Alabama Secretary of Workforce Greg Reed and State Rep. Ben Robbins (R-Sylacauga) visited the East Alabama Rural Innovation and Training (EARTH) Hub in Sylacauga this week to see the state’s only center integrating innovation, education, family support, and workforce training under one roof.
EARTH is taking shape on the 30-acre former Avondale Mills site, a complex that once employed 3,000 people at its peak. The hub, operated by the Sylacauga Alliance for Family Enhancement, is designed to reduce barriers to workforce participation by providing childcare and transportation support alongside job training in manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, hospitality, and technology.
Robbins called the project a turning point for the region.
“EARTH is transformational for our region,” Robbins said. “We are creating the new model for economic development.”
Robbins secured $1.75 million in state funding to demolish and remediate the former mill property, clearing the way for the hub’s development. EARTH has since attracted partnerships with Innovate Alabama, startup accelerator gener8tor, and several universities.
Innovate Alabama committed $200,000 in grant funding through its Supplemental Grant Program.
The hub’s self-sustaining model is designed to serve as a blueprint for workforce and economic growth in rural communities across the state. Reed, the state’s first Secretary of Workforce, was appointed by Governor Ivey in February 2025 after 14 years in the Alabama Senate, where he served as President Pro Tem.
He has made rural workforce development a central priority of the new Department of Workforce.
Sawyer Knowles is a state and political reporter for Yellowhammer News. You may contact him at [email protected].
