A report out today, April 22, shows Alabama attracted more than $7 billion in investments and added nearly 20,000 new jobs last year.
Governor Robert Bentley and the Alabama Department of Commerce released the 2015 New Expanding Industry Report, which tracks economic development across the state.
Companies planning new facilities or expanding in the state last year totaled $7.1 billion in investments, double the amount in 2014, according to the report.
The report also finds that Tuscaloosa County was first for capital investments totaling more than $1.5 billion, attributed mostly to a large-scale expansion of the Mercedes- Benz plant. Limestone County was first for job growth, adding 2,618 jobs. This was due in part to Polaris’ $140 million manufacturing facility.
Greg Canfield, Secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce, said the 2015 economic development report reflects several significant trends taking place in the state’s economy. These include accelerating expansion in the aerospace sector linked to the production start-up at Airbus’ new Mobile manufacturing facility, and continued robust growth in the automotive industry.
Behind Tuscaloosa, the top counties for project-related capital investment in 2015 were:
- Jefferson ($900 million)
- Jackson ($686 million)
- Mobile ($505 million)
- Limestone ($471 million)
Trailing Limestone, the top counties for new and future jobs tied to 2015 projects were:
- Jefferson (2,464)
- Montgomery (1,268)
- Madison (1,226)
- Tuscaloosa (1,032)