PPE and medical equipment and supplies across the state.

In this role, he has worked closely with Birmingham attorney Brian Rell, who heads a procurement task force set up by the governor. David Klementz, chief strategy and development officer at Birmingham’s Encompass, has built a database to advance BAMA’s efforts. Officials from Alabama Power and the Business Council of Alabama have also been active.

“Secretary Canfield quickly recognized the PPE supply chain problem and immediately began to work with our in-state manufacturers to retool their operations to meet the needs of our health care workers,” said Rell, Congressman Robert Aderholt’s former Chief of Staff who was tapped to lead Governor Ivey’s ad hoc Strategic Assets group that was tasked with PPE procurement.

“From sourcing much needed manufacturing components for in-state business to helping companies navigate the government processes for acceptance, Greg had his sleeves rolled up to help them be successful,” he added.

STRATEGIC SHIFTS

The BAMA team identified around 50 homegrown companies that have the potential to produce PPE to meet emergency demand, while some could make a long-term shift to permanent production.

“I have worked on everything from helping source raw materials for companies to connecting companies for the purposes of linking them for production and working to launch startups,” Secretary Canfield said. “In addition, Commerce is working two projects at this point related to BAMA activity.”

One of those is HomTex Inc., a Cullman-based family firm that manufactures bed linens and other items. As orders for its traditional products dried up, company officials transitioned production to reusable cotton face masks, and orders began pouring in.

Supported by the Alabama Department of Commerce and local economic development officials, HomTex now plans to invest $5 million to install equipment to produce medical-grade surgical masks as a permanent domestic supplier. Read a story about the company’s plans.

Secretary Canfield said Commerce has embraced recruiting PPE producers as a new strategy that aligns with the urgent need to establish a domestic pipeline for the production of these critical materials.

As with HomTex, some of these targets already have operations in the state that can be reconfigured to produce protective equipment or medical supplies.

“A decision to make a change like this is never easy and has to be part of a long-term move for a company,” Secretary Canfield said. “There can be high capital costs to acquire new equipment and machinery, along with labor costs for training and hiring new workers.”

REFOCUSING PRODUCTION

Meanwhile, BAMA and its allies have worked with many Alabama companies, especially small manufacturers, to help them make a contribution in the fight against the coronavirus.

These companies have shifted production lines to turn out protective face shields and other items essential for health care workers, even if the production move isn’t planned to become permanent, Secretary Canfield said.

Among them:

• Aptar CSP Technologies in Auburn has developed a N95 mask personal disinfecting system that allows the high-grade masks to be reused. The company is seeking FDA approval for the process.
• Renfro’s operating plant in Ft. Payne is expanding into reusable cloth masks designed with assistance from Wake Forest Baptist Health. Secretary Canfield is working with the company to see if the shift has long-term potential.
• Huntsville’s GATR is working with UAH engineers to develop a ventilator that uses the unique pump technology used in the company’s inflatable communications balloons.
• Mobile’s Calagaz Printing, whose business primarily centers on printing menus and other items for restaurant chains, shifted production to face shields, quickly turning out more than 150,000 of them. Secretary Canfield has begun exploratory talks focusing on the possibility of the company entering this market on a permanent basis.

“From our perspective, we’re trying to do everything we can to identify and utilize the assets that we have in the state that can provide us with or produce the medical equipment and medical supplies that are needed during this crisis and beyond,” Secretary Canfield said.

Many of the state’s largest employers have also contributed through producing PPE such as face shields or making donations, including Hyundai, which coordinated the delivery of 10,000 COVID-19 test kits from South Korea.

(Courtesy of Made in Alabama)

The Brookwood-based company announced plans in February to construct and develop a new underground mining facility in northern Tuscaloosa County. Construction on the new project began in March, and operations are anticipated to begin during the last quarter of 2025.

This new mining operation in Tuscaloosa County involves a total investment of $578 million and will create 371 jobs.

Warrior Met Coal is the state’s largest producer of met coal, used as a key component of steel production. The barge load-out facility, located in the southern portion of Walker County, will become integral to transporting the company’s coal production, according to David Knight, executive director of the Walker County Development Authority.

The Brookwood-based company announced plans in February to construct and develop a new underground mining facility in northern Tuscaloosa County. Construction on the new project began in March, and operations are anticipated to begin during the last quarter of 2025.

This new mining operation in Tuscaloosa County involves a total investment of $578 million and will create 371 jobs.

(Courtesy of Made in Alabama)

“There’s really no more exciting mission than delivering humans to other planetary bodies,” said Kim Doering, Dynetics vice president of Space Systems. “However, it’s also among the most challenging endeavors, particularly given the goal of landing on the moon in 2024. We believe Dynetics has the recipe for success.”

The company is developing the Dynetics Human Landing System, a single structure providing the ascent and descent capabilities that will launch on the ULA Vulcan launch system.

The next-generation Vulcan rocket is being produced at the sprawling United Launch Alliance production facility in Decatur, America’s largest rocket factory.

Also selected as a prime contractor is Washington-based Blue Origin, which will build the three-stage lander to be launched on its own New Glenn Rocket System and the Alabama-built ULA Vulcan rocket.

Blue Origin earlier this year officially opened a 350,000-square-foot rocket engine production facility in Huntsville, where it will produce its heavy-lift BE-4 rocket engine.

The third prime contractor is California-based Space X, which is developing the Starship, a fully integrated lander that will use the SpaceX Super Heavy rocket.

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville is overseeing the development of the human landing system (HLS) for the Artemis program.

“I am confident in NASA’s partnership with these companies to help achieve the Artemis mission and develop the human landing system returning us to the Moon” said Lisa Watson-Morgan, HLS program manager at Marshall.

“We have a history of proven lunar technical expertise and capabilities at Marshall and across NASA that will pave the way for our efforts to quickly and safely land humans on the Moon in 2024,” she added.

NASA experts will work closely with the commercial partners building the next human landing systems,  leveraging decades of human spaceflight experience and the speed of the commercial sector to achieve a Moon landing in 2024.

NASA said its commercial partners will refine their lander concepts through the contract base period ending in February 2021. During that time, the agency will evaluate which of the contractors will perform initial demonstration missions.

NASA will later select firms for development and maturation of sustainable lander systems followed by sustainable demonstration missions.

(Courtesy of Made in Alabama)

“I’m confident that the robust economic development activity we recorded in 2019 will help spur growth as we move forward on the road to full recovery.”

FOSTERING RELATIONSHIPS

The $7.103 billion in new capital investment announced in 2019 represents one of the most productive years for Alabama’s economic development team, just trailing the $7.147 billion in new investment registered in 2015. The record for new capital investment through economic development — $8.7 billion — was set in 2018.

The 2019 New & Expanding Industry Report, being released today, provides a comprehensive look at the 323 economic development projects completed across the state last year.

The report is compiled each year by the Alabama Department of Commerce.

“Our economic development strategy is centered on developing longstanding relationships with high-performing companies so that they will put down roots in the state and grow through expansions over many years,” Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield said.

“Those relationships will be key as the broader economy returns to a growth trajectory.”

Secretary Canfield said Alabama’s economic development team continues to work today with companies based in the U.S. and abroad that could include the state in growth initiatives in the future.

FOUNDATIONS

Key findings in the 2019 New & Expanding Industry Report include:

• Growth in critical industry sectors including automotive and aerospace remained strong in 2019, building on strategic investments initiated in recent years. Large-scale projects were announced last year by companies such as Lockheed Martin, Hyundai, Toyota and a host of suppliers to Mazda Toyota Manufacturing USA.
• Alabama attracted foreign direct investment topping $3.1 billion in 2019 from companies based in 19 different countries, generating 4,938 new and future jobs. South Korean and Japanese companies contributed the most foreign investment last year, primarily related to growth in Alabama’s auto industry.
• Alabama’s rural, or “targeted” counties, attracted $905 million in new capital investment in 2019. These projects are expected to create 1,842 jobs. Barbour County will become home to 294 new jobs, tops among targeted counties.

The report shows that Madison County was the leader in new capital investment related to economic development projects in 2019, with $1.3 billion. Just behind were Montgomery, with $1 billion, and Limestone, with $626 million.

Limestone County led the way in job creation, with 1,931 job commitments through projects completed in 2019. Madison was No. 2, with 1,666 anticipated jobs, and Montgomery was No. 3, with 1,221 jobs.

“Despite all the challenges present today, we remain committed to fostering long-term economic growth across Alabama, and we will continue to energetically pursue high-value projects to spark job growth and create opportunities for our citizens,” Governor Ivey said.

(Courtesy of Made in Alabama)

“We have developed robust and best practice safety measures to ensure our team member safety as we return to work,” the company said in a Tuesday night statement. “Our goal is a maximum reduction of personal contact and hygiene measures have been further intensified.

“As tasks permit, our team members also working remotely from home.”

Before re-opening, MBUSI said it obtained guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and benchmarked the best safety practices with groups such as the West Alabama Chamber of Commerce, the Alabama Automotive Manufacturers Association and the Alliance for Automotive Innovation.

“Our team members’ health and safety has top priority at Mercedes-Benz,” the company said.

MBUSI halted production at the Alabama plant last month in response to the coronavirus crisis.

“During our shutdown, we have monitored and learned from other Mercedes-Benz plants around the world as they returned to work,” its statement said.

“Measures adopted in Alabama include the mandatory wearing of face masks, temperature checks at entry and separation of team members in break rooms, cafes and common areas.”

MBUSI said it will continue to monitor federal and state guidance and regulations throughout this ramp-up period and will make whatever changes necessary to ensure worker safety and meet the required production capacities of SUV models produced in Alabama.

(Courtesy of Made in Alabama)

“In the last month alone, the number of calls made using Help Lightning increased over 400 percent as existing and new customers ramped up to deliver expertise remotely,” he said.

Earlier this month, Atlanta-based Cox Communications, the nation’s largest private telecom company, announced a partnership with Help Lightning to launch its “On-site with Virtual Assist” service.

With Help Lightning’s technology, Cox said its technicians can handle service requests from outside a customer’s home, without the need to go inside to troubleshoot a repair, protecting both the customer and the technician.

York said Help Lightning technology assisted a company in hard-hit Italy.

“One customer had a critical piece of equipment go down in Milan right when Italy started their lockdown,” he said. “Using Help Lightning, they were able to get it back up without sending someone – even faster than if they had dispatched a technician. They avoided exposure of their employee to the virus and resolved the problem.”

Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce, said Help Lightning is a prime example of an innovative Alabama technology firm that is providing real-world solutions to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Help Lightning and its cutting-edge technology are helping many businesses overcome difficult conditions in today’s challenging times, while demonstrating to the world that a high level of innovation is taking place in our state,” Secretary Canfield said.

ACCELERATING ADOPTION

Help Lightning actually got its start through the work of Dr. Bart Guthrie, a neurosurgeon at UAB Medical Center and prolific inventor who wanted to share life-saving surgical techniques with doctors in other parts of the world. He knew that simple video wouldn’t do the trick given the complexity of the surgical procedures.

Guthrie would need to be there “virtually,” with his hands and instruments in the field of view, to guide another surgeon remotely.

York said Help Lightning’s patented Virtual Interactive Presence technology represents the outcome of Guthrie’s work. (Guthrie, who is still at UAB, remains a member of the company’s board.)

It didn’t take long to realize that brain surgery wasn’t the only application for the technology. In fact, the company, which launched in 2016, found an immediate market in companies conducting field service and customer service activities.

“Anywhere that an organization had to send out a technician to repair a piece of equipment, Help Lightning could be used to virtually bring an expert on-site and guide a technician or customer through the repair,” York said.

Today, Help Lightning serves Fortune 1000 companies that have a presence in over 90 countries around the world.

York said the COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating adoption of its remote expertise platforms.

“I absolutely believe that business is being changed forever. Many of these changes were being adopted by more forward-thinking companies over the past four years,” he said. “This crisis has become the catalyst for adoption and use of remote expertise solutions. The pandemic has been an inflection point.”

York said the technology is allowing some companies to keep their workers on the job by shifting them to provide remote service. “We feel there is an opportunity to save jobs at times like this when you can’t be there in person.”

True to its roots, Help Lightning is being used in hospitals to perform virtual pre-surgical patient visits, reducing the risk of spreading infection and the need for scarce personal protective equipment.

“Help Lightning serves many major medical device companies that are ramping up now to support more testing and to deliver critical medical equipment,” York said. “A few of our customers have declared Help Lightning as an ‘Essential Business’ in their supply chain. We are glad to do our part to bend the curve on the impact of the virus and to blunt the impact of the economic downturn.”

York added that Help Lightning, based at the Innovation Depot technology incubator, remains anchored in Birmingham. The company has 30 employees, most of them located in Birmingham.

“Birmingham is home for me. We have received tremendous support from our community as we have raised funds, sought top talent, and grown to support companies all over the world,” he said. “Innovation Depot is a treasure for our city. And our community always seems to come together to make Birmingham a better place to live.”

(Courtesy of Made in Alabama)

In response, a team of 14 engineers and support staff from Huntsville-based IS4S assembled 100 RE-InVENT units in just three days late last week.

“We’ve worked with IS4S on multiple projects for years,” said Michael Zabala, an assistant mechanical engineering professor who helped lead the RE-InVENT project.

“Because of our great partnership with IS4S, we have been able to move extremely fast toward building the first 100 units, and ultimately towards getting them to those who need them.”

Ryan Hill, an IS4S research engineer and Auburn graduate, said IS4S will spend the coming week readying the current stock of RE-InVENT devices for eventual distribution.

“We have already received requests from a number of hospitals, and our goal is to obtain appropriate approvals so that we can begin deploying the units,” said Hill, who played an active role on the engineering team that developed and refined RE-InVENT.

Currently in its third iteration, Auburn said RE-InVENT has twice been tested on live animals, with both tests underscoring the device’s design and efficacy as a backup option in the absence of a conventional ventilator.

“While many companies across the country are building ventilators, we thought few could assemble and produce the needed devices in under a week when sources indicated the peak local resource usage would occur,” he said.

“Once the successful animal test was completed, IS4S immediately began taking the steps to fabricate the units for eventual distribution.”

(Courtesy of Made in Alabama)

“He recognized South Korea’s best practice of extensive drive-thru testing was critical to protecting the health care workers and patients from potential spread of novel coronavirus, while critically identifying those most in need,” he said. “HMMA is honored to safeguard the health of citizens in Alabama.”

CRITICAL TESTING

Reed said Hyundai has shown an “unyielding commitment” to the Montgomery region through job creation, capital investment and generous corporate giving. Its auto assembly plant in Montgomery employs more than 3,000 people and announced a $410 million expansion in November.

“Today, Hyundai builds upon this legacy of charity by donating thousands of coronavirus tests to save countless lives and help stop the spread of COVID-19 in our city, our state and our region,” Reed said.

“We thank Hyundai’s global leadership and President Jin locally for prioritizing the health and well-being of HMMA’s team members, as well as that of their families and neighbors throughout Montgomery,” he added.

HMMA has previously provided support to local medical providers with donations of food and protective face shields. Hyundai Motor America and its Hyundai Hope On Wheels program have donated $200,000 to the University of Alabama at Birmingham to help expand community testing efforts.

“The support from the business community to COVID-19 has been nothing short of remarkable,” Governor Kay Ivey said. “Hyundai Motor Manufacturing is an integral part of Alabama’s economy and an invaluable partner to the River Region.

“By providing these critical testing kits, they are truly saving lives.”

Hyundai is the first automaker to supply the Seegene tests in the U.S., and it is distributing them to select institutions in hard-hit areas such as New Orleans, Chicago and Detroit.

An estimated 45 businesses in the state are looking at shifting to produce personal protective equipment, or PPE, said Alabama Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield.

For some, those shifts have required new capital investments, additional equipment and retraining of employees, he added.

“We’re proud to see so many companies stepping up in this time of great need, with Alabama workers answering the call to support their neighbors and communities,” he said.

Employees at the Mercedes-Benz U.S. International plant in Tuscaloosa County are making face masks and face shields for local hospitals.

They are using the plant’s 3D printers to produce face shields, at a rate of 100 to 150 per day. They’re also making masks, which can be sterilized up to 25 times.

Other Alabama automakers have joined in the effort as well, producing equipment, donating supplies and providing design and manufacturing expertise.

Our engineers used 3-D printers to manufacture face shield frames and donated them to @rmccares. We are continuing to support the brave frontline medical workers and first responders. #ThankaHealthCareHero pic.twitter.com/LSCP7sviMu

— Honda Mfg of Alabama (@HondaAlabama) April 10, 2020

BOEING FACE SHIELDS

Meanwhile, Boeing today delivered an initial shipment of 2,300 reusable, 3D-printed face shields to the Department of Health and Human Services.

The companywide effort includes its Huntsville employees, who are using additive manufacturing machines to 3D-print a frame with an adjustable headband that allows a clear plastic face shield to be snapped onto it.

Boeing worked with healthcare providers across the U.S. to understand the most urgent needs and align those with its manufacturing capabilities.

Today’s shipment of face shields will be distributed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Boeing employees nationwide are set to produce thousands per week.

“Boeing is proud to stand alongside many other great American companies in the fight against COVID-19, and we are dedicated to supporting our local communities, especially our frontline healthcare professionals, during this unprecedented time,” said Boeing President and CEO David Calhoun.

Elsewhere in Alabama, Cullman County’s HomTex plant has shifted from producing luxury linens to filtered face masks, with a total of several hundred thousand already. And Fort Payne sock maker, Renfro Corp., is ramping up to produce masks as well.

Other efforts include breweries in several communities that are making hand sanitizer and a partnership between Birmingham wedding dress designer Heidi Elnora and Moulton’s Red Land Cotton that has so far produced and distributed more than 15,000 face masks.

An Alabama distillery, @YellowhammerAle, changed its entire production process to make hand sanitizer for the local community to combat COVID-19.

Watch NOW: https://t.co/U4UZMHn7bF pic.twitter.com/sLaT1A0x41

— NBC News NOW (@NBCNewsNow) April 7, 2020

(Courtesy of Made in Alabama)

“This is a really tremendous team effort,” Hill said. “My wife is a nurse at UAB Hospital, and as this is building, we’ve all seen the struggles that healthcare workers are going through right now.

“They’re the true heroes in this.”

Bishop, the team leader at Alabama Power’s Technology Applications Center, said the group hopes to soon be able to turn out 50 to 100 completed face shields per day.

“We’re not making thousands of face shields a day, but we’re trying to do our part. That can be said of what we’re doing and what others are doing. If we all do our part, we can help meet that need,” Bishop said.

Greg Canfield, Secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce, said the effort represents a great example of the state’s education community joining forces with the private sector to combat COVID-19.

“Right now, the effort is really focused on the needs of UAB Hospital, but if the team can broaden the production network to other universities and partners in Alabama, they should be able to provide more of a statewide focus,” Secretary Canfield said.

UNIVERSITY EFFORTS

Meanwhile, employees at the University of Montevallo have embarked on a similar mission to produce face shields for Shelby Baptist Medical Center in Alabaster.

The Montevallo effort was sparked by Michael Price of the university’s Carmichael Library, who read news reports about people making personal protective equipment to donate to hospitals. He turned to a colleague at the university, Kyle Moore, who also had access to a 3-D printer.

The group’s goal is to print and deliver 50 ready-to-use protective face masks to the Alabaster hospital to help protect medical professionals as they treat patients affected by COVID-19.

“We both have had printers running for the past week,” Price said last Friday. “Printing two masks and two filter holders takes about six-and-a-half hours.”

Another group at UA is also doing its part. The University’s MBA Network and the Culverhouse College of Business STEM MBA Program have partnered with the College of Engineering and a local network of makers to create face shields.

The group has produced 120 shields and distributed them through the University of Alabama CCHS network, which will provide them to the DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa and local health care providers.

The group has enough material to produce about 1,000 additional shields and aims to keep production going as long as needed. In the future, it hopes to produce masks, gowns and gloves.

SCALING PRODUCTION

To help meet expected surging demand for the face shields, Hill at the Alabama Productivity Center said his group is looking to scale up the production effort and recruit new partners across the state.

Another 3-D printer based at the UA College of Engineering is being added to the Alabama Productivity Center’s impromptu assembly line, thanks to Professor Paul Allison. Conversations are taking place with private businesses and others across Alabama that could pitch in critical resources and expertise.

The Alabama Productivity Center is affiliated with the Alabama Community College System’s Alabama Technology Network, so other ATN centers in the state could also be valuable partners, Hill said.

The project got started last Friday after Bishop reached out to UAB’s Koch and the Alabama Productivity Center’s Jody Beck with the idea of producing the face shields.

Beck recruited his wife, Sadie, a Ph.D. student in mechanical engineering at UA, to help out. Since the university is closed, Beck had already moved the Alabama Productivity Center’s two desktop 3-D printers to the family residence, now turned workshop.

“These circumstances created a perfect fit to help support an important project with the largest medical facility in our state to combat this terrible virus,” Hill said.  “Jody and Sadie have run these printers around the clock this weekend and had produced 19 face shield headbands by Monday morning.”

Because it takes around three hours for one of the Alabama Productivity Center’s printers to produce a single headband, it’s clear that partners with 3-D printing capabilities could be a massive help in turning out the much-needed face shields, Hill said.

“This is a no-fee project for us, but it is probably one of the most impactful we will do this year,” he said.

(Courtesy of Made in Alabama)

The initiative appears to have struck a chord in the community, with more than 4,000 unique visitors in the first week eager to support more than 150 Birmingham businesses listed on the platform.

“Local businesses are the heartbeat of the Magic City, and they need our help during these challenging times,” said Vince Perez, a senior project manager at the Alabama Department of Commerce and one of the initiative’s founders. “This is a way that all of us can let local business owners and their employees know that we’re in their corner during this crisis.”

The way Local Distancing’s founders see it, buying online gift certificates represents the most practical way for loyal customers to support their favorite local businesses right now while remaining at their homes.

The web site does not charge businesses to participate and will not receive any portion of the gift card purchases. Moreover, it works with gift card processing companies like Square and Gift Up! that provide money immediately to businesses, instead of when the certificates are redeemed.

Instagift, a Birmingham-based firm that provides electronic gift card services to local businesses, is also supporting the effort by waiving monthly fees for new sign-ups and providing promotion on its social media.

Joining Perez in launching Local Distancing are Dylan Spencer, a web developer who built the site and founder of a marketing firm bearing his name, and Trey Oliver, an attorney at the Bradley Arant law firm. The three are childhood friends and all attended Auburn University.

“We all wish we weren’t in this situation, but here we are,“ Spencer said. “Thankfully, hard times have their way of bringing people together, and I believe this will somehow make Birmingham stronger. All we can do for now is stay home, stay healthy, and take care of our city – especially the businesses and restaurants that make it special.”

Local Distancing may just be the perfect substitute for an upcoming anniversary, birthday gift, and more, he said.

“Order food and buy gift certificates, even if to give away as a ‘thank you’ to grocery store workers, restaurant workers, delivery folks, medical workers, and the many others who are working so hard to keep us going,” Spencer urged.

You can also find Local Distancing on Twitter and Instagram under @localdistancing.

(Courtesy of Made in Alabama)

“Remdesivir worked well in the test tube and animal models against a close relative of COVID-19,” Goepfert said. “We are very excited to have the opportunity to rapidly determine whether this drug will help treat hospitalized patients with COVID-19 here at UAB.”

UAB is home to the Antiviral Drug Discovery and Development Center, or AD3C, which focuses on developing treatments for four different virus families, including coronavirus.

AD3C research produced the investigational drug, remdesivir, that is now being used to treat a few select patients in China and the U.S. who have contracted COVID-19. Read about remdesivir.

RAPID SPREAD

COVID-19 can cause mild illness that can be overcome, but more severe cases can be life-threatening.

At least 466 cases of the disease have been confirmed in Alabama as of this morning, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health. On death, in Jackson County, has been reported.

“COVID-19 is rapidly spreading throughout the world, and the U.S. now has the third-highest number of cases in the world, with more than 50,000 patients,” Goepfert said, “Although the first case of COVID-19 in Alabama was diagnosed just over a week ago, we now have more than 400 cases in our state.”

On Wednesday morning, UAB reported that more than 60 people with confirmed COVID-19 cases were hospitalized at its medical center, with half of them on ventilators.

(Courtesy of Made in Alabama)

“We are at this point focusing on repurposing existing drugs,” he says. “That is, to take existing drugs from the shelf and find which ones are active against either the virus itself or can help in treating or mitigating the effects of infection in the severe cases.”

Dr. Baudry said around 30 researchers are involved in the project, working around the clock. The group is studying how the virus ticks, including how it expresses proteins, for clues on how to combat it.

“We can use high performance computers and supercomputers to look at the entire genome of the virus, see everything the virus’ genome is making and build computational models of all these proteins, and repeat the repurposing process for each of these proteins,” Dr. Baudry said.

‘VIRTUAL TEST TUBE’

Scientists in the group are starting with some proteins on the surface of the virus in an effort to prevent it from infecting human cells.

“We are also looking at some of the proteins that allow the virus to replicate itself when it is inside the human cell in order to block this process, a bit like for many anti-AIDS drugs,” Dr. Baudry says.

“But we will expand to pretty much everything in the virus’ genome that can be targeted by a drug.”

The work of the research group is its early stages, but Summit has performed the first calculations, according to UAH. Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s 200 petaflop supercomputer allows researchers in all fields of science unprecedented access to solving some of the world’s most pressing challenge.

Researchers are beginning the effort with databases created about existing drugs, natural products or molecules that may not have been tested yet as drugs. There are thousands of them. Then they build virtual models of these compounds using the laws of physics and chemistry to calculate their composition and arrive at a very detailed computational description.

“Then we look at the virus’ genome,” Dr. Baudry said. “We have to build models for all the virus’ proteins, again describing all the atoms, their properties, how they move together, etc.”

At that stage the supercomputers step in to compute how the atoms of a possible drug will interact with the atoms of the virus’ proteins.

“It’s like doing a test tube experiment to see if a possible drug will bind to the protein, except that we perform this in a virtual test tube using our computers,” he says.

(Courtesy of Made in Alabama)

Diatherix’s announcement comes as public health authorities across the U.S. step up testing to get a clearer picture of how the novel coronavirus is spreading across the nation.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says around 4,000 cases have been reported in the U.S., with 36 confirmed in Alabama. More than 167,000 COVID-19 cases have been recorded global, with 6,600 deaths, according to the World Health Organization.

“Alabama’s scientists have long conducted world-class research in infectious disease protection and treatment, so it’s no surprise that they are deeply involved in the fight against COVID-19 disease,” said Greg Canfield, Secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce.

“The talents and capabilities of these Alabama researchers will benefit the overall global effort during this public health emergency.”

VACCINE TESTING

Birmingham-based Southern Research this month announced a partnership with Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Group, a New York-based biopharmaceutical company, to test a potential COVID-19 vaccine.

Southern Research, which has considerable experience in infectious disease research, has long been a leader in the evaluation of vaccine candidates and possible therapeutics for emerging biological threats.

There are currently no vaccines to protect against COVID-19, which may cause serious complications and death.

Southern Research and Tonix said the research collaboration will develop and test a potential horsepox vaccine that expresses protein from the virus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19 to protect against the disease.

“We look forward to this collaboration to advance a potential COVID-19 vaccine,” said Scott Goebel, a senior scientist in Southern Research’s Drug Development division and principal investigator of the project.

INVESTIGATIONAL DRUG

The University of Alabama at Birmingham, meanwhile, is home to the Antiviral Drug Discovery and Development Center, or AD3C, which focuses on developing treatments for four different virus families, including coronavirus.

AD3C research produced an investigational drug, remdesivir, that is now being used to treat a few select patients in China and the U.S. who have contracted COVID-19. Read about remdesivir.

“This is a prime example of how the research we are conducting at UAB plays a critical role in treating patients on a global scale and our contribution of substantial scientific advances,” said Dr. Richard Whitley, distinguished professor at UAB and principal investigator on the research project.

Southern Research is also a partner in the AD3C.

NEW DIAGNOSTICS

Birmingham-based BioGX Inc., a molecular diagnostics company based at the Innovation Depot technology incubator, is also involved in the effort against COVID-19.

Today, BioGX announced that it had joined BD, a global medical technology company, to ask the FDA to authorize new diagnostics tests that would increase the potential capacity to screen for COVID-19 by thousands of tests per day.

BioGX developed an assay to detect the presence of the virus that causes COVID-19 for BD automated molecular diagnostic platform, which can analyze samples in two to three hours.

“The foundation of BioGX firmly stands on its team’s ability to step up and address such unmet needs with speed. Authorization to use our test would increase access across the U.S. to an automated, highly reliable SARS-CoV-2 test,” said Dr. Shazi Iqbal, chief executive officer of BioGX.

(Courtesy of Made in Alabama)

HTNA, a Tier One supplier that manufactures carpet and interior trim components for the automotive industry, first located in Jasper in 2011. The company’s growth spurt follows an expansion project in 2013 and will push employment at the site to 125.

“Congratulations to the entire HTNA team on being selected as a supplier to the new Mazda/Toyota plant located in Huntsville. I know this is a big win for the company and certainly it is a win for our city,” Jasper Mayor David O’Mary said.

Once the expansion project is complete, HTNA’s investment at the Jasper facility will total $42 million.

“This is not only great news for Jasper and Walker County, it is a major benefit to the surrounding communities,” said Alabama Senate Majority Leader Greg Reed of Jasper. “I would like to thank HTNA for their continued confidence in Walker County.”

Production is scheduled to begin at Mazda Toyota Manufacturing next year. So far, five Mazda Toyota suppliers have pinpointed sites in Madison and Limestone counties for production locations that will create almost 1,700 new auto-sector jobs. Combined, their investment totals $440 million.

“HTNA is a great company with deep Alabama roots, and its growth in Jasper over the years has been impressive,” said Greg Canfield, Secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce.

“With this expansion, HTNA solidifies its roots in Walker County and extends the Mazda Toyota Manufacturing USA supply chain to another region of the state.”

CELEBRATING GROWTH

Walker County officials applauded HTNA’s re-investment in Jasper, which has developed a cluster of auto suppliers in recent years.

“HTNA is a great corporate citizen so I’m very excited that they will be expanding once again in Walker County,” said State Rep. Connie Rowe of Jasper. “Their new state-of-the-art assembly lines will mean more jobs and more opportunities for local families.

“Over the past 10 years, we have built a great partnership with HTNA and they have truly become a part of our community,” she added.

David Knight, director of the Walker County Development Authority, said HTNA’s third expansion project represents a vote of confidence in its Alabama workforce.

“Supporting our existing industry is truly a team effort and we are thrilled that HTNA will be making this new investment and creating additional jobs in our community,” Knight said.

(Courtesy of Made in Alabama)

Vardaman said he expects Seoyon E-Hwa’s expansion project to get under way in April, with a potential completion by the end of September. The company’s total investment will be $5.14 million.

Seoyon E-Hwa’s facility at Selma’s Craig Industrial Park produces several molded plastic interior trim parts for vehicles assembled at the massive Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama plant in Montgomery. This expansion is in conjunction with new vehicle production beginning later this year at HMMA’s plant.

Based in South Korea, Seoyon E-Hwa’s roots date to the early 1970s and the beginning of that nation’s auto industry. Today, the company has plants around the world and serves automakers including Kia, Volkswagen, Ford and Nissan, according to its website.

GROWTH PLANS

Seoyon E-Hwa’s expansion project was formally announced Tuesday during an event at the Selma-Dallas County Public Library.

Local officials cheered the company’s growth plans.

“I’m just excited that they are here in Selma and Dallas County, that we are open for business, and that we are growing and our companies are growing,” state Sen. Malika Sanders-Fortier told the Selma Times-Journal. “We are so excited to have 60 people who’ll have the opportunity to be employed …

“Every time I hear about a new job, I’m excited for that,” she added.

Vardaman said he expects to see additional growth projects taking shape in Dallas County.

(Courtesy of Made in Alabama)

“Borbet is thankful for the support of city leadership and the commitment of those who make up the Borbet Alabama team that has allowed the Auburn operation to maintain continued growth and high company standards,” said Juergen Keller, CEO of Borbet Alabama.

Borbet located in Auburn in 2008 and has grown to become one of community’s largest industrial employers.

‘VALUABLE ASSET’

Its location in the Auburn Technology Park North has a vertically integrated production process that includes melting, casting, flow forming, X-raying, heat treating, machining and painting.

Borbet Alabama continues to make investments in technology, such as new radial runout testing machines, to ensure that is operation is on the cutting edge of the industry and provides high-tech, impactful jobs.

“Borbet is a valuable asset to Auburn and has been a remarkable corporate citizen since they made Auburn home in 2008,” Mayor Ron Anders said.

“We’re grateful to them for the high-tech jobs and positive company culture they provide their employees and look forward to their continued growth.”

Borbet has over $1 billion in annual sales with nine global operations. The company is recognized globally as a specialist in design excellence and high-quality production.

(Courtesy of Made in Alabama)

Alabama ranked No. 9 among all states for the number of 2019 economic development projects that met the criteria of the “Site Selection” analysis, with 150 qualified projects. In 2018, Alabama ranked No. 19.

Greg Canfield, Secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce, said the high rankings in the closely watched “Governor’s Cups” analysis demonstrate that economic developers across the state are helping to spark job growth and attract new investment.

“These rankings validate the hard work put in by Alabama’s economic development team to create meaningful opportunities for citizens in our state through job creation,” Secretary Canfield said.

“The rankings also confirm that Alabama is a very attractive location for corporate decision-makers because of our pro-business policies, our dedicated workforce and our top-ranked job-training programs,” he added.

This is the first year that Alabama has ranked in the Top 10 in both categories.

TOP PERFORMERS

In addition, several Alabama cities and metro areas earned individual rankings from the publication.

• With seven qualified projects in 2019, Cullman was tied for No. 6 among the nation’s Top Micropolitans, reinforcing its perennial ranking in this category of Site Selection’s analysis. Cullman ranked No. 7 in the previous year’s analysis.
• Troy and Enterprise shared a No. 31 ranking among 2019’s Top Micropolitans, with three projects each.
• With 23 qualifying projects, Montgomery ranked No. 9 among Site Selection’s top-performing metro areas with populations between 200,000 and 1 million.
• Auburn-Opelika and Florence-Muscle Shoals both ranked No. 7, with 8 projects each, among the nation’s small metros in the 2019 Site Selection analysis.

Atlanta-based “Site Selection” has awarded the Governor’s Cup award each year since 1978 to the state with the greatest number of new and expanded corporate facilities as tracked by a proprietary database.

In 2014, the magazine launched a per capita category to even the playing field for states with smaller populations. Alabama ranked No. 7 that year.

Qualifying projects are those meeting one or more of Site Selection’s criteria for inclusion in the Conway Projects Database: a minimum investment of $1 million, creation of 20 or more new jobs, or 20,000 square feet or more of new space.

Georgia ranked No. 1 for projects per capita in 2019, while Texas was tops for the overall number of projects.

(Courtesy of Made in Alabama)