A comprehensive work force training program and a serious
commitment to helping in-state businesses continue to prosper
are driving Alabama's economic development strategy

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labama is emerging as a high-tech manufacturing powerhouse, with the automotive and aerospace industries well entrenched and other key industries taking a closer look.
      Among the factors working in Alabama's favor are an aggressive work force development and training commitment, with workers being located, screened and trained for companies moving into the state; a robust business incubation infrastructure that is helping position Birmingham and the state as a beneficiary of venture capital; and a strong record of working with existing businesses to see that they continue to succeed.
      Public and private business and industry leaders gathered in Birmingham recently to participate in a roundtable discussion that helped put Alabama's progress as a location for new and expanding businesses in context. Participating in the discussion were: David W. Hutchison, Assistant Director of the Alabama Development Office; Jacquelyn S. Shaia, President and CEO of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA hosted the event at its headquarters) and Vice Chairman of the Alabama Commerce Commission; Ed Castile, Director of Alabama Industrial Development Training; F. Emmett Meyer Jr., Vice President of Human Re-sources and Administration for Mercedes-Benz U.S. International; Mike Bunney, General Manager for the Boeing Delta Launch Vehicle Factory, in Decatur, Ala.; and Susan W. Matlock, President of the Entrepreneurial Center, a business incubation program, and Executive Director of the Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham's High Technology Incubator, Office for the Advancement of Developing Industries. Site Selection Editor Mark Arend moderated the discussion.

      Site Selection:What would you identify as Alabama's unique strengths in attracting business expansion activity?

      David Hutchison: Labor force and location. We have found in the past five or six years that people are looking for a location with a work force that is available and trainable. You can have a great site and great incentives and other factors in a site search, but if you don't have dependable people who can get the job done, then you don't have anything.

      Jacquelyn Shaia: I would agree with that, and I would add that Alabama has a strong commitment to businesses once they come to Alabama and to existing industries. It's not good enough to just recruit and get the industry into the state, but once they're here, we'll partner with them and work as hard as we can to make sure they are successful here.