Business Facilities - November 2007 - (Page 44)

CORPORATE MOVES Alabama Gov. Riley: Well, the one thing I want to see Alabama do is become more [economically] diverse. Everyone Gov. Riley: Well, I think Alabama’s proven over the last understands that the automobile industry, aviation eight or 10 years that we not only have a great workforce industry, and housing industry is cyclical. So the more here with a great work ethic, but that our workforce train- diverse we can make our economy here, the stronger I ing is probably the best in the United States. When you think our economy will be going forward. have a company like Mercedes come into Alabama, and [To diversify], we’re starting up a Maritime Training they more than double in less than 10 years … When you Institute in Mobile because of our shipbuilding capacity have Honda come in and go from 2,000 [employees] up there. We’re doing the same thing with aviation in to 4,500 essentially in the last six or seven years—I think Ozark, AL—we’re building a new aviation training it begins to reflect on the quality of school. And we’re hoping to build a our training programs, and on the robotics laboratory where we can I think Alabama’s proven turn out 600-700 people with founquality of the Alabama worker. over the last eight or 10 dational knowledge in robotics that Business Facilities: How do you stand can go into these small and intermeout from a crowd of some very attrac- years that we not only have diate plants. That, I think, will contive states in the Southeast? tinue to give us kind of a leadingGov. Riley: We’re totally reform- a great workforce here with edge technology when compared to ing our educational system here. a great work ethic, but that other states. We’re doing the same We’re doing things in our K through thing in the biotech community, too. 12 system and in our higher educaWe’ve made some strategic investour workforce training is tion system that I think most people ments in a cancer research center in probably the best in the understand [will be] highly signifiMobile. We put $50 million into our cant over the next few years. We’re University of Alabama research cenUnited States. beginning to offer distance learning ter, [an investment] that we can —Alabama Gov. Bob Riley [through leverage] can turn into a classes through video conferencing to every high school—we’ll have that in full $100 million dollar investment place in the next couple of years, which will allow the at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Also, we rural areas of our state to have up to two Advanced Place- put major investments in an institute at Huntsville ment courses in all the four core curriculums; very few that’s doing some of the most advanced genetic testing states are doing that. What we’re doing with our math in the world. and science program here is truly a reform that is taking on almost a national significance. Our reading program Business Facilities: Final question: What message would you in the early grades has been held up by the Department like to leave to our readers and companies around the of Education as a model for the rest of the country. You world—many of whom perhaps are not up to date on the combine that with the quality of life that we have here— correct perceptions about the state of Alabama? Gov. Riley: If success is an indicator of continued or I think most people are beginning to discover Alabama, and a lot of people are beginning to remove the old future success, you should look at Alabama. When you stereotypes that have haunted this state for the last 30 or have international companies with the quality of a Honda, of a Mercedes, of a Toyota, of a Hyundai, of a 40 years. Boeing, of an Airbus … If you look at the success that Business Facilities: What would you like to see as the next these companies have had in Alabama, I think you can be major step towards further improving the Alabama busi- assured that there are very few products that Alabama ness climate—the next bottleneck you’d like to widen, so can’t build while being very efficient, and very successful to speak? at making your company as profitable as it can be. Business Facilities: What do you think the key factors were in winning some of these really large projects? “ ” 44 NOVEMBER 2007

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Business Facilities - November 2007 Contents First Words Snapshots Metro Spotlight: Indianapolis Region, Indiana Georgia's Pursuit of Industry Extreme Technology Sites A Tennessee Trifecta A Watershed Moment for Philly Metro Spotlight: Mexico-Texas Border Region High Tech and Aerospace Heat up in Arizona Meeting the Information Technology Challenge IEDC Announces 2007 Winners Corporate Moves: Alabama Northeast Arkansas Scores Major Investments Corporate Moves: Virginia Metro Spotlight: Martinsville-Henry County, VA Renewable Michigan Advertiser Index Ask the Expert

Business Facilities - November 2007

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