Mobile's on the Grow

Photos by Thigpen Photography

Mobile

on the Grow

Recent Announcements/ Expansions • Airbus Americas Engineering (aircraft manufacturer) • Airbus Military North America (aircraft manufacturer) • Aker Solutions (oil and gas) • Alabama Power Co. (electricity) • APM Terminals, Mobile Container Terminal (intermodal port facility) • Arc Terminals (oil storage) • Austal USA (shipbuilding) • Berg Spiral Pipe (steel pipe) • C & G Boat Works (shipbuilding) • Evonik Degussa Corp. (chemicals) • Holcim (U.S.) (cement) • Horizon Shipbuilding (shipbuilding) • International Shipholding Corp. (water transportation services) • Kimberly-Clark (paper products) • Krispy Mixes (production) • Lenzing Fibers (Lyocell fibers) • Regent Aerospace Corp. (aircraft maintenance) • Ryla Inc., an Alorica subsidiary (telecommunications) • SSAB Americas (steel) • Silver Ships (shipbuilding) • ST Aerospace Mobile (aircraft maintenance and repair) • ThyssenKrupp Steel & Stainless (steel)

As the Mobile Area Chamber celebrates 175 years as Mobile’s progressive business advocate, the organization remains focused on its core strengths – recruiting new jobs and retaining current ones, advocating on behalf of its members, and improving the region’s infrastructure and workforce development.

Interest in the Mobile Bay region continues and the Chamber’s economic development team is working viable and diverse projects representing sectors such as aerospace, maritime, oil and gas exploration, and transportation and distribution.

As the region’s lead economic developer, the Chamber’s efforts are supported by Partners for Growth, a coalition of public and private investors. Goals set for 2008 - 2012 are: create 3,750 jobs over five years; with targeted annual salaries of $38,500 and higher; and generate $1 billion in capital investment.

Since 2008, announcements have included: • More than 5,599 primary full-time positions • With average wages of more than $53,507 annually and • $1.35 billion in capital investment The Chamber has more than 2,200 members, representing 107,000 employees in the region. This document is continually updated and available on the Chamber’s web site, www.mobilechamber.com, providing readers with quick “elevator speeches” about key areas of industry growth.

Austal

High-Profile Economic Development Activity Late in 2010, the U.S. Navy awarded Austal USA a contract worth an estimated $3.5 billion to build up to 10 Littoral Combat Ships. The project will add 2,100 jobs to Austal’s workforce. Earlier in the year, the Navy awarded Austal a $1.6 billion contract to build four Joint High Speed Vessels, resulting in the hiring of 800 employees.

The $5.2 billion ThyssenKrupp (TK) Steel and Stainless complex reached significant milestones in 2010, and is now producing carbon and stainless steel. Named one of the nation’s largest private economic development projects, the two plants, both located on one site, will ultimately generate 2,700 permanent jobs. The sites have a current workforce of more than 1,800.

The need for suppliers to locate near the TK complex is generating new jobs and capital investment in Washington County, just north of Mobile. Pump Pros sells, services and repairs hydraulic pumps and opened a new facility in Chatom.

Alabama State Port Authority

The Alabama State Port Authority (ASPA) continues to add infrastructure to make the Port of Mobile more competitive, announcing in late 2010 it would invest an additional $360 million in infrastructure improvements with a new interchange, intermodal rail yard, cargo yard and warehouse and other cargo terminal improvements. The Port of Mobile is one of the nation’s largest, full-service seaports handling in excess of 54 million tons annually.

Reaching its target employment of 150, Airbus Americas Engineering announced in 2010 it would add 90 new positions, and invest another $1.7 million at its engineering center located at Brookley Aeroplex.

In 2010, Regent Aerospace, the world’s largest aircraft interiors maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) company, opened a facility in Mobile and hired 90 employees.

SSAB has a $287 million capital investment underway and plans to add 137 new positions with an average annual wage of $90,000.

A $174 million carbon capture project is nearing completion at Alabama Power’s Barry Steam Plant in north Mobile County. Expected to open this year, the facility will reduce air emissions.

When complete, it will be the world’s largest system of its type.

Shelby Hall Engineering and Computing Sciences Building, University of South Alabama

In 2011, the University of South Alabama (USA) will complete a $400 million expansion project with the opening of the Shelby Hall Engineering and Computing Sciences Building. Other new projects include a student dining hall, student recreation center and the Moulton Tower and Alumni Plaza.

Lenzing Fibers, a manufacturer of Lyocell (a cellulose fiber marketed as Tencel and used in clothing, linens and wipes) announced it would increase production by 70 percent at its manufacturing facility in north Mobile County. With a 2012 completion date, the company is adding 63 jobs and investing $30 million at its site.

Last year, Aker Solutions announced a $7.3 million local expansion driven by new contracts in the Mediterranean Sea. The company added 20 new jobs with an average compensation package of $56,000.

Alabama Power Co.

And in early 2011, Krispy Mixes announced it would locate company headquarters and a production facility in Mobile County. The multi-state distributor blends coatings and breadings and sells them to independent and commercial chain restaurants.

What’s Being Said About Mobile n Mobile was ranked No. 10 overall in the Small Cities category by fDi Magazine

in its Ameria’s Cities of the Future 2011/12 rankings. (April 2011)

Mobile Area Statistics

n IHS Global Insight projected employment will grow in Mobile by 2.07

percent a year between 2010 and 2016, ranking Mobile No. 73 among 392 urban areas examined by the economic forecasting firm. Mobile is Mobile is the largest metropolitan area along projected to have the second fastest job growth among Alabama and the Gulf of Mexico between New Orleans and Tampa, Fla., and is the 70th largest MSA Gulf Coast metro areas. (January 2011) (Metropolitan Statistical Area) in the nation.

n Ranked among the 200 largest metropolitan statistical areas, Mobile

landed at No. 62 in Forbes’ annual Best Places for Business and Careers list. Both Projected Economic Growth and Projected Job Growth categories earned the No. 5 rank. In the Cost of Doing Business category, Mobile ranked No. 35. (April 2010)

City of Mobile Mobile County Baldwin County Mobile Bay Area

Source: 2010 Census

n The Economist featured Mobile’s optimism about its economic future.

Population M edianAge 195,111 36 412,992 37 182,265 38 595,257 37

The author also mentioned recent rankings by Moodys.com and Forbes.com as well as the city’s efforts to reconnect with Cuba. (July 2009)

n In 2009, Forbes.com listed Mobile as one of

the 10 Best Mid-Sized Cities for Recession Recovery. That spring, Mobile came in at No. 10 on Forbes.com Top 10 Best Mid-Sized Cities for Jobs. (April 2009)

12%

Mobile Manufacturing Profile

7% 15%

n Textiles n Food n Chemicals

28%

n Other n Transportation Equip. n Lumber

27% 11%

Largest Non-Manufacturing Employers

Largest Manufacturing Employers

Mobile County Public School System Education

7,700

Austal USA

Ship Repair

Infirmary Health System

Medical

5,300

ThyssenKrupp Steel USA LLC

Steel 1,800

University of South Alabama and USA Medical Facilities

Education/Medical 5,300

ST Aerospace Mobile

Aerospace

Wal-Mart

Retail

3,000

Goodrich

Aerospace

730

City of Mobile

Government

2,200

Kimberly-Clark Corp.

Paper Products

700

Providence Hospital

Medical

2,150

Evonik Degussa Corp.

Chemicals

644

Mobile County

Government

1,570

Springhill Medical Center

Medical

1,133

Press-Register

Newspaper Publishing 500

CPSI

Technology

1,000

C & G Boat Works

Ship Building 500

Regions Bank

Banking

SSAB Americas

Steel

700

BAE Systems Southeast Shipyards Ship Repair

1,891

1,200

500

475

Memphis

Columbia

Little Rock Atlanta

Birmingham

Jackson

Montgomery

Mobile

Biloxi

Baton Rouge Houston

Pensacola

Jacksonville

New Orleans

Orlando

Lagniappe The Mobile Bay region offers an abundance of cultural and recreational opportunities for people of all ages – a variety of museums, theater, symphony, opera, ballet, fishing, golfing, relaxing at the beach and more.

F Mobile’s cost of living is consistently one of the lowest out of the 80 largest U.S. metropolitan areas, according to an ACCRA survey.

F Mobile was

founded in 1702 and celebrated its Tricentennial in 2002.

F The Mobile Bay

F Mobile was named

area welcomes nearly 7.2 million visitors a year.

among the nation’s finest, with more than 25 courses.

F Mobile has three

hometown of baseball Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Ozzie Smith and Satchel Paige.

F Mobile Bay is home to America’s Mardi Gras, instituted in 1704, 62 years before New Orleans adopted the celebration.

an All-American City by the National Civic League, one of the most coveted titles among U.S. cities.

F Mobile is home to

F Regional golf is

major universities – one public, University of South Alabama; one private Jesuit, Spring Hill College; and one private Southern Baptist institution, University of Mobile.

F Mobile Bay is the

Miami

the GoDaddy.com Bowl, Senior Bowl, Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo, the Dauphin Island Regatta and the Distinguished Young Women (formerly America’s Junior Miss) scholarship program.

F Six different flags

have flown over Mobile: French, Spanish, British, Republic of Alabama, Confederacy and United States of America.

F The Mobile Tennis Center is the nation’s largest public facility with 50 hard courts.

F At least 31

international companies have current operations in Mobile.

Published by the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, July 2011

F Mobile is known

as the Azalea City thanks to Frise Langlois, who first brought the bright pink blossoms here from his father’s garden in Toulouse, France, in 1754.

www.mobilechamber.com