New warehouse strengthens Alabama’s logistics and manufacturing backbone

Officials gathered Wednesday to mark the grand opening of a new 25,000-square-foot warehouse at the Port Birmingham terminal — a milestone development poised to significantly elevate the storage and logistics capabilities of Alabama’s inland waterway system.

Purpose-built to handle cold-rolled steel coils, the facility brings a new level of efficiency and throughput to Port Birmingham on the Warrior River, reinforcing its strategic role as a logistics and manufacturing hub in central Alabama.

“This groundbreaking initiative represents a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to bolster the economic vitality of Birmingham and Jefferson County,” said David Russell Jr., Executive Director of the Birmingham Jefferson County Port Authority (BJCPA). “Through strategic partnerships and innovative investments in infrastructure, we are poised to unlock new opportunities for growth and prosperity within our community.”

The BJCPA and partner Watco, the private firm managing the port, hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday attended by local leaders from Birmingham and Jefferson County, as well as top state officials including Greg Reed, Secretary of the Alabama Department of Workforce, and Kenneth Boswell, Director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA).

Secretary Reed said the project represents “evidence of folks working together all the time, making sure that we get the kind of economic accomplishments that we want to benefit our families, benefit our communities and benefit this area of the State of Alabama.”

Angela Smith, a Senior Project Manager at the Alabama Department of Commerce, said the facility supports a core priority under the state’s new Catalyst economic development strategic plan.

“The facility will serve a critical sector in our state’s Catalyst economic development strategy,” Smith said. “It will play a direct role in driving investment, supporting job creation and boosting long-term competitiveness.

“It’s more than a warehouse. It’s a gateway for commerce and a key part of Alabama’s logistics and manufacturing ecosystem,” she added.

The project was made possible through Alabama’s first inland port infrastructure grant, administered by ADECA, which supports critical upgrades to inland waterway facilities across the state, part of a broader push to spur regional economic growth.

The warehouse represents Phase 1 in a long-term vision to transform Port Birmingham into a high-performing hub for both national and international commerce. Next on the agenda: pursuing a Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) designation to further enhance the port’s appeal to global companies operating across the Southeast.

Longer term, the new facility lays the groundwork for a planned intermodal terminal — an addition that will strengthen Alabama’s supply chain, reduce freight costs for industry, and help attract new investment to the region.

“This is our first major project, and let me say clearly: We are open, officially, for business — and we’re just getting started,” said BJCPA Chairman Mahari McTier.

Courtesy of Made in Alabama.